Blue Star Group has begun a $30m investment to consolidate several of its Auckland locations into a single 25,000 square metre site, which will open early next year.
Jill Cowling, chief executive officer at Blue Star Group, says, “Bringing together our business units from the existing Constellation and Collard sites makes sense on so many levels. It will be a game-changer for our people to be so close but more importantly, it’s going to drive even better outcomes for our clients.”
The new site will triple the company’s manufacturing capacity, notably in its folding carton packaging capability which continues to be a key strategic focus for Blue Star. It also delivers integration benefits with Blue Star Group’s web division, Webstar New Zealand and is conveniently located next door to its existing Display and Distribution business.
As well as driving significant productivity gains and efficiencies across the business, this change will also include major upgrades to Blue Star Group’s print equipment including some of the latest packaging technology in the market.
New offset kit includes a Koenig and Bauer Rapida 106 X packaging press with full logistics automation and hybrid coating features, along with a top of the line Heidelberg MK Master Matrix die-cutter, also with full logistics features. Sitting alongside that, a fully featured MK glue line will offer four and six corner fold and HSS bar code reading. These additions will complement the company’s existing packaging platform to help it extend its service offering to current and new clients.
Sustainability
This year, Blue Star Group achieved Toitū enviromark diamond certification across all sites and this new Auckland site will see a number of initiatives support the next stage of the company’s sustainability journey.
Innovations include:
- Refit considerations for water.
- Lighting and energy efficiency.
- A new extraction system to service two waste streams, providing clean uncontaminated waste for recycle to pulp and reuse.
- New press technologies offering reduced raw material waste.
- Consumable reductions.
- Energy efficiencies.
- A new pumped ink system vastly reducing landfill waste.
- New software technology and reporting to monitor energy use across machines and departments.
- Reduction in transportation and fuel usage.
Jill adds, “We are proud of the progress we have made in terms of our Blue Skies sustainability programme and this new site will make a significant difference – from environmental benefits right through to our people in terms of workflows, employee safety and future proofing the business to ensure job security.”
Work on the new site is now well underway and Blue Star Group’s Auckland teams recently had their first look at what is planned. Overwhelming positive feedback sees the company looking forward to the opening in early 2025.
