RPC Group (Higham Ferrers, Rushden / UK; www.rpc.eu) has confirmed it is shutting its RPC beauté cosmetics packaging plant at Thornaby, Middlesbrough with the loss of 160 jobs. The closure is blamed on the declining UK base for production of cosmetics and RPC’s subsequent need to consolidate its beauty products manufacturing operations at its mainland European sites in Germany, Italy and Turkey. The company says the Thornaby plant has not made a sustained profit since it was acquired in 1999, despite continuing investment. A 90-day consultation period with staff failed to identify a way in which the plant could be profitable on a regular basis, despite numerous suggestions.

Separately, RPC has paid EUR 4.35m to buy Raytec BV (Ravenstein / The Netherlands; www.raytec.nl), an injection moulder of glue sticks, adhesive dispensers, tape dispensers, cartridge guns and similar packs. Raytec had sales in its last full year of EUR 16m and an EBITDA of EUR 1.3m. It will trade as RPC Bramlage DHS (DIY, household, stationery) and, says RPC, will enable its injection moulding business in mainland Europe to focus on these additional markets in the future. Raytec is a leading packaging supplier to the adhesives and sealants division of Henkel (Düsseldorf / Germany; www.henkel.com).