Packaging specialist RPC Group Plc (Higham Ferrers / UK; www.rpc.eu) has upgraded its production plant in Velky Meder / Slovakia with a view to turning it into the principal supplier for packaging and sealing systems in the expanding east European market. RPC had bought the facility from DM Plast (Velky Meder, Bratislava / Slovakia) in 2007 – see Plasteurope.com of 26.06.2007.

The site continued to manufacture even as renovations and upgrades were being carried out. This allowed the company to keep on serving its existing clients, RPC says in the latest edition of its company magazine “RPC Matters”. Production has already begun in the new hall, completed in May 2009.

Contrary to the original plans, the Velky Meder site has absorbed production equipments, including 40 injection moulding machines, from RPC Bramlage DHS (formerly based in Ravenstein / The Netherlands). The closure of the Ravenstein site was part of the framework of the “RPC 2010” program – see Plasteurope.com of 05.12.2009.

The company said the extensive renovations and the new production hall were necessary to meet clients’ expectations of a standard production site – for the manufacture of closures, caps and cans, among others. In addition, tool manufacture had to be restructured and quality management expanded.