Packaging giant Tetra Pak (Lausanne / Switzerland; www.tetrapak.com) has reported a 3.5% year-on-year increase in sales on a like-for-like basis, to EUR 11.1 bn for 2013. The company’s packaging solutions business recorded sales for the year of EUR 9.6 bn, with packaging material volumes rising 3% as the company delivered more than 178 bn packs globally. The packaging business also reported solid growth in capital equipment, with sales up by 15% and over 580 filling machines delivered in the year, led by healthy demand from China and Central and South America.

The processing solutions business, which supplies machinery, saw sales rise to EUR 1.5 bn in 2013, up 16% year-on-year, with solid growth in all markets.

Tetra Pak president and CEO, Dennis Jönsson, said: “The combination of strong competition and soft economies in many markets around the globe created a tough business environment for Tetra Pak last year. But despite this, we achieved growth in all areas of our business, with particularly strong performances in processing solutions, capital equipment and technical service.”

In packaging solutions, around 27% of volumes fell into the advanced product category, which includes a range of shapes, formats and openings designed to provide improved functionality, greater brand differentiation or a stronger environmental profile. This compares with a 21% share in 2012, and reflects strong year-on-year growth in “Tetra Prisma” aseptic portion packs – see Plasteurope.com of 19.08.2011 – and “Tetra Brik Aseptic Edge” 1 litre packs – see Plasteurope.com of 20.10.2011 – up 35% and 75% respectively.

The technical service area of the packaging solutions business reported strong gains, increasing net sales by 11% year-on-year, with significant growth in service contracts, which now account for around 25% of the area’s total business, compared with 20% in 2012.

“The combined success of our packaging solutions and processing business is a reflection of our ability to provide customers with solutions to ensure they can capitalise on new market opportunities and manage the challenges within their own markets. In 2014 we will continue to build on this growth, focusing on delivering value to customers and ensure we remain a vital partner to them,” Jönsson concluded.