Amcor Twinpak-North America Inc. plans to expand into South America's PET container markets by acquiring control of a Brazilian firm. Amcor Twinpak agreed to buy 60 percent of Injepet Embalagens of Sao Paulo and assume management control of the firm, Amcor announced March 9. Injepet has annual sales of about US$60 million making containers for soft drinks and bottled water. Officials did not disclose terms of the deal.
David Andison, operations director for Amcor Twinpak PET Technologies group, said his company will use the Sao Paulo investment for further expansion in South America. Amcor Twinpak recently raised its profile in Central America through a technical alliance with Plastiglas SA of Panama City.
Andison said in a telephone interview that Amcor Twinpak will spend about a year boosting efficiency of Injepet's three PET container plants in Jundiai — an hour north of Sao Paulo — Manaus and Belem. Amcor Twinpak then expects to add machinery to expand Injepet's capacity. The Sao Paulo company now runs 11 blow molding lines and makes its own PET preforms.
Injepet has invested significantly in the past three years to upgrade and expand. Its investment included building the Jundiai plant and relocating equipment there from Sao Paulo, and setting up the Belem facility as a stand-alone operation. Equipment at Belem formerly was running in two bottlers' plants in Brazil.
Amcor Twinpak agreed to buy its stake in Injepet from Injepet founder and majority owner Gilson Schilis and South America Private Equity Growth Fund LP of New York, which acquired a 49 percent interest in Injepet in 1997. Amcor Twinpak has had a technical alliance with Injepet since 1996.