Florian Grunt
Most, if not all, exhibitions planned to take place this year have had to postpone, cancel, or try out a new virtual format. InterTabac and InterSupply 2020 have also had to postpone till September 2021. In lieu of being able to actually attend the shows in person, Tobacco Asia has compiled a list of some highlights that would have been introduced at the two shows this fall.
InterTabac and InterSupply are considered to be two of the most important events on the calendar for the industry. This year’s postponement of the shows – while necessary and understandable – has taken away a well-recognized platform that would normally be ideal to showcase new products and services available to the industry. While maybe not exactly a platform of the same scale, this list endeavors to highlight some interesting developments that we would have seen at InterTabac and InterSupply 2020.
Star Agritech International
Star Agritech International, formerly known as Star Tobacco International, is a modern and market-oriented company with a genuine passion for agriculture. Operating on a global platform, Star Agritech is constantly expanding its markets and providing first-class service and expertise in the agriculture industry. Its products include tobacco leaf, coffee beans, soybeans, sugar, Turkish olive oil, and South African wines.
Star Agritech positions itself as a partner exclusively with private, medium-sized companies, and is a forefront company which gets the products to the markets with personalized and flexible service. Star Agritech also fully supports tobacco-farmer sustainability.
Star Agritech has made a leap of progress in its tobacco business by adding two recon processing factories in 2019. One of these factories is based in Indonesia and the other one in Brazil. With increasing demand, Star Agritech is now looking to expand the capacity of both facilities. Currently, Star Agritech is producing recon tobacco in cut and foil forms.
The company has also introduced the newly-launched New World Pipes by Star Agritech, a vessel of luxury to its patrons. There are two types of materials that are carved into tobacco pipes. The first one is Meerschaum, a fossil that is found only in Turkey and the other one is Briar, which is found mainly in Italy & Algeria. With Turkish Meerschaum, the pipes are creatively crafted into three categories – Face Pipes, Figure Pipes, and Classical Pipes in white and colored versions.
New World also excels in Meerschaum pipes with its limited edition sets. Currently, these sets include “African Safari Big 5” for Africa, “Chinese Zodiac” and “Terracotta Soldiers” for China, and “Mount Rushmore” for the US. Based on the target market, New World is creating limited edition pipes or sets of pipes made from Meerschaum to represent the regional culture.
With Briar, the second material that New World uses for its pipe portfolio, the Briar is carved into signature Freehand and Poker Briar Pipes.
Star Agritech has also launched its Xgen e-cigarette, to diversify its product portfolio into reduced risks products. The Xgen pods are detachable and contain 0.7 ml offruit-flavored liquid with 1.7% nicotine content. A single pod can last for 150 puffs. The Xgen e-cigarette is currently being test-marketed in South Africa and aiming to expand into new markets around the world. For more information, please visit www.staragritech.com and www.newworldpipes.com.
McAirlaid’s Vliesstoffe GmbH
Established in 1997, McAirlaid‘s is considered the biggest airlaid manufacturer, working without adhesives and bonding agents. Its product groups cover food packaging, hygiene, medical, cigarette filters, as well as home and garden products. McAirlaid’s also works together with well-known commercial filter producers.
McAirlaid’s Genia, offering a sustainable filter alternative, may be a solution to marine litter from cigarette butts, which an estimated 4.5 trillion cigarette butts are discarded each year.
McAirlaid’s has developed a cigarette filter media that completely disperses within weeks when discarded. By replacing the acetate filter with a biodegradable Cellulose Airlaid Nonwoven containing no glues or binders, cigarette and filter producers can make a contribution to the reduction of the environmental burden. It’s completely plastic free!
Genia is the first cigarette filter that combines environmental sustainability with pure tobacco enjoyment. In contrast to conventional paper filters, the new filter material maintains the characteristic tobacco aroma and taste. Consumer tests show that the taste compares favourably to the harsh, dry taste of traditional paper filters. The use of natural materials for the production of the new filter media and a unique, environmentally-friendly production process make the positive difference.
