Investment group One Equity Partners (OEP, www.oneequity.com) on 1 March 2012 wrapped up its acquisition of Linpac Allibert (Quinton / UK). OEP member LA Holdings had purchased all the shares in the former Linpac Group (Knottingley / UK; www.linpacpackaging.com) reusable packaging producer. Responding to a Plasteurope.com query, a spokesman said that the German authorities had made the takeover conditional on the closure of Linpac Allibert's drink crate production facility in Bad Saluflen / Germany, adding that no jobs would be affected – see also see Plasteurope.com of 12.09.2011.

OEP plans to run Linpac Allibert as a sister company to plastic packaging systems producer Schoeller Arca Systems (Zwolle / The Netherlands; www.schoellerarcasystems.com) and is currently looking into integrating the two companies. In addition, OEP is working on a cooperation agreement that will balance both parties’ interests and constitute a basis for synergy effects.

Linpac Allibert produces a range of foldable, nestable and stockable containers, containers with integrated lids as well as transport vehicles, pallets and large volume equipment. The group posted sales of EUR 181m in 2010 and employs some 1,150 workers at sites in the UK, France, Germany and Spain, alongside sales offices in Belgium, Italy and Sweden.