The power of nature

Mountains clad in dark-green forests are the characteristic feature of the region surrounding the Jirisan National Park in South Korea’s south. Small rivers meander through the valleys, a lake or a village here, a few more villages there that are connected by winding narrow mountain roads – and right in the middle of this idyllic greenery: the water factory of Fine Bio.

This remote location and the hillside site meant that not only the construction of the plant, but also delivery of the materials and removal of the finished packs constituted a serious challenge – but it was all worth it – and still is: since the pure air and the mineral-rich soil around the spring, says Fine Bio’s CEO Shin Kwang-Yoon, ensure a top-class water quality.

So for its bottle design, too, the company came up with something rather special: whereas most of the other Korean water producers work with plenty of colours, Fine Bio believes in a no-frills dress – with the label almost entirely black, something that highlights the silver letters of the brand name, Mulhana, to better effect. “There are various meanings for the word ‘Hana’, one of them being ‘first’. So you could say: Mulhana means ‘the best water’”, explains Jason H.J Yoon, and his face creases into a smile.

A look at the figures likewise goes to underline the firm’s huge success: in 2018, the barrier of 240 million bottles sold in a year was hurdled – which is all the more impressive when you remember that the company had only been active on the Korean market since mid-2016. “In the early days, it wasn’t easy to persuade the customers to buy our water, because most of our competitors are part of large conglomerates – the consumers are familiar with their brands and products. We, by contrast, were the newcomers on the market, and could not draw on any relevant experience. This is why we focused on raising awareness levels for our water, and offering it to the public at an affordable price,” explains Jason H.J Yoon.

And because Fine Bio refused to accept second-best for its production kit either, it opted for Krones’ technology and corporate expertise right from the start. Not least because the complete-system vendor scored highly in terms of reputation and strong local presence: today, there are three complete lines from Krones up and running there, each of them featuring an ErgoBloc L and D for the wet and dry ends respectively. The compact layout of the block-synchronised systems was one of the most important criteria for Fine Bio – and together with Krones the water producer found the ideal solution for its factory in the middle of the National Park.

To find out what advantages Fine Bio particularly appreciates about Krones’ block-synchronised systems, and what role our subsidiary in South Korea played in the decision, please consult here: