Enraged employees, raised tempers, factory visits by the deputy minister president, crisis meetings in Rome and warning strikes – following the acquisition of Treofan’s (Raunheim / Germany; www.treofan.com) European business by Jindal Films (New Delhi / India; www.jindalfilms.com) – see Plasteurope.com of 30.10.2018 – emotions are running high at the BOPP film producer’s two remaining Italian plants.

Production in Battipaglia / Italy has been at a standstill since mid-December 2018, apparently due to unprofitability. A complete closure is feared, and there are also rumours of operations being shifted to the Terni / Italy site. It is clear that the present situation cannot continue. The Indian world market leader for biaxially oriented film is, however, keeping a low profile about its precise plans for the BOPP plants in Italy. The company has managed to win some time, until 24 January 2019, to state its intentions.

Ultimately, the next step will probably be further consolidation in the traditional European market for ultra-thin plastic films. Parent companies Montecatini and Hoechst are now almost distant history, with the once famous "Moplefan" and "Trespaphan" brands merging into Treofan about 15 years ago. Of the four original plants in Italy, two are still operational, and in Germany, the Neunkirchen site is active. The latter has, however, been repeatedly modernised in the last few years.

In Europe, Turkey has long assumed Italy’s former role as a favourable site for mass production and is itself already experiencing pressure from other players. The global scene has for some years been dictated by Asia, above all by China and India. Significantly, in 2012, Jindal took over previous world market leader ExxonMobil Chemical Films, and then Treofan’s European plants in 2018. From a global perspective, the production plants in Italy could indeed be called into question.