Genia is EN13432 certified and comes in many specifications, two colours (bleached/unbleached), and is suitable for cigarettes, filtered cigarillos, RYO, and the alternative market. For more information, visit www.genia-filter.com.
Hertz&Selck
Flavours for beverages and luxury foods, a unique spirit, the underlying mood, or a fashionable taste may change over time – what was yesterday’s avant-garde is today a classic or may even have disappeared from the scene altogether. So as we look ahead, what counts is vision, with experience and tradition providing a solid foundation. True to its motto “The Art of Taste”, Hertz&Selck has been working for decades towards meeting the demands of tomorrow, consistently exploiting the potential of today for this purpose.
Anyone who has visited the company’s headquarters in Hamburg’s Tarpenring during the last two years could not fail to notice the large construction site in front of the production hall – a clear sign that Hertz&Selck is growing. Less than a decade has passed since the move from the company’s original building in Bellealliancestraße to a new industrial location in the north of Hamburg. Yet, the buildings, which at the time were spacious and designed to meet future requirements, are now in need of a substantial expansion. The proximity to Hamburg airport as a worldwide logistics hub and the certification that Hertz&Selck holds are also key factors in the expansion of the company’s production output. From order placements to production and dispatch, the routes that flavours take to reach their destination are short, well-coordinated, and reliable, something that customers greatly appreciate.
Architect Heiner Huy has designed a striking two-story extension, which sets its own architectural accents at the existing site. It is trend-setting for Hertz&Selck as a producer of aromas not only in terms of its design language but also because of its inner values. The building infrastructure, including the air conditioning, the IT system, and security technology as well as the machinery and production facilities, is a solid investment in the future. Space is provided, for example, for two new mixing tanks, each with a capacity of 5.5 tons, and two stainless steel tanks with a combined capacity of 50,000 liters. Not least of all, modern recreation and social rooms have been implemented for the employees, something of which Jan Hertz, who coordinated the construction work, is particularly proud. In his opinion, the quality of a company is not only reflected in its product range but is also defined at least as much by the team spirit of the people who manufacture these products – and in this respect as well, Hertz&Selck is committed to its traditions as a family-owned company.
Compliance with demanding production standards, the ability to process exceptional volumes and swift delivery meet the requirements of the market, facilitating partnerships with many multinational customers. The building will be gradually going into operation from August onwards. Towards the end of this year, which has been overshadowed in every respect by the corona pandemic, the official inauguration ceremony will be held in the presence of the entire team. Managing director Nils Neugebauer wants to use this event to set an optimistic tone for the future despite all the challenges. Needless to say, guests will also have an opportunity of inspecting the technical facilities and of sharing views on current trends in the aroma industry. All this will be possible in the pleasant and stylish surroundings.
For more information, please visit www.hertz-selck.de.
KT International
Leading tobacco manufacturer KT International has established a presence in over 50 countries across Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and South America, offering the highest-quality tobacco products to both consumers and trade customers alike. Extensive research in consumer needs and trends around the world provides KT International with direction about the latest innovations and technologies to adapt and apply to its products, with the ultimate aim of enhancing consumers’ smoking ritual and experience.
KT International’s global brands, The King and Corset, are developed with a local flavor for different consumer profiles.The King, which is a Virginia/American blend with acetate filter for a genuine tobacco experience, globally-recognized and trusted, comes in Original, Nano, Compact, Carbon Core, Centrio, and Recessed Charcoal. The King continues to evolve with the changing needs of consumers around the world, and is now launching a brand-new Superslim range, which is the perfect blend of elegance and taste in a slim/superslim format. This extension of the brand portfolio will offer better consumer experience featuring an innovative taste enhancement system. The expected launch of this latest addition of the portfolio is expected before the end of the year.
The King Superslim goes up one level in terms of taste and flavor by adding the Rainbow series to the range. The exotic cocktail of flavors includes strawberry, cherry,and apple. The product features the innovative Thread Plus Filter TM technology which ensures a rich sensation of tastes and aromas.
