Made Here. The locally made FORMAKOTE™ packaging board range


New Zealand has a lot to offer. We make a lot of really great products, the envy of the world in some cases. So it is no surprise that we make a great folding boxboard product too – Formakote . Nestled in the region of Whakatane, the paper mill that makes Formakote is full of local people, supporting the local economy and supporting New Zealand manufacturing.

If you are making something, why not surround it in packaging that is Made Here.

BJ Ball are the exclusive supplier of Formakote White, Natura, Sherpa & Spectra. We are pretty excited to be able to offer local brands a New Zealand made packaging board. It’s not just about choosing local, and supporting the local economy – the lead times are much shorter, there is no boat ride across the globe to offset, and that is reflected in the pricing. Win, Win.

Formakote products have a coated side on the front, and an uncoated side on the back.

BJ Ball Packaging - Formakote White Chocolate Box with Spot Colour and Foil

Formakote White – this box has been printed with an off-black spot colour and a holographic foil. As the name implies, it is the whitest option in the Formakote range, especially on the reverse. It is great for luxury products, and has great printability on both sides. With FDA compliance, it suits foodstuffs such as cake boxes, shippers and tea bags, as well as other FMCG products such as medication or health and beauty boxes (perfumes and cosmetics). The sleeve of the box has also been printed on Formakote White, however we used a gloss clear coating, rather than the Prima clear coating (matt) used on the smaller boxes to improve foil and Spot UV adhesion.
Click here for more information or to order samples.

BJ Ball Packaging - Formakote Spectra Cheese Box with Spot Colour and Spot UV

Formakote Spectra – this box has been printed with a yellow spot colour and a spot UV. Formakote Spectra has a kraft coloured back. It has exceptional resistance to tearing and puncturing, and is great for products that require a high level of strength, including products inside freezers and chillers. With FDA compliance, it best suits dry, greasy and aqueous foods, such as frozen fish, impulse & convenience foods, and sleeves for dairy products or canned goods.
Click here for more information or to order samples.

 

BJ Ball Packaging - Formakote Natura Crackers Box with Spot Colour and Blind Emboss

Formakote Natura – this box has been printed with a blue spot colour and a blind emboss. Our most popular Formakote product, it is a great everyday packaging board. Formakote Natura has an off-white backing, giving a more natural look. With FDA compliance, and suitable for both dry and fatty foods, it is a winner for cereals, biscuits, pasta, fast food and general FMCG packaging requirements.
Click here for more information or to order samples.

 

BJ Ball Packaging - Formakote Sherpa Beer and Box with Spot Colour, Prima Clear Coating (Matt) and Spot Silver. Emboss

Formakote Sherpa – this box has been printed with a pink spot colour, Prima clear coating (matt) and an underlay of spot silver in certain areas. With wet strength and tear resistance properties, this board is built as a carrier board, for heavy multi-packs like beer and other bottled and canned items. Even when totally soaked, it gives confidence to both the consumer and manufacturer.
Click here for more information or to order samples.

 

 

Formakote arrives to BJ Ball in reels. We have three sheeting machines that then convert those reels into sheets. Although we carry a stocked range of 640×900 and 1020×760 in both grain directions, having reels on the floor as well allows us to sheet to more specific sizes on demand, to save waste when boxes don’t fit a standard sheet size.

Formakote is made by the Whakatane Mill. Located in the Bay of Plenty region of Aotearoa, New Zealand. Whakatane Mill is the only cartonboard mill in Oceania. Initially founded in 1939 to convert nearby central North Island pine forests into export grade cartonboard, today the mill directly employs some 180 personnel. Whakatane Mill Limited is committed to operating in an environmentally responsible manner, caring for the environment for the benefit of future generations. The virgin fibre used in manufacturing the folding box board range is largely sourced  from well-managed, sustainable forests located in the central North Island, supplemented with a small volume of imported pulp from Chile. The mill is both Forest Stewardship Certified (FSC) and ISO14001 certified —meeting the strict guidelines set by the FSSC 22000 food contact safety standard.

 

For your next packaging project, choose a kiwi made packaging board, choose Formakote by BJ Ball.

 

Ecology & Co

Portfolio Categories: Board Platforms.

Ecology & Co are a New Zealand Based artisan producer of alcohol free spirits. Both products in the range use blended botanicals – distilled without artificial flavours or refined sugar – to create alternatives to alcohol-based Spirits such as Gin or Vodka.

They wanted a unique packaging shape to create an attractive point of difference and to increase the perception of product value while protecting the product. This packaging is Crescendo 1 sided board and has been formed without any glue or double sided tape by using strong lock tabs.

CREATIVE: Formation Design – Mike Herrick
PRINT: Centurion Print
CLIENT: Ecology & Co
PROJECT: Ecology & Co packaging
STOCK: Crescendo 1 Sided
PRINT SPEC: Printed 4 colour process on Crescendo 1 Sided.  Die Cut, strip, strong lock tabs

Marama Skincare


Marama is a boutique skincare brand where aesthetic design is mixed with a love for nature. Their products are built up from high quality, natural ingredients, native to Aotearoa New Zealand and handmade in small batches.

They needed special packaging for their sculpturally designed soaps. This packaging is double walled Metsaboard Pro 265gsm and has been formed with a crash lock bottom. They’ve been finished with a soft touch laminate to ensure the packaging feels as lush as the soap itself

CREATIVE: HNDRX – Tom Dawson
PRINT: Fusion Print
CLIENT: Marama Skincare
PROJECT: Sculpturally Designed Soaps
STOCK: Metsaboard Pro 265gsm
PRINT SPEC: Printed 4 colour process x 1 side on Metsaboard Pro 265gsm (FSC Mixed).  Soft Touch Laminate 1-side.  Die Cut, strip, glue and form with a crash lock bottom

Stand Up Pouch – Home Compostable Film


An alternative to traditional plastic packaging, this stand up pouch has been produced using certified BJ Ball Home Compostable Film combined with Nature Flex.

A perfect paring for a pouch that ticks all the boxes from perfomance to more sustainable packaging

PRINT: GLC
STOCK: BJ Ball Home Compostable Film + Nature Flex

NZ House of Honey

Portfolio Categories: Board Platforms.

Another great example of digital embellishments successfully used in short run packaging.

This cool packaging for NZ House of Honey was created by Auckland based digital printers Five Star Print.

Crescendo 1 side coated board is an ultra white, premium board with high brightness, clean white styling and a smooth surface. Crescendo is FDA approved (with restrictions) making it safe for food packaging and applications where the scent, taste or purity of a product must be unaffected.

PRINT: Fivestar Print
CLIENT: NZ House of Honey
STOCK: Crescendo 1Sided 493UM 350G
PRINT SPEC: Printed on Fuji Xerox Iridesse 6 colour digital press Spot colour (RIP CMYK Mix) + Gold Dry Toner

Die Cut & Glue Finish