While keeping its main focus on providing Faroese industry with packing materials and supplies, Farpack is eyeing an Asian market for small size, Scandinavian quality packaging boxes.

Even though the Faroes are closely related politically and culturally to other Nordic countries, the relationship sometimes gets blurred in the face of geographic and economic factors. But there are areas in which the benefits of this linkage are obvious. Packaging and its design and manufacturing is one of these.

“Our experience shows that packaging products from countries like Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Iceland are superior in design and quality,” said Líggjas Joensen, managing director of Farpack, a major Faroese provider of packing materials and supplies. “Compared to anything we’ve been acquainted with in packaging, including wraps, boxes, papers and plastics, Nordic produce seems to exceed the rest by far in terms of design as well as overall consistency and persistence against the elements of time, liquids and the like; its general usability for processing industries such as seafood and many others is superior.”

Established in 1994, Farpack has in just a few years become a major provider for Faroese industry and foreign fishing vessels entering Faroese waters. Offering a comprehensive selection of packaging, the company serves industrial clients in the North Atlantic and the Far East, Mr Joensen said.

“The Russians have a tradition of entering Faroese harbors and we have a developed a business relationship with many of them, which we will continue to work on.”

Relevance is key: Having likewise a history of providing packaging to clients in Japan, Farpack has recently identified a Far East market segment for high quality, small packaging boxes, Mr Joensen said. “We were intrigued to learn that high quality, small packaging boxes for various purposes are in high demand in several areas of China, Japan and the Far East. We have decided to test this market offering some of our products, all of which are Scandinavian made.”

Farpack’s original area of business was supplying packing and other goods to the Faroese fishing industry. Successful at this and having grown continuously, the company today offers the largest selection of packaging and accessories available in the Faroe Islands.

Said Mr Joensen: “We select our suppliers very carefully and, wherever possible, the goods they supply must be environmentally friendly. To us and our customers it is very important that these products are top quality and meet all the required specifications including delivery on time. Also very important in this context is the good and active relationship we have established with the suppliers… They have demonstrated that they are able to create solutions that really make sense and benefit our customers.”

Abiding by recognized international quality standards for purchasing, marketing, sales and transport of packaging and other related goods to the fishing industry and the industry in general, Farpack holds the ISO 9001:2000 certificate under the supervision of Det Norske Veritas.

“Generally speaking, we supply a very large variety of products,” Mr Joensen remarked while listing a volume of packing products such as wraps, boxes and accessories plus additives, cleaning agents, safety equipment, industry clothing and more.

“The key is knowing which ones are relevant for each individual customer,” he added.

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