Aptar (Crystal Lake, Illinois, USA; www.aptargroup.com), which manufactures plastics and metal closures and dosing and dispensing systems, has acquired a majority stake in Gulf Closures (Manama, Bahrain). The Bahrain company is a joint venture between compatriot investment group Alzayani and Closures Systems International (CSI, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; www.csiclosures.com), which forms part of the Rank Group (Auckland, New Zealand; www.rankgroup.co.nz). With around 60 employees, it manufactures plastics closures for the beverage industry.

Aptar has had a presence in the Middle East since 2019 with a sales office in Dubai. Hedi Tlili, president of the company’s Aptar Closures business, said the new production facility in Bahrain will open up new market opportunities for the manufacturer. Gulf Closures currently has an annual production capacity of around 2 bn closures.

At the start 2023, Aptar realigned its Aptar Closures and Aptar Beauty business units. The company’s pharmaceutical segment remained unchanged. CEO Stephan Tanda said the new structure is aimed at streamlining production and enabling a stronger customer focus across all closure applications.