We are one of Europe’s largest suppliers of kitchen foils, waste bags, and reusable shoppers. Our products are available at retailers including Action, Albert Heijn, Jumbo, and Zeeman.
Owner Leen Paardekooper grew up surrounded by packaging. He worked in the family business, founded by his grandfather in 1919, until 2010. Then he decided it was time for a different direction. After a sabbatical and various consulting assignments, ITH Complast crossed his path. According to Leen, this family business from Andelst, Gelderland, showed impressive results.
Leen explains: “ITH was a small company with only ten employees, but the figures were impressive. The company was founded in 1975 by the father of the owner at that time.” ITH perfectly combined what Leen was looking for: an extremely efficient family business in an industry he grew up in.
Strategic acquisition
In 2013, Leen acquired the shares of ITH Complast, but that wasn’t all. Leen explains: “At that time, we had one major competitor in the Netherlands, which was Packit from Wijchen. The two companies did virtually the same thing. The acquisition of Packit in 2015 presented us with an excellent opportunity to strengthen our market position. We organized a competition among staff to come up with a new company name. The choice ultimately fell on Packit. New isn’t always better. Packit concisely represents what we stand for: we are a no-nonsense organization that helps major European retailers and wholesalers to be successful and profitable within the household products category.”
This includes products such as kitchen foils, waste bags, carrier bags, tableware, and cleaning products. We support retailers in creating a cost-efficient assortment that meets current legislation and the highest quality standards. The company has several own brands, including Dumil®, Julia, Daili, Smile, and Sophiegreen, and develops and produces private labels.
Autonomous growth
According to Leen, the last ten years have been characterized by autonomous growth. “We are still extremely efficiently organized. Currently, 37 employees work here. Together, we serve well-known European retailers with a consumer value of 400 million euros. And this number is growing.”
To illustrate Packit’s effectiveness, Marijn Paardekooper shares some figures: “We sell two million bags per week and a billion cups per year. With our foils, we have already rolled out more than 31 times the length of the Great Wall of China in one year – an impressive 21,000 kilometers per round!”
“WITH OUR FOILS, WE HAVE ALREADY ROLLED OUT MORE THAN 31 TIMES THE LENGTH OF THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA IN ONE YEAR, AN IMPRESSIVE 21,000 KM PER ROUND.” – MARIJN PAARDEKOOPER
No-nonsense
Packit has been located in Oud-Beijerland since 2019. For Leen, who lives in Hoeksche Waard himself, this wasn’t just a practical choice. He explains: “The mentality here is one of getting things done, no-nonsense, and level-headedness. That works very well. Rolling up our sleeves and pursuing goals. That’s what has brought us to where we are today.”
Besides the office in Oud-Beijerland, Packit has international production facilities in Germany (where a second office is also located) and Ukraine. Furthermore, we are represented by agencies in Italy and France. This year, we hope to open offices in Poland and Romania as well.
“As an organization, we have made significant efficiency improvements by further automating processes,” continues Leen. “For example, we recently implemented a new ERP system. Additionally, we collaborate with partners for matters that aren’t directly part of our core business, turning overhead into an advantage. We prefer working with local partners. For our logistics, we’ve been collaborating with Van der Mark for years. We currently have various storage locations, totaling about 35 thousand pallet spaces. Van der Mark will build a new facility in Puttershoek. From next year, this will be our new home base, allowing us to centralize our storage and transshipment. This too will increase efficiency.”
“We aim for a top-of-mind position in Europe,” adds Marijn. “This story in Hoeksche Zaken is a great opportunity to showcase ourselves to the Hoeksche Waard. People often have no idea how big we are. The Hoeksche Waard is no longer just the island of sugar beets and potatoes. Our products are sold in over twenty European countries and are daily present in 190 million European households. There’s a good chance you have one of our kitchen foil rolls or laundry fragrances at home.”
Family business
According to both gentlemen, this makes working at Packit extra enjoyable, besides the advantage of not having to leave the island for work. Leen: “Our products are tangible and visual. Whether you walk into Action or Gamma, or join a neighborhood barbecue, our products are used everywhere thanks to our employees. From administration to purchasing and sales, everyone plays a role in the supply chain.”
“It also creates engagement,” notes Marijn. “People are even thinking about packaging while on vacation. The entire company is sourcing, looking for innovative packaging and new applications. That’s amazing! We are a close-knit family business with short lines of communication and an open structure. The cozy bar invites good conversations, and this is where the best ideas emerge. Over the past years, we’ve grown as a team, both in quantity and quality.”
Ready for the future
Leen: “Our industry is under a microscope when it comes to sustainability and quality. Where we used to have one quality employee, we now have five. Previously, the quality employee would take a few samples from the truck to check quality. Now three people deal with legislation, data, traceability, and process optimization, and two people are working full-time to check the physical quality of our products. We have developed into a professional player.”
All these developments and the upcoming move to a new building mark the start of a new phase. Leen: “With the new building, we’re ready to double our turnover. We’ve always stayed under the radar, but now it’s time to step into the spotlight. We’re working behind the scenes on a new positioning to put Packit on the map. We want to further conquer Europe and optimize our customer distribution to ensure we’re strong for the future. Here’s to the next anniversary!”
Also check out our publication in the spring edition of Hoeksche Zaken.
