A buyer is being sought for the plastics processing business of Fibrenyle (GB-Suffolk NR34 7TB; www.fibrenyle.co.uk) following a decision by parent company Alcan (www.alcan.com) to dispose of its non-core packaging operations. The 620 staff at Fibrenyle had been informed in May that its future was under consideration, but a sell-off has now been confirmed. This followed a statement in Alcan´s quarterly 2003 results that: “In the second quarter of 2003, the company committed to a plan to sell non-strategic packaging operations.”

Formed more than 50 years ago, Fibrenyle, part of the Alcan Packaging business, operates from four sites in England: Beccles, Norwich, Sutton-in-Ashfield and Thetford. Best known for its extrusion blow moulding and injection stretch blow moulding of bottles and containers, the company also produces injection moulded closures and tubes and carries out a range of labelling and shrink sleeving activities for packaging customers in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries. Clients include household names such as Lever Faberge, Unilever and Sara Lee.

Alcan Packaging´s activities span the conversion of aluminium, plastics, paper, cartonboard, glass and steel. It has over 90 plants in 18 countries generating sales of USD 3.5 bn and incorporating the capabilities of the former algroup wheaton and algroup lawson mardon activities.