News 
It’s one thing to manufacture the world’s most beautiful watch. But then you have to sell it. And to sell it, it must be showcased to optimal effect in an appropriate and coherent environment. That is the mission of Packaging & Design, a family business comprising four distinct companies.
If you are interested in watches and you’ve bought one in recent years, there’s every chance that it first caught your eye in a shop window, on a display stand developed by Packaging & Design. Afterwards it may well have been shown to you by the shop assistant on a tray produced by the same group, and lastly sold in a presentation case designed in-house. The firm is by no means the only one operating on this particular market, however it is one of the leading players.
Four distinct entities
Packaging & Design comprises four entities which, in their areas of activity, are all dedicated to showcasing luxury products, primarily for the watch industry but also in the fields of jewellery, champagne and spirits, writing instruments, cigarette lighters, mobile phones, perfumes and precision instruments. The group employs in total around 200 staff, based in the cantons of Fribourg, Vaud and Neuchâtel.
In detail, Packaging & Design, which has a global annual turnover of around 100 million francs, is the sum of the following parts. First of all Gainerie Moderne, a company founded in 1960 and located in Givisiez (FR), from where the group originated. It is the main headquarters of the holding company and is responsible for the development, fine-tuning and prototyping of all products: presentation cases, gift boxes, display and merchandising materials. It also manufactures some of the aforementioned products (10%). However the great majority of the latter (90%) are produced in Thailand by Cosmo Group, its quasi-exclusive partner since 1967. A partner which, in passing, is regularly audited at its own behest by approved supervisory bodies. It therefore carries out its activities in accordance with legal, social and environmental principles in force in the country.
The oldest company in the group is Huguenin-Sandoz, which has been in existence since 1923. Based in Colombier (NE), it specialises in cutting-out, electroplating, polishing, silk-screen printing and painting. It is renowned for its expertise in the manufacture of metallic parts, particularly engraved plates, lettering and blanked logos.
For its part, RS Agencement Steiner, located in Bussigny (VD), employs mainly cabinet-makers, carpenters, draughtsmen, planners and fitters, who focus on the design and installation of interior layouts for private individuals, public authorities and businesses.
Lastly, Pozzo di Borgo Styling (or P-0220 Styling), which joined the group in 2000, is the group’s creative powerhouse where the work of design and graphic art takes centre stage. It is based in Territet (VD). As its activity implies, it is responsible for meeting clients and proposing various design alternatives for packaging, display and merchandising materials, as well as fitting out boutiques and stands. It is also on these premises that one can admire a great many of the products created over the past fifteen years for watch industry clients. Impressive and instructive: more than a decade of gift boxes, presentation cases and display stands are a testimony to changing tastes and fashions in the sector.
On this point, it seems clear that the present-day trend is for designs of a classic and sober, if not rather humdrum appearance... «That’s true,» explains the company’s boss Pascal Pozzo di Borgo. «We’ve had periods when decorative style was more to the fore. Today, brands tend to confine themselves to more conventional objects. When we organise meetings to present our plans to clients, we always try to propose several variants, some of which are less ordinary. But more often than not they opt for the more classic approach. That’s how it is! Also, watchmakers do tend to copy one another. That’s why presentation cases and display stands tend to look the same. Twenty or so years ago, all the luxury brands wanted leather. Now, it has to be wood,» concludes the designer, who would like to see a touch more boldness on the part of manufacturers.
«I say that, but of course I’m not complaining,» continues Pascal Pozzo di Borgo. «After all, the customer is king. It’s just to remind them that we creative types are capable of offering much more besides. I’ve noted for example that in the realm of champagne and spirits, a more offbeat or whimsical approach gets the green light. It’s true that presentation and packaging are much more important in triggering a purchase in this segment than in the watch industry.»
There is work to be done therefore for the Packaging & Design group, which plans in the future to continue diversifying its activities. In the opinion of its top managers, including chairman of the board of directors Jacques Renevey, there are still new markets to be conquered: «In the 1960s, when my father decided to grow his business, it was mainly to keep pace with the demands of his clients. Back then, some watchmakers were only beginning to personalise their presentation cases. That shows you how far we’ve come! Take the spirits sector: they’ve only recently come round to the idea of attractive presentation cases. The same goes for perfumers and some makers of mobile phones, who today are interested in developing original containers for special editions,» he explains.
These words are echoed by Pascal Pozzo di Borgo: «I can also see a new trend in the design of gift boxes and presentation cases. For items like this, you can now envisage a second life. Once the customer has them at home, they are put to different uses. They become decorative objects in their own right. When all is said and done, I feel the time has come to think long and hard about the design of display cabinets, which are virtually the same all over the world. It’s an area where we can put our creativity to the test,» he concludes.
May 21, 2015