Aptar (Crystal Lane, Illinois, USA; www.aptar.com), a global manufacturer of consumer dispensing packaging and drug delivery devices, is investing EUR 42 mn in a new site in Oyonnax, France, which is scheduled to go into operation in spring 2023.

The project will combine five existing workshops into just one centre of excellence to serve its customers, especially those in the prestige beauty market. Aptar operates eight production sites in France, and 22 in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) overall.

The investment, said Aptar, will improve production processes, optimise industrial and operational performance and strengthen its core business in Oyonnax. It will also save 45% of energy use and cut CO₂ emissions by 58% (versus 2018) through heat recovery and the elimination of inter-site transport.

“The decision to consolidate our five current sites into one is an ambitious and strategic project to improve and adapt our processes within the Oyonnax campus,” said Xavier Susterac, president EMEA, Aptar Beauty + Home. “By boosting our technological, logistical, and decorative capabilities, which are particularly valued, and by providing our high-end customised solutions, we will meet the needs of our customers in a fast-growing prestige market.”

In separate news, Aptar CSP Technologies is launching its Activ-Vial system in China. Produced at the company’s facility in Guangzhou, the technology is aimed at the country’s growing diagnostics market, especially for patients with diabetes where blood glucose monitoring is a critical part of their care.

Activ-Vial uses the company’s proprietary 3-Phase Activ-Polymer technology, which creates a microclimate to protect against moisture and other environmental conditions that can impact diabetes test strip stability.

“This latest investment in local production expansion reflects our continued commitment to serving the China market. This initiative not only represents an investment in the markets and communities we serve, but allows us to leverage local supply chains, improving our cost structure and sustainability of operations,” said Badre Hammond, vice-president, global commercial operations.

Part of Aptar’s strategy is to significantly expand its market presence in China. In 2020, the company revealed it was buying an initial 49% stake in China’s BTY (www.btypackaging.com – see Plasteurope.com of 13.03.2020).