What’s the best way to package a pair of cows to be sent overseas? Or for that matter a baby elephant? How about that rare expensive painting that even the slightest moisture could ruin? Or that oddly shaped heavy piece of sensitive equipment big enough to fill half a building (like, say, a printing press)?

MCL can package any shape or size of goods. PHOTO: DEV NADKARNI.

MCL Packaging Limited has all the answers. “We provide solutions to anyone who has goods that require special attention to packaging – be it for one off use or reusable,” says owner Andy Mitchell. The company provides specialised crate and case building solutions for almost any application ranging from ultra-delicate mainframe computers to livestock.

Andy established the company himself in 1999 “from the back of a van”. MCL today has a 15,000 square foot workshop, 2 container sized trucks and 2 vans to cater to its growing list of clients and the demand for creative, effective and customised packaging solutions. MCL’s client list exceeds 200 with some of New Zealand’s best and biggest names included.

MCL moved to its sprawling new place at Airport Oaks, a stone’s throw away from Auckland International Airport, six months ago to offer quicker and more efficient services to clients. Andy said MCL today is counted among the most respected specialised crating company in the packaging industry.

Andy and his second-in-charge, Kerry Schravi, share more than two decades of experience in the industry. Every day is a new day, according to Andy. “Eighty per cent of wht we do is different each time,” said Andy.

Every specialised shipment is different and needs to be treated differently in terms of packaging it. And it’s not just about the shape, size and dimensions. Weather conditions matter as well. MCL takes adequate measures for waterproofing and moisture control using a variety of solutions from shrink-wrapping to using silica gel.

At times, MCL has to tailor the crates to suit the shape of the transporting vehicle as well. Crates carrying cows in Boeing 747s, for instance, have to be contoured to suit the cylindrical top half of the fuselage. The company also supplies knocked down kits for clients to carry out their own crating and can send its own teams to help pack goods on clients sites for direct transportation to the ports.

International packaging norms continue to get stringent over the years and MCL has always kept pace with them. The company is compliant with the latest ISPM-15 international standard. It takes into account environmental and biosecurity factors in providing its solutions.

“As well as great service and a competitive price, what we offer our clients is total peace of mind,” said Andy.

MCL Packaging Ltd
103 Montgomerie Rd
AIRPORT OAKS
09 275 9487