WINNER MAXA 2007

Tetra Pak Jurong Pte Ltd

Tetra Pak is the world's leading provider of integrated processing, packaging, distribution lines and plant solutions for food manufacturing. The company develops their own state-of-the-art food processing solutions and designs complete plants for customers.

Tetra Pak Jurong was incorporated in 1977 and the Production Site was inaugurated in 1982. In its 25 years in Singapore, the facility has grown to become one of the biggest Tetra Pak Packaging materials factories in the world. The Singapore plant also serves as Supply Chain HUB for South and South East Asia and a Converting Technology and Product Development centre with focus on Soya and Tea (unique and global) and other food products, successfully tapping on Singapore's conducive business environment, excellent infrastructure, reliability, connectivity and dynamic workforce. Advanced plant concept allows Tetra Pak to create unique value propositions for customers worldwide. Over its 25-year journey in Singapore, the plant has proven its ability to continue increasing the amount of its value-add through innovation, new product development and continuous improvement.

Tetra Pak stands out for its outstanding manufacturing operations. The flexible production system is constantly reviewed through the application of a clear, exhaustive framework for continuous operational improvement. Excellent tracking of downtime losses and automatic full control and register of any production deviations ensure smooth flow and quick problem resolution.

All employees in Singapore are well-trained in the Tetra Pak 'World Class Manufacturing' approach which has significantly reduced material waste, energy use and accidents while increasing productivity since it was implemented in 2000. As a testament to the company's successful operating system, Tetra Pak Jurong received the prestigious "Total Productive Management Excellence" Award from JIPM- the Japan Institute of Plant Maintenance in 2005. In addition, JIPM will be according Tetra Pak Jurong with a Special Recognition Award later this year.

Tetra Pak also maintains sustainability through a good use of standard reporting throughout the facility, especially in terms of target-setting. All targets take into account a combination of top-down business need and bottom-up potential. Together with the complete cascading of scorecards and individual objectives at all levels of the organisation, Tetra Pak's performance metrics are kept effective.

Continuous innovation, driven by an excellent understanding of the entire value chain, is at the heart of the company's operations. New digital print and laminating innovations are being developed here in Singapore. These highly complex products allow Tetra Pak to remain competitive even in sophisticated markets. Recognising the importance of pushing innovation throughout the company, Tetra Pak has established a good idea capturing system that collects suggestions on process improvements from employees. This yields several hundred new ideas per year, of which nearly all are implemented, establishing their Singapore operation as a role model for encouraging innovations.

Although the company is facing increased competition from the parent company's lower cost operations in other regions and copycat production in emerging markets, Tetra Pak Jurong has successfully transformed itself, over the last three years, to become one of the most sophisticated and complex Tetra Pak plants in the world as well as a global innovation leader.

In recognition of its overall excellence in its operating systems, innovation and sustainability, the MAXA 2007 is awarded to Tetra Pak Jurong Pte Ltd.