News

RPC Group has rolled its Beauté division into the Bramlage-Wiko business and is in the process of closing an injection moulding site in Italy in the first major step of its ongoing strategic review.

Operations of the Mozzate injection moulding facility, which specialises in primary packaging for the beauty industry, are being transferred to RPC's Marolles factory in France which is now part of Bramlage-Wiko.

The Bramlage-Wiko division will have total sales of around Ä250m and 11 production sites in Europe and the US, as well as partnerships in Russia and Thailand.

It will be headed up by Alfons Böckmann, while former RPC Beauté general manager Gerald Martines has become business development director for the Bramlage-Wiko division.

News of the merger was revealed in a trading update that also announced that a total of six factories would be closed and two would be sold as part of the review, which kicked off in June this year.

No further details were given of which plants could be affected by the review, although the future shape of RPC is likely to become clearer when the full-year results are revealed on 28 November.

Other aspects of the review, which kicked off in June, include improvements to operational performance through more centrally run procurement, improved management of working capital and a programme of plant optimisation.

In the statement, RPC chairman Jamie Pike said: "RPC is entering the second half on a more positive note with improvements in our overall pricing position."