NAMPAK
Africa´s biggest packaging firm expands in Europe / Takeover of British Plysu company
The trend towards consolidation in the world´s packaging industry is continuing. Africa´s biggest packaging group, Nampak Ltd (PO Box 784324 Sandton, 2146 South Africa), is aiming to take over the British company, Plysu plc (Station Road, Woburn Sands, GB-Milton Keynes MK17 8SE). The management of the Plysu group, which is one of Europe´s leading blow-moulding companies, has indicated that it welcomes the takeover bid.
In the last fiscal year (to 31.3.99), Plysu posted sales of over GBP 150m, and recently made the headlines with acquisitions of its own (see Plasteurope.com 15, 1999). At the beginning of this year, the company took over BP Chemicals BXL Plastics, and also expanded its operations in southern Europe with the acquisition of a Mallorcan company. Apparently, however, the announced strategy of further expansion could not be maintained due to the reticence of investors towards small and medium-sized packaging companies, and therefore the lack of equity capital. Plysu´s Managing Director, David O´Shaughnessy, now believes that “Plysu´s business can best be achieved as part of a larger international packaging group”.
In 1998, Nampak had sales of ZAR 7.361bn (approx. EUR 1.13bn). Apart from its wide-ranging paper activities and metal packaging firms (cans, aluminium foil), Nampak owns a whole number of companies and divisions in the plastics sector, too, manufacturing, for example, plastic closures, HDPE and PET bottles, plastic film, beakers, containers and bottle crates. The company also holds many African licences from well-known packaging companies such as White Cap, Schoeller Plast and Mauser.
Nampak took its first step into Europe with the acquisition of BlowMocan PolySystems Ltd (Pitfield, Kiln Farm, GB-Milton Keynes MK11 3LE) in 1994. According to internal statistics, BlowMocan is Britain´s second largest blow-moulder, supplying HDPE containers and bottles to the dairy and juice industry. If BlowMocan were now to find itself in the same group of companies as Plysu, it would not only create a new blow-moulding giant, it would also mean a reuniting of two organisations that were together in the past: in 1996, Plysu purchased the then “Industrial Container” division from BlowMocan.
In the last fiscal year (to 31.3.99), Plysu posted sales of over GBP 150m, and recently made the headlines with acquisitions of its own (see Plasteurope.com 15, 1999). At the beginning of this year, the company took over BP Chemicals BXL Plastics, and also expanded its operations in southern Europe with the acquisition of a Mallorcan company. Apparently, however, the announced strategy of further expansion could not be maintained due to the reticence of investors towards small and medium-sized packaging companies, and therefore the lack of equity capital. Plysu´s Managing Director, David O´Shaughnessy, now believes that “Plysu´s business can best be achieved as part of a larger international packaging group”.
In 1998, Nampak had sales of ZAR 7.361bn (approx. EUR 1.13bn). Apart from its wide-ranging paper activities and metal packaging firms (cans, aluminium foil), Nampak owns a whole number of companies and divisions in the plastics sector, too, manufacturing, for example, plastic closures, HDPE and PET bottles, plastic film, beakers, containers and bottle crates. The company also holds many African licences from well-known packaging companies such as White Cap, Schoeller Plast and Mauser.
Nampak took its first step into Europe with the acquisition of BlowMocan PolySystems Ltd (Pitfield, Kiln Farm, GB-Milton Keynes MK11 3LE) in 1994. According to internal statistics, BlowMocan is Britain´s second largest blow-moulder, supplying HDPE containers and bottles to the dairy and juice industry. If BlowMocan were now to find itself in the same group of companies as Plysu, it would not only create a new blow-moulding giant, it would also mean a reuniting of two organisations that were together in the past: in 1996, Plysu purchased the then “Industrial Container” division from BlowMocan.
15.12.1999 Plasteurope.com [17653]
Published on 15.12.1999