KT International’s Corset, inspired by haute couture and the winner of International Design Awards, Corset showcased the world’s first Shellpack in 2017. Corset is now proud to present the latest line in its premium Shellpack range. Tailored with the highest attention to detail with bold and explosive colors, the new Corset Shellpack is sure to surprise even the most discerning consumer. The renowned Corset blend is now also offered in a new lipstick range with rich and smooth fruit and chocolate flavors: Strawberry Swirl, Apple Spin, Cherry Twist, or Chocolate Ripple.
For more information, please visit www.ktinternational.eu.
SMOORE/VAPORESSO
Founded in 2006, SMOORE Group was the first vaping company to be listed in Hong Kong (6969 HK) and is considered to be one of the world’s largest vaping equipment manufacturers with a strong focus on innovative and high-quality products. In 2015, SMOORE created its VAPORESSO brand, whose mission is to be “Beyond the Ordinary.”
So far, along with SMOORE, VAPORESSO’s business has spread to more than 60 countries and regions around the world and has established a substantial brand influence in Europe, America, and emerging markets. VAPORESSO’s efforts far exceed that. With cutting-edge ingenuity, VAPORESSO is dedicated to satisfying its users with high-quality vaping experience. VAPORESSO’s products - such as Veco, Zero, Luxe, and the Gen family - cover the full range of open-system vapes and fulfill the various needs from the vapers. The Gen series, particularly, holds a pivotal position in VAPORESSO.
The Gen S is the latest addition to the Gen family, providing an ideal option for both entry-level and experienced vapers. Having undergone a thorough upgrade, the Gen S 220W Kit is a high-powered vaping system equipped with an NRG tank that utilizes GT meshed coil (optional for GT 4 meshed coil), adopting the latest meshed technology to create dense clouds and release the purest flavor from the e-juice. Supported by an AXON chipset with a rubber-like coating, the Gen S’pulse mode will impress with the consistent flavor and vapor supply from the first puff till the last. The well-developed AXON chipset sets free the full potential of the Gen S, unlocking the comprehensive temperature control suite to adjust the temperature of the hit to maintain a smooth and enjoyable vape and offering a broad range of applicable resistances for the GenS. It also allows multiple modes that are not limited to just the pulse mode, such as the super player in DIY mode.
For more information, please visit www.smooreholdings.com.
Yunnan Tobacco International
Yunnan Tobacco International (YTI)is a wholly-owned subsidiary of China Tobacco Yunnan Industrial Co., Ltd. It exports and imports tobacco, cut rag, cigarettes, cigarette paper, cigarette tow, tipping paper, tobacco machinery, and tobacco-related auxiliary materials. YTI also seeks investment and cooperation opportunities worldwide to attain high-quality development growth. Currently, YTI ranks first among all foreign-trade tobacco companies in China in terms of production and sales volume in 2019.
YTI has established a presence with its products in 93 countries in Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa, America, and Europe. Its products are supplied from its China and overseas factories in Hong Kong, Laos, Myanmar, Indonesia, Romania, and Namibia, with overseas marketing companies in Hong Kong, Macao, Dubai, and Romania.
YTI’s brands are divided into three categories: Virginian-type cigarettes, blended-type cigarettes. and next-generation products. Its Virginian-type brands are Yunyan, Yuxi, Hongtasha, and Lesser Panda; its blended-type brands are Marble, Ashima, Win, and Brass; and its NGP brands are MC, Ashima, and Win (for sticks only).
For more information, please contact www.ytichina.com
Kevision Systems
Kevision Systems likewise has accumulated vast experience in providing its proprietary inspection, serialization, and T&T systems to a broad variety of industrial sectors, including life science, food and cosmetics, automobile, and agro-chemical. Founded in 2015 and based in Ahmedabad, the capital of India’s northwestern state of Gujarat, the company is also catering to the tobacco industry with a dedicated T&T suite, KevSecure.
