Celebrating 40 years of food packaging
2024 marks the 40th anniversary of Bonson. Since 1984 Bonson has been providing food packaging to the food service and food manufacturing sectors, developing a fantastic reputation for its commitment to quality, innovation and service. With operations in New Zealand and Australia, the business has expanded from its origins as a modest factory in West Auckland when David Tsui and his brother first immigrated from Hong Kong to a fully-fledged Australasian entity.
Many well-known grocery brands on both sides of the Tasman now rely on Bonson’s advanced technology and capabilities to produce packaging solutions for their food products from its purpose built manufacturing site that was completed in 2012.
Packaging distributors are amongst some of Bonson’s other customers; supplying takeaway containers and a range of other food packaging that is popular with their clients such as cafes, takeaway shops and restaurants.
Bonson also directly serves the retail sector by supplying to supermarkets both in New Zealand and Australia, however in Australia the retail division also distributes to other smaller retailers. In 2024 Bonson is multifaceted and well poised for future growth.
Over the past 40 years there has been a lot of change in the industry as well as the type of products the company produces and it is an opportune time to discuss those changes and what is on the horizon with Bonson’s CEO, David Tsui in this Q & A style interview.
So, let’s hear about David’s insights as he reflects on this important milestone…
40 years is a remarkable business achievement. What 3 attributes of the Bonson team do you think have been the most significant contributors to Bonson’s success?
Being a values driven company, a focus on family, integrity, and striving for excellence has served us well.
What specific product are you most proud of and why?
The square tamper evident container that won World Star Packaging Award in 2016 is a product that Bonson is particularly proud of – it highlights the strength of our design capabilities
What has been your most difficult customer design brief when custom manufacturing and how were you able to solve it?
One of our clients that produces ice cream needed a 5 litre container incorporating tamper-evidence features for their products – a first for Australia New Zealand regions. It took a lot of trial and error to get the design right for domestic and export application, but we got there in the end!
What do you think is the biggest challenge that the food packaging industry is facing right now?
The changing perceptions customers have about food packaging, combined with government legislation on single use plastics has forced the industry to become more agile and open to change as businesses transition into materials other than plastic. Bonson has embraced these challenges and we are exploring new ways to support our customers with their unique packaging requirements, in keeping with a circular economy. Diversification is also key in a rapidly changing market.
Bonson is committed to sustainability – what does that mean in practical terms for your operations?
Our operations have been designed with sustainability in mind and we are constantly challenging ourselves to do better on all fronts; improve energy efficiency, reduce our carbon footprint, and research & development in reusable systems.
With the Governments both in New Zealand and Australia focusing on waste reduction and an evolving regulatory environment, how is Bonson evolving its business and supporting a circular economy?
Developing our capabilities and systems for the changing market needs and compliance requires the business to evolve and follow a strong strategic framework. Aligning that framework to “Reuse, Reduce, and Recycle” principles will ensure we remain on the right path for a successful future.
What is on the horizon for Bonson over the next decade?
As mentioned earlier, product diversification will be key. Also exploring the utilisation of renewable material for manufacturing will be important moving forward.
How will Bonson be celebrating its 40th anniversary?
We look forward to marking this occasion with various celebratory initiatives throughout 2024 with our team, stakeholders, and customers. We are proud of what we have built and are excited to continue the Bonson journey into the next decade and beyond!
Happy birthday Bonson. Thank you to all our loyal customers and team for helping to make such a special environment and business. We look forward to many more anniversaries to come!
