International Paper Declares Acquisition of Top Spanish Packaging Company

The acquisition is part of IP’s ongoing focus to expand its footprint in Spain.

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Paper and packaging major International Paper (IP) announced acquisition of assets of a major Spanish packaging firm. The company press release stated that the assets of Spanish Envases Grau were purchased by the company for an undisclosed figure. The family-owned Envases Grau has four packaging plants with combined capacity of around 15,000 tonnes per annum.

The acquisition is part of IP’s ongoing focus to expand its footprint in Spain. The company is also in talks with the Rossmann Group to take over the Rossmann Kadem box plant in Montblanc, Spain. The Kadem plant, which produces corrugated board packaging, has a production capacity of nearly 100 million square metre per annum. The mutual asset exchange deal also involves acquisition of IP box plant in Creil, France by the Rossmann Group, the company said.

Envases Grau is a renowned manufacturer of corrugated board and wooden packaging. It operates four sites-one in Tavernes de Valldigna near Valencia, another in Fraga, Catalonia and two sites in the province of Huelva. The above four well-established plants employ a total of around 70 people.

The acquisition of Envases Grau will help IP to achieve a better position within the Spanish markets, said Eric Chartrain, General Manager of International Paper's corrugated packaging business in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). It will strengthen IP’s position in the fresh fruit and vegetable market, he added.