Kev Secure supports and controls world-class hardware components such as printers, inspection cameras, and other devices that are indispensable in a typical T&T set-up, tracking each and every parameter necessary for a successful manufacturing-to-shipping workflow. Accordingly, the software captures packet serialization, ten-pack bundle aggregation, as well as master case serialization, creating the “parent-child relationship” needed for further processing of shipments. The system is also fully customizable to address T&T requirements that may vary from market to market.
For more information, please visit www.kevin.in.
Ruvian
Ruvian is a provider of next-generation products with safe, high-quality, and innovative nicotine delivery technology. Known for its heated tobacco products (HTPs), Ruvian has a unique patented technology in low-temperature fragrance-producing materials, temperature-controlled slow-release technology, and high-loading scented material carrier, which can effectively improve the quality and use of HTPs. The company’s manufacturing site follows current pharmaceutical good manufacturing practice (cGMP) and the International Council for Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use good manufacturing practice for active pharmaceutical ingredients (ICH Q7).
Ruvian also offers non-tobacco recon for both HTPs and combustible cigarettes. Its non-tobacco recon products, made from natural plants and are nicotine-free, include hemp (THC-free), fruit, tea, and floral recon.
In addition, Ruvian manufactures filter rods, ranging from hemp and recon filter rods for combustible cigarettes to PLA material and functional filter rods for HTPs. The company is also able to supply cigarette rolling and filter materials as well as one-stop design and professional analysis and testing services.
For more details, please contact yushu@ruvian.com.
Mayr-Melnhof Packaging
Combining packaging and tipping paper, Mayr-Melnhof Packaging (MMP) is a unique one-stop shop in the graphic supply chain for the cigarette industry.
The company is a market leader, offering the complete range of cigarette packaging such as hinge lids, inner frames, bundling paper, and inserts. Specializing in offset, flexo, and gravure printing processes MMP masters all relevant finishing techniques as well. With the TANN GROUP, MMP is at the same time a world leader in developing, producing, and converting tipping paper. In addition to a wide portfolio of various tipping papers, MMP provides customers with self-adhesive tear tapes and other packaging solutions such as inner liners.
MMP has a range of specialty tipping products, as follow:
- Textured tipping: With textured tipping, a promising and reliable method for the generation of tactile paper surface structures has been realized – a mechanical embossing process which provides fine and sophisticated micro-patterns with an outstanding haptic characteristic and high mechanical stability. The embossed structure of the paper matched with the printed design leads to the impression of touching an extraordinary material or textile.
- Soft-touch tipping: An alternative method of establishing a haptic effect of the tipping paper on the lips and fingers is the application of a soft-touch varnish. This gives the paper a velvety feeling, which can be experienced on lips and fingers during the process of touching and consuming the smoking article. Furthermore, soft-touch tipping does create a muted and sophisticated appearance, especially when the soft touch varnish is used on dark colors.
- Aroma tipping: A multi-sensory experience is also achieved by applying different aromas on the tipping paper. MMP’s customers have successfully added MMP’s aromas to their list of sensations offered in certain markets. Basic aromas are sweet, sour, and cool. These are available in different intensity levels. A new trend is the combination of aromas on one tipping paper – just think of sweet-sour!
- Anti-staining tipping: Another TANN solution is anti-staining tipping and anti-staining plug wrap. This protects the design of cigarettes from stains on the cigarette and keeps it perfectly clean. A perfectly reliable solution for “double capsule” filters and slim cigarettes – where industry-proven filter material cannot fully absorb the oily substances. Anti-staining tipping does not increase stock-keeping units, as the anti-staining property is where it should be – on the tipping paper for capsule cigarette, and which means a standard plug wrap can be used.
For more details, please contact info@tanngroup.com
Moon Group
Since 2010, Moon Group, manufacturers of bespoke, made-to-order tobacco smoking accessories including but not limited to rolling paper, filter tips, cones, etc. has continued to offer the Asian tobacco industry and tobacco industries across the world the much-needed style-focused rolling paper and smoking accessories to achieving a remarkable experience.
