Weekly Roundup: International Paper announces new corrugated packaging facility, Clariant sells Pigments business
07 Jan 2022 --- In packaging news this week, International Paper revealed plans to construct a state-of-the-art corrugated packaging facility in the US. Meanwhile, Clariant completed the sale of its Pigments business, Huhtamaki acquired full ownership of its Polish joint venture company, and TricorBraun acquired beverage packaging suppliers Zuckerman Honickman and Vessel Packaging.
In brief: Fiber-based packaging
International Paper announced plans to build a state-of-the-art corrugated packaging facility in Atglen, Pennsylvania, US, expanding its industrial packaging footprint in the country’s northeastern part. The facility will reportedly add around 150 team members. Construction is expected to start in Q1 2022 and be operational in Q1 2023.
Huhtamaki acquired full ownership of its Polish joint venture company Huhtamaki Smith Anderson from Smith Anderson Group. The company manufactures and sells foodservice paper bags in Eastern Europe at Huhtamaki’s facility in Czeladz, Poland. Paper bags have become an increasingly important part of Huhtamaki’s product offering, and the acquisition enables the company to invest in and further grow the business in Eastern Europe.
Oerlemans Packaging Group will acquire Stempher.
In brief: Sales and acquisitions
Clariant, a specialty chemical company, completed the sale of its Pigments business to a consortium of Heubach Group and SK Capital Partners. As announced upon signing of the transaction, the base enterprise value of the sale amounts to CHF 805 million (US$874 million) subject to closing accounts adjustments and before a potential earn-out payment of CHF 50 (US$54 million), which is subject to the business’ 2021 financial performance.
Novvia Group, a global rigid container and life sciences packaging distributor, acquired Rhino Container, a distributor of plastic, metal, corrugated, and glass packaging products. The financial terms of the private transaction were not disclosed. Headquartered in Chino, California, US, Rhino is a distributor of cans, pails, drums, bottles, jars, and other rigid packaging products to various end markets.
TricorBraun acquired beverage packaging suppliers Zuckerman Honickman and Vessel Packaging, strengthening the company’s position in the beverage packaging market. “Our acquisitions of Zuckerman Honickman, a name synonymous with best-in-class beverage packaging, and Vessel Packaging, a leading Canadian value-added distributor of aluminum cans, bolster our ability to serve beverage customers with expanded offerings and services across North America,” said Court Carruthers, TricorBraun’s president & CEO, TricorBraun.
OCSiAl’s new graphene nanotube dispersions for thin transparent or colored conductive films.
Oerlemans Packaging Group agreed to acquire Koninklijke Verpakkingsindustrie Stempher in the Netherlands, adding the seventh company to the Group. “This acquisition further expands the product portfolio of the Oerlemans Packaging Group and enables us to serve our customers even better with a wide range of packaging solutions and films,” explained Joan Hanegraaf, Oerlemans Packaging Group’s CEO. “We see that both the culture and mentality of these companies fit well together in terms of values and standards. Stempher, for example, is also very active in [environmental] sustainability programs – in line with Oerlemans Packaging’s credo – ‘the Sustainable Innovator.’”
Comar, a premier supplier of custom medical devices and assemblies and specialty packaging solutions, acquired Omega Packaging, a manufacturer of injection and blow-molded products serving the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, sports nutrition, and skincare markets. US-based Omega Packaging’s line of child-resistant closures and precision mold-building capabilities advance Comar’’s strategy to serve healthcare customers with end-to-end custom manufacturing capabilities and an expanded product portfolio.
IWK Packaging Systems’ new vertical cartoner.
In brief: Graphene nanotube dispersions
OCSiAl introduced a new line of graphene nanotube dispersions for thin transparent or colored conductive films and packaging. The new products meet customers’ requirements for low solid content formulations and high-quality fine dispersions of nanomaterial. Applications include ultra-thin coatings, such as UV coatings and coatings on PET, and anti-static binders with no changes in processing and retained level of rheological properties.
In brief: Cartoning capabilities
IWK Packaging Systems, a manufacturer of premium cartoning and tube filling equipment for the pharmaceuticals and health and beauty sectors, introduced a pair of versatile vertical cartoners – one intermittent, one continuous – that provide premium cartoning capabilities at comparably cost-effective price points. Defined by modular extendability, high levels of positioning precision and fast changeovers, both machines are attractive options for pharma or personal care manufacturers cartoning a wide range of containers.
By Joshua Poole
