Amcor (Abbotsford / Australia; www.amcor.com) on 1 July completed the purchase of Nampak Flexibles, what it said is “the leading flexibles packaging company in South Africa.” Seller was fellow packaging giant Nampak (Sandton / South Africa; www.nampak.co.za) and the deal reportedly came in at USD 22m – for previous coverage, see Plasteurope.com of 31.03.2015.

The acquisition brings with it four manufacturing sites as well as one sales office in South Africa, generating net sales of about ZAR 1.1 bn (EUR 80.3m) per year. The facilities will join Amcor in a new business unit called Amcor Flexibles South Africa, which the company said is the leading flexibles player on the continent, with regional sales of about EUR 250m.

Commenting on the transaction, Amcor Flexibles Europe, Middle East and Africa (AFEMEA) president Peter Konieczny said, “Africa is an exciting market for Amcor Flexibles.” He added that the acquisition “will create a flexible packaging business that will support Amcor’s profitable growth agenda in Sub-Saharan Africa.”

Also on 1 July, the Australian packager announced a new organisational structure split across geographic regions and aimed at allowing each division to focus on strategic priorities and accelerate profitable growth. Under the new structure, the group’s Flexibles Europe and Americas business has been divided into Amcor Flexibles Americas and Flexibles Europe, Middle East and Africa. The new head of the latter, Konieczny, previously served as president of Amcor Tobacco Packaging, and will oversee the regional goal of driving growth by innovation, cost and efficiency improvements as well as identifying new opportunities in emerging markets. AFEMEA operates 61 plants in 21 countries and posted sales of about EUR 2.6 bn in 2014.

The Flexibles Americas business will be headed by Tom Cochran, previously vice president of Flexibles with responsibility for the medical, extrusion and Americas-based businesses. The key focus in this region will be on accelerating growth in North America and pursuing opportunities in Latin America – both regions where Amcor’s market share is less than 5%. Sales in this region came in at EUR 430m last year.

The personnel announcements follow the retirement of Peter Brues, who previously served as president of Flexibles Europe and Americas. Amcor also operates a Flexibles Asia Pacific division, which posted sales of EUR 900m in 2014.