Chch bottles for world cosmetics

Press, 14 April 1984, Page 26

Chch bottles for world cosmetics

Crown Crystal Glass’ Hornby plant has successfully accepted the challenge of Avon Products in producing quality glassware for cosmetic products, says Mr Charles Krobot, Avon’s country manager for SouthEast Asia and the South Pacific. Avon arrived in New Zealand six years ago and among the grounds for its entry into this country was being “as a good corporate company” to use as much New Zealand products in making and packaging cosmetics as possible.

Avon was fortunate to find existing manufacturers in New Zealand able to meet the cosmetic company’s requirements, including Crown Crystal Glass. Avon has helped Crown Crystal Glass to improve its system of production and the Hornby factory has found that it has been able to develop markets for other cosmetic companies around the world.

“Crown Crystal Glass was one of the few glass companies in the world that could consistently produce the right coloured bottles

By

NEVIN TOPP

for Avon’s ‘Timeless” range of products,” Mr Krobot said.

Mr Krobot is one of four country managers based at the New York headquarters of Avon Products, who coordinate international purchasing and packaging development. He was in New Zealand as part of his annual tour of his particular region to co-ordinate business for Avon, the world’s largest cosmetic company, which has an annual turnover of SUS3.S billion and is in the top 200 of "Fortune” magazine’s first 500 companies. Avon’s business in New Zealand is considered a “typical” success story for the company. Avon’s New Zealand general manager, Mr Merv Stark, says that from a “zero base” in 1978 the company has become the market leader in the cosmetic field in New Zealand with its door-to-door selling.

One of Avon’s reasons for coming to New Zealand is that it is among the top 5 per cent of cosmetic users in the world, he says.

Mr Krobot says that because of the tight import restrictions, Avon’s New Zealand company is unique. ■ Virtually all of Avon’s lines sold in New Zealand come < from this country’s pro- ' ducts. In the other 23 countries in which Avon is in-' volved importing is allow-' ed. However, New Zealand" gets the best of Avon’s product lines from the' United States, Europe, and Latin America, even if it’ was not as extensive as is available in the bigger markets in North and South - America. Each of the companies in the 23 countries that Avonworks in is independent, and all are searching for the best quality and best price in the ingredients used in cosmetic manufacturing and* in containers and packaging. For this reason Crown' Crystal Glass has been able to export its cosmetic glassware for Avon to the United States, Canada, Europe, and Japan, and in every instance Crown Crystal Glass has been competitive with other companies making, similar containers.