Multinational packaging group Tetra Pak (HQ: 70, Avenue General-Guisan, CH-1009 Pully/Lausanne) plans to acquire the Novembal group (Les Cheres, F-69480 Anse) from the French Nord Est Emballage group (F-75009 Paris). Novembal produces more than 10bn plastics closures annually at locations in Europe, North and South America.

Tetra Pak said the acquisition will give it access to a development and production base of its own, and it will build on this to become “a key supplier of closures and opening systems in just a few years.” These systems have gained such strategic importance for all the Tetra Pak fields – composite cartons and PET and PE bottles – that the company is being forced to make this move, said Gunnar Brock, Tetra Pak president and ceo.

Novembal will be affiliated to the opening systems business group in the Tetra Pak Plastic Packaging Division (2, chemin Louis Hubert, CH-1213 Petit-Lancy, Geneva) but will still operate as an independent company using its established trademarks. The opening systems group is to be further expanded in line with the expected growth of Tetra Pak´s core business, explained Gene Nesbeda, president of the plastic packaging division.