Packaging procurement is no longer driven purely by cost. For FMCG manufacturers, supply continuity, lead-time certainty and verified sustainability performance are now core selection criteria alongside price.
As supply chains continue to navigate geopolitical uncertainty, freight volatility and evolving customer expectations, businesses are placing greater emphasis on suppliers that can deliver consistency as well as quality.
That shift is creating renewed interest in regional manufacturing and prompting many Australian companies to reassess how far their packaging materials really need to travel.
Against this backdrop, WML Paperboard exhibited at last week’s FoodPro 2026 in Melbourne, using the event to strengthen relationships with Australian food manufacturers, converters and packaging specialists while highlighting the advantages of having a premium paperboard manufacturer close to market.
For Ben Knight, sales manager, Australia, at WML Paperboard, the company’s participation was more than an opportunity to showcase the company’s products; it was an opportunity to discuss broader industry trends.
“Businesses are increasingly recognising that local or regional manufacturing provides more than convenience. It delivers greater certainty around supply, shorter lead times and stronger technical support, all of which have become increasingly valuable over the past few years,” he says.
As Australasia’s only manufacturer of premium folding box board, WML Paperboard occupies a unique position within the regional packaging market. From its New Zealand manufacturing base, the company produces the Formakote range, supplying customers across food, beverage, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and retail, while exporting to more than 40 countries worldwide.
The company’s message at FoodPro was straightforward: Australian manufacturers have a regional alternative to offshore paperboard sourcing.
Beyond lowest cost
The past several years have highlighted the vulnerabilities that can emerge when packaging supply depends on long international logistics networks. Port congestion, freight disruptions, shipping schedule changes and geopolitical tensions have all demonstrated how quickly global events can interrupt production planning.
Knight says those experiences have prompted many manufacturers to look beyond landed cost alone.
“Covid changed the way businesses think about supply chains. It’s no longer just about lowest cost – it’s about certainty and resilience,” he explains.
Long supply chains inevitably introduce more variables. Multiple shipping legs, transhipment points and extended freight times can all increase the likelihood of delays that ultimately affect manufacturing schedules and product availability.
By contrast, regional manufacturing offers a more streamlined path from production to customer.
WML Paperboard manufactures Formakote in Whakatane, New Zealand, with the majority of its raw materials sourced locally before finished paperboard is shipped directly to Australia. From the nearby Port of Tauranga, shipments typically reach Sydney within five to seven days, while total delivery from production to Australia’s eastern seaboard generally takes between 17 and 21 days.
The result is a shorter, less complex supply chain that can help businesses respond more quickly to changing demand, reduce inventory pressures, free up working capital and improve production planning.
“One of the biggest challenges with offshore sourcing can be the number of touchpoints involved,” Knight says. “Transhipment alone introduces additional risk, delays, and uncertainty into the supply chain.”
Supporting food manufacturers
While supply resilience has become a strategic priority, product performance remains equally important for food packaging applications.
Formakote is manufactured specifically for demanding packaging environments, with direct-contact food-grade board designed to meet the performance requirements of FMCG brands, converters and packaging specialists.
The board is produced from 100 per cent virgin fibre sourced from responsibly managed forests, carries FSC certification and is fully recyclable. Its manufacturing processes are also supported by internationally recognised ISO accreditations, providing customers with independently verified quality, environmental and food safety systems.
For food manufacturers balancing regulatory requirements, sustainability targets and operational performance, those credentials are becoming increasingly significant.
Building partnerships, not simply supplying board
FoodPro provided WML Paperboard with an opportunity to engage directly with Australian businesses at a time when procurement priorities continue to evolve.
While the company has supplied packaging markets for decades, the event reinforces its ongoing investment in the Australian market and its commitment to supporting local customers through technical expertise and manufacturing capability.
Knight believes proximity creates advantages that extend beyond freight efficiency.
Working within the region enables closer collaboration with converters and brand owners throughout packaging development, while local technical support can help customers resolve challenges more quickly than relying on suppliers operating across multiple time zones.
That responsiveness is becoming increasingly valuable as product cycles shorten and manufacturers seek greater flexibility from their supply partners.
As FMCG businesses continue balancing cost pressures with resilience, sustainability and customer expectations, procurement decisions are becoming more strategic than transactional.
For many, the question is no longer simply where packaging can be sourced most cheaply, but which supply model offers the greatest confidence for the years ahead.
FoodPro 2026 presented WML Paperboard with an opportunity to demonstrate that regional manufacturing can deliver more than premium paperboard alone. It can provide Australian manufacturers with shorter, more reliable supply chains, technical expertise close to home and the confidence that comes from partnering with a supplier committed to the region for the long term.
- For more information, visit wmlpaperboard.com.
