Opp Film El Salvador, part of films manufacturer Oben Holding Group (Lima / Peru; www.obengroup.com), has started up a second BOPP film line, purchased from Germany’s Brückner Group (Siegsdorf; www.brueckner.com). Located at San Juan Opico, about 40 km southwest of San Salvador, the 8.7 metre wide line “is unique in its kind in Central America,” said Oben Group CEO Yamal Zaidan during the official inauguration ceremony. The group also installed a high-volume 4.5 metre wide metalliser, with capacity for 15,000 t/y at its El Salvadorian subsidiary.

The investment complements the installation in April 2016 of another BOPP line at the same site – the first of its kind in Central America, according to machinery maker Brückner. Overall, Opp Film El Salvador now has a total BOPP nameplate capacity of 70,000 t/y. Local media report that the total investment at the site exceeded USD 100m, generating 250 direct jobs. The facility will focus on producing film for food applications, news reports add. Oben Group said the additional output will go towards meeting rising demand in Central America and the Caribbean, pointing out that it will also help it offer better response times to its customers in Mexico, Canada and the US.

Lima-based Oben Group has manufacturing facilities in six countries in the Americas, with overall nameplate capacity for 400,000 t/y. In addition to BOPP, its companies also produce CPP, BOPET and BOPA films as well as extrusion-coated and thermoformed products. Oben Group's Lima-based Opp Film subsidiary started producing BOPET films on a Brückner line in early 2013 (see Plasteurope.com of 27.04.2012).