From wooden splinter to game changer
In the mid-1980’s, one of the largest tyre manufacturers in the world mandated a novel requirement to packaging for its natural rubber raw material. The packing solution had to be free from any fibrous material or wood. Until then, natural rubber had typically been transported in wooden crates.
David Lam (1952-2020), being then involved in natural rubber trading and having witnessed firsthand the problem of wooden splinters and other contaminants piercing bales of natural rubber and causing trouble in production, knew he had a solution. Goodpack was established and the intermediate bulk container, or IBC as it is known, that emerged from this work, became a game changer in the rubber industry.
Mr Lam’s new container solution was a combination of properties that still today are at the forefront of development and innovation. Some examples:
- made of steel – durable and robust
- reusable – less waste and transit losses, recyclable when scrapped
- stackable and collapsible – saves space, both laden and empty
- ISO container optimized – less air and more payload in sea containers
Goodpack’s first commercial container was launched exclusively for the natural rubber industry in 1990. Synthetic rubber soon entered the business scope. In 1996 Goodpack expanded into the food and beverages industry. In 2000, the company was listed on the Main Board of the Singapore Exchange (SGX). In 2011, Goodpack established a new vertical to serve the global components business, predominantly within the automotive sector. In 2014, KKR acquired Goodpack.
