On the 2nd, at the TAILIM PACKAGING factory in Siheung, the reporter stood on a cardboard box measuring 350 mm wide and 255 mm long. The box managed to hold the reporter's weight of about 73 kg, with only the top slightly dented. This box is the 'high-strength lightweight corrugated box' developed by TAILIM PACKAGING last year. It can withstand a weight of 278 kg. It can easily support the weight of three adult males standing on top of it.
Jang Jeong-won, team leader at the TAILIM PACKAGING technology research institute, said, "By applying special reinforced raw paper, we have reduced the paper usage compared to conventional corrugated boxes by up to 20% and improved the strength of the corrugated cardboard by 20%. This product was based on the paper and corrugated technology accumulated by TAILIM PACKAGING over 50 years." This box is currently supplied to OTOKI, Dongwon F&B, Maeil Dairies, and others, and is used as the packaging box for their products.
The TAILIM PACKAGING factory in Siheung, covering an area of 75,358 square meters (approximately 22,796 pyeong), produces an average of 1 million corrugated boxes per day based on 1 square meter, including the high-strength lightweight corrugated boxes. Founded in 1976, TAILIM PACKAGING operates nine factories nationwide, including its headquarters and technology research institute located in Siheung, Gyeonggi Province, as well as in Cheongwon, Chungbuk Province, and Masan, Gyeongnam Province. It is the number one company in the domestic corrugated box market, manufacturing boxes for various products such as agricultural products, food and beverages, electronics, and delivery items.
I headed to the production site within the factory. "Wing~ Deruk deruk." The corrugated production facility 'Corrugator,' spanning 120 meters in length, was continuously operating. Three sheets of raw paper were fed into the Corrugator, producing a structure of corrugated cardboard with a wavy core paper inserted between the top and bottom sheets.
Afterward, the final corrugated boxes were made through processes such as cutting, printing, and bonding, according to customer requirements such as size. Notably, the Siheung factory has fully automated the stacking process with robots. Jo Young-mook, support team leader at the TAILIM PACKAGING Siheung factory, remarked, "The Siheung factory is the best corrugated box manufacturing plant in Korea with automation systems for mass production and capabilities for environmental research and development."
After being acquired by the Global Sae-A Group in 2020, TAILIM PACKAGING has been pursuing environmentally friendly management based on the core value of 'coexistence of people and a green environment.' The high-strength lightweight corrugated box was also developed to align with this eco-friendly management. TAILIM PACKAGING developed the 'corrugated thermal box (TECBOX)' last year and is currently producing it at the Siheung factory.
The corrugated thermal box can maintain a temperature below 10 degrees for 21 hours during refrigerated meat storage tests using ice packs. Compared to commonly used Styrofoam boxes (which maintain temperature for 21 hours and 20 minutes), it shows no significant difference and can reduce storage space by up to 50% compared to Styrofoam boxes.
TAILIM PACKAGING had been experiencing performance growth due to the activation of the delivery market resulting from the increase in online shopping, but it showed a downward trend starting in 2023. Last year, the company recorded a revenue of 715.3 billion won and an operating loss of 16.5 billion won. The deterioration of the domestic economy and the increase in raw materials costs due to rising prices of corrugated raw paper impacted its performance. Last year, TAILIM PACKAGING acquired the corrugated division of Yulchon Chemical, a subsidiary of Nongshim, and also had substantial investment costs in constructing the Cheongwon Campus 2.
A representative of TAILIM PACKAGING noted, "As a leading company in corrugated packaging materials, we plan to continuously introduce innovative products that possess both economic viability and environmental friendliness to the market," predicting a return to profitability in the second quarter of this year.