Oliver Healthcare Packaging of Pennsylvania recently announced it has bought EK-Pack Folien GmbH, a manufacturer of film and foil technology, located in Ermengerst-Wiggensbach, Bavaria, Germany.
The acquisition includes Vacopack H. Buchegger AG, a fully owned subsidiary of EK-Pack, based in northeastern Switzerland, according to Oliver, a global supplier of sterile barrier flexible packaging solutions to the healthcare market.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
As a part of the agreement, Oliver will acquire the EK-Pack facility, which has eight production lines for multi-layer film and foil laminations, and the Vacopack manufacturing space and specialty equipment that support a wide range of bag packaging production.
“This acquisition gives us greater control over our supply chain and allows us to innovate new products to meet our customers’ evolving needs,” said Michael Benevento, Oliver president and CEO, in a news release. “In recent years, we have invested heavily in the European region to better support our customer base. This vertical integration is a strategic way to build scale and flexibility while insourcing many of our packaging materials.”
Marco Ziegler, speaking for his family as owners of EK-Pack, says Oliver has carved out a leading spot within flexible packaging for healthcare.
“And this partnership should only strengthen that, especially in Europe,” Ziegler said in a release. “EK-Pack has been family-owned for 40-plus years, and that’s how Oliver began as well.”
This acquisition is the latest in a series of investments that Oliver, which is headquartered in suburban Philadelphia, has made in Europe. It recently held a grand opening at its manufacturing facility in Venray, the Netherlands, which was recently expanded to more than double its manufacturing footprint.
Other investments have included programs to regionalize its supply chain, add additional converting equipment, and invest in automation technology.