Amcor Rigid Plastics is expanding in Colombia through the acquisition of Plasticos Team S.A.S.
Plasticos Team, which makes preforms, bottles, thin-wall containers and closures, is being acquired from Team Foods Colombia SA, a food producer.
"The Latin America market continues to be an important growth area for us," Amcor Rigid Plastics President Mike Schmitt said in a statement. "The acquisition of Plasticos Team is important since it validates the roles of both a packaging converter and a consumer goods company working together to supply innovative products to consumers in the region."
Plasticos Team operates a facility in Guachene, Colombia, and Amcor has struck what the company calls a long-term agreement to supply rigid plastic containers to the food company.
"The Team Foods group was really interested in focusing on their core markets, which are the edibles oils, not necessarily on packaging," Amcor Rigid Plastics spokesman Michael Hodges said. "They were looking for somebody to help supply them with innovation in packaging in order to help them grow their business.
"They are one of the largest food companies in the Colombia marketplace, they produce edible oils and other types of oils for the specialty markets there," Hodges explained.
Plasticos Team generates about $13 million per year with about 80 employees, Hodges said.
"It expands our footprint with specialty containers, which is one of our key focus areas," he said. "It also provides us with some new technologies [in the region]."
The acquisition brings both thin-wall container and inmold labeling technologies to the company in that market, Hodges said. "That's a first for us in that region."
Amcor already has operations in Colombia, including three rigid packaging plants and one flexible packaging plant. The company serves the beverage, food, home and personal care segments through those sites.
Amcor Rigid Plastics, based in Ann Arbor, Mich., calls itself one of the world's largest makers of rigid plastic packaging, with 69 facilities in 12 countries. It is a unit of Amcor Ltd, the Australia-based packaging giant.
"This acquisition broadens Amcor's technology in the region and strengthens its position as a leading global supplier of rigid plastic containers," the company said in a statement.
