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ISSUE 04-05 / 2001 |
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NEWS
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103 |
SIDEL RESULTS PUBLISHED – TAKEOVER IMMINENT |
The announcement at the end of
March of the Sidel Group’s financial results for the year 2000 was given added
interest by a take-over bid from Tetra-Laval.
Despite an increase in sales of almost 17 percent Sidel’s operating result
was down by 63 percent on 1999, at 70.8 million Euros. This result reflects
a negative trend in product mix, with the increases in turnover being seen
in the least profitable division of Engineering-Conveying. The blow moulding
and filling division experienced a big fall in profitability in 2000 and the
leading Group company in this sector, Sidel SA, saw trading results fall to
25.8 million Euros from 72.2 million in 1999. Other companies in the division
suffered operating losses.
At the same time as announcing the 2000 financial results the directors of
Sidel announced that a public offer for the 100% of the Sidel shares had been
received from Tetra-Laval S.A. The offer takes place against a background
of unanticipated delays in new product developments as well as the pressure
on margins, and in view of the friendly and positive nature of the bid the
Sidel board has unanimously recommended acceptance of the offer by their shareholders.
The offer by Tetra-Laval is 50 Euros per share, which represents 1.8 times
the group turnover in 2000. Tetra-Laval, in a separate announcement of the
bid, describe the offer as fair and comprehensive.
Tetra-Laval S.A. is part of the Tetra Laval Group, which also owns Tetra Pak,
however it has been stated that Sidel would remain a separate stand-alone
division within the Tetra Laval Group. The deal requires the acceptance of
50.1 percent of the Sidel shareholders, although this is regarded as a formality.
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104 |
Resilux takes over Femit Plastic |
Resilux, the international
preform manufacturer, just keeps on growing. On February 19th the company
reached agreement to buy the Swiss Femit Plastic AG. Like Resilux’s other
Swiss acquisition, Altoplast/Claropac, Femit, with a workforce of 69, specialises
in the design and manufacture of preforms and PET bottle blowing. Turnover
is approximately 25 million Euros. The acquisition will considerably strengthen
Resilux’s market presence in Switzerland and Southern Germany. Femit also
has a 10.9% interest in RecycPet AG, a high-tech recycling operation that
produces recycled PET suitable for bottle manufacture, and which is jointly
owned with Krones and PriPET. In 2000 Femit Plastic recorded a loss of some
1.3 million Euros. As a result some restructuring and rationalisation is expected
to take place within the group’s Swiss operations before full profitability
is achieved.
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105 |
SCHMALBACH ENJOYS THE BOOM |
A growing market for PET packaging, and continued investment in efficient plant and machinery has brought its rewards for Schmalbach-Lubeca. Schmalbach-Lubeca’s PET business grew during the 2000 financial year by 31 % to reach sales of 1,216 million Euros and represented 48 % of group turnover, as against 43 % in the previous year. Although this increase in sales was to a certain extent due to factors such as increased raw material prices and a higher US Dollar rate gross trading profit (EBDITA) increased to 171 million Euros.
New plants and equipment
Cost reduction exercises and an extensive modernisation programme in Europe and the USA played a large part in the improved profit performance. In the period 1998 to 2000 the group closed five unprofitable plants in the USA and opened three new plants, plus an in-house production facility. In addition 60 out-of-date injection-moulding machines were replaced by new high-performance equipment, in some cases doubling output per line, at a total cost of 400 million Euros. In Europe nine plants have been closed over the last four years and two new ones opened. Here again old injection-moulding machines have been replaced by new high-performance equipment. Continuous increases in production capacity have meant that in the USA for example capacity has grown by 11 % to 10 billion units, principally to meet the growing demand for PET in packaging of juices and isotonic drinks. Schmalbach-Lubeca’s share of the US market for juices is estimated at 22 %, against 19 % in the previous year, although there were also big increases in sales to the CSD sector. In Europe too, capacity was increased by about 10 percent last year, to a similar figure to the US.
World market continues to grow
According to figures recently published by Schmalbach-Lubeca the world market for PET packaging almost doubled over the last four years, going from 3.3 million tonnes in 1996 to 6.5 million tonnes in 2000. North America is the biggest market, taking 2.5 million tonnes, followed by Europe (1.7 million) and Asia (1.4 million). It is calculated that soft drinks and mineral water together absorb 4.3 million tonnes of PET packaging – two thirds of the world total. PET packaging for foodstuffs has also doubled, although from a low base, from 330,000 tonnes in 1996 to 620,000 tonnes in 2000.
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106 |
Modelo goes for Sasib |
The Mexican brewing group Modelo has placed a 100 billion Lire order with Sasib of Italy for five beer lines in the Tuxtepec facility. The plant currently produces 7 million hectolitres (700 million litres) per annum and expects to more than double capacity by 2004. The equipment for the lines includes conveyors, fillers, bottle washers, pasteurisers and labellers. Sasib have already installed 12 filling lines at Modelo’s Zacatecas facility, which is now the largest brewery in Latin America. Modelo’s best known brands include Corona Extra and Corona Light.
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107 |
Packeging machinery on the Internet |
Among the numerous e-commerce sites springing up in every industry is www.packaging-finder.de. This site takes the form of a packaging machinery catalogue in German and English. The user is led through a series of simple queries to define the packaging task required, without having to understand complex search procedures. A successful search will give the user the e-mail address and phone number of the machinery manufacturer as well as a direct Internet link.
