Custom blow molder Alpha Packaging Inc. added to its European footprint in acquiring a plant in Etten-Leur, the Netherlands, from Graham Packaging Co.
The transaction was completed on Nov. 2. No terms were disclosed.
The 162,000-square-foot facility includes production space, an on-site warehouse and offices. The Etten-Leur plant employs 63 and operates 21 injection stretch blow molding machines, all for processing PET primarily for rigid packaging for food products such as peanut butter and condiments.
Graham Packaging of Lancaster, Pa., constructed the Etten-Leur facility in 1988 and substantially expanded it in 1991.
The Etten-Leur facility has received a grade AA certification for the BRC-IoP Global Standard for Packaging and Packaging Materials.
“The acquisition more than doubles our production capacity on the continent making Alpha one of the largest single stage blow molding operations in Europe,” Jeffrey Kellar, president and CEO of St. Louis-based Alpha, said in a statement.
The acquired plant is a few miles from Alpha's existing European facility in Roosendaal, the Netherlands. Alpha established launched Roosendaal as a greenfield site in 2010.
Now, the Roosendaal plant occupies 45,000 square feet, employs 45 and operates 15 PET injection stretch blow molding machines primarily for nutritional supplement packaging. Warehousing is off-site. That plant is achieving double-digit year-over-year growth.
In addition to the two sites in the Netherlands, Alpha operates eight manufacturing facilities in North America.
Alpha blow molds PET and high density polyethylene bottles and jars for consumer markets, including the nutrition, pharmaceutical, personal care and niche food and beverage categories.
Alpha has a broad portfolios of stock bottles and jars along with custom bottle design and development capabilities and in-house mold making talents.
Irving Place Capital, a New York-based middle-market private equity firm, owns Alpha.
“The acquisition is consistent with Alpha's strategy of acquiring successful businesses with complementary customer relationships, product lines, manufacturing technologies and plant locations,” said Phil Yates, Irving Place Capital senior adviser and Alpha chairman.