M&As: Alpla grows pharma division with acquisition of Apon; Indorama Ventures acquires wool assets in Italy and Poland

Packaging company Alpla is boosting the presence of its pharma division in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) with the acquisition of the Polish company Apon, which produces plastic packaging for the pharma industry at its site in Żyrardów near Warsaw. The acquisition continues the growth and expansion course of the ALPLApharma business division established in 2019. Terms were not disclosed.

Alpla says it has been producing plastic packaging for pharma products since 2016, with bottles, containers, caps, dosage systems and accessories made in certified clean-room quality. The rapidly growing segment was consolidated under the brand ALPLApharma in 2019 and has been gradually expanded.

‘We are increasing our presence in Central and Eastern Europe and are providing the emerging market in Poland and the Baltic states with high-quality products right there in the region,’ explains Walter Knes, Managing Director, ALPLApharma.

Apon was founded as a family business in 1985. Its workforce of approximately 45 at the site in Żyrardów near Warsaw currently produces bottles with fill volumes of 5 to 100 mil, containers with screw caps or snap lids and medical accessories with dosage aids. The pharmaceutical primary packaging is produced in a clean room in accordance with ISO 15378.

The company also produces packaging for food supplements and for the e-liquid sector. The plastics used as packaging materials are HDPE, LDPE, PP and PET. It has a total annual production of over 200 million units. Its integration into the Alpla Group is beneficial for both parties – in addition to the development of new markets, it will allow for access to technological expertise and packaging innovations. All of the Apon staff will be kept on.

ALPLApharma has its main sites in Egypt, Greece, Romania, South Africa and Poland as well as production plants in nine other countries. Further expansionary steps are planned in the months and years to come. Its portfolio will also be expanded. In addition to standard products for the pharma industry, it focuses on packaging for over-the-counter (OTC) pharmaceuticals and food supplements. ALPLApharma recently added flexible EBM (extrusion blow moulding) technology to its production for sustainable, weight-reduced and cost-effective containers to be produced.

‘The Pharma division has huge future potential. As well as above-average market growth, the segment is characterised by strong customer loyalty. With our global capacities and quality standards, we make reliable and long-term partnerships possible,’ emphasises ALPLA CEO Philipp Lehner.

The contract partners have agreed not to disclose any details of the acquisition.

In other news, Thailand-based integrated chemicals maker Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited (IVL) has completed the acquisition of the wool spinning businesses in Italy and Poland of Tollegno 1900 S.p.A. (Tollegno 1900), an Italian manufacturer of fabrics and yarns.

Tollegno 1900 has a rich family-based heritage with more than 120 years of experience and is now one of the leading European textile groups with a total spinning capacity of around 3,500 tonnes/year of yarn with a specific focus on flat knitting and hand knitting yarns. With this acquisition, IVL secured two assets, including a spinning and top-dyeing operation in Poland and a yarn dyeing operation in Italy.

The acquisition is a strategic fit for IVL’s unique integrated business platform and will make a significant contribution to the sustainable growth of its wool business, which is part of the company’s fibres segment. It will also strengthen IVL’s footprint for worsted yarns in Europe and help extend IVL’s wool products globally with trading subsidiaries in America and Asia.

The operations, which will be renamed Filatura Tollegno 1900, will add more sustainable products to IVL’s portfolio, including a full traceability project of the fibres used for yarns and fabrics, as well as provide synergies with existing assets.

Giovanni Germanetti, the CEO of Tollegno, will continue in the same role with Filatura Tollegno 1900, facilitating continuity and exploring new growth as part of IVL. Lincoln Germanetti, the President/co-CEO of Tollegno, will remain with Filatura Tollegno 1900 as COO.

(PRA)

---

Subscribe to Get the Latest Updates from PRA  Please click here