Top packaging companies combine to form Exopack Holdings

Five leading packaging companies in North America and Europe are combining to operate as one global leader under the banner of Exopack Holdings Sarl.

The new company, headquartered in Luxembourg, will have 63 plants, 8,650 employees and aggregate revenues of more than US$2.5 billion, making it the sixth-largest plastics packaging company in the world.

The combining companies are:

• Exopack, a Matthews, North Carolina, U.S.-based producer of flexible paper and plastic packaging, and advanced coatings;
• Britton Group, a Cheshire, U.K.-based flexible plastic packaging manufacturer;
• PACCOR, is based in Germany and is the second-largest rigid plastic packaging company in Europe;
• Kobusch, a Warburg, Germany-based producer of tailor-made flexible and rigid packaging systems, and;
• Paragon Print & Packaging, a leader in private label packaging solutions in the U.K.

All five packaging companies are affiliated portfolio companies of private equity firm Sun Capital Partners, Inc.

The brand names of the five businesses would remain in use by the Exopack Holdings Sarl, the organization said in a statement.

“By joining together to form this new entity, we will be better able to serve the needs of our global customers through a manufacturing base spanning North America, Europe, the Middle East and China that enhances our ability to deliver outstanding service,” said jack Knott, chairman and CEO of Exopack, who will serve as CEO of the combined company. ”The larger scale will enable us to accelerate the development and commercialization of new and differentiated products that offer our customers a competitive advantage.”