Photo by S?ntis Packaging

Swiss group S?ntis Packaging is selling its PET bottle blow moulding business to the newly formed Swiss company Bonapack for an undisclosed sum.

Bonapack, located in Bischofszell, Switzerland, is set to complete the purchase by December 2016. It has already installed the four S?ntis stretch blow moulding lines at its plant and is scheduled to put the new unit into operation in January next year.

Bonapack is working closely in the acquisition with a Swiss partner packaging producer, Sitterdorf-based Biplast, whose chief executive, Beat Hurni is co-owner and shareholder in Bonapack. Biplast specialises in bottle production.

The stretch blow moulding division was put up for sale because Rüthi-based S?ntis Packaging plans to focus its business on its core operations of sheet extrusion and thermoforming quality multi-layer packaging as well as injection moulding.

Bonapack, established in a matter of weeks, will produce PET bottles in volumes from 60 ml to 2 litre sizes adding finishing services such as labelling, shrink sleeving and printing. The firm says it will offer S?ntis blow moulding customers an easy transition along with a bigger product range and the extra decoration services.

The division takeover is a strategically important step, enabling S?ntis to concentrate its investment and efforts on its main core technology and other key operations, confirmed S?ntis CEO Bettina Fleisch.

Biplast, launched in 1965, produces a range of products including bottles, cans, containers in a variety of plastics. Bottles come in sizes from 5 ml to 3 litres. It decorates the packaging with screen printing, labelling and shrink sleeving. Biplast employs a workforce of 60.