BOBST DISCOVERY FFG 8.20 INSTALLED

LA ROCHETTE DAKAR INVESTMENT CONTINUES BOBST EQUIPMENT AND SERVICE HAVE ALLOWED THE SENEGALESE

COMPANY TO BECOME A LEADER IN ITS MARKET AND TO PLAYA

KEY ROLE IN DE VELOPMENT OF PACKAGING IN AFRICA.

A transformational leader

in industrial packaging

in Senegal. La Rochette

Dakar covers 80% of its country·s

demand for corrugated boxes. In

April 2017, the company installed

a Discovery FFG 8.20 in its Dakar

plant. Developed by Bobst Lyon.

this four colour casemaker is weil

suited to the company's needs,

because of its ease of use and high

performance (18,000 boxes per hour).

Buying the Discovery FFG 8.20

marks a new era in La Rochette

Dakar's industrial strategy and

BOBST DISCOVERY FFG 8.20 INSTALLED

"ACQUIRING HIGH-TECHNOLOGY PACKAGE MACHINES ALLOWS LA ROCHETTE DAKAR TO OFFER

PACKAGING SOLUTIONS THAT MEET INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS."

complements its converting hall, which

already includes a Bobst FFG 924 NT

gluer installed in July 2016. Since this

highly automated equipment was put

into service last spring, the quality

of the boxes, as weil as production

quantity have increased considerably.

70 Years of Experience

Being one of the leading packaging

producers in Senegal. La Rochette

Dakar opened its plant in 1946.

Originally called the Colonial

Packaging Company, the company

took its current name in 1960. A

Senegalese family group bought the

company in 1983. For more than 35

years. it has collaborated with Bobst

to modernise its production site in

Dakar. installing a quality control

laboratory and acquiring corrugating

and converting equipment from

leading European manufacturers.

La Rochette Dakar has more than

1,000 customers, including several

large international brands and

works in industries as varied as

tobacco. agrifood, pharmaceuticals

and telecommunications.

Modernisation and Development

At its production site in Dakar,

spanning more than 50,000 sqm,

the company fo_cuses on industrial

packaging and printing and employs

some 245 people. lts activities include

not just corrugated, but also flexibles,

paper bags, self-adhesive labels

and printing of brochures, planners,

posters, leaflets, flyers and calendars.

Since 2016 the company has

been growing quickly and making

large investments in its equipment

- it installed a new complete Aganti

corrugator and weil as two Bobst

gluers and a Visioncut 106 LER

flat bed die-cutter in July 2017.

Adel Salhab. La Rochelle Dakar CEO

Like other countries in Africa.

Senegal hopes to export more

products . especially to Europe.

Packaging plays a strategic role

in access to these new markets -

packaging for food products and

commodities must meet strict

international sanitary and traceability

standards. Today, La Rochette Dakar

is the packaging industry leader in

Senegal and the entire West African

region. lts exports are growing,

especially to Mali. Guinea. Gabon and

recently to Gambia and Mauritania.

Investment in the latest equipment

has allowed them to include

companies as demanding as Philip

Morris International and Nestle

among its customers. In 10 years,

the company has evolved from a

local to an international supplier.

Modernising its production site

has allowed La Rochette Dakar to

produce flexo printed packaging

ADEL SALHAB, LA ROCHETTE DAKAR CEO

with strong added value. These

high-quality, sophisticated products

require printing with special varnishes,

embossing and special trimming.

"African countries produce

food commodities and Senegal

wants to export to the European

and American markets," says

Adel Salhab, the company's CEO.

"But the hygiene standards and

sanitary demands imposed at the

borders require suitable packaging.

Acquiring high-technology

converting machines allows La

Rochette Dakar to offer packaging

solutions that meet international

standards. Our plant has been

ISO 9001 certified for 17 years and

also meets international safety

and environmental requirements.

Since 2007, we have also worked

as an approved supplier for large

multi-nationals and have several

global contracts.

www .thepackagingportal.com 67

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BOBST DISCOVERY FFG 8.20 INSTALLED

"THESE NEW MACHINES OPERA TE AT AN IMPRESSIVE SPEED, MEANING THE TIME SPENT ON CERTAIN

OPERATIONS IS A THIRD OF WHAT IT WAS BEFORE, ALL THE WHILE PRODUCING MUCH BETTER QUALITY."

68

Trust in Bobst

"Our recent investments in modern

equipment allow us to produce the

highest quality packaging solutions for

our customers products, both in terms

of strength and print quality," continues

Salhab. "In addition, we will be able

to deliver to most of our customers

within 48 hours, thanks to a 35-40%

increase in our machine up time, which

considerably increases our production

capacity. We are already making

cigarette packs and cartons for all of

Africa. This new stage in our industrial

strategy strengthens our position in

Senegal and will increase our market

share in West Africa for corrugated

and folding carton packaging.

"We put our trust in Bobst 35

years ago. Still today, their technology

matches our development strategy

and plays a key role in our growth. For

one thing, their advanced converting

solutions are transforming our site

into an industrial unit that meets

Western requirements. Our printing

and die-cutting meet international

quality standards. We have almost

no returns of defective boxes or

complaints from our customers.

"The performance of Bobst

equipment meets the challenge of

the local market and the demands

of international brands. We can

now systematically honour our

commitments to deliver to our

customers within 48 hours. This

is quite a plus, because it puts us

way ahead of our competitors,

whether in Senegal or abroad."

INTERNATIONAL PAPER BOARD INDUSTRY » APRIL 2018

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ADEL SALHAB, LA ROCHETTE DAKAR CEO

Changing Mentality

"These new machines operate at

an impressive speed, meaning the

time spent on certain Operations is

a third of what it was before, all the

while producing much better quality,"

concludes Salhab. "The simplicity

and ease of use of the new equipment

has also surprised our operators. But

it is not just about high output - we

had to make sure our operators fully

understand the new equipment and

operating systems. Bobst offered

excellent training and stay in touch

with our production teams to ensure

they are getting the most out of

the machines. We continue to see

an uplift in productivity. which is

the whole reason why we invested

again in Bobst equipment." ■