Moderna Products: accessories for happy pets and pet owners

Belgian family business with global renown

A pet is a much-loved member of the family nowadays. Until quite recently, dogs and cats would roam, eat, and sleep outside – something we can hardly imagine today.

Moderna Products is all about making pets and their owners happy. This Belgian family business has certainly achieved just that, worldwide. "We are proud of our trophy cabinet and rightly so: we have won the Belgian SME Award, the Design X50 Award and several IMDA awards."

Chantal Saelen, managing director of Moderna Products: “In 1932, my grandfather started manufacturing buttons, a trend-sensitive product all about the right colors and materials. Moderna switched focus to plastic products for pets over 40 years ago now. These products are just as sensitive to trends, colors, and materials. The trend for giving pets the attention they deserve started about fifteen years ago. Sometimes I even refer to it as the humanization of pets. Owners really consider them members of their family.”

Creative and innovative

“Moderna designs and produces creative, innovative and durable plastic items for happy pets. Our products excel in functionality, choice of materials and design. This starts all the way back with the raw material: strong, sustainable, and recyclable. Of course our products are safe and easy to use, suitable for food, and dishwasher-safe. And – very importantly – Buddy or Felix will not be able to scratch off the Reverse IML labels from MCC Verstraete.”

Quality first

“Quality is one of our key principles. Quality in all areas, I mean. For our products and our service, as well as sustainability. We will not market a product until we are convinced that its integral quality is guaranteed. We always welcome change, but we will not rush into making changes overnight. Each change must represent an improvement. Otherwise it’s a no-go. Period.

We have been working with IML supplier MCC Verstraete since 2012. They have the knowledge we need and they also focus on quality and sustainability. The MCC Verstraete labels guarantee the scratch resistance that is crucial for us.

Chantal Saelen, managing director of Moderna Products

Style and design

“As pets started living in the house with their owners, their litter trays and food and water bowls also moved indoors. This made the design, color and look of these items more important: after all, they should match the interior and the lifestyle of the owners. We respond to this demand from consumers.

Thanks to in mold labeling, we can market the same product more widely, with one and the same mold. Thanks to the variation in labeling, we can create different styles and looks and appeal to different types of consumers. An extra asset for sales and a formula that’s catching on. After all, we all like different styles and colors. For example, Scandinavian consumers prefer calm colors with lots of grays, while consumers in South America welcome exuberant colors like fuchsia.”

Completely coordinated

“Our range is completely coordinated. Litter tray, food bowl and drinking fountain are all styled the same. Luxurious Pets is our latest range. These premium products are completely black with luxurious printed metallic gold decoration. Applying these metallic colors is a delicate job. The MCC Verstraete labels are perfect for achieving the right finish. We’re very happy with the result, and so are our clients.”

Sustainability is a permanent core value

“Sustainability is one of our most valued principles. Yes, we manufacture plastic objects for everyday use. It doesn’t mean these objects can’t be sustainable too. For a start, a lot is gained by using the right materials, and especially by choosing the same material at every stage of production. Our product, the material we inject, and the labels have the same origin. There is no need for separate recycling. What’s more, our products have a very long lifespan. Because they are sturdy and scratch-resistant, both owners and pets will enjoy our products for years to come."

MCC Verstraete: our reliable partner

“We value MCC Verstraete as a reliable partner, an associate we can count on and identify with. Just like Moderna, they prioritize quality and service. MCC Verstraete can rely on thirty years of experience and as such, has the required in-house expertise. They know what they’re talking about, understand what we’re asking for and pay attention to sustainability. Several departments – prepress, internal sales – work closely together and share experience and knowledge. Together we create sustainable and high-quality products: making our collaboration a success.”