Alwin Lehner, founder of packaging manufacturer Alpla (Hard / Austria; www.alpla.com) passed away on the evening of 12 June 2018.

Born in Bregenz / Austria in 1932, the mechanical engineer founded Alpenplastik Lehner Alwin in 1955 with his brother Helmuth Lehner. Nine years later, the company opened its first plants abroad in Markdorf / Germany in 1964 and in San Joaquin / Venezuela in 1968. Alwin Lehner retired from operational management of the Alpla group in 1997 to concentrate on technical developments and handed over the CEO position to his son Gunther Lehner. Following his retirement, Lehner was at Alpla's headquarters on a nearly daily basis.

With around 19,300 employees worldwide, Alpla has a turnover of EUR 3.4 bn and operates 176 plants and branches in 45 countries. Its facilities manufacture packaging systems, bottles, closures and injection-moulded parts for applications such as food, beverages, cosmetics, cleaning products and lubricants. The Austrian company is currently expanding, including in the US – see Plasteurope.com of 06.06.2018.