Moon has recently launched its new website moon-smoking.com where clients can find all that they offer.
Their main service is providing custom products for other brands. Moon designs and produces custom rolling paper booklets, filter tips, etc. to meet your brand objectives of quality and cost-savings. Moon’s product offerings are fully customizable and made to the highest quality standards in tandem with your brand position. Whether you are a small dispensary, events company, or a large distributor, you would benefit from their long years of experience and product quality that has become a trademark in the industry.
Quality rolling paper and smoking accessories create a long-lasting appeal to a sense of style. It breeds customer loyalty and evokes a feeling of trust. It is in this knowledge that Moon has invested massively in product lines and processes that prioritize consumer satisfaction. Moon’s clients trust them to deliver quality products that meet the exquisite taste of their clientele base. In the years that they have been in business, they have never failed on this objective.
Moon continues to provide support to the growing number of small and medium scale businesses that are determined to roll out their custom brands and crave a niche for themselves. Their support schematics are highly adaptable to meet the uniqueness of each customer’s situation and brand appeal. They provide custom branding solutions for businesses looking to have their own custom-made rolling paper, tips, and smoking accessories including rolling machines, rollers, grinders, rolling trays, and much more. Moon’s broad reach of agents and support team is always on hand to help you, and as their support KPI is benchmarked against your performance when you win, they win.
For more information, please visit www.moon-smoking.com.
Essentra Filters
Essentra Filters is a leading independent solutions provider for special filters and scientific services. With more than 80 years’ experience in the tobacco industry, Essentra knows how to translate the latest innovations, scientific testing methods, and regulatory requirements into business success.
Essentra is proud to introduce their Vortex FilterTM, a patent filed product which has been developed to provide an all-new sensorial experience with visual differentiation, perfect for premiumising your brands and making them stand out among the competition.
The unique smoke flow through the vortex creates a noticeable sensory effect for the consumer, delivering a swirl of flavour unlike any other. The visually attractive look, achieved through the creation of a different end appearance of a tube-style filter, is perfect for making your brands stand out.
Vortex FilterTM can be combined with any segment or segments, in addition to customization for the size and shape of the tube end. It can also be used as a replacement for the cooling tube segments in heat-not-burn products. Vortex FilterTM is manufactured using Essentra Filter Products’ marketing leading Tube Technology®. For more details, please contact filtersenquiry@essentra.com.
LLFlex
For tobacco packaging applications, LLFLEX is now supplying plain and printed inner frame in addition to its inner foil solutions. The company has a lengthy history as a premium tobacco packaging supplier and tailors its solutions to run smoothly on the latest high-speed cigarette packers and ancillary equipment. The result is a wide array of tobacco packaging materials of unsurpassed quality that perform consistently in high-speed and heavily-automated production operations.
LLFlex’s differentiating ability to supply both innerfoil and innerframe solutions allows the company to ensure complete color match consistency across packaging components. LLFlex can supply innerframe in virtually any color to support or align with branding and messaging. It also can incorporate more recent tobacco packaging trends, such as board laminates using holographic and other metalized or specialty films; in fact, the company has seen increased interest in such innovative approaches as brand owners look for additional avenues to product differentiation. LLFlex also can offer metalized innerframe made with transfer-metalized film; this specialty film is removed in a secondary operation, leaving behind an extremely thin layer of metallization that enables the innerframe to be recyclable.
LLFlex also is significantly expanding its manufacturing footprint: its new facility in High Point, North Carolina has the capability to produce each of its tobacco industry products, providing supply chain security via redundancy as well as added overall capacity. New and enhanced infrastructure supporting the tobacco packaging sector are continuously being incorporated in production lines at both the new NC facility and LLFlex’s headquarters site in Louisville, Kentucky.
For more information, please visit www.llflex.com.
Republic Technologies
In 2018, Republic Technologies celebrated the centennial of its OCB brand. OCB works continuously to reduce its impact on the environment by developing more environmentally neutral products and adapting its production processes, involving all its employees and suppliers. OCB takes its environmental responsibilities very seriously and comply with the environmental laws, regulations, and best international practices in this area.
