Rigid plastic sheet manufacturer Coexpan (Madrid / Spain; www.coexpan.com), part of Grupo Lantero (Madrid; www.grupolantero.com), has completed an expansion project in Roye / France, where it has added a 7,000 t/y extrusion line. The new facility manufactures PS, PP and PLA sheets for a wide range of medium- and high-barrier packaging for food items including baby food, fruit compotes and dairy desserts, as well as coffee and tea. The project has doubled the area of the plant, adding a 3,700 m² production area, four storage silos, a 2,700 m² warehouse and an office area.

Coexpan added that it has also been granted BRC (British Retail Consortium) certification by Aenor (Madrid / Spain; www.en.aenor.com), guaranteeing its food contact packaging complies with stringent safety standards. The BRC certification is said to be one of the most widely used models for retailers and supermarkets to qualify their suppliers.

In separate news, Grupo Lantero’s flexible plastic packaging division Emsur has acquired majority ownership of Eximpack (St. Petersburg / Russia; www.eximpack.ru), having bought a partial share in 2016. Emsur has not revealed the size of its shareholding in the Russian shrink sleeves producer.

Eximpack has a 10,000 m² production site in St. Petersburg, where it operates rotogravure and extrusion shrink film processes. In September 2018, the Russian company announced it had added a new gravure printing line as well as a “Combi” laminator suitable for solvent/solvent-free laminations and the application of cold seal adhesives. Andrey Smirnov, general manager of Emsur Eximpack, commented, “We have defined ambitious market growth goals and are eager to show the flexible packaging industry what we are capable of within the sleeves spectrum.”

Emsur said the acquisition highlights the group’s commitment to the Russian market along with its aim to improve and increase the delivery of high-quality products across the whole of Europe, including the eastern countries. The company added that sister subsidiary Coexpan will be opening a new factory in Moscow / Russia, but did not provide further details.