Located in Mount Lebanon, Byblos Printing SAL (‘Byblos’) is a leading printing and packaging company in Lebanon, with a 7,500 sqm factory and a team of more than 80 dedicated packaging professionals. Using both digital and offset printing presses, the business serves a diverse range of industry sectors, including pharmaceutical, food, publishing, and tobacco companies. Reaching an annual turnover of around $5m, Byblos is a major player in the competitive Lebanese packaging market.
Left to right: Khaled Joundi, (BOBST), Ziad Metni (Byblos) and Marc Abi Chahine (BOBST).
Like many of its contemporaries in the region, Byblos cites significant challenges in Lebanon’s tumultuous market, including the economic and financial crisis, political instability, unreliable infrastructure, high raw material costs, market competition, and governmental regulations concerning sustainability. As a result, the company’s core priorities lie in sustaining operations and staying profitable amidst these challenges.
To help futureproof its operations, add greater capabilities to its arsenal and expand its production capacity, Byblos has partnered with Bobst by investing in a NOVACUT 106 ER die-cutter, the company’s first Bobst machine. The decision to invest in the die-cutter was driven by the desire to increase production capacity, enhance efficiency and productivity, improve quality and precision, expand offerings and enter new markets, while also remaining competitive and streamlining operations to reduce overall operating costs. As a result of these needs, the machine stood out as the clear choice.
Further underlining the importance of collaboration and the expertise of a market leader like BOBST, Byblos has observed changes in customer demands that include quicker job turnaround and delivery due to reduced stock levels, and sensitivity on delivery dates and prices as a result of currency devaluation.
Following installation by the Bobst technical team, the new die-cutter has already made a significant impact on production time, reducing it significantly. Further ahead, Byblos expects additional improvements to be found in its operational efficiency and production capabilities.
Ziad Metni, CEO, Byblos Printing Press, comments, “While looking for ways to boost our productivity and capacity, the Novacut 106 ER stood out for various reasons. Our needs included improving efficiency and productivity, enhancing the quality and precision of our output, entering new markets and expanding our offerings, staying competitive, and streamlining operations to reduce costs. It ticks every box for us, and we are already beginning to see these benefits realised in our day-to-day operations.”
