1. Mrs. Kletzsch, could you give us an insight into Thermapack. What does your company do?
Thermapack GmbH is a manufacturer of sustainable refrigerant and dry ice solutions for e-commerce as well as various industries. At our location in northern Germany in Wiesmoor, we produce 3 mm dry ice pellets for industrial applications and 16 mm pellets for shipping of food and pharmaceuticals - as well as natural cooling packs, also meant for the dispatch of goods.
2. What are your main customers and what is your best-selling product?
Our products are used nationwide in Germany. Our customer groups are divided into industry and e-commerce. Industrial customers include construction companies and service providers offering dry ice cleaning. They use our 3 mm pellets for dry ice blasting. This cleaning method removes stubborn dirt effectively without leaving any residue. An environmentally friendly solution for various applications. With our refrigerants, the dispatching of perishable goods is no problem. Logistics companies form the 2nd most important customer group. Providers of perishable goods use our cooling packs with water-based gel for shipping to the end customer, maintaining the temperature for over 48 hours and more. Providers of frozen goods, such as ice or food menus, can benefit from our expertise in the field of dry ice. We offer them packaged dry ice so that they can ship uncompromisingly, safely, and without any loss of quality.
3. You have developed a concept for sustainable shipping of food. How does this work?
For successful food shipping, a good insulation packaging and the appropriate coolant are essential. Our sister company, kompackt61 GmbH, develops and distributes sustainable insulation packaging based on natural fibers as a resource-efficient alternative to conventional styrofoam. The solution is based on the renewable jute fiber and is biodegradable while offering the same performance.
This solution is complemented by Thermapack products. Our cooling packs are non-toxic, water-based, and reusable. For frozen goods shipping, we offer paper-packaged dry ice, which emits no additional greenhouse gases as it sublimates and leaves no residues on the shipped products. What remains is paper, which can be recycled.
4. What is the uniqueness of the concept?
For us, functionality comes first. All our solutions are designed so that no logistics company has to compromise yet can still ship sustainably. We rely on renewable raw materials and operate according to the "Cradle to Cradle" principle.
5. You produce your own dry ice with ASCO pelletizers. What are the advantages of dry ice over other refrigerants at Thermapack?
Dry ice sublimates directly from a solid to a gaseous state, leaving no residues on the products being shipped. This is particularly advantageous for sensitive goods or outer packaging that must not come into contact with moisture. Another advantage is environmental friendliness: dry ice is composed of CO₂, a byproduct of industrial processes. It emits no additional greenhouse gases as it sublimates, thus not contributing to environmental pollution. This makes shipping with dry ice compared to other cooling methods an environmentally friendly option. It is ideal for shipping products that need to be stored at low temperatures. With other refrigerants, the safe shipment of frozen goods would be more challenging.
6. What are Thermapack's next goals? Are there new areas/services where you see potential?
At Thermapack, our goal is to establish our company in the Weser-Ems region as the leading supplier of dry ice, both in logistics and in the industry sector. Our customer base includes a variety of young companies looking to establish themselves in the dry ice blasting sector. We see ourselves as partners in achieving their business goals and successfully introducing their products to the market. Our team is always available and produces dry ice even on weekends and holidays to ensure the necessary flexibility for our customers' projects. Furthermore, we are delivering our packaged dry ice nationwide to our shipping customers. In this area, we already have several major customers looking to optimize their shipping operations with us. We are confident that in the coming month we can achieve an even more successful market penetration.
"Product of the Year 2021" award: Thorge Harms (2nd from left), CEO of Thermapack, and Alexandra Kletzsch, CEO of Thermapack