In a deal the financial details of which were not disclosed, UK packaging group RPC (Rushden; www.rpc-group.com) has acquired Dutch injection stretch blow moulding specialist PET Power (Etten-Leur; www.petpower.eu). The purchase was carried out by RPC subsidiary M&H Plastics (Suffolk / UK; www.mhplastics.com). RPC said the deal brings together “two of the principal European players on the market”, and will enhance its portfolio of PET narrow-mouth and wide-mouth containers for health, personal care and food applications. By combining their business, M&H and PET Power will be able to offer more than 2,500 standard moulds and preform options, along with a similar number of customised products.

Established in 1995, PET Power specialises in the production of bottles, jars and caps. While most of its portfolio consists of PET, the company also injection moulds PE, PP, PC and PEN, and some of its cosmetics product range is made of SAN or PMMA. PET Power has a staff of about 200, and sales offices in 19 countries – which, aside from Europe, also include Argentina, Malaysia and the US.

RPC has been actively expanding its portfolio over the course of the last few months. In September last year it inaugurated a USD 10m expansion at its Bramlage-Wiko subsidiary in Morgantown, Pennsylvania / USA to allow for in-mould labelling and increase its presence outside of Europe (see Plasteurope.com of 23.09.2014), and it is still awaiting official approval of its binding offer to acquire rigid plastic producer Promens (Reykjavik / Iceland; www.promens.com) – see Plasteurope.com of 28.11.2014.