For machinery manufacturers registration with Packaging-Finder requires payment of a fee but they have the advantages of being able to carefully target their customers and constantly update the catalogue to incorporate specification changes or new machines. Registration can be done on-line from the site’s home page. The Packaging-Finder is a service of the German Research Association for Packaging and Food Technology supported by the Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV in Freising.
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109 |
PET supply bottleneck forecast |
At the World Petrochemical Conference in Houston at the end of March Eastman
Chemical told the audience that they expected global PET capacity utilisation
to peak in 2001 or 2002. This is at least a year earlier than previous forecasts.
It was suggested that if capacity additions known today are considered then
PET global utilisation rates for 2003 and 2004 would be the same as in 2001
and 2002, indicating a more prolonged peak than that estimated by other manufacturers.
Nevertheless there is some concern that PET demand may be slowing down in Europe
and North America, with some commentators saying that the recent high demand
is a buying spree prior to anticipated price increases. There appears to be
no consensus about the continuation of the growth in soft drink bottle demand
or the expected use of PET for beer, with brewers having mixed feelings about
moving from cans and glass bottles.
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110 |
On-line used brewing and beverage machinery |
All kinds of pre-owned brewing and beverage production machinery can be found
on-line at www.second-bev.de. There are currently about 300 different machines
listed and the user-friendly site is free of charge for machinery buyers, although
registration and a password are required (available on-line). Anyone wishing
to sell used equipment through Second-Bev will be asked to pay a moderate commission,
but no costs are incurred if the machine is not sold. The site is operated by
a team who have the benefit many years experience in the brewing and beverage
industries and who offer services such as machine valuation and preparation
of sales support material (videos, machine drawings etc), and can also arrange
packing, transport and assembly.
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111 |
Grant helps 100% recyclate PET bottle |
Helped by a grant of over $400,000 from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources,
Plastic Technologies Inc of Holland, Ohio, recently unveiled a bottle made from
100% recycled PET. The resin was produced at PTI’s recycling arm, Phoenix Technologies
LP. PTI President Thomas Brady said “We intend to go out and sell that competitively
on the market. We’re willing to manufacture preforms and containers for customers
that want recycled content.” In 1999 PTI received FDA approval for manufacture
of 100% recycled PET food containers. Coca-Cola acknowledged then that it was
considering the Phoenix process to help it increase the recycled content in
its bottles. The resin “runs virtually like virgin with no change in production
and no change in performance”, said Brady.
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112 |
CHANGES AT KHS |
The 1999/2000 financial year was a good one for the KHS Group with new order
intake increasing from 464 million Euros to 583 million Euros (+26%) and combined
profits rising from 4 million Euros to almost 15 million Euros. Product development
in the year was principally focussed on labelling, ACF filling and conveying
technology, with new KHS Innoket labellers and an air ionisation rinser for
non-returnable PET being launched. Reinforcing the upbeat mood at KHS it was
announced that KHS Anker, the KHS labelling technology division, have moved
to new premises in Hamburg – a move that became essential following the exceptional
growth in new orders. The new site has 3,000 m² of production space and a modern
high-bay parts warehouse linked through a SAP R/3 system to KHS in Dortmund.
A major topic of discussion within KHS and the PET industry is now the announcement
by Klöckner-Werke AG that they wish to sell off the KHS Group.
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113 |
Sasib “wet” activities acquired by SIG |
The Swiss SIG Group took another big step on their route towards becoming one
of the worlds leading players in the PET beverage packaging business when they
announced the acquisition of the so-called wet activities of Sasib SpA from
the Italian CIR Group. The Sasib equity is valued at 90 million Swiss Francs.
Sasib has some 2,200 employees in this sector, and sales of around 742 million
Swiss Francs. Products include Simonazzi beverage filling machines and a wide
range of labelling equipment.
The acquisition, which is backdated to January 1st 20001, now enables SIG to
offer PET bottle fillers a complete line from blow moulding equipment to high
speed filling, labelling and logistics, and puts SIG sales in the packaging
machinery sector at 3 billion Swiss Francs. The acquisition, which still requires
the formal approval of the appropriate authorities, will be run as a separate
SIG division.
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114 |
GIANTS IN ENVIRONMENTAL BATTLE |
US environmentalists look like pressing Pepsi to use more recycled PET. The
Securities and Exchange Commission ruled that PepsiCo shareholder must be allowed
to vote on a resolution calling on the company to use 25 % recycled PET in its
bottles, and to work to increase recycling to 80 %. PepsiCo were attempting
to block the vote. At the Coca-Cola Co annual meeting on April 8th this year
a similar resolution will be voted on but, unlike Pepsi, Coke is said to have
two substantive proposals to put forward. Although Coca-Cola uses 10% recycled
PET in one in four of its bottles a spokesman claims that ramping up the use
of recycled PET would only displace other users like the fibre industry. Shareholders
have responded by explaining that is why they, like Pepsi shareholders, are
also pressing for a big increase in container reclamation and recycling.
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117 |
Lithuanian preforms target Western Europe |
The Lithuanian company Putoksnis are focussing their sales effort on Western
European preform users now that they have taken delivery of a new 56 cavity
Husky pre-form system. The company will be manufacturing 21 g and 23 g PCO preforms
for 0.5 litre CSD bottles, mainly for the German market using world class PET
resins. Putoksnis preforms were introduced to Western Europe at the Nuremberg
Brau exhibition in November 2000 with the accent being on flexible pricing policy
and unrivalled quality. Further information is available at www.putoksnis.lt
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