Wipak boosts capacity with Italian acquisition

Finnish owned films and flexible packaging producer Wipak has boosted its multi-layer containers capacity, entering the stand-up pouche business with its acquisition of Italian packaging company Bordi Carlo.

The Italian firm of Caorso, Piacenza, specialises in the production of a wide range of pre made customised food pouches and flexible medical containers. The business, founded in 1953, employs 65.

Wipak, with a group management base in Bomlitz, Germany, already has a significant presence in the food and healthcare markets. It expects the acquisition to help it “to establish and develop a strong platform” to meet the growing demand for stand-up pouches with a variety of styles and convenience features.

“Wipak Bordi will strengthen our position in these growth segments,” explained Matti Rovamaa, Wipak’s vice-president and general manager, adding that the Italian business “ideally matches Wipak and our growth strategy”. 

The integration of the two companies is set to yield wide-ranging synergies in the product and service areas, said Wipak which already has a dozen packaging plants across Europe in France, Finland, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Spain and the UK.

“Bordi will add to the Wipak group extensive experience, advanced proprietary technology and a very successful track record as a provider of customised pouches. Pre made pouches in (their) many guises will complement our offering when it comes to sustainability, convenience and, especially the ability to differentiate,” commented Rovamaa.

His company will make no change in Bordi Carlo’s current senior management, leaving the leadership of its existing managing director Marco Reggi, according to Wipak, which is owned by the Finnish industrial and trade conglomerate Wihuri Group.

Wihuri is involved in the food product, packaging, aviation and technical trade areas. It employs 4,900 and reported a 2011 turnover of €1.7bn. Wipak achieved annual sales in 2010 of €421m.

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