Austrian packaging manufacturer Alpla (Hard; www.alpla.com) has bought UK’s iTEC Packaging (Mansfield; www.itecpackaging.com), which was operating under the control of a team of administrators at FRP Advisory (London, UK; www.frpadvisory.com). Alpla said the deal, terms of which were not disclosed, “strengthens [our] commitment to the UK market”.

iTEC Packaging, which manufactures a range of lids, caps and closures for the dairy, food, and drink sectors, was formerly known as Paccor (Mansfield) and had been owned by the German packaging manufacturer before its sale to Danish packaging giant Faerch (Holstebro; www.faerch.com) in January 2022.

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Following its sale to Faerch, Paccor said it was looking to sell the Mansfield business, which was not part of the deal with the Danish firm. In September 2022 it was acquired by UK financial services group Breal Capital (London), and in October 2022 was renamed iTEC Packaging (Mansfield).

For the year ending 31 December 2021 iTEC had posted a pre-tax loss of GBP 1.5 mn (EUR 1.74 mn), citing worsening gross profits and operating losses, and in April 2023 iTEC packaging (Mansfield) went to the administration.

The sale to Alpla saves around 120 jobs, after the Austrian firm said it would retain all employees. iTEC’s website said the group had capacity to supply the market with 3 bn/y rHDPE bottle caps, and its dairy closures are made with 40% rHDPE.