Plastics group Linpac Packaging has laid out a raft of investment plans in its European business for 2013 after its US sister company Ropak was sold in a $265m (£163m) deal
Ropak Packaging was, earlier this month, sold to metal and plastic packaging supplier BWAY Corporation, just a month after BWAY was bought by private equity house Platinum Equity – which also owns Contego Packaging.
The sale is the latest in a number of disposals in the last year by the Linpac Group – the parent company of Linpac Packaging – that has included its Australian business Viscount and its transit packaging arm Allibert.
A statement from Linpac Packaging to Packaging News said that the disposals by Linpac Group were part of a strategy to "consolidate on its key strengths in the European packaging sector".
The statement to PN said that there were currently no plans for further disposals by either Linpac Group or Linpac Packaging.
However, it did reveal plans to open a new facility in Belarus in the coming year to support the group's expansion in central and eastern Europe, while the business is also planning capital investment at its business in China.
The group highlighted a series of investments across Europe during 2012 that, it said, will help strengthen its business, including capital invesments in facilities in Pravia in Spain, Pontivy in France and Ritterhude and Beeskow in Germany.
"We fully expect to begin to reap the benefits of all these investments during 2013, supported by new and enhanced sales programmes which will see us working with our customers closer than ever before," the statement said.
Linpac is also planning to continue its customer roadshow, Fresh!, through 2013.
