The company is founded

It was in 1910 that Achille Semoulin, the son of paper-makers, founded his private family business: ‘les Papeteries Semoulin’ in Thulin (Belgium). At the time, the historic founder worked in the paper trade. He bought paper wholesale from the paper mills in Genval (Brussels) and sold it in small quantities to various customers in Belgium. He took care of deliveries in his Chevrolet, converted into a van. He took advantage of this to offer customers other possible products or take new orders.

His flagship products? What was already known at the time as the ‘counter roll’. This brown paper reel was used to overwrap products. Vegetable parchment was also used to wrap butter, meat and even our national monument: the sacrosanct cone of chips.

In those days, everything was made by hand. Meanwhile, paper cones were made by prisoners in return for payment. Together with his wife Berthe Saint-Ghislain, who was in charge of accounting, they developed their paper trade and survived the First World War.

Achille Semoulin’s father, Antoine, was a foreman at the Ducobu paper factory in Thulin. Thus the Semoulin family already had paper in their genes.

2nd generation – industrialisation

Jules Semoulin took over his father’s business and marked a significant milestone in the company’s history by industrialising it. Supported by his wife Armande Biltresse, who was in charge of the accounts, Jules continued to develop the family business. He quickly bought two second-hand ‘2S’ sack machines from a Dutch colleague (Schut), equipped with a flexographic printer, as well as a brand-new trimming machine and a rewinder to cut paper.

These purchases naturally led to the construction of new buildings.

In 1933, at a time when many companies were going bankrupt, Papeteries Semoulin doubled its turnover thanks to hard work, new sales methods and paper research.

In 1938, sales continued to grow, the company installed its first four mechanical sack manufacturing units and hired its first sales representative, Henri Dupas, and a reel-up machine operator, Mr Félix. However, rumours of war grew louder and the company’s growth slowed.

The slowdown in business nevertheless allowed the company to study new techniques and new organisational systems, which would be scrupulously applied once the war was over. This was the beginning of an expertise and a desire to innovate that would be passed down through the generations of the Semoulin family. Always with a single material: paper.

Helio printing

After the Second World War, Jules Semoulin bought a second-hand gravure printing press used in the publishing industry. He used it as a model to build the first gravure printing press. It was a first in Europe for the packaging industry!

Papeteries Semoulin was the only company to print packaging using rotogravure until 1960, when machine manufacturers began to produce their own. The quality of this new printing technique enabled the company not only to specialise its production, but also to offer its customers extremely fine results.

Papeteries Semoulin’ made a name for itself in the packaging market and set itself apart from the competition. The company grew step by step, becoming more structured, taking on new staff every year and continuing to invest in production machinery.

Between 1945 and 1957, eight additional buildings were erected, but these soon proved to be insufficient: space management was becoming difficult.

3rd generation: excellence and complementarity

In 1957, Freddy Semoulin (son of Jules) joined his father’s company. He was in charge of sales and administration. He was joined in 1969 by his brother Alain Semoulin, who was in charge of mechanical engineering and the design of new machines.

The two brothers formed a complementary duo, working tirelessly together to develop and modernise the company.

Between 1960 and 1965, the number of employees doubled, production increased by 25% and sales tripled.

This progress, due to the high level of specialisation towards which the founder always strived, was the result of hard work, tenacious ambition and a desire to succeed.

By the early 1980s, they were both at the helm of the company, continuing to invest, hire staff and fine-tune the business strategy.

New printing machines (flexography and rotogravure) were being installed. The two brothers, heirs to a family history of excellence, are determined to make their father’s work shine, as their grandfather’s did before him.

It is important to emphasise the importance of the technical expertise that enabled the development of all the new products, and which already at the time set ‘Papeteries Semoulin’ apart from its competitors. The company also set itself apart by building and modifying machines in-house to produce unique packaging.

4th generation: Doubling capacity and innovating!

From 1983, Freddy and Alain’s respective sons gradually joined the family business. Patrick, Yves, Jacques, François and Benoit Semoulin brought their skills to bear to help the company grow and spread its influence beyond Belgium’s borders. Management decided to invest, and the production line was transformed.

Between 1970 and 2000, the company purchased a number of new, state-of-the-art bag-making and printing machines, including the ‘Triumph’ and the ‘Comexi’.

To keep pace with growth, new warehouses were built and the factory doubled in size!

This also saw the emergence of a ‘research and development’ department, capable of modifying and creating machines in order to design new innovative products for the market. In 1989, the company developed a bag that was unique in the world: the 2-ply paper bag with a cotton mesh window, and in the 2000s the first reels with a film window.

Innovation is at the heart of the company’s strategy. The quality and expertise of the staff, without whom the company would not have been able to get off the ground, must also be highlighted.

In 2005, ‘Les Papeteries Semoulin’ was renamed ‘Semoulin Packaging’ and became increasingly international.

‘Strength in numbers’ takeover  

100 years after its creation, Semoulin Packaging joinded forces with Binola, a Belgian family holding company that has been active in the packaging sector in Africa (Morocco and Senegal) since 1952. Semoulin Packaging was integrated into the new structure, bringing expertise and product knowledge to the new owner.

This merger has provided a powerful lever for boosting the competitiveness, profitability and innovation of the various European and African subsidiaries.

Today, Binola is a solid family group with three plants in three countries on two continents, offering innovative packaging solutions tailored to local needs and specificities.

Investment, innovation and product diversification

To keep pace with market growth, remain at the cutting edge of technology and offer innovative, sustainable packaging solutions, the company continues to invest in new capacity and expands its production site.

In 2013, new printing and laminating machines were added to expand the product range. Additional storage warehouses were also built. The Semoulin Packaging site covers an area of around 40,000m², 17,000m² of which is covered.

In 2018, the company is continuing to innovate and is developing a reel with a net window for vertical machines.

A first in Europe!

As always, for over 100 years, innovation has been at the heart of the company’s strategy. It’s one of the reasons why the company is still in existence and, above all, why it stands out from the competition.

Semoulin Packaging’s products are a benchmark in Europe.

Commitment to quality and certifications (BRC)

Semoulin Packaging has always been committed to providing a superior quality service by meeting the highest standards in the packaging industry.

Quality has always been one of the company’s core values and the company has continually invested in maintaining high quality standards for all its products and services, ensuring customer satisfaction and confidence.

In 2016, the company was proud to obtain BRC Packaging and Materials certification.

This is the global standard for packaging materials that establishes safety, quality and production criteria to meet obligations in terms of compliance with legislation and consumer protection.

A vision with a continued focus on ecology

The various modifications, modernisations and updates have all been based on a sustainable approach. Indeed, having worked with paper for decades, Semoulin Packaging’s managers have constantly sought to reduce their impact on the environment and offer packaging with the lowest carbon footprint.

• Use of FSC/PEFC certified paper
• Sewage treatment plant
• Photovoltaic panels
• Use of water-based inks, glues and heat sealants
• Installation of heat recovery systems for printing machines
• Waste reduction and recovery
• …

The wind in your sails

Semoulin Packaging has more than 50 different occupations for around one hundred employees, so many skills and abilities working together to bring your projects to fruition.

Today, we are one of the leaders in flexible packaging in Europe. We produce hundreds of millions of kraft bags per year and deliver to ten countries!

Our mission is to imagine and use our resources to design innovative and sustainable packaging solutions.

In the face of environmental challenges, paper-based packaging still has a very bright future ahead of it.