They say the world is getting smaller and that's certainly the case with the world of European plastics, with so many of the region's innovators expanding into emerging markets.
This month, our most-read headline concerns an Austrian packaging specialist and its largest ever acquisition: an African packaging company.
July has been a good month for technical pieces piquing readers' interests as well. A cover story has appeared on the radar, as has a re-published piece on insulation foam board which we have brought out again to mark our Construction Month.
ALPLA
ALPLA
ALPLA, leading global provider of plastic packaging, acquired full ownership of the company Boxmore Packaging, headquartered in Samrand, Johannesburg, South Africa, at the start of July 2017. Len Engelbrecht, CEO Boxmore (left), und Günther Lehner, CEO ALPLA (right).
ALPLA acquires African packaging leader Boxmore Packaging
Austrian packaging specialist ALPLA has made its largest ever acquisition, buying out the leading African packaging company Boxmore Packaging. ALPLA has acquired 100 per cent of Boxmore Packaging. All employees and locations are being taken on by ALPLA and the management structure will remain the same.
SACMI brings in changes to beverage and caps management
Italian containers company SACMI has appointed Alessandro Paini as General Manager of its Beverage Division, after Vezio Bernardi moved to its Closures Division. With extensive international experience in product development and global sales coordination, Paini takes over from Vezio Bernardi, who now goes on to head the Group's Closures and Containers Division.
Alessandro Paini, new head of the beverages division at SACMI
Anyone who's anyone in automotive attends ENGEL trend.scaut
ENGEL's recent automotive event was attended by the biggest influencers in automotive, with over 500 participants making their way to Linz and St Valentin, Austria for the two-day trend.scaut event.
trend.scaut
More than just a conference: At the edge of the lectures there was an automobile and partner exhibition at the Design Center in Linz.
The 'medical grade' polymer dilemma
The term "medical grade" is difficult to pin down, but ALBIS Plastic is helping customers navigate the market to find the best service package for a polymer suitable for each individual medical application.
Medical
Corbion anti-static PATIONIC agent ideal for EPS
Corbion introduced its PATIONIC polymer additives to the Middle East market at ArabPlast 2017, where it focused on expandable polystyrene (EPS) applications. If left untreated, expandable polystyrene beads can acquire static charges, leading to flowability problems and inhomogeneous mould filling.
simazoran Getty Images/iStockphoto
Corbion
Worker placing styrofoam sheet insulation to the wall