The RPC Group (HQ: Grove Street, GB-Raunds NN9 6ED) has acquired the British lipstick-holder manufacturers Cresstale Ltd (Teesside Industrial Estate Thurnaby, Cleveland TS17 9JY). The RPC Group regards itself as one of the “most successful packaging companies of the 90s” and, in just a short period of time, has advanced to “Europe´s leading manufacturer of rigid plastics packaging”. In 1997, the Group acquired the Plastics Packaging Division of Schmalbach-Lubeca (D-40880 Ratingen).

The activities of the Cresstale business are to be coordinated with those of subsidiary, RPC Bramlage GmbH (Brägeler Str. 70, D-49393 Lohne). The German RPC subsidiary is the European market leader for stick deodorants and cream pots. The group that results from the acquisition is intending to offer Europe´s leading cosmetics producers a more comprehensive product range.

In 1998, Cresstale recorded sales of GBP 17m. The RPC Group is represented at 25 locations in eight countries within Europe. Sales for 1998/99 are put at GBP 269m (EUR 420m) in the annual report. Pre-tax profits were at around GBP 1.3m (EUR 28.6).

READER SERVICE: RPC Annual Report 1999 (English): PIE-No. 44227 – Image brochure and product overview for RPC Bramlage and RPC Verpackungen Celle: PIE-No. 44228.