The Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP) National Board is pleased to advise that they have awarded Jason Fields, Packaging Development Manager, SunRice, a Fellowship.
The grade of Fellow is the highest recognition to AIP members and is designed to recognise the significant and sustained contribution to the technology, science or application to packaging in the industry.
Pierre Pienaar FAIP, National President of the AIP, announced that Jason Fields is a BSc Applied Science graduate who has worked for the past twenty years in the field of packaging technology.
Jason’s first job in the packaging industry was as a Packaging Officer with SC Johnson & Son. Since then he has held packaging development roles with Carter Holt Harvey Plastics, Colgate Palmolive and for the last nine years he has been the Packaging Development Manager for SunRice’s global businesses.
When asked what he has seen change in the industry over the years Jason indicated that the biggest change to the packaging industry is the power of the retailers.
”They are now prescriptive in relation to what packaging formats must be used, the coefficient of friction of shrink film, bar-coding requirements of shippers and pallets, and the move to shelf ready packaging. The continuing growth of private label is also having a major impact on brand owners,” Mr Fields said.
The most significant technology that he has seen revolutionise the packaging industry is Digital pre-press and electronic artwork approval.
“The world is a truly global market place now, and with advancements in electronic communication, large artwork files can be transferred from a graphic artist in Australia to a printer in Asia in a matter of hours, with pre-press completed and colour separated and trapped PDF’s returned to the client within 24 hours for final electronic approval. It will be interesting to see how long before conventional static printing methods such as gravure, flexo and litho are replaced by digital printing with its options for individualisation of each image for long run work (millions of impressions),” he said.
Jason added that receiving the Fellowship is a great and unexpected honour.
“It is humbling to be recognised by ones packaging peers whom understand what our profession actually does.” Mr Fields said.
Pierre Pienaar added that “Jason is a person who always strives to maintain and give of his best in the profession of Packaging Technology,”
“He has a sound knowledge of the science of packaging and always has the patience and ability to share that knowledge in a way that those around him who may not be in our field, understand and remember it,” Mr Pienaar said.
“Jason’s application to packaging is beyond repute. He is always helping people the rural areas of central and southern NSW where often expertise in this profession is not always in abundance to further their packaging education,” Mr Pienaar said.
“Currently Jason is helping with the development of packaging technology in a third world pacific island country. Here away from home, he is giving theoretical lessons, as well as spending many hours on the packaging lines teaching and showing his skills in packaging technology so that they too can benefit from his knowledge,” he said.
The AIP National Board would like to once again congratulate Jason Fields for his significant contribution to the packaging industry in Australia.