New names for recently acquired DS Smith businesses

Liqui-Box Inc. has officially acquired DS Smith plc's Plastics division and will rebrand the company, complete with a new name.

DS Smith's plastics packaging division and extruded products will now go by Corplex.

The acquisition by Liqui-Box was announced in 2019 but the deal was finalized in February. The U.S. Department of Justice and Olympus Partners, the private equity firm that owns Liqui-Box, agreed to divest certain bag-in-box products made by DS Smith in the U.S. and Europe in order for the acquisition to be completed.

The rigid and flexible packaging businesses under DS Smith now have been split into three segments: Corplex; DW Reusables, formerly injection molded products; and Engineered Foam Products, formerly foam products.

The newly named Corplex will manufacture extruded plastic products for various markets including automotive, pharmaceutical, retail, reusable packaging, graphics and more, according to a March 2 news release.

Corplex will operate out of seven facilities in the U.S., the United Kingdom, France, Spain and Slovakia.

DW Reusables begins business as a European leader in injection molded packaging such as reusable beverage crates and pallets. Headquartered in Bilzen, Belgium, DW Reusables also has facilities in Croatia, Poland and Spain serving customers in Europe, Africa, Asia, North America and South America.

"This is a very exciting time for us at Corplex. By combining the industry expertise of Olympus with our capabilities, technical know-how and talented staff, we are well situated to offer our customers innovative, quality products and unparalleled service," Lucas van der Schalk, CEO of Corplex, said in the release. "As industries transition into a circular economy, our customers are faced with new challenges in the markets they serve."

There is no change to DS Smith's line of products other than a new names, the release stated.

"At Corplex, we have a great story to tell around sustainability and closed-loop distribution systems," Daniel Rohrmus, chief commercial officer, said in a release. "Our products are lightweight and designed to be durable, reusable, recyclable to help our customers reduce their environmental carbon footprint with less waste and less emissions."

Richmond, Va.-based Liqui-Box had to similarly divest certain products in pursuing DS Smith in Europe in 2019 when the United Kingdom's Competition and Markets Authority required the company sell its bag-in-box business with U.K. customers.