News

Nordenia International, the producer of flexible packaging, technical films and product components, is to invest around EUR25m (£19m) in expanding its flexible packaging capacity in Russia.

Nordenia Slavnika has opened a new warehouse and production unit equipped with a Nordmeccanica laminating machine, Windmoeller & Hoelscher Novoflex CL ten-colour flexo press, plus a slitter that operates at 800m/min, at its site in Pereslavl-Zalesskiy near Moscow.

The €12.5m investment in the new buildings and equipment will double to €25m when further printing and lamination machines are installed in 2010/11.

The plant, originally opened in 2003, produces high-quality printed and multi-layered packaging largely for the food industry and has recently developed plastic packaging for products such as mayonnaise and ketchup.

The firm employs more than 200 people and will in the future also expand into pet food packaging.

Nordenia International has had a sales office in Ukraine for more than a year and representation in Moscow and St Petersburg. It also has plants in Poland and Hungary and last year reported sales growth of almost 10% in Eastern Europe.

Nordenia group chairman Ralph Landwehr said the Eastern European packaging market had numerous areas of strong growth, particularly in food, confectionery, cosmetics and hygiene products.

"Consumers in Russia in particular have growing requirements with regard to the presentation of goods, which is why interest in innovative packaging materials is strong," he said.