Packaging group Sealed Air (Charlotte, North Carolina / USA; www.sealedair.com) closed its acquisition of US protective packaging manufacturer AFP (Pflugerville, Texas; www.a-f-p.com) on 1 August 2018, for an undisclosed amount. AFP specialises in protective packaging for retail, e-commerce and direct shipping applications. With the acquisition, Sealed Air expects to better position its foam products, such as "EcoPure", a material made from bio-based resin.

AFP has 260 employees and generated net sales of USD 125m in 2017. The Texas-based company operates six US manufacturing locations – three in Texas (Austin, Dallas and El Paso) as well as Nashville, Tennessee, Springfield, Missouri and Columbus, Ohio. It also has additional sites in Taipei and China and further presence in Asia and Mexico.

With the acquisition of AFP, as well as its takeover of EPE foam manufacturer Fagerdala in 2017 – see Plasteurope.com of 15.09.2017 – Sealed Air has expanded its capability to provide customers in markets such as electronics and transportation with customised packaging solutions, said Kenneth Chrisman, president of Sealed Air's Product Care Division.

For the first half of 2018, Sealed Air reported revenues of nearly USD 2.3 bn (EUR 2 bn), an increase of 9% over the same period last year. For the full year, the group has raised its net sales forecast to approximately USD 4.7 bn. The company's brand portfolio includes "Cryovac" food packaging and "Bubble Wrap" protective cushioning. It employs approximately 15,000 people in 122 countries.