In a deal expected to be completed during February, US packaging specialist Berry Plastics (Evansville, Indiana; www.berryplastics.com) has received approval from Chinese authorities to acquire a 75% stake in Qingdao P&B for an undisclosed sum. The Chinese company with annual sales of USD 34m is based in the Qingdao free-trade zone and has been a Berry supplier for more than seven years. P&B founder Peter Song will stay on as general manager following the acquisition.

In future, the company to be known as Qingdao Berry Plastics will produce rigid plastic packaging and personal care products for customers in China and worldwide, predominantly in the food and personal care sectors. Berry CEO Jon Rich said the acquisition of P&B, which uses thermoform, injection moulding, and automated assembly manufacturing processes, “is in direct alignment with our strategic objective of establishing a business presence in emerging global markets.”