In March 2019 Owens-Illinois announced an investment of more than $60 million to expand its plant in Gironcourt, France, to broaden its premium segment presence and increase capability.

French packaging group BBA Emballages announced the acquisition of Attis, a Paris-region wholesale distributor of food packaging for restaurants. The deal adds over 1,300 product references and about EUR 10 million in revenue.

Smurfit Kappa acquired Papcart, a French offset printing and consumer cardboard packaging company with two sites in Gétigné and Jarnac, to expand its luxury, wine and spirits, FMCG and bag-in-box portfolio. The deal was reported on 21 February 2019.

Ceisa Packaging, a subsidiary of ExcelRise, will produce R100, a 100% recycled plastic film, at its Bernay plant in Eure, France, for Carlsberg multipacks in Sweden. The Bernay plant is to produce 1,000 tonnes of R100.

French public body SIVU Bordeaux Mérignac awarded Nutripack SAS a EUR 1,000,000 contract for compostable, bio-based cellulose food packaging and lidding film, published 2019-02-13.

Cartonneries de Gondardennes Wardrecques Group (CGW) signed an agreement in February 2019 to acquire all shares of the Lacaux Group, with the final acquisition expected in April 2019. The new group will have turnover of about €200 million and a workforce of about 660.

The Shepherd Chemical Company is investing $8.5 million to expand its Mirecourt, France manufacturing and R&D site, adding a third reactor, a new warehouse and upgraded pilot facilities. Production in the new reactor is expected in late 2019, potentially doubling the site's capacity.

MR Cartonnage Numerique opened a second production site of 2,800 square metres in Saint-Ouen-L'Aumone, north-west of Paris, on January 2, 2019. The EUR 2 million site is equipped with an HP Indigo 30000 digital printer and a UV varnishing line.

Liebherr-Aerospace agreed with U.S.-based NORDAM to develop, manufacture, test and certify anti-ice valves for NORDAM's engine build-up system on A320neo aircraft with Pratt & Whitney PW1100G engines.

Syndicat Mixte du Port de Dieppe awarded Schoeller Allibert a EUR 37,809 contract for 1,500 food-grade crates with lids and 160 stackable plastic pallets. The award was dated November 26, 2018 and published February 5, 2019.

Gimv entered exclusive negotiations to acquire a majority stake in French water network equipment maker Groupe Claire, alongside its management, from majority owner Industries et Finances. Groupe Claire has about 190 staff and annual turnover of around EUR 50 million.

Building products group F2A opened a new 3,600 m² factory for acoustic products in Dagneux, France, bringing its total to four plants and over 170 employees.

Constellium agreed to supply Czech aerosol maker Moravia Cans, which packages Unilever's Dove antiperspirants, with aluminium alloy from its Neuf-Brisach site in France.

Otis inaugurated a new 2,000 square metre building at its Gien plant in Loiret, France, to develop its elevator modernisation and digital innovation activity, with an investment of several million euros.

Astorg agreed to acquire drug delivery device maker Nemera from Montagu Private Equity, and Montagu elected to reinvest as an equal partner alongside Astorg and management. Nemera operates four manufacturing sites in France, Germany and the US and employs 1,950 FTEs. Terms were not disclosed.

Ville de Ris-Orangis awarded Technifroid a EUR 330,000 public contract to supply trays, films and consumables, plus lease-to-own of an automatic tray-sealing machine. The award was published on October 2, 2018.

Unigrains, together with Mecatherm's management, completed the acquisition of bakery equipment maker Mecatherm S.A. from Wendel and other shareholders. The enterprise value was 120 million euros.

Danfoss inaugurated its extended ATEX compressor laboratory in Trévoux, France, which now covers 3,000 square metres and is the first of its kind in Europe. The investment totalled 16 million euro.

Valmet agreed with FICAP to deliver its continuous BioTrac steam explosion system for a black pellet plant with 120,000 tons/year capacity in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France. Start-up is planned for 2020; the order value was not disclosed.

Denmark's Royal Unibrew bought the remaining stake in Geyer Frères, owner of the Lorina, PureThé and InFreshhh brands in Munster, Moselle, for €88.5 million, and plans to double production capacity.

Landis+Gyr committed to supply about 20% of the planned rollout of the next 13 million Linky smart meters in France by 2023 under new contracts with Enedis. The contracts also cover supply for SEI, the EDF subsidiary for Corsica and the French overseas departments.

F2A is moving the acoustic activity of its ELYT3 plant from Béligneux to a renovated site in Dagneux, doubling its production area; orders for factory departure move from 20 August 2018.

Indorama Ventures has agreed to acquire Sorepla Industrie S.A., a French plastics recycler with a combined capacity of 52,000 tonnes per year and 58 employees. The deal expands its food-grade rPET supply in Europe.

Fineska B.V. agreed to acquire Arjowiggins Papiers Couches/Arjowiggins Creative Papers from Sequana SA for EUR 125 million, with net proceeds to Sequana around EUR 20 million. Completion is expected by the end of October 2018.

SGT laid the first stone for a new 10,000 m2 factory in Chalon-sur-Saône making PET preforms, with an investment of nearly 28 million euros. The plant should be operational from spring 2019 and employ around forty people.

