INDEPENDENCE, MO. -- Two makers of molds for packaging have formed a strategic alliance -- Dollins Tool Inc. in Independence, and Kebo AG of Switzerland.

For the past year, officials of Kebo, based in Neuhausen Am Rheinfall, have been looking at how to serve customers in North America. Kebo also wants to increase its presence in the medical and pharmaceutical sectors.

"Dollins knows exactly how to meet these demands and their professional approach is exactly what we need to exceed our customers' needs," said Andrew Sargisson, Kebo's sales director.

Dollins Tool and Kebo also will look to merge technical solutions for the packaging market. Dollins specializes in molds for thin-wall packaging, closure and lid molds and stack molds.

"The North American packaging market is very different indeed from that of Europe," said Michael Klestinec, sales director of Dollins Tool. "It is not simply a matter of larger mold cavity numbers, the whole process is very different from marketing to presentation on the shelves."

Klestinec and Sargisson will give a presentation at Thin Wall Packaging 2013 in Chicago on June 18. The subject: ultrathin wall technology in North America.

Kebo CEO Gerold Keller said Missouri is a good location in the central United States.

"It was an easy decision, on our part, as there are such strong similarities on philosophies and strategies from these two family-owned and run businesses," Keller said.