By Marilyn Gerlach

German closure specialist Bericap (Budenheim; www.bericap.com) is continuing its geographical expansion with new production facilities in Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia, bringing to 30 its manufacturing sites in 25 countries, in order to be close to its customers for project support, logistics, and services.

Bericap said it opened new plants in Nairobi, Kenya, and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and acquired production facilities in Lima, Peru, and Durban, South Africa.  

Bericap’s decision to open a manufacturing site in Nairobi is influenced by the fact that Kenya is the driving force of economic growth in East Africa, and that the country plays an essential role in a regional supply context. Bericap set up its commercial business in Kenya over the past eight years, and opening a new, 3,500 m² facility at the capital marks a milestone – closures for the lubricant industry and for food and beverage manufacturers are produced there. The closures manufactured at the Nairobi facility are exported to 10 African countries. 

In Durban, Bericap said a production facility based in the city was acquired from Nampak, a company with which it has had a technological partnership for the South African market since 1998. The closure business in Durban started trading as Bericap South Africa in March 2024. 

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Bericap said the South African closure portfolio, and the locally manufactured closures, will be marketed in South Africa and neighbouring countries. Peru marks Bericap’s fourth production site in Latin America. With good access to Bolivia, the northern part of Chile, and Ecuador, the Peruvian facility plans to be serving a market of around 60 mn consumers. 

Bericap’s decision to acquire a 5,000 m² production facility in Lima was also prompted by interest from major companies in Peru to have a closure specialist with research and development expertise in the region; the facility has 50 employees, supported by staff in Brazil and Argentina, Bericap said. 

In September 2023, Bericap set up a production site in Vietnam, choosing it as another base in Southeast Asia. The company said this investment reflects the region’s market potential for modern closure solutions in the sectors of beverages and dairy products, food, and chemical products. Production commenced in mid-October and the plant has passed all mandatory external audits.