Germany´s Gerresheimer Group (Düsseldorf; www.gerresheimer.com) expected to complete its acquisition of Superfos Pharma (Vaerloese / Denmark), a leading supplier of plastic packaging, at the end of December 2005. Gerresheimer, which is involved primarily in glass, plans to combine the packaging operations based at Vipperod / Denmark; www.superfos.com) with its existing plastics activities handled by two subsidiaries, Bünder Glas (Bünde / Germany; www.buenderglas.com) and Polfa (Boleslawiec / Poland; www.polfaboleslawiec.pl) to create what it says will be a “strong group.”

Gerresheimer, which currently has sales of around EUR 560m, is strategically expanding its entire pharmaceuticals packaging segment. In October 2005, it acquired glass manufacturing operations in the US and China. One of Scandinavia´s largest plastics converters, Superfos wanted to sell its pharmaceuticals division (which has sales of around EUR 25m a year) as long ago as 2004, but when this failed, it began expanding its second Danish plant in Haarby – see PIE 5, 2005 – at the beginning of 2005. In preparation for the latest move, the UK plant at Sevenoaks was closed and activities there are being moved to a new facility at Haarby.