With a goal of broadening its manufacturing capabilities in packaging, Austria’s Rattpack Group (Dornbirn; www.rattpack.eu) has added fellow Austrian Pawag (Wolfurt; www.pawag.at) to the mix. With the purchase of one of Europe’s leading processors of plastic and aluminium foil and premium paper, Rattpack can now offer plastic packaging solutions to customers.

"Previously, we were just manufacturing paper and cardboard packaging," the company’s spokesperson told Plasteurope.com, adding, "This acquisition was a targeted move towards product diversification." The company wanted to be able to establish a presence on new markets and not become dependent on a sole raw material. The spokesperson declined to discuss the purchase price, stating the two companies had agreed to keep the financial details confidential.

The takeover was made possible due to a succession policy at the family-run Pawag. "After it was clear that there was no one within my family who would take over the business, I knew I had to look for a purchaser," explained Edgar Ittensohn, the former head at Pawag. "I was willing to sell the business but only on the condition the entire company would be part of the overall deal; that was a personal goal of mine." Indeed, all 130 employees are to transfer to Rattpack. With the transaction, the packaging group has now grown to 400 employees with revenues totalling roughly EUR 80m.

The core business at Pawag includes the printing and laminating of sourced films. Located in western Austria and in business for more than 60 years, Pawag’s products have been used in meat packaging, lid and clip foils, cushion packs as well as reclosable multibags for foodstuffs and pet food. Annual production throughout has been about 50 million m².