Alpla buys Italian bottle maker Propack

Capping a busy month of June, Austria-based packaging supplier Alpla Inc. has purchased Italian plastic bottle producer Propack for an undisclosed amount.

Headquartered in Ostellato, Propack specializes in the production of HDPE and PET bottles for home care. The deal sees Alpla expand its production capacities in north-east Italy with its eighth plant in the country.

“We are gaining access to a strong distribution network,” Alpla CEO Günther Lehner said in a statement. “Propack is a good strategic partner which will help us to achieve our targets in Italy, where we are involved since 1985.”

Propack was founded in 2002 as an exclusive supplier of bottles for Biochimica, a leading producer of detergents in Italy. The company employs about 20 people.

The Propack acquisition marks the latest in a succession of acquisitions by Alpla as it aims to expand its production capacity globally. Earlier this month it purchased Gehl Foods’ 200,000-square-foot bottle making plant in West Bend, Wisconsin for US$5.4 million.

Alpla is described as the largest producer of plastic packaging in Europe with 160 production plants in 43 countries. The company employs more than 17,000 people worldwide.