Packaging manufacturer RPC Group (Higham Ferrers, Rushden / UK; www.rpc.eu) says it has begun negotiations for the closure of its thermoforming plant in Goor / The Netherlands. That would make Goor the sixth and final facility to be closed as part of the restructuring plans RPC announced in autumn 2008 – see Plasteurope.com of 02.10.2008. Altogether, the group closed three plants in The Netherlands, and one each in Italy, the UK and the Czech Republic. The “RPC 2010” restructuring plan is expected to be completed by the end of financial 2011 (31 March). Still outstanding is a downsizing of jobs in Marolles / France, currently underway.

Looking forward to the results of financial 2009/2010, which is about to close, RPC’s management said that due to a decline in sales, it expects turnover to resemble that of the previous year, which stood at GBP 769m. The group further reports that, aside from sporadic improvements, H2 largely resembled H1. Most plastics materials price increases had been passed on to customers, RPC reports. Due to cost reductions, the group believes that the operative result before one-off charges will be higher than in financial 2008/2009.