During the visit, Ambassador Geržina had the opportunity to meet with the company's management team, who gave a tour of the production facility. The visitors learned more about the company's production practices, including the use of recycled paper and natural adhesives, which provide a sustainable alternative to traditional wooden pallets.
"KraftPal addresses today's most pressing challenges in a straightforward way and offers solutions for a green upgrade of global supply chains. Their product is a fine example of the accelerated transition towards carbon neutrality. I am pleased to see Slovenian expertise behind this innovative approach. Personally, I was surprised to learn that the load capacity of a cardboard pallet can be comparable to a conventional wooden pallet," said Ambassador Geržina.
The delegation also saw the company's 4th generation Palletonator in action, which produce high-quality products with zero waste and very low energy consumption. The Local production unit in Austria is also preparing for the new 5th generation Palletonator that will replace the existing machine. The new state-of-the-art machine will produce EU standard pallet sizes in seconds and has a production capacity of 1.5 million corrugated pallets per year.
"The Austrian state of Styria is one of Slovenia's most important economic partners. That's why I find it particularly important that KraftPal has opened one of its first production plants here. Successful companies like KraftPal help to raise the credibility and trust in Slovenian quality," said Mag. Matjaž Marko, economic attaché.
The visit to KraftPal is part of the Slovenian ambassador's ongoing efforts to promote sustainable practices and build stronger economic ties between Slovenia and Austria. The ambassador praised KraftPal for its leadership in the industry and its role as a role model for other companies.
"Our local production unit in Austria was recently graced with a visit from the esteemed Slovenian ambassador, who was deeply impressed by our product, production system, and ambitious goals. Their recognition of our efforts is a testament to our success, particularly in the crucial area of supply chain management. Considering the EU's new baseline for CO2 costs, which now stands at 100 EUR per tonne, our company is well-positioned to help others significantly reduce pallet costs and carbon emissions by up to 80% per pallet. Our biggest wish is that the governments would help companies to support industry by recognizing the value of corrugated one-way pallets and providing favourable legislation which would ease transition from traditional disposable one-way pallets,” said Gregor Brajovič, CEO of KraftPal.
Rok Snoj, General manager of KraftPal Austria, added “We appreciate the recent support and enthusiasm from governmental representatives during their visit to our Austrian production site. Our collaborative efforts aim to promote KraftPal locally and globally, leveraging the government's extensive network to increase awareness and adoption of our products.”
KraftPal has been recognized for its commitment to sustainability as a WorldStar winner in 2021 awarded by World Packaging Organisation for its environmentally friendly practices.
