Packaging and dispensing closure major AptarGroup Inc. is selling its plant in Libertyville, Ill., to Flex Ltd.
Flex will continue to mold closures for Aptar from that factory.
Mark Katz, Aptar's director of purchasing for North America, announced the news to suppliers in an Aug. 19 letter. He said Flex will acquire Aptar's Libertyville plant effective Sept. 3. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
About 80 people work at the factory, which runs about 22 injection molding machines.
Flex will offer positions to all current Aptar employees at the Libertyville plant, said Katie Reardon, Aptar's director of global corporate communications.
Aptar is the fifth-largest injection molder in North America, with an estimated $890 million in sales, according to the most recent Plastics News ranking. The company has nine molding plants, including the one in Libertyville. Aptar acquired that plant in 2006 when it bought the assets of CCL Industries Inc.'s dispensing closures business.
Aptar is based in Crystal Lake, Ill.
"As part of our global transformation, Aptar has continually looked for ways to become a leaner and more agile organization. This includes the strategic use of subcontractors," Reardon said in an emailed statement. "After a thorough evaluation of several options, we have decided to sell our Libertyville assets to Flex Ltd., a well-respected, worldwide manufacturing company with values very similar to Aptar. Flex will be an approved subcontractor out of that site."
Aptar officials expect the change will be seamless to customers, she said.
The letter from Aptar purchasing head Katz said Flex will be contacting key suppliers to establish accounts and confirm Aptar's contract pricing.
Flex, previously known as Flextronics, is a multinational technology company with headquarters in Singapore and San Jose, Calif. Flex has made a number of plastics processing and injection molding acquisitions, and officially launched its global plastics unit at NPE2015.
Flex officials did not respond for this story.
