Tell us a little about your company.
IDEALPAK offers a variety of primary packaging for the cosmetics, personal care, home care, and pharmaceutical industries. We have been doing business on a global scale for over ten years. Our clients entrust us with the ability to consistently deliver high-quality products and services that meet international regulatory requirements. We have expanded our business to different regions across the world, including North America, Australia, and Europe.
Where are you located?
Our Headquarters and manufacturing plant are located in Guangzhou, China. Our International Sales & Marketing office is in Toronto.
Why did IDEALPAK decide to expand its operations into Canada?
To better serve our accounts in North America, we opened our office in Toronto. We value our accounts in North America, especially in Canada because Canadian accounts represent about 60% of our business. Local representatives allow us to deliver instant customer service to our clients. It’s important to get in front of our clients and listen to their needs to better understand how we can help them.
What is the fundamental difference between conducting business in Canada versus China?
This is a difficult question. Business owners in Canada tend to be conservative. They focus on quality and ensure that they abide by the laws, regulations, and contracts. They also seem to expand their business carefully, step-by-step.
Business owners in China tend to be more adventurous and profit-focused. The reason for this is that the Chinese market is fast-growing with increased consumer spending and an increasingly open business environment. Also, China is more dependent on exports. A considerable number of entrepreneurs in China actively reach out to the rest the rest of the world to try to build harmonious business ties.
However, there are many things in common when it comes to details in conducting business. For example, you need to value your clients, focus on quality and service, and build your network to succeed in any country.
What do you think gives IDEALPAK its competitive advantage?
We have over 1,000 stock molds (the number will continue to grow because we keep adding new products to our product portfolio), including molds for bottles, jars, tubes and their closures, so our clients have so many options to choose from.
If you want to design a primary package which is brand-new, our affordable custom mold price, quick turnaround time and experienced team will help enhance design efficiency and control the overall cost for product development and manufacturing. We provide comprehensive packaging solutions and help bring your vision to life. We will walk you through the whole process, including concept communication, 3D drawings, mock-ups, mold creation, sampling, production, quality control, and finished goods warehousing and international shipping.
Another competitive advantage is our expertise in customized decoration. We welcome clients to visit our showroom in downtown Toronto to see different kinds of decorated packaging products we offer. With customized decoration through IDEALPAK, your products “pop off the shelf” with an enhanced shelf presence.
You mentioned that IDEALPAK has been doing business across the globe for over ten years. Are the regulatory requirements different between countries?
The standards for materials are the same, but regulations vary from country to country. We use the finest virgin, toxin-free, and recyclable resins as defined in RIC (Resin Identification Coding) System by The US Society of the Plastics Industry. We strictly follow the ISO 9001:2015 standard. Both our raw material and final products are compliant with the regulations of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). We strive to offer eco-friendly, elegant and cost-effective packaging products to our clients.
If our clients have any specific requirements apart from the above standardized international norm, we welcome them to send technical or chemical inspectors to test our raw material and samples or conduct on-site inspections in our manufacturing plant.
What do you think are the latest packaging trends for the cosmetic and personal care industry?
Going green is one of the trends. People are seeking more eco-friendly packaging with natural components made from natural materials such as bamboo or wood.
Also, customers have higher expectations for innovative designs and decorations than before. The cosmetics and personal care products industry is very competitive now, and you need to evolve to meet the ever-changing market demand. Besides working on the ingredients in the product itself, developing creative packaging is also of vital importance to boost your sales.
What efforts have you made to make your products environmentally sustainable?
First, we are very strict regarding raw material selection. We choose eco-friendly materials and make sure that all our product materials are recyclable.
Second, we strive to minimize the negative environmental impact in the process of manufacturing, ensuring that all waste is disposed of properly. The Certificate of Environmental Impact Assessment issued by the National Environmental Protection Administration can prove this.
Third, all our scrap, waste and defective products are recycled to produce regrind materials for third-party partners, who will repurpose the materials for other items.
Why did you decide to join Cosmetics Alliance Canada?
Cosmetics Alliance Canada offers excellent opportunities for gaining professional knowledge and networking with government, stakeholders and colleagues within the cosmetics and personal care products industry. CA’s website is very informative, and the staff is helpful. CA also offers constructive suggestions to expand our business in Canada. I am confident that we will have a prosperous relationship.
How has your experience been so far with the Association?
I have attended the Regulatory Workshop and several webinars. These events help me to stay up-to-date with industry news, trends, and regulations. IDEALPAK has been introduced into the cosmetics community in Canada. It’s our pleasure to be a member of the Association.
To wrap up today’s interview, I want you to use one word to describe IDEALPAK’s core competency.
Cohesiveness. Everyone who works at IDEALPAK is dedicated, determined, efficient, reliable, committed and honorable. We work as a united team to demonstrate expertise, fulfilling commitments and earn trust through actions. We have faith that together we will meet all the challenges and make great things happen.
