How all the boxes happened

Message from Nina.

In the late 1980s, my parents escaped Vietnam in search for a better life. They risked their lives through the sea journey, survived and spent time in refugee camps before being accepted for resettlement in Australia. With nothing in their hands, no money and no family, they rebuilt their lives.

They hustled and bustled their way around doing literally everything they could to make ends meet, to put myself and my sister through the education system. But they eventually made the decision to move to Queensland, to a small town called Churchable in search of better opportunities.

Surrounded by farmers in Churchable they decided to step into the agricultural sector, and start growing Asian produce. My parents had their doubts about fitting into the new community but quickly found the local Australian farmers to be very welcoming and supportive of them. Seeing firsthand the struggles and commitment in farming, it was very hard for me to accept the challenges and processes of farming. It’s indescribable.

My parents began to build up their skills in this sector. From the purchasing process, to packaging. One of the challenges of packaging their produce was that they were damaged during the interstate transportation process. This was due to the low quality of packaging that could not withstand moisture and pressure. When my parents shared their hardship with me, I was determined to find a solution. I thought to myself, why not develop a product that makes it better and more efficient for farmers to package and transport their produce?

I went on a mission to source the materials. Little did I understand that paper was a versatile material with many uses. Finding the right paper application for packaging was not as simple as we may like to think. They came in many different types, thickness and weight. I found several manufacturing plants that would produce what I needed. My aim was to have boxes that would be moisture resistant, durable, and most importantly, eliminate the tedious work of assembling. I ran into a few hurdles with my first couple of prototypes, with the manufacturers over promising and under delivering. I was on the verge of giving up, but all that changed when I found a trusted company that believed in what I was trying to achieve.

I worked long hours over many months to get the material right. It finally paid off when my parents told me that their biggest problem had been solved and their agent increased the produce value. It is deeply satisfying to see that something as simple as a produce box is able to have an influence on the productivity of farmers. Now as a farmer myself and having the support of my family, I get to see, experience and feel what it’s like to grow and package fresh produce.

Today, The Boxco happily supports over 200 local farmers in the Lockyer Valley and Logan region with our produce packaging.