By DITA DE BONI
The new owners of a world-first packaging patent see an infinite global market for their shiny silver heat-preserving product.
Local businessmen have taken up the half-share of Chilltainers NZ previously held by Tainui-owned MDC and, with original inventor Wayne Harrison, have reinvented an intellectual property company eager to
license global manufacturers to create containers from a unique thermal material.
The technology is currently licensed to three New Zealand packaging makers, including Carter Holt Harvey, and one Australian company.
A trip to South America has netted interest in Argentina and Brazil, the company is negotiating with Chilean authorities and has active interest for Vietnam and South Africa.
Mr Harrison said Chilltainers was limiting its exposure to the United States and Europe because "we're just not ready for the interest we know we'll get with it."
Its patent covers the laminating of films to corrugated cardboard, then coating the board face with metalised polyester to give the finished containers a thermal quality.
They are used mainly for air-freighting fish. Chilled fish for export has traditionally been packed in a salty slurry that can leak and corrode airframes.
Chairman Don Pickering said Chilltainer boxes had thinner walls than polystyrene and could improve container use by 24 per cent, vital in air-freighting.
Polystyrene is its main rival in both domestic and international markets.
But, Mr Harrison said the best feature of Chilltainers was that, unlike most polystyrene containers, they could be recycled.
In New Zealand, Chilltainers are used to transport fresh tuna as well as a host of other fresh produce heading offshore.
The tuna "coffins" are over 1.5m long and can have more than a tonne of goods stacked on them without buckling.
When things are up and running in six months, the company will target the world's packaging manufacturers.
Mr Pickering said: "The fresh-fish market in New Zealand is worth roughly $14 million, with the Australian market about five times that again.
"Added to that are the possibilities for beverages, horticulture, chilled meats, pharmaceuticals, as well as hot food, because if the product can keep things cold, it can also keep them hot.
"Basically, the opportunities are endless."
