TNT Group: more than ever focused on luxury!
Two people are behind the creation of TNT Group in 2013: Toby Cattermole and Thomas Diezinger. From the outset, they established their headquarters in Hong Kong, “as close as possible to our main industrial partners,” they explain. The group specializes in the manufacture of high value-added primary and secondary packaging, with a multi-expertise approach (metal, plastic, cardboard, and wood), for prestigious and high-end beauty and spirits products. Today, it has global coverage through its offices in Asia, France, and the United States. Its turnover reached $55 million last year, 42% of which was generated in France. It employs a total of 55 people. “We like to define ourselves first and foremost as an engineering company, a ‘solutions provider’ ,” says Damon Kennish, Chief Business Officer, “with a passion for complex developments!”
After a slight downturn in activity in 2024, with few major launches and massive destocking among its customers, the group returned to average organic growth of over 10% per year from 2025 onwards. The post-Covid years have enabled it to become fully vertically integrated, from design in France to mold manufacturing, not to mention its injection, stamping, and polishing plants located in Asia and all their finishing (galvanization, spraying, metallization) and assembly capabilities, enabling it to deliver anywhere in the world. “We control and ensure the reliability of the entire chain,” emphasizes Damon Kennish, “from idea to delivery. This year, we are massively accelerating the robotization of polishing and complex assemblies in order to increase productivity and support our growth. At the same time, we continue to invest in our teams and in skills development, because human value remains at the heart of our success.”
As for the tariff increases, "they have little impact on us for two reasons: The first is that we already deliver to most of our American customers in Europe and Asia, where most of their products are packaged. So we are not really affected by the tariffs directly. The second is that the products we manufacture in Europe or Asia would be very difficult to produce in the United States to the same quality. In that case, they would be prohibitively expensive. In reality, it is above all for the expertise of our engineers and the exceptional quality of our factories that our customers come to us."
Still Zamak and more aluminum!
Commercially, the group is developing more and more skincare products, such as Chanel’s stainless steel ionic rotating spatula and the rechargeable zamak cage for Darphin jars. Perfume is not to be outdone, with the Jil Sander stamped aluminum cap and Dries Van Noten niche perfumes.
“We also made a zamak cap for the flamboyant Tequila Chicas Divertidas,” insists Damon Kennish, “and more recently, we developed a natural stone pot for the Rabanne candle, an innovation that illustrates our ability to work with authentic and prestigious materials.”
More generally, the group says it is maintaining its focus on the massive and growing use of recycled zamak, and is strengthening its expertise in the aluminum niche, “in all its forms,” it emphasizes, "with the ability now to produce injected aluminum caps with a shiny anodized finish, which was impossible until now! "
Environment, multiple advantages.
On the environmental front, the Group boasts multiple advantages by integrating, for example, single-material designs from the outset to facilitate recycling, and rechargeable and/or reusable products. It systematically offers recycled and recyclable materials such as aluminum, zamak, and cardboard. “It’s also an advantage to work for the most prestigious luxury brands,” emphasizes Damon Kennish, "which are able to use virtuous materials for their exceptional products. All metals, as well as cardboard and wood, are easily recyclable when this factor is integrated from the design stage. And since we only develop custom-made products, we can integrate this advantage much more easily. Finally, our greatest asset is our hyper-agility. We have all the expertise in-house. So we never have to push for a particular material or design to fit the limited expertise of a single factory. Our range of factories and our multi-expertise offering are at the service of the project, not the other way around."
The “luxury” advantage
Another advantage for TNT Group managers is that they specialize in complex, high-end products, which are much less affected than simpler products whose sole function is to protect or inform. For example, the company is not involved in the field of single-use components, which are destined to disappear in their current form.
“Similarly,” insists Damon Kennish, "it seems to me that ‘fake luxury’, i.e., products that look like metal but are not, and which cannot be recycled at the end of their life, are losing their appeal. However, we do not produce this type of low-end component. In a way, we are witnessing a market shake-up, with simplistic, entry-level products on one side and a growing market for highly sophisticated products on the other. This is the area in which we are primarily focusing our efforts."
