Dexter Tjoa, CEO of Tjoapack, recently shared insights into the company’s evolution from a small Dutch contract packaging organisation (CPO) to a global player in pharmaceutical packaging.
Celebrating its 35th anniversary, Tjoapack has strategically expanded its operations, most notably with the acquisition of PPS in the United States at the end of 2021.
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“The biggest [milestone] is really our physical footprint in the United States,” Dexter explains. “We were packaging products destined for the United States, but not in the United States. And it really helped grow that business for us.” This expansion allows Tjoapack to better serve its niche market of small to mid-sized pharmaceutical businesses that value high-touch service offerings in both major pharmaceutical markets.
Tjoapack specialises in oral solid dose packaging and secondary packaging of injectable products. Dexter highlights their growing segment: “The largest growing segment has been the secondary packaging of injectable products. So vial labelling, but also pre-filled syringe assembly labelling, auto-injector assembly, that sort of activities.”
As a specialist Contract Packaging Organization (CPO), Tjoapack differentiates itself through flexibility. “What we often see, especially for the customers and products that work well with us, is a little bit more volatile demand profile in the market, so a need for faster turnaround time in the actual assembly or shifting in demand patterns,” Dexter notes. This agility allows them to accommodate peak demand profiles quickly.
Looking ahead to 2025, Dexter expresses optimism about the industry and Tjoapack’s position. “We’re feeling very positive. We’re really seeing quite a lot of increase in demand for services for a player like ourselves,” he states. Tjoa sees growing opportunities in the space between drug product finish and delivery to local distribution centres, where companies are seeking efficiencies and solutions to upstream manufacturing challenges.