Greif (Delaware, Ohio / USA; www.greif.com) has opened an industrial packaging plant in Kazan / Russia. The plant produces intermediate bulk containers (IBCs) and will also produce plastic canisters and large steel drums by the end of 2008. The company expects to employ nearly 100 people at the facility, which is its eighth industrial packaging plant in Russia.

Michael Gasser, Greif’s chairman, chief executive officer and president, said Russia remains an important growth market for the company. “Our Kazan operation adds the new element of IBCs to our existing Russian product portfolio of steel drums and water bottles,” he added.