Aluminium and packaging producer Pechiney (F-75218 Paris Cedex 16; www.pechiney.com) plans to acquire Soplaril (F-92150 Suresnes), the flexible packaging unit of TotalFinaElf (F-92400 Courbevoie; www.totalfinaelf.com), subject to approval by regulatory authorities. The oil and petrochemicals giant is selling the business in an effort to refocus its chemicals activities. With annual sales of around EUR 200m, Soplaril is among Europe´s ten leading producers of multi-layer film – for the most part for food packaging – and is regarded as market leader in refillable detergent packaging.

Through the acquisition, Pechiney will double its European flexible packaging sales and become fifth largest player in Europe as well as in the US. Soplaril, which combines assets of the former Elf Atochem including activities acquired in the early1990s from Rhone Poulenc, currently has seven European production sites, including three in France, two in Italy and one each in Spain and Portugal.

Pechiney is one of the world´s largest packaging producers with overall sales in this segment of EUR 2.1 bn annually and flexible packaging sales of around EUR 1 bn. Some 78% of flexible packaging sales are transacted in the US. The business segment´s European sales of EUR 200m – prior to the acquisition – are generated at two locations in France, two in Spain, one in Germany and one in the Czech Republic.