Q & A with CEO of Viva Canada, James Bokla

What is Viva Healthcare Packaging?

Viva Healthcare Packaging is one of the largest injection-molding companies in the world, with locations in Canada, Poland and Hong Kong to be closer to global markets.

Viva’s core business includes award-winning injection-molded tubes that utilize in-mold label (IML) technology for HBA, food and industrial products. The tubes are mono-material polypropylene (PP) in tube, cap, and label, i.e., designed to be recycled, which offer significant savings on environmental impacts, and include options for high percentage PCR in tube and cap. The IML provides full coverage, high definition artwork with options for special effects, and it conceals any color limitations of post-consumer recycled material (PCR).

Viva also produces 100% PCR deodorant sticks with IML and heavy wall PET jars with glass-like clarity in up to 100% RPET.

Due to COVID, Viva started manufacturing personal protective equipment, including 3-ply disposable face masks to ASTM F2100 levels 1, 2, and 3, and was recently awarded a grant from the Ontario Together Fund.

Describe your company in three words.

Expert, forward-thinking, vertically-integrated

Expert – We are global, injection-molding experts, a relatively unique method of manufacturing tubes, with a decade of experience in making mono-material tubes, labels and closures.

Forward-thinking – Viva is constantly innovating, looking to push the limits on PCR inclusion, improve packaging design, and develop solutions quickly.

Vertically-integrated – in addition to molding tubes and caps in-house, Viva prints in-house and even extrudes our own label material. This vertical integration contributes to savings on environmental impacts and holistic solutions.

Many companies switched production gears during the pandemic. How did Viva Healthcare Packaging continue business?

When the pandemic hit last March, our Hong Kong facility had started making face shields and 3-ply disposable face masks to help support the needs of healthcare workers in China. By the fall, our Toronto facility was set up and manufacturing the face masks as well. We have continued to improve the design of the masks, and will be manufacturing over 30 million face masks a month by the end of April.

In addition to this, in spite of several stages of shutdowns in the city of Toronto, Viva implemented measures to stay open and grow the packaging business.

With technology constantly evolving, how does your company continue to be a leader in innovation? Is there anything new or exciting in the works?

Through continuous development, Viva is now able to offer 95% total PCR content in tubes and caps. In addition, we are developing a lightweight cap and tube, to offer greater sustainability options for your packaging. Viva has recently developed a Powder Tube with a measuring cup over-cap, for a more controlled dosage of powder products. Our great relationships with global clients have opened up new packaging categories for us, including deodorant sticks with IML technology in 100% PCR, and heavy wall PET jars in 100% RPET.

Packaging can make or break an important product launch. As such, finding the right supplier can be both exciting and stressful. Why should beauty brands (big and small) pick Viva Healthcare Packaging to be their partner in launching their products?

The Viva team is very knowledgeable and cares about producing quality products for our clients. We are experts at mono-material design for recyclability and are known for being quick to develop new formats.

What did your Cosmoprof North America experience mean to you? What excites you to return this year?

Cosmoprof is an opportunity for us to connect with new potential clients, to tune into the trends of the industry, and to showcase our latest innovations.

Out of the last decade, what was the most exciting product launch that your company supplied the packaging for?

We have had a lot of exciting launches over the past 10 years and some exciting ones coming up later this year. One of the more exciting recent developments for Viva was a family of black, velvet soft touch tubes for Moon that transformed the idea of packaging for oral care into a luxurious experience. Indeed, the Moon Activated Charcoal Whitening Anticavity Toothpaste won 2020 Best Dentifrice Tube and 2020 Ted Klein Tube of the Year.

ABOUT VIVA HEALTHCARE

Viva is a global supplier of injection-molded packaging for health and beauty products, including award-winning tubes and closures that are decorated using in-mold label technology (IML), are designed to be recycled, and offer savings on environmental impacts as well as high percentage post-consumer recycled material (PCR). Viva also manufactures 100% PCR deodorant sticks (oval and round) with IML, heavy wall PET jars and closures for beauty products, and personal protective equipment (PPE).

To learn more about Viva Healthcare, Click Here.