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Gefken Cases: the partner for all your packaging solutions

In recent decades, society has become increasingly digitalized, creating new opportunities and possibilities, but also challenges at the same time. It has become increasingly easy to buy products from all over the world. But at the same time you also face the challenge of possible language and cultural barriers and possible time differences to set up a good cooperation. In addition, many products that we know and use are also available in Europe.

Companies from the manufacturing industry seek each other out

Gefken Cases has been designing and producing custom cases and flightcases since 1959. With their own factory in the Netherlands, they are the European specialist for your packaging solutions. The wide range of aluminum profile cases and custom fligthcases offers solutions for every industry and application. In this article you will read about the experiences of a number of companies in the manufacturing industry for whom Gefken has produced one or more packaging solutions.

Flightcases for Avy’s drones

The scale-up company Avy builds ‘fixed wing vtol drones’ for two markets. In medical logistics, the drones transport blood samples or vaccinations from hospital to hospital or to laboratories. But they are also widely used in emergency response for such things as locating and rescuing drowning people, locating forest fires and inspecting oil spills in ports. Avy had previously ordered flight cases from Gefken and were again looking for a custom case for their new Area 3 product.

Important factors in choosing Gefken again is that they have experience in what we want and can do with the drone and know the prerequisites for taking it on a plane, etc.,” says Head of Tech Matthijs Damen. “As a scale-up, we might not be the easiest customer because the product itself is still in development. And as a start-up, sometimes timelines and budgets are quite tight. We are looking for partners we can work well with, where we can visit and explain what our preconditions are. And Gefken meets those conditions.”

Drone out of flight case

Out of the box solutions

Gefken has many customers from the manufacturing industry so they have a lot of experience with different applications. This means they know exactly what is important and what to pay attention to, which also makes the level of support very nice. And because Gefken develops and produces the cases and flightcases themselves, the possibilities are endless. Matthijs from Avy really liked the whole process. He really felt that the difficult preconditions were taken into consideration and that Gefken came up with out-of-the-box solutions for some of the problems.

He also found the 3D models, so-called renders, super handy. These photorealistic designs are designed in advance by Gefken. “You can not only see how the layout will roughly work, but also much better imagine what size it will be and whether it will be practical for the end user.”

The luxury EDGE case for FritsJurgens

A very different customer of Gefken Cases is FritsJurgens, supplier of a hinge system for pivot doors where the hinge is in the door instead of in the floor. FritsJurgens developed this system in response to the specific desire of architects in particular to create larger doors with fewer structural implications. Since then, architects, designers and door manufacturers from all over the world apply the pivot hinges. Because each pivot hinge is concealed, it creates beautiful pivot doors with a very luxurious appearance.

Quality is very important to FritsJurgens. And not only for the products, but also for the service and appearance. For their dealers FritsJurgens was looking for packaging in which they could present all products to their clients. Through the internet FritsJurgens came across Gefken Cases and chose them because the level of quality that Gefken strives for fits exactly with FritsJurgens’ philosophy.

Matching the image of the company

An important requirement was that the desired presentation solution should not only be practical, but should also match FritsJurgens’ image. This is where they ended up with the EDGE, the luxury ‘custom made’ presentation case from Gefken Cases. “The EDGE case has the most beautiful look and fits our company best. Also the quality of the material is very good,” says Marko Kamminga, CEO of FritsJurgens. With the EDGE case, the pivot hinges can be presented in a professional and distinctive way. The curved aluminum profile of the case creates a unique and exclusive look, which can be fully customized to a company’s corporate identity.

For the intake interview, Diego Noriega, Commercial Director at Gefken, visited FritsJurgens. “He took a very energetic and solution-oriented approach,” says Marko “Together we looked for a solution that was very much in line with what we had thought of ourselves. You notice that they really have a lot of experience and get right to the point. In addition, Gefken took care of all the fitments of our products in the EDGE case and completely relieved us of this.”

EDGE koffer met logo FritsJurgens
Logo Luxaflex

Complex flight cases for Luxaflex® Indoor and Outdoor awnings

The third company is Luxaflex®, manufacturer of various indoor and outdoor awnings. Within the Luxaflex® Indoor line you can think of shutters, screens and blinds. Luxaflex® Outdoor products include roller shutters, screens and awnings. When Arjan van Alfen, trainer of Luxaflex® Indoor products was looking for a technical solution, he ended up at Gefken Cases via the parent company Hunter Douglas.

Flight cases were made for the Luxaflex® Indoor products, allowing for flexibility in giving the various product trainings to dealers. “Gefken thought along perfectly about the flexible layout and what the cases should look like” says Arjan. “We were very satisfied with that and especially for the indoor products it works perfectly. That’s why we started looking into whether Gefken could also create customized packaging for the outdoor products.” Meanwhile, Luxaflex® uses nine flight cases at Indoor and five flight cases are being developed for Outdoor. “For each type of training, for each product we have, we have come up with a specific solution.”

Luxaflex® Outdoor products are very specific to present and transport to training locations across the country. You don’t just hang an awning with an 80-kg articulated arm; a special crate has to be made for it, which also prevents it from tilting forward. Edwin Bosma, trainer of Luxaflex® Outdoor products explains how this collaboration went: “We came up with an idea ourselves and Gefken worked it out in more detail and adapted it to what was possible to use in their flight cases, while also giving their own ideas of what might be useful. This went back and forth several times with minor adjustments, such as moving the support legs from outside to inside. In the end, together we arrived at this perfect design.” Whether it really is remains to be seen because the flight cases are still in production.

Communication in the cooperation

That all three clients were very satisfied that is evident. About the good communication and guidance they all agreed:

  • Matthijs – Avy: “Gefken advised us in what dimensions and weights were possible so that the flight cases could be taken on the plane. In addition, they advised in the choice of fittings such as handles and wheels.”
  • Marko – FritsJurgens: “It is very nice that you have short lines of communication to be able to discuss anything.”
  • Arjan – Luxaflex®: “In the cooperation, Gefken is very thoughtful, but also afterwards, when something breaks down. What is the fastest and most efficient, but also the most economical. If we can do it ourselves, Gefken will send us the part. They really guide the whole process.”

Clear picture of expected cases

Gefken Cases uses 3D renders, photorealistic designs, which are sent to the customer with the quotation. This allows the customer to get a clear picture of the solution. That this is perceived as positive is evident from the reactions of the three companies:

  • Marko: “Usually you only get to see what something costs and you think what do I get? But that was clear here what we got.”
  • Edwin: “Our products are quite complex, but thanks to those 3D render images it became a lot more visual and I could also always see what it would look like.”
  • Matthijs: “It makes it even though it’s not tangible yet, as tangible as possible before you actually have a case in your hands.”

Will you bring us the next challenge?

These three diverse examples are just a fraction of what Gefken Cases can do for you. Do you have a nice challenge for a product or installation that you want to package, present or transport? And would you also like to benefit from the advantages of production by a European partner? Get in touch with our specialists and Gefken Cases will take care of the rest!

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