Weidenhammer Packaging Group (Hockenheim / Germany; www.weidenhammer.de), has begun production of composite cans on a single production line at a plant in Vladimir, 150 km north-east of Moscow / Russia. The facility is operated as part of a joint venture with Greiner Packaging Russia (Kremsmünster / Austria; www.greiner-gpi.com), which has been manufacturing at the Vladimir site for six years. The plant will supply the local market as well as international food companies and consumer goods businesses, Weidenhammer said. Vladimir is the first Weidenhammer plant in Russia and the company's twelfth production facility worldwide. “We have been active in Russia for five years and the opening of a production site there will help us serve our customers even better,” said CEO Ralf Weidenhammer.

Weidenhammer customers in Russia include Mars and other multinational food manufacturing groups, Nastyusha, the Russian market leader for flour, and health food producer Novaprodukt.