Amcor Twinpak expands, announces Central American alliance

A $35 million dollar expansion to Amcor Twinpak’s Canadian PET operations is being planned for the current fiscal year, the company announced recently. James D. Allen, president and chief executive officer of Amcor Twinpak, North America, said the expansion is a result of a strong increase in demand in the soft drink and bottled water markets.

“The demand for Canadian-bottled water in the U.S. market continues to be strong with double digit growth expected for the foreseeable future,” says Allen. Amcor Twinpak, based in Montreal, has ten manufacturing operations in North America.

In another development, Amcor PET Technologies, North America, a division of Amcor Twinpak, and Plastiglas South America of Panama have signed a strategic alliance agreement which effectively adds Plastiglas to Amcor PET Technologies’ strategic network. Plastiglas has plants in Panama, Honduras and El Salvador, and manufactures and sells PET bottles to the soft drink, water and other custom markets throughout Central America.

According to Nina Goodrich, director of new business and technology development, the alliance will give both companies the chance to transfer technologies, as well as provide insights into trends in global market and technologies.

“If we have a barrier technology that applies to beer that will work for the Central American market, we could share this technology with our alliance partner,” says Goodrich. “It could also work the other way.” Goodrich notes that Amcor PET Technologies has also established alliance relationships in South America, Europe and Australasia.