Business

Constantia Packaging, the Austrian aluminium, corrugated board and flexible packaging specialist, has reported a 68% growth in revenue to EUR156.4m (£122.7m) for the first half of 2008.

The company reported that first half sales rose by 60% to €1.1bn from €680.4m in 2007, while earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) increased from €93.2m to €156.4m.

Corrugated board sales for the first half of the year rose by 10% to €174.5m on EBITDA which decreased from €24.2m to €24.1m.

Meanwhile flexible packaging sales decreased by 1% to €518.8m and EBITDA for the same period fell by 2% to €72.2m.

Hanno M. Bästlein, Constantia Packaging's chief executive, said the company is focusing on markets "where we expect steady growth in demand for our products thanks to demographic trends and rising living standards".

Constantia Packaging employs 8,400 people in Europe, Asia and North America. It has two operations in the UK – Constantia Flexibles in Kent and Danapak Flexibles in Dundee.