Moving beyond the confines of ‘trim suppliers’, US-based r-pac India is known today as a packaging expert with a very broad product line that includes everything from insert cards, labels, and hang tags to poly bags, vinyl bags, PE sleeves, box trays, corrugated boxes, and master cartons, to name but a few of the options offered. Over the years r-pac has redefined both master and primary product packaging strategy, making packaging an integral element of marketing. In an exclusive interview with Apparel Online, Paulose Parakkadan, Operations Director, r-pac India discusses the changing dimensions of the packaging industry and how r-pac is meeting these challenges.
Orging strategic partnerships with top retailers, among them Walmart, Target, Sears/Kmart, JCPenney, Kohl’s, Macy’s, and Bed Bath & Beyond, r-pac has become a major resource in conceptualizing packaging ideas that maximize a product’s ability to sell… the ultimate aim of every retailer and brand. “Many projects have taken as long as 2 to 3 years to finalize, as presentation discussions start almost the day the product is conceptualized but, on an average, samples take about 10 days after confirmation of concept. The majority of time is spent on the drawing board, and we don’t bill that time,” says Paulose. He emphasizes that packaging is no longer about only safe transportation but it is also a powerful tool to enhance sales, and r-pac has established itself as a creative solution provider for many global brands and retailers.
r-pac has made a major packaging contribution in the field of corrugated packaging and poly bags for US and European retailers and department stores. This includes both offset and flexo printed items like boxes, trays, corners, gift boxes with APET, PDQs, bins, pallet displays, 3-ply master cartons (transit test compliant), header cards, inserts, stickers, hangtags and, most recently, bio-degradable poly bags for Gap, Old Navy and Banana Republic.
[bleft]“Our strength lies in the ability to forge partnerships in each country to offer a flexible and wide product range.The global volume that we execute gives us greater raw material purchasing power which enables us to offer competitive rates.” [/bleft]
Servicing India since the early 1990s, r-pac International Corp opened an India office in 2003 and since then has expanded its partnership model of operating. Packaging, especially poly bags and printed corrugate packaging, was always a challenge for many in India. “Our strength lies in the ability to forge partnerships in each country to offer a flexible and wide product range.The global volume that we execute gives us great raw material purchasing power which enables us to offer competitive rates,” reasons Paulose.The concept behind r-pac’s working approach is to keep service and supply as local as possible.
A current focus in packaging is sustainable materials, and r-pac is geared to keep pace with the trend. “Earlier, it was white packaging now it’s all brown, because the material used is recycled and the demand for use of ‘natural’ and renewable resources is very strong with international buyers,” says Paulose. r-pac’s structural designers and engineers work to ensure that its packaging is recyclable. Recently they designed a master carton for a major client with cleverly crafted natural lock slits that do not open in transit, replacing the need for cello tape. “New technologies have empowered the sustainable movement with the manufacture of very strong packaging from recycled material,” adds Paulose.
Another aspect of great importance when working on a global platform is consistency of colour on the packaging irrespective of the product’s country of origin. r-pac achieves global colour consistency via a well equipped colour measurement system for exact reproduction and printing of colour on various materials. “On an apple-to-apple basis we are very competitive, as we bill for only the final product and not for the extra miles we go to create a consistent, quality product.
[bleft]Packaging is no longer about only safe transportation but it is also a powerful tool to enhance sales, and r-pac has established itself as a creative solution provider for many global brands and retailers. A current focus in packaging is sustainable materials. [/bleft]
Sometimes as many as 100 samples are shown and only a few are approved, but that is our own quest for excellence,” says Paulose. And with this philosophy, r-pac India has been designing, manufacturing and supplying both primary and secondary packaging to the specifications and standards of global clients over the last few years, including Walmart, Target, K-mart, SAM’s, JCPenney, and Hanes.
The company is also working extensively with Welspun on many towel and sheet set programs for the international market. To share market trends with various Welspun teams, including buyers, r-pac is planning to organize an ‘Inspiration Day’ to showcase the variety of packaging ideas that they have provided and from which the teams can gather concepts that could work for them. Very upbeat of their capabilities Paulose concludes, “We try and address individual needs, ranging from small quantities to unique materials and concepts, and this has made r-pac a preferred choice for many buyers and exporters. Going forward r-pac’s aim is to never say no to any challenge and keep pace with new packaging trends.”
Bharat Tex Special Report 2026 