LM Wind Power, a GE Renewable Energy subsidiary, has launched its offshore wind turbine blade plant in Cherbourg, France. About 100 jobs will be created by end-2018, with the site eventually employing more than 550 people and producing the 107-metre LM 88.4 P blade.

UNITED CAPS, a caps and closures manufacturer, held an open house on June 21, 2018 celebrating its extended R&D facility in Messia, France, featuring a new Nescafé Gold closure developed with Nestlé.

Harsco Metals & Minerals renewed and extended two existing contracts and was awarded four new logistics and packaging contracts with ArcelorMittal Atlantique & Lorraine across six downstream sites in France. The six-year contracts took effect immediately.

French group Diverre, based in Grigny, acquired the shares of BMV, which has about 15 employees and an industrial site in Bouttencourt, to diversify its glassware-industry products.

Austrian flexible packaging group Schur Flexibles reached a general acquisition agreement with France's UNI Packaging, which has seven production sites in France, the UK and Austria.

French private equity firm Capzanine and pre-polymer systems maker Eximium invested in Eos Corrugated, which makes technical consumables for the corrugated cardboard industry.

Refresco is building a new bottling plant at Le Quesnoy in Hauts-de-France, France, with a 27,000 sq m plant and a 10,000 sq m logistics hub to replace its current site. The facility is scheduled to come online in 2020.

Établissement français du sang awarded distributor Raja a EUR 1,038,000 contract to supply isothermal packaging, transport consumables, dry ice and technical labels for Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and Corsica. The award was published on 2018-02-14.

Public buyer SIVU Bordeaux Mérignac awarded Nutripack a contract worth EUR 1,528,000 to supply food packaging materials. The award was published on 2018-01-25.

Portugal's Amorim acquired a 60% stake in Bourrassé, a cork stopper producer based in Tosse, Landes, for EUR 29 million. Amorim holds an option on the remaining capital until 2022.

Saica acquired French group Emin Leydier, a paper and corrugated packaging maker with eight French plants and 1,029 employees, adding 800,000 tonnes of recycled paper capacity. The deal was announced on 28 February 2018 and no price was disclosed.

EDF signed binding agreements to buy 75.5% of New NP, a subsidiary combining AREVA's reactor design and manufacturing activities, at an adjusted valuation of EUR 2.47 billion for 100%, with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Assystem taking 19.5% and 5% stakes.

Virojanglor, a French metal packaging maker, agreed to acquire Interesting Sourcing, a France-based manufacturer of multi-material packaging. Virojanglor expected consolidated revenue of about 25 million euros in 2018.

GPack Group signed an agreement with Oaktree Capital Management to acquire Alliora Coffrets in Fougères, France, with Alliora's capital increased by 7 million euros to expand its gift-box business.

Citic Capital agreed to buy French packaging company Axilone from Oaktree Capital Management, announced on November 6, 2017. Banks have lined up about €420m of leveraged loans to finance the buyout, with Axilone's EBITDA around €55m.

Sferaco, a subsidiary of Thermador Groupe, has opened negotiations to buy 100% of Groupe Valfit, a Bussy Saint-Georges company that sells connectors, meters and valves to wholesalers, with a deal targeted by end of January 2018. Valfit reported 2016 turnover of EUR 5.9 million. No price was disclosed.

Liebherr-Aerospace Toulouse SAS added a 3,300 square metre building at its Campsas site near Toulouse to make precision aircraft parts such as turbine rotors and valve bodies. The extension is an investment of € 6.5 million, with recent equipment investments of € 3 million.

Wabtec subsidiary Faiveley Transport secured an approximately $100 million contract from Alstom and Bombardier Transportation to supply braking, doors, HVAC, pantographs and other systems for the first 71 double-decker trainsets for Paris RER lines D and E.

Owens Corning will invest $50 million to rebuild a glass melter and expand production capacity by 25% at its Chambéry, France, composites plant, with the melter expected to be operational by mid-2018.

SAICA has entered negotiations to acquire Emin Leydier, a French corrugated paper packaging manufacturer with eight French sites and over 1,000 employees, which generated EUR 356 million revenue in 2016; First Eagle holds about 53% of it.

Établissement français du sang awarded JRI a contract for tertiary packaging and transport supplies for biological products, valued at EUR 2,625,523.

Solvay is doubling its kitting capabilities for process materials at its Toulouse, France site to meet rising demand for large composite parts. The expansion will create 60 new jobs over the next few years.

Ortec agreed on 25 July 2017 to acquire 100% of the Brunet group, a French specialist in electrical, thermal and low-current installation and maintenance with about 140 million euros revenue and 950 staff.

MLD, a maker of motorized industrial valve actuators, acquired PFS, an independent northern French company with about EUR 5 million in revenue and 30 employees. The deal also diversifies MLD into fluid management from storage to distribution.

Rolls-Royce selected Liebherr-Aerospace to design, manufacture and service the high-pressure non-return valve for the Trent 7000 engine, which powers the Airbus A330neo. The valve will be made at Liebherr-Aerospace's Toulouse site.