Exhibitors at the just-ended 3rd International Trade Fair agrofood & plastprintpack West Africa say Ghana and West Africa is a fast developing market offering great future business opportunities.

Mr. Dieter Zuelow, KHS-Head of Technical Operation & Automation, said KHS is a solution provider for packaging and engineering technology in the manufacturing industry, and the Ghanaian and West African market is important because major players in the bottling industry are present here, “thereby affecting our business positively as they are our key clients”.

He said the target of participating at agrofood West Africa is to “bridge the gap between our existing customers and us”.

“Further we can increase our marketplace understanding and meet new and potential clients. It is also a great forum to show our innovations in the filling and packaging world,” he explained.

Mr. Patrick Ablefoni, DoehlerGroup-Area Manager West & Central Africa, said Döhler has been active in West Africa for more than 25 years. West Africa is a fast-growing emerging market, “and together with our customers we will bring ideas to life”.

“All our products are designed individually for each market, in close cooperation with our customers in order to fulfil their needs,” he said.

Mr. Francis Olatunji Omoniyi, Bosch Packaging Sales Director West Africa, said based in Germany the Bosch Packaging Technology division is one of the leading suppliers of processing and packaging technology. At over 30 locations worldwide, a highly-qualified workforce develops and produces complete solutions for the food industry.

He said: “The fast-growing Ghanaian economy is strategically important for us, and our products and solutions perfectly fit into the local demand for packaging processed agricultural products”.

Mr. Keith Dilkes, Polyoak Packaging-Export Sales Manager, said Polyoak Packaging is a leading rigid plastic packaging supplier from Southern Africa: “Now we are also investigating opportunities in West Africa”.

He said: “The plastic packaging products in which we are specialised are perfectly suited for a wide cross-section of West African industries -- namely bottled water, juice, dairy and agricultural products”.

In all, participants at plastprintpack West Africa agreed it was a door-opener to establishing a customer base in the Ghanaian and West African region.