Rabat – Austrian plastic manufacturer Alpla is expanding to Morocco after acquiring majority stakes in the packaging producer Atlantic Packaging.
In a recent statement, Alpla announced that it is founding a local subsidiary Alpla Morocco with the previous sole owner Diana Holding – a holding primarily active in the agro-industrial sector – to manage its local operations.
In addition to manufacturing PET preforms – a type of plastic container – for the beverage industry, plastic pallets and films are also being produced at the plant in Tangier, the statement explains.
The company says that its production capacity has already tripled in 2023 following the addition of two preform production lines. Current production capacity is at 300 million units per year, up from 100 million preforms.
The Austrian firm added that it is “committed to increasing the portfolio of the Moroccan site through further local activities, potentially including bottle and closure production.”
Commenting on the news, Alpla’s Managing Director Middle East and North Africa Christian Fessler said: “Together with our strategic partner Diana Holding, we want to exploit the enormous potential of the regional markets, open up new segments, and contribute our expertise as a global system provider for preforms, bottles and closures.”
On her part, Rita Maria Zniber, CEO of Diana Holding said that the joint venture would allow the two entities to become “one of the leading suppliers of high-quality plastic packaging in Morocco and for Western Africa, and to offer innovative solutions.”
“We created Atlantic Packaging with the vision of expanding its capacity through a strategic partnership,” she added.
The statement explains that the approximately 12,000 square meter plant in the free trade zone of Tangier is to be expanded in stages over the coming years. The plant could potentially further expand by more than 20,000 square meters.
“Through the location in Morocco, we can supply our global customers in northern Africa with the usual quality and flexibility, gain new business partners and expand our portfolio to include new areas,” said Javier Delgado, Alpla Regional Managing Director Africa, Middle East and Turkey.
The two companies signed the agreement for the joint venture on August 31, 2023, which was then approved by local antitrust authorities.
Source : Morocco World News
