BOBST delivers reliability and flexibility to Pokart spol. s r. o.

Humble beginnings 

Pokart was born when Eduard joined forces with his business partner Zdeněk Marušák, an engineer. 

“We bought our first machine in a sale somewhere in the Dresden area - it was a B1-format rotary cutter, which served us well for several years,” Eduard recalls. 

He is refreshingly honest about the many challenges his business faced in its early days. When a new machinery partner let him down badly, Eduard learned a harsh lesson. "In our very earliest days, we bought a laminating machine from a South Korean company,” he explains. While not a well-known name in the industry, the low prices offered by the company persuaded Eduard to give it a try.  

The machine never ran a single sheet. After a protracted install process and over three weeks of attempted repairs, the Korean company “simply ran away”, as Eduard puts it. Pokart was left with 70% of the bill for a non-functional machine. “After that experience, we vowed not to experiment anymore. We would only go after European machines from reputable names.” 

Another lesson learned. Service matters as much as technology. And, if you can find a company that offers both, it’s more than worth the premium. This is what first attracted Eduard to BOBST. 

A new beginning 

Pokart bought its first BOBST VISIONCUT machine in 2011. As Eduard explains, “The machines are a little more expensive, but they are absolutely reliable.  

“BOBST is a good business partner and supplier. Since we can rely on the machines it allows us, among other things, to have a stable production line - we do not deal with extraordinary situations. Every print and packaging plant deals with those situations enough anyway, but we never have them with BOBST equipment.” 

Now, when Pokart needs to upgrade its capacity, it knows it can rely on BOBST to deliver. Its latest production line uses a BOBST EXPERTCUT 1.6 PR die-cutter, and a FLEXO 160-VISION printing unit, and can now run 6,500 sheets per hour – a 25% increase over its older VISIONCUT line, which can still run an impressive 4,800 sheets per hour. 

The reliability and consistency of the BOBST-powered production lines is driving rapid growth for Pokart – in more than one sense. The company now has 175 employees, recently turned over 800m crowns (around €32m) and has developed its plant into a 20,000 square metre facility. The company also owns 55,000 square metres of land surrounding its facility, meaning it has the headroom to grow more if it needs to. With further investments in automation and printing lines on the horizon, it is likely this growing room will be needed sooner rather than later. 

Secrets to success 

So what is the secret to Pokart’s remarkable success? Eduard believes it is his company’s culture of flexibility, enabled by the cutting-edge BOBST technology on-site. 

The company’s streamlined workflow means materials and semi-finished products only move in one direction through the facility, with production processes following an intuitive system that is easy for operators to pick up. This is supported by an innovative training programme that cycles operators around the business, ensuring they keep their skills sharp on every production line.  

This flexible, collaborative approach, supported by high-performance BOBST machinery, means Pokart has built a reputation as a versatile packaging producer, able to tackle more technical challenges that its competitors cannot. “The trend of increasing demand for higher quality printing means ordinary single-colour boxes are no longer good enough. Customers expect more, across all applications.” 

To meet these trends, Pokart uses its machinery to produce all kinds of packaging, from eCommerce to SRP. Its specialism is in boxes made with cross-laminated board – a type of corrugate where the laminate is applied at a 90 degree angle from the fluting for additional strength. It also offers a range of enhancements in the form of easy-open tapes, pull tabs, tickets, and more – whatever its customer needs. “We can now produce large-volume bag-in-boxes; the kind commonly used for wine applications,” Eduard explains. 

“Thanks to the fact that we now have a flexo post-printing machine from BOBST implemented in an automatic line with a flatbed die-cutter, we can offer affordable, high-quality packaging to our customers with a fast turnaround.” 

This ensures Pokart can deliver on both very long and very short run orders. “If a customer is organising a party and wants a simple print with just two colours for the event, they will need it quickly,” Eduard continues. “Our new line from BOBST can easily handle even a hundred-piece series, which is exactly what some customers demand." 

Cutting-edge BOBST machinery is an essential ingredient in the recipe for success during even the most difficult times. That’s why Pokart’s reputation is not that of a lucky company – it is one of packaging excellence.

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