Pattruss proactive in international expansion

Pattruss, the Japanese packaging company, specialising in salads and leafy vegetables, is looking to…

Pattruss, the Japanese packaging company, specialising in salads and leafy vegetables, is looking to expand into international markets. Takeshi Yamamoto, Managing Director of the company, says that, although the company was fortunate enough not to be damaged by the tsunami event, domestic expansion has stalled somewhat.

Exports, however, he says, have increased by over 25%. This has been helped along by the entrance into the Russian marketplace. Takeshi says, "The Russian market has strong growth potential for Pattruss, it is a market looking for something new."

He says that Pattruss does indeed have something new to offer. "Pattruss Z medium size (120gm) is now for sale and has gained a good reputation for lettuce, spinach, rocket and herbs.

"The large size Pattruss Z bag was nominated for an innovation award previously and we are delighted to see the medium size becoming popular. We are now developing a fully automatic packaging machine for Pattruss."

He says that as more and more supermarkets and convenience stores opt to use Pattruss packaging there is potential for demand to double from what it is now.

However, he does acknowledge that there are challenges ahead when planning international expansion.

"Under the current foreign exchange rate our expansion onto the international marketplace is not easy. However, we know that there is demand for our products so we will approach global trade proactively."