The European carton giants have been strategically moving into the plastics packaging business, and particularly into PET, for a number of years. As in their traditional line of business, the companies want to complement the production process with their own machinery know-how, enabling them to operate as all-in suppliers. Tetra Laval was thus hoping to acquire Sidel, the French producer of PET lines, until this was vetoed by the EU competition authorities (see Plasteurope.com 03, 2002), while the SIG group acquired ThyssenKrupp´s machinery manufacturing group, now renamed SIG Plastics.

The number three in the carton market, the expanding Norwegian company Elopak (N-3431 Spikkestad; www.elopak.com) with its “Pure Pak” brand, also entered the plastics packaging market in 1995. In 1997, the company acquired its former joint venture partner Unifill (I-41036 Villafranca di Medolla; www.unifill.it), which produces thermoforming systems, specialising in form-fill-seal processes. Elopak, which is predominantly active in the dairy sector, has now launched a number of joint ventures and partnerships for its newly-created Elopak Plastics Systems (EPS) division so as to be able to offer its customers “the know-how of all the different hardware suppliers involved in a bottle blowing, filling and packaging line from a single source.” Last year, EPS successfully introduced its HDPE/PET “Plastic Bottle System” in the market for milk products, juices, water and non-carbonated liquids.

Prior to this, Elopak-alfill GmbH was founded in Hamburg in 2000 together with alfill (D-22309 Hamburg; www.alfill.com), the specialists for aseptic filling technology. This was followed in 2001 by partnerships with Techne (I-40068 S. Lazzaro di Savena; www.techne-it.com) for HDPE blow moulding machines, Auspac (GB-Bracknall) for the production of HDPE bottles and Spreckelsen McGeough (GB-Wokin) for composite closures. The alliance with IFAP S.A. (I-33057 Palmanova; www.ifap.it), which produces PET preforms, was announced in May of this year. Expertise in PET stretch blow moulding has now also been acquired through the cooperation with Kosme GmbH (A-2601 Sollenau), a deal announced in July. Kosme manufactures small stretch blow moulding machines (“KSB”).

Elopak´s strategy is currently proving highly successful; it has steadily increased its sales over the past few years, attaining a figure of EUR 560m in 2001, with an EBIT of around EUR 35m. The company, which operates worldwide, belongs to the Norwegian Ferd group and generates some 85% of its sales.

• e-Service:
Annual report 2001 of the Ferd group (Elopak) as PDF document (1,038 KB)