In Saint-Etienne, roughly 60 km southwest of Lyon, German industrial packaging specialist Schütz (Selters; www.schuetz.net) is in the midst of readying its latest production site. When finished, the 15,000 m² facility will supply the entire southern region of the country with intermediate bulk containers (IBCs). If all goes according to plan, production can begin in early 2014. The Saint-Etienne portfolio will include the production of new "Ecobulks" produced using a three-layer extrusion process, and later the reconditioning of used containers, explained Schütz.

The new IBC production site is the second in France – the other facility is in Marcoussis, in the country's northern half – and clearly a response to the growing demand for Schütz products. The location is a strategic one, situated not far from customers in the Rhone-Alpes, the region with the second-largest economy in France as well as to its customer base in Switzerland. The opening of operations will help to cut down on delivery times and boost supply security. The new facilities are being constructed to comply with FSSC 22000 (food safety system certification), the industry norm.