Florian Kohler, Gmund: « It’s easy to offer paper, but infinitely more interesting to understand what will help a brand stand out »
Le 29/03/2024
Gmund CEO Florian Kohler
Gmund is renowned in the packaging world for its luxurious ranges of colored papers. Florian Kohler, CEO of the family-owned Bavarian manufacturer, discusses the future of non-cellulose materials, Gmund’s acquisition of French supplier Cartonnerie Jean FG and the Unfolded Festival, the cultural event that is breaking industry codes. Read the interview, previously published in Formes de Luxe’s print magazine, below.
How would you define Gmund’s identity?
Florian Kohler: At Gmund, we’re not just a supplier of beautiful papers; our job is to discover the paper that conveys a brand’s DNA. To this end, we’ve developed tools to find not only the right color, but also the right texture from among a hundred or so different options. We also organize workshops upstream, well before the paper is created and this is our real expertise. To produce a customized paper, the MOQ is three tons, and for our existing stock, it’s around 200 kilos.
Are these workshops a made-to measure service?
FK: Yes, but we go further to create a new technical approach. For example, a brand comes to us looking for red paper. With the Brand Experience Manager, we try to understand this choice: what does it represent for the brand? It’s easy to make an offer of red paper, but it’s infinitely more interesting to understand what will help the brand stand out.
How much of your sales are generated by packaging?
FK: Depending on the year, between one third and one half of our business. We’re also very strong in publishing, which accounts for around 15-20% of our business, and not just in coffee table books. We don’t produce just for luxury, we also manufacture for more everyday products.
Source : Formes De Luxe