Polish plastics packaging company Ergis Group (Warsaw; www.ergis.eu) has posted a 28% rise in operating profit to PLN 24.3m (EUR 5.8m) for the first half of 2015 compared with the same period last year. Sales were up by nearly 3% to PLN 345.4m with net profits jumping by nearly 60% to reach PLN 19.7m. Following the extensive slump in raw material prices recorded in Q1 2015, Q2 brought about substantial price rises, the company said, adding that the large number of force majeure announcements in Q2 this year offset the positive impact of raw materials prices in Q1.

Ergis attributed the increase in profitability primarily to growing sales of its "nanoErgis" film as well as rising sales in overseas markets and additional capacity. A line for flexographic print was added to its Flexergis division in Nowy Sacz and a second line for PET tapes was installed at Olawa, both in Poland. The investment sum totalled EUR 9.2m (see country report Poland at Plasteurope.com of 22.07.2015). More than 56% of sales were generated overseas, a rise of more than 7.3% on 2014. Industrial packaging sales were up by 16.8%. Ergis said the value of sales in the printed packaging segment were nearly 5.8% higher, driven by its machinery expansion and modernisation at Nowy Sacz.

Following a decision in May this year, Ergis is moving the production lines operated by Schimanski-Ergis at Gallin, near Hamburg / Germany, to MKF-Ergis in Berlin, integrating its production of multi-layer rigid packaging film and PET mono film in a single plant. The lines will replace machinery previously transferred to MKF-Ergis in Wabrzezno / Poland. As of 2016, the integrated production will save Ergis around PLN 3.5m a year in its food packaging business. The plant in Gallin will be put up for sale.

Tadeusz Nowicki, president of Ergis’ management board, said: “The group is currently developing a new strategy with a focus on intensifying its research and development activities.”