Q&A with Jack Malki, director of Jet Technologies
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Q: Can you provide insights into the regional labels and packaging market? What are the main challenges and opportunities for converters in that region?
Jack Malki: We started Jet Technologies Indonesia about 12 years ago, which has given us ample time to learn about the market dynamics in Asia, particularly in some of its more challenging countries. In recent years, we have also expanded our operations to Vietnam, Singapore, and Malaysia. Each of these countries presents unique characteristics, but Southeast Asia has very positive demographics as a region.
The population is growing, and it is predominantly young. This younger demographic is consuming increasingly — unlike Europe, where the aging population and birth rates are declining. Southeast Asian demographics strongly support business growth, and there's a notable development in the types of products consumed, not just the quantity.
While Singapore is a more developed country in this group, Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines are young, rapidly growing markets. The opportunities in these countries span from labels to various forms of packaging, all of which are fueled by the growing population. It's an exciting landscape filled with potential.
Q: One of the machines you'll promote at your stand at Labelexpo Southeast Asia 2025 in Bangkok is the Omet iFlex press, one of Jet Technologies' best-selling presses in Indonesia. What specific features of the iFlex resonate most with customers in the region?
Jack Malki: Asia has traditionally been a strong market for letterpress, and while many printers in the region have wanted to make the shift to flexo, it’s often felt like a daunting move. That’s where the Omet iFlex stands out. It’s Omet’s most straightforward and user-friendly press, designed to make flexo printing accessible—even for those new to the process.
The iFlex simplifies flexo significantly, which is why it has become one of our best-sellers. It can run with very small print cylinders, making it ideal for short runs without the burden of high tooling costs—a feature that resonates strongly with today’s market. At the same time, it’s built for longer runs too, thanks to its excellent mechanical stability and advanced electronic register control systems. Operators quickly get comfortable with the iFlex, even if they’re just starting out in flexo.
We’ve seen a consistent pattern: every client who has invested in an iFlex has come back for a second. Some now run three or four of these presses in their production lines.
We’re exhibiting the iFlex in Bangkok because we know there’s a large group of printers either preparing to transition from letterpress to flexo, or looking for a flexo solution that’s easy to operate and can handle a wide range of label jobs with reliability and precision.
Q: At your stand in Bangkok, you will also have the opportunity to showcase the Southeast Asian debut of JetiQ, a brand you launched last year in collaboration with Polly Automatic. Could you provide more details about that partnership and the brand's development?
Jack Malki: We've been working with Polly for many years. They are a medium-sized machinery manufacturer based in China, and our partnership has been very successful across Asia. We have built a strong relationship with them.
We want to further upgrade the equipment to make sure that major componentry was available locally and in doing so, we chose European and Japanese brands for most of the major components. We also simplified and automated some of the operational aspects and that is where the JetiQ brand has been born – a real collaboration between Jet Technologies and Polly Automatics.
Our equipment range is quite diverse, from basic slitter-winders to complex finishing and shrink sleeve seaming machines, covering various applications, including in-mold labeling (IML). For instance, the M range is a finishing machine that we showcased in our demo center in Sydney not long ago, and it was met with great success.
At the upcoming event in Bangkok, one of our machines will run two semi-rotary flexo stations combined with our high-speed flatbed die-cutting module and the Versatex digital print bar.
Many clients may have seen this print bar when we demonstrated it in Sydney late last year and it has been very well received. The Print Bar enables us to add a digital varnish (spot or highbuild) to almost any substrate. It is also suitable for digital foil (or doming) on many substrates.
Q: From Jet Technologies' perspective, how do you navigate the diverse market demands and regulatory environments across Southeast Asia?
Jack Malki: To truly understand how different cultures operate, immerse yourself in them. When we first started in Indonesia around 12 or 13 years ago, I spent one week each month in the country. Having Indonesian colleagues (and formerly classmates) gave me a reasonable amount of cultural exposure, which was vital.
We only employ locals in our companies. At Jet Technologies Indonesia, our team consists of over 30 people, all of whom are Indonesian. While we may have made a few mistakes at the beginning, as anyone does, we eventually found a strong group of team members who offered valuable advice.
We sought to implement our vision for the company without mirroring other Indonesian businesses. However, we recognized the importance of respecting local culture, which meant communicating in a way that resonated with our team. Indonesia has a very indirect communication style; unlike Australians, Germans or Dutch people, who tend to be straightforward, Indonesians often convey messages more subtly.
Conversely, Vietnam has a different and somewhat more direct approach but still has unique communication styles. Malaysia is yet another distinct case. Therefore, it's essential to understand the cultural nuances and communication styles in each country. Additionally, getting to know your clients is crucial since they can vary significantly in size and needs, making it impossible to generalize their behaviors.
Q: Your company offers a much wider range of products, including inks, coatings, cleaning equipment and virtually everything a converter might need in the factory. How does your company ensure seamless integration and support for those brands?
Jack Malki: We often get asked how we manage our operations effectively. We strive to perform at the highest levels for each product group and to do so, we rely on a team of highly qualified people in each product group. For example, in Australia, our inks and coatings team includes James Montgomery, Colin McNeil, Marifel Dela Calzada and Sam Toft – that is over 80 years of industry experience between them. We then continually develop the team to make sure that they can provide the very best advice and service to our clients.
When we expanded into Asia, we replicated that model and initially supported those activities from Australia, but today, they are extremely self-sufficient with their own team of experts for each product category.
We are extremely focused on the labels and packaging space and our products range from prepress, press and post-press, so when we are advising clients or when we run our Demo centres, we can manage the entire process from A to Z, which is very helpful in achieving elevated outcomes. Understanding the end-to-end solutions means we also act as consultants to our clients, solution providers if you like, rather than just working on a single product.
As for Jet Technologies' future in Southeast Asia, it is positive – we continue to take risks and invest in the local markets. Between Sydney, Melbourne and Jakarta, we have over $5m of equipment in our demonstration centres and that shows the commitment that we are making to the region. The JetiQ with the Versatex Print Bar is another great example of an innovation driven by Jet Technologies, where we undertook significant risk to produce a solution that we feel is ‘Best in Class’.
This approach helps us grow. We bring clients to our demonstration centers, exhibit our work, and facilitate visits to other printers to share ideas and foster innovation. It requires much hard work, but we are committed to this path. Southeast Asia is our focus, and we are not looking to expand beyond this region. There’s still much to explore here, and we are excited about our future investments in Southeast Asia.
Q: What message do you have for the converters attending the show?
Jack Malki: I hope that everyone can support the show. Labelexpo Southeast Asia started a few years before COVID-19, managing to hold a show before the pandemic caused significant disruptions. They have had one since Covid years and it was good, but we expect that this edition will be another good step forward for the event. This show is essential for converters in the region, and I encourage everyone to support it.
No doubt that the other Labelexpo events are important, especially the one in Europe, but Labelexpo Southeast Asia is specifically for our region, and it makes sense to view and support providers who are well-resourced in the region and who are investing in the region
I urge you to visit Bangkok—it's a wonderful city. Make a weekend out of it and see what everyone has brought to the show, especially those who have heavily invested in showcasing their equipment and offerings. Your support is crucial; when you invest in us, we invest in you. I hope to see you all there!
For more information about Jet Technologies and its offerings, please visit: https://jet-ap.com/
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