Bericap GmbH & Co (D-55257 Budenheim; www.bericap.de) started the production of plastic caps and closures at its newest, state-of-the-art factory in the Russian town of Bor in September. The facility belongs to Bericap´s subsidiary, OOO Bericap (Bor, Nizhny Novgorod / Russia), which it founded in February 2002. A total of EUR 5m has been invested in the project, EUR 3m of which is a long-term investment loan from Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH (DEG, D-Cologne; www.deginvest.de). Initially, 50 employees are looking after the production of caps and closures for beverages, motor oil and chemicals, but medium-term planning provides for expansion to include closures for cosmetics and detergents. In 2002, the Bericap Group had total sales of EUR 315m and a workforce of around 1,800.