Axilone's China facility gears up to supply US market

The company, which is a subsidiary of France-based packaging provider Ileos, says the site was first established to provide low cost packaging components on a worldwide basis.

Specific to this ambition, Coty Lancaster Group has used packaging components supplied by Axilone for an updated version of the men's fragrance 'Jovan' musk. Sold for the first time in 1972, it is once again available at drugstores and mass merchandisers throughout the US.

As well as the company's technical know-how, Axilone says that another determining factor in Coty's choice was the fact that the cap was developed and manufactured using a 'Value Analysis' strategy.

As a result, it was decided the most efficient and cost-saving strategy would be to locate the production of the caps at the China plant. This was because pieces could be manufactured in large quantity, while simultaneously offering a significant cut in costs.

During the course of 2006, Axilone says it will provide packaging components to Coty for other launches using its plant in China. Because of this the manufacturing of metallized pieces will require an investment in three new pieces of equipement, although the company says the plant is already tooled up with an integrated metallizing system.

The Axilone​ facility is based in Shangyu city, in the state of Zhejiang, which is situated on the south-eastern board of China. The company employs 562 people, also has production sites in Europe and the US and last year had a turnover of €56 million.