Verstappen Advanced Packaging is a leading producer of thermoformed recycled packaging materials. We are a progressive and sustainable player in our industry with a strong focus on the future. We manage all processes in-house and are constantly looking for opportunities to make our products more sustainable while maintaining our high standard of quality. Our quality and our customer-focused approach have been the cornerstone of our company for more than 30 years.
Your project becomes our project – we will do everything we can to satisfy your requirements. We are quick and resourceful, and are able to maintain an independent position thanks to our in-house know-how and technology. Verstappen has a highly flexible range of machinery as well as plenty of storage capacity to cope with peak seasons. We would be happy to advise you on sustainable solutions that meet your needs. We are equipped to respond to developments in society and to deliver a quick and reliable solution to your request.
Core values
Our approach and working methods are based on a number of values. These values are reflected throughout our organization and make up our company’s DNA.
Family
Verstappen is a family-run business founded in 1979. That sense of family is reflected in the culture of the organization. It’s a culture based on passion and loyalty. Our employees are representative of the way we work and therefore form the heart of our organization. We look ahead to the future and encourage our employees to adopt a healthy lifestyle. Positive health – in the broadest sense of the term – is a priority in our organization. The Verstappen team is sincere, takes responsibility, and is not afraid of hard work. Lines are kept short to ensure clear communication. Everyone – from trainees to more experienced employees – contributes to our close-knit team at Verstappen.
Know-how & technology
Many different techniques and disciplines are involved in the production of packaging. When Verstappen was founded, we started building our own machines and production tools right away. We still do this today with a great deal of passion. We embrace new developments that improve the sustainability of our production process or the products that we deliver. The low staff turnover within our organization means we effectively retain technical product knowledge and experience in-house.
Every day, we make sure that our own technical processes are running as optimally as possible. This same knowledge is also relevant for outside the company. We look beyond sales and make sure that our packaging provides the perfect solution for your fragile products and performance-based processes. We examine these aspects carefully from a technical perspective both early on in the packaging design phase as well as during existing projects.
History
A large part of the Dutch mushroom sector has its roots in the North Limburg village of Horst. Many mushroom growers are based in and around the village. In the 1970s it became clear that the sector needed to professionalize and that numerous improvements needed to be made in terms of packaging. Jan Verstappen – who was working for a mould maker at the time – decided to step in and set up the company Verstappen Verpakkingen together with his wife Rieky.
Various forms of packaging and colours were used to package mushrooms in the 1970s, but the perfect container had not yet been found. Jan decided to develop the design further and made some important changes to it that resulted in a number of logistical and technical benefits. Furthermore, in anticipation of the sector’s needs, he decided on a specific blue colour that would show off the mushrooms at their best.
This packaging marked the start of the Verstappen company. After starting out in a shed in America – a village in the Peel region of Limburg – the company gradually developed to become a specialist in plastic thermoformed packaging. Verstappen distinguished itself in the market by developing its own machines and continuously optimizing the production process. The company continued its search for improvements in cooperation with the mushroom sector.
Over the years, the company broadened its focus and also started developing packaging for the fruit and vegetable sector as well as the non-food industry. The business continued to enjoy healthy growth and kept moving to bigger and bigger premises in Oostrum and Horst. In 2008, Verstappen moved into a newly built location on the outskirts of Horst. Jan and Rieky’s children, Mieke and Paul, also joined the company before taking it over in 2019.
Developing and producing plastic packaging is still the core business of Verstappen Advanced Packaging. Since its establishment, the company has focused on continuously improving the sustainability of products and processes. Packaging is becoming thinner, processes are becoming more efficient, and increasing use is being made of recycled materials. An important step in sustainability was taken in 2020 when Verstappen joined the Plastic Pact initiative, bringing together various organizations to work on creating a more sustainable packaging industry. In that same year, mushroom packaging was introduced made from 100% recycled soft-drinks bottles.