OCB’s natural paper ranges (Virgin, Organic hemp, and Craft papers) are designed in compliance with all the actual quality standards :
• Sustainable harvested fiber
• Natural acacia gum
• No bleaching processes
• No chalk
• No dyes
• GMO free
• Vegan
OCB is also constantly working to improve its environmental impact, especially concerning its packaging by making them as compact as possible and printing them with vegetable inks on recycled cardboard and its energy consumption. As by January 1st, 2020, the electricity used in OCB’s entire plant in Perpignan is produced from renewable energy sources: wind, solar energy, hydropower, and biomass.
The materials used in OCB’s products come from suppliers located less than 500km from OCB’s factory (with the exception of natural acacia gum from Africa).
OCB is in adequacy with the values of the United Nations Global Compact to doing business responsibly, and the company does its best to reduce its impact on the environment.
Shenzhen JinjiaGroup
Shenzhen Jinjia Group was launched in 1997and is the first listed cigarette printing and packaging enterprise in China. Jinjia Group’s main business is high-end tobacco packaging and r&d of tobacco packaging materials. Through 23 years of steady development, Jinjia has become the largest comprehensive industry group with the strongest scientific research capability in China. The annual revenue of Jinjia Group surpasses RMB5 billion.
Jinjia Group has 17 wholly-owned and holding subsidiaries, all of them the most powerful enterprise in the region where it belongs. Group employees total over 10,000. Jinjia’smain domestic customers are China tobacco corporation, Moutai Wine, VIVO, and other well-known Chinese companies, while its largest overseas business customer is BAT.
Jinjia is one of the most influential packaging giants in the Chinese tobacco packaging design field, which successfully helps customers to create multiple brands and to obtain good sales performance and market reputation. Jinjia’s design won the International Pentawards Gold Award, World Star Award, Red Dot Award, IF Award, and many other world-class packaging design awards.
Jinjia’s Tech Center is the most influential r&d center in China’s printing and packaging industry and is the only national technology r&d center authorized by China’s National Development and Reform Commission. The technology center is a bridge to accomplish creative product design, process design, and product production. Top designers, technologists, material engineers, and production technicians here are concentrated on printing and packaging r&d in new material, new technology, new equipment, and new structure.
Jinjia Packaging Industry Park is the largest and most advanced printing and post-press process equipment group in China with advanced performance and wide production technology coverage. Its complete production equipment includes gravure printing machine, offset printing machine, silk screen machine, digital printing equipment, cold press stamping machine, QR code spray machine, hot foil stamping machine, laminating machine, concave-convex equipment, die-cutting machine, box bonding machine, self-folding machine, reel punching press, reel slitting machine, reel rewinding, high-speed quality inspection machine, code-reading equipment, etc. Many of the printing equipment mentioned above are Jinjia’s own property rights and patents.
PT. Bukit Muria Jaya (BMJ)
PT. Bukit Muria Jaya (BMJ) is a leader in the industry providing a total solution for non-tobacco material through intimate customer experience as well as operation and service excellence. BMJ continues to provide its services to clients across the continents as its excellent quality combined with competent services undoubtedly provide extra confidence for BMJ’s long-term clientele by ensuring perfect and flawless products with the consistency that is essential to BMJ’s quality control process. BMJ’s well-trained and experienced staffs operate controlled production processes on machines specifically set to match detailed requirements. The company’s technical support team also grants full after-sale support, such as collaborating with customers for continued process improvements and solving any unexpected problems.
With a deep understanding of its customer’s needs to differentiate their products in order to stand out in the market, BMJ works closely with clients to “Let’s Think Outside The Paper” with a wide range of made-to-order products based on not only the clients’ specific needs but also the clients’ customers’ needs. BMJ’s products include cigarette paper, plug-wrap paper, tipping base paper, printed tipping paper, aluminum foil laminated paper, innerframe paper, and printed packaging base paper.