VPK Group agrees deal for acquisition of Encase (packagingnews.co.uk)

Brands today must align all aspects of their packaging development and production to satisfy the needs and preferences of a new generation of consumers. Skilful optimisation of point-of-sale packaging has never been more important for food and beverage brand owners. A key component is ensuring that primary and secondary packaging designs, materials and missions are fully aligned in order to attract consumers and satisfy their needs. Consumer brands today face many challenges – from an explosion in the number of competitors and the resulting struggle to get noticed on the retail shelf, to rising demand for sustainability and changing consumer demographics. Click Read More below for additional information.

Metsä Group’s innovation company Metsä Spring and Valmet begin construction of the 3D fibre product pilot plant in Äänekoski, Finland. The pilot plant enables testing and further development of the novel process for producing of a new type of packaging solution.The greenfield building will host the pilot line, which converts wood fibre into ready-to-use 3D fibre products, which, in turn, can replace similar packaging solutions made from plastic and aluminium. The goal of the pilot plant project is to develop a new competitive product and the supporting production process and equipment. “Our project is a good example of our role as a pioneering company. We have an ambitious goal to build a significant business based on the top-class know-how of Metsä Group, Valmet and several other companies. We use familiar, sustainably-produced wood fibre as our main raw material and strive to process it into first-class packages while minimising the environmental impact. The pilot plant is developing and testing many new innovations that support, for example, our goal to replace plastic in various packaging solutions,” says Jarkko Tuominen, Project Lead at Metsä Spring.

Second Quarter Financial Highlights: *Net income of $149.8 million compared to net income of $11.4 million. *Net cash provided by operating activities increased by $52.5 million to a source of $152.3 million. *Total debt decreased by $368.9 million to $2,313.4 million. Strategic Actions and Announcements: *Completed the sale of approximately 69,200 acres of timberlands in southwest Alabama to Weyerhaeuser Company for approximately $149.0 million in cash. *Achieved record Intermediate Bulk Container (IBC) volume, reflecting strong market demand. *Published Greif's 12th consecutive sustainability report highlighting the Company's commitments to environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles and key metrics.