SIG Combibloc (Neuhausen / Switzerland; www.sig.biz) said it would invest EUR 180m to build a second production plant for aseptic carton packaging in Suzhou, Jiangsu / China as part of its expansion in the region. The new 120,000 m² plant, which is expected to be operational in early 2021, will be located at the Suzhou Industrial Park, close to the company’s existing production facility and “Tech Centre”. SIG recently opened the Tech Centre there to support customers in the development of innovative product concepts and market-ready packaging solutions. The company said the new plant is expected to achieve world-class environmental, safety and operational performance from the start.

SIG gave an upbeat outlook for the aseptic carton packaging market in Asia-Pacific, such as for beverage and dairy products, noting the region represents a “huge opportunity.” It said growing populations in the region are adopting modern lifestyles in urban areas, with more on-the-go consumption as well as growing demand for high-quality nutritional food and beverage products.

SIG has around 5,000 employees in over 60 countries. In 2018, the company produced more than 35 bn carton packs and generated EUR 1.7 bn in revenue.