Innovating sustainably.
SGK, Inc leads the way, one packaging idea at a time.
SGK, Inc was established as Schawk Graphics Kedzie (hence ‘SGK’) in Chicago in 1953, and was later acquired by Matthews International in 2014. SGK is a global packaging and brand experience company which delivers world-leading end-to-end packaging solutions, and connected brand experiences.
Having a footprint in the Asia Pacific region for over 30 years, SGK was also the first wholly owned foreign agency in China in 1996. Their parent company has been named one of America’s Most Responsible Companies of 2002, scoring in the top 500 out of 2,000 companies, and SGK brings the same aspiration and commitment to their business.
SGK has the vision to become the world’s most trusted brand to simplify marketing operations, amplify brands and deliver meaningful value. Their clients range from numerous big brand household names right down to hopeful start-ups. In Asia Pacific specifically, they partner with Coca-Cola, Mondelez, Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble, Nike and many more.
As their business entails working with some of the world’s largest packaged goods companies, and designing for some of the world’s biggest brands, SGK is in a position to innovate better and more sustainable solutions for their clients. Their three-fold approach to this includes creating a balance between sustainable packaging cost and quality to meet business demands, developing innovative messaging to communicate sustainability efforts effectively to consumers, and aligning internally within the organization to forge shared values towards sustainable efforts.
SGK has since been taking a comprehensive, inside-out approach to maximize their impact in the industry. Internally, they have set comprehensive standards, goals and metrics, while empowering governance and champions at both regional and local levels. Externally, they have taken their learnings to apply them to clients, to help them on their own sustainability journey.
SGK’s priority economic, environmental and social (EES) impact areas have been identified as Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions, Energy Management, Water Management and Solid Waste & Hazardous Waste Management, in accordance with the Sustainability Accounting Standard Board (SASB) and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI).
They have been aligned to reporting on sustainability metrics with SASB & GRI annually since 2019, and have committed to continue to do so. In 2022, SGK will also focus on auditing suppliers to ensure they meet their sustainability requirements.
A Global D&I (Diversity & Inclusion) Council, representative of their diverse workforce, helps to shape plans and program priorities so they can effectively contribute to advancing racial equity and greater diversity and inclusion within the organization. The members of this council work towards creating awareness of the Council’s initiatives within the organization, and to ensure risks and opportunities are flagged to the Council members.
SGK also maintains a Global Steering Committee dedicated to ESG (Environmental, Social & Governance) that reports to the Board of Directors. The Committee has administration of all policies and operational control in the areas of environmental, health and safety and social risks. In APAC/MEA specifically, they also have a Sustainability Council which meets monthly, reports directly to the Global ESG Steering Committee; and is attended by the head of the Global ESG Steering Committee.
Within the APAC Sustainability Council, members are accountable for both identifying sustainability initiatives, and for delivering on them. Each council member is tasked with identifying one sustainability-focused project or initiative and presenting one sustainability-focused strategic alliance opportunity each year.
Sustainability objectives are included in individuals’ KPIs. When those objectives are met (or exceeded) performance-based bonuses, rewards and recognition follow. It has also been demonstrated within the organization that additional aspirational incentives come from the pride and passion of being able to make notable, beneficial and potentially ground-breaking changes in their field of work as it relates to sustainability.
“With a parent company named one of America’s Most Responsible Companies of 2002, SGK, Inc began well on track to blaze new frontiers when it came to innovating better and more sustainable solutions for their clients. By creating a balance between sustainable packaging cost and quality, developing innovative messaging to communicate sustainability efforts to consumers, and aligning communications internally within organizations to forge shared values towards sustainable efforts, SGK has developed an ecosystem of care, accountability and safeguarding of natural resources.”
Shanggari Balakrishnan, Chief Executive Officer, MORS Group
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