News » 03.06.2025 - Cargolite celebrates 10th anniversary at IFTEX The decade that changed Kenyan flower exports
"It has been an uphill battle, but I'm proud that the concept upgraded the look of the Kenya flower export industry", says John Kowarsky of Cargolite. This innovative packaging concept is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year and at the IFTEX in Nairobi, Kenya, taking place from June 3-5, they will raise a toast to the many farms, freight partners, and early adopters who believed in the possibility of change. As part of the celebration, the company will unveil the latest innovation developed by Tama, a multinational company based in Isreal. It is named "Innovent" and is a new, recyclable, plastic pallet wrap that creates more stability, complete ventilation and contributes to reducing the carbon footprint.
In the left picture you see the crushed boxes on the right and the Cargolite concept on the left. On the rigth picture again the nicely stacked boxes with the Cargolite concept.
How the idea arose
The Cargolite journey began more than a decade ago, when John Kowarsky was managing a flower export business. He frequently received complaints from packers reporting collapsed pallets. "If bouquets arrived at supermarkets with damaged flowers, the entire bunch was rejected," he recalls. "The financial impact on exporters and farmers was significant." Motivated by the inefficiency and loss, Kowarsky reached out to Amnon Zamir, a specialist in cardboard packaging. Zamir became not only his consultant but eventually his business partner. Together, they developed a system designed to improve packaging efficiency, minimize damage, and save money across the supply chain.
In 2016, John Kowarsky presented the Cargolite concept for the first time at IFTEX in Nairobi.
A challenging start
After trialing different packaging ideas, the Cargolite concept was ready to go to market, 10 years ago. So, what does the concept offer? In short, it prevents boxes from crushing, increases pack rate, and has good air circulation between the boxes, which results in lower shipping costs and fresher flowers at the destination. "Also, by using lighter cartons supported by internal frames, farms could reduce the amount of internal packing material. We were among the first to eliminate the need for SFK, which helped minimize flower damage during transit."
It was a dream come true for Kowarsky and Zamir, but getting farms on board wasn't easy. While they fully believed in the concept, convincing growers to adopt a new system proved to be a major challenge.
"Choosing this concept also means committing to a complete change in how flowers are packed," he explains. With the expertise of Martin Kabaka, we introduced 'palletizing at the farm,' which means flower boxes are stacked directly onto pallets at the farm and the times each carton was handled, was reduced considerably until arrival to the buyer's facility. This reduced the number of times a box is handled from around 15 to just a few times."
However, persuading farms to adopt on-farm palletizing required discipline and a shift in mindset, something that took time. Many were initially resistant to change. "That is, until Oserian (now Bohemian) took a leap of faith and began trialing the Cargolite concept. After three months of rigorous testing and fine-tuning, the benefits became undeniable. Chris Lindley of Oserian called it a "game changer" and he was right. The trials marked the beginning of a movement that would redefine flower logistics in Kenya, with more and more farms gradually adopting the concept.
And thanks to Siginon, a major step forward was the establishment of a go-down at JKIA Cargo Village in August 2018, enabling farms to access stock locally with ease and efficiency. "Besides, being Sales Manager in Kenya, the go-down is also managed by Martin with perfection."
Amnon Zamir presenting the Slim Skid at the IFTF 2024 (with John talking to visitors in the background.)
Product expansion over the years
With some very innovative designs by Amnon, Cargolite introduced quarter, half, and sea freight cartons, along with cardboard frames as an alternative to their original plastic version, an adaptation made specifically for Asda, which sought to reduce plastic usage in line with UK environmental guidelines. Another innovation is the Slim Skid, which increases flower-carrying capacity while maintaining all the benefits of a skid—without actually using one. This addition saves space and enhances logistical efficiency.
Clockwise, starting upper left: half carton-open, carton open and closed, sea freight carton, and half carton closed.
Latest innovation: The Innovent by Tama
The most recent addition to the product line is Innovent, a recyclable plastic wrap designed to simplify and improve palletizing. "This new wrap eliminates the need for corner boards and plastic bands," explains Kowarsky. "It's cheaper, faster to use, and is highly ventilated due to its special design." Already available in stock at their JKIA go-down, Innovent will be officially launched at IFTEX and also showcased at an upcoming avocado industry event alongside a new avocado carton concept.
Two pictures on the left: boxes wrapped with the Innovent wrap. On the right, the boxes with corner boards and plastic bands.
Collaboration and growth
Kowarsky is very grateful for the support they received in the past decade. "Cargolite's progress wouldn't have been possible without the foresight and collaboration of early supporters like Oserian, and later Mester Grønn, IPL, and Agrotropic. Today, more than 60 farms across Kenya are using the Cargolite concept, exporting hundreds of thousands of units globally, saving 3-6 USD per carton, mainly coming from airfreight costs. We also maintained close relationships with freight forwarders such as Kuehne + Nagel and Airflo, who supported us greatly in the logistics transformation from the ground up."
Martin Kabaka, Dorit Kowarsky, Clement Tulezi and Kenyan diplomats at IFTF.
Partnership with Afrex Kenya
With supermarkets increasingly demanding flowers packed in the Cargolite system, the company is now expanding into the wholesale market through a partnership with Afrex Kenya. Afrex will distribute flowers from its Kenyan farms in quarter and half cartons, allowing wholesalers worldwide to purchase only the volumes they need, reducing handling, labor costs, and waste. "This gives wholesalers flexibility without having to re-pack. It fits perfectly with our goal to make the supply chain smarter and more efficient."
Philip Otieno checking the integrity of Cargolite cartons at JKIA
Celebration at IFTEX
Cargolite's journey really took off at the IFTEX in Nairobi, Kenya, and it's only fitting that the 10-year celebration returns there. This year, the company will toast its achievements twice daily at its stand, welcoming farms, stakeholders, and partners to join in the celebration. None of this would have been possible without Dorit Kowarsky , who ensures our suppliers are paid precisely on time. We raise a toast to everyone at IFTEX 2025,to our entire Cargolite team, with deep gratitude to the farms, freight partners, early adopters, and all who believed that change was possible. The toasts (non-alcoholic) and light snacks will be held on the 3rd and 4th of June in the morning at11:30 and in the afternoon at 15:00. On Thursday the morning toast will be at 11:00 and the afternoon toast at 14:00, this to accommodate all, during the exhibition on our stand.
Cargolite Team inKenya
The change has been made
When Cargolite began, Kenyan flowers often arrived in damaged cartons, leading to major losses for growers and exporters. Today, that's changed. Cargolite has improved not just packaging but the entire logistics chain, from the farm to the customer's facility. By introducing palletization at the farm level and ensuring consistent carton sizes, the company simplified freight planning and reduced handing and flower damage significantly. "Growers may not feel the savings immediately, but over time, they've seen fewer claims, better-quality deliveries, and higher customer satisfaction. Kowarksy reflects, "It has been an uphill battle, but together we've changed the look and feel of exported Kenyan flowers. That's a major achievement."
Source: www.floraldaily.com
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