Weidenhammer Packaging (WPG, Hockenheim / Germany; www.weidenhammer.de), has begun production of composite cans at its Inofita / Greece plant following the completion of a EUR 6.5m expansion of the site to serve the growing market in Greece and southeastern Europe. The company first produced composite cans at the facility in 2004 and manufactures self-opening cans for fresh dough products for its primary customer, US food producer General Mills (Minneapolis, Minnesota; www.generalmills.com), which occupies the site adjacent to Weidenhammer in Inofita.

Weidenhammer Greece supplies several other customers with composite cans for product segments ranging from snacks and nuts, to instant beverages. WPG CEO Ralf Weidenhammer said: “We believe Greece has enormous market potential. It’s also an ideal base of operations to supply other segments in southeastern Europe,” Currently, 17 employees working on two assembly lines at the facility produce several million packages every month. The production facility, covering 4,000 m², offers sufficient space for future growth. Production of peel-off tops for composite cans was launched on a newly installed assembly line in July.

The new product was developed specifically for perishable products including baby food, powdered milk and other sensitive food applications. “In these segments, there was never a viable alternative to metal cans,” said Aris Binis, WPG sales director in Inofita. “Our composite cans with peel-off tops offer better sealing properties and can be used in segments where the usability of composite cans was relatively limited. In many cases, we can offer an equivalent but more competitive alternative to metal cans.” The closure device is similar to the ring-pull or the tab on a metal can.