Packaging maker Berry Global Group Inc. is expanding its tooling capabilities through the acquisition of a Pennsylvania company.
Berry's purchase of F&S Tool Inc. of Erie, Pa., adds a 90,000-square-foot facility and 105 employees. The newly acquired operation provides "high output, high-efficiency hot runner injection and high volume compression molding applications," Berry said.
F&S Tool brings what Berry called proprietary technologies for the production of both closures and bottles with an emphasis on "high-end growth markets," Berry said.
"The integration of F&S Tool's talented teams and market-leading innovation capabilities combined with Berry's global operations reinforces the company's commitment to providing customers across the globe with access to its industry-leading range of products in core markets while offering the benefits of local service and speed," Berry CEO Kevin Kwilinski said in a statement.
F&S Tool becomes part of Berry Global Tooling Services, the company's network of tooling manufacturing sites around the world.
The Evansville, Ind.-based company created Berry Global Tooling Services last year to consolidate regional operations into a unified organization.
"Berry Global Tooling Services eliminates the need for a third-party tooling manufacturer by providing a one-stop-shop for tooling and converting services at a global scale with regional expertise," said Kevin Pennington, vice president of global tooling and automation.
Berry's tooling capabilities include injection, blow, compression and thermoform molds.
Berry now has 10 global tooling manufacturing locations in North America, Europe, Asia and Africa, including Evansville and Erie in the U.S.; Lohne and Mosel, Germany; Warsaw, Poland; KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa; and Shantou, Shanghai, Zhuhai and Hefei, China.
"The unique ability to couple one of the largest available selections of tooling with regionally-based knowledge offers customers ordering product through Berry Global a competitive advantage by providing faster turnaround from start to finish and greater assurance that the molds will fit the production lines Berry works on every day," Berry said.
F&S Tool started operations in 1983.