Finnish paper and packaging maker Stora Enso has become a key supplier to Apple, according to a supplier list published in documents. The report does not specify a contract value.

Al Bayader International signed an agreement with National Industries Park to develop a AED180 million ($50 million) integrated manufacturing and logistics hub in Dubai, with annual capacity of 30,000 tonnes of food packaging.

UAE-based Hotpack has announced a $100 million investment in a new manufacturing and distribution facility in Edison, New Jersey, its first North American production base. The 70,000 sq ft plant will customise plastic and paper cups, containers and clamshells and create 200 jobs in the first phase.

Beltservice Corporation and Movex S.P.A. have entered into an expanded strategic-business agreement to market and service Movex plastic modular belts, chains and conveyor components in the United States and Canada.

The Blackmore Group, a UK newspaper and commercial printer, placed a three-year contract with Sun Chemical for the supply of all its conventional offset, LED and cold-set inks, consolidating its ink suppliers.

SIG and Dai Nippon Printing signed a joint venture agreement to bring carton packaging and filling technology solutions to the Japanese food and beverage industry. The item is dated March 8, 2018.

Treofan Americas plans to install a 10-meter wide BOPP extrusion line in late 2018 adding 30,000 tons of capacity at its Zacapu, Mexico plant. The total project capital expenditure is estimated at $65 million.

CCL Industries signed a binding agreement to acquire Treofan America Inc. and Trespaphan Mexico Holdings from M&C S.p.A. for a net purchase price of about $255 million. Closing is expected in Q2 2018, subject to regulatory approvals.

Contract packer Apace Packaging installed a new solid-dose bottling line with track-and-trace capabilities supplied and integrated by NJM in 2017, running at 225 bottles per minute.

Transcontinental Inc. has acquired Multifilm Packaging Corporation, a flexible packaging maker in Elgin, Illinois, near Chicago, employing over 70 people and serving high-end confectionery markets.

Toyo Seikan Group's subsidiary Bangkok Can Manufacturing will build a new aluminum beverage can plant at Rojana Industrial Estate in Ayutthaya Province, Thailand, with an investment of 9 billion yen and operations scheduled from May 2019.

Barbosa&Almeida (BA Glass Spain) will invest €40 million to build a third furnace and two warehouses at its Villafranca glass factory, adding capacity for 500 million more bottles per year and creating 80 new jobs. An additional €25 million will be spent on renovating the first furnace.

Berlin Packaging, with Bruni Glass, has acquired H. Erben Ltd., a Hadleigh, England-based supplier of closures, containers and packaging equipment, adding operations in South Africa and California.

Somapak Csomagolástechnikai Gépgyártó Kft. is investing over HUF 510 million, half from EU funds, to expand its production capacity and site in Pécs. The company will build two new production halls totaling nearly 1,700 square meters and purchase two machining centers, creating approximately 10 new jobs.

Scientex Packaging Film, a subsidiary of Scientex Berhad, agreed to acquire Klang Hock Plastic Industries for RM190 million ($48.5 million). Both companies are based in Malaysia.

Weener Plastics Group acquired Russian bottle manufacturer Artpack for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition strengthens its position in Russia.

Viscofan completed the acquisition of Transform Pack Inc for $2 million. Transform Pack is a Canadian company developing innovative products using value-added technology.

Siegwerk and Agfa Graphics entered a strategic alliance where Siegwerk will manufacture Agfa's UV curable digital inkjet inks for the packaging and labels industry, with a business transfer of selected OEM customers and intellectual property.

Metal packaging maker Jamestrong opened a fully enclosed high-care can production plant in Hornby, Christchurch, New Zealand, primarily to supply Synlait and The a2 Milk Company. The investment is reported at $12m.

Hamburger Rieger, part of the Prinzhorn Group, began construction of a second recycled containerboard paper machine at its Spremberg site, with a 500,000 tonne annual capacity and commissioning planned for summer 2020. The investment is about EUR 370 million and will create 200 jobs.

SPAC Glenalta has approved a business combination with CFT Group, a designer and manufacturer of food & beverage processing and packaging machinery. Glenalta will use €10 million to acquire a 10.4% stake from existing shareholders and €88 million to fund CFT's development.

Polyplex Group Thailand Plc set a $106 million investment budget for 2018-19, including a new greenfield facility in Indonesia ($95M), capacity expansions in Thailand ($7.6M), and a replacement facility in the US ($3.4M).

Graphic Packaging International collaborated with 2 Sisters Food Group to launch an ovenable cartonboard tray insert carton for Marks and Spencer's Detroit-style Deep and Loaded pizzas.

Valvoline chose Aptar to supply closure and packaging technology, including its BAP technology, for a new five-liter Easy Pour motor oil bottle for DIY users.

Endoline Machinery supplied a fully automated shelf-ready milkshake packing line to Tomlinson Dairies in North Wales, UK. The line packs over 80 bottles per minute and was designed to fit a compact 5m x 3m space.

Scientex Bhd, via its subsidiary Scientex Packaging Film, has agreed to acquire all shares of Klang Hock Plastic Industries (KHPI) for RM190 million. KHPI operates two plants in Klang, Selangor, with an annual capacity of 99,000 tonnes.

Pearson Packaging Systems, a provider of secondary packaging automation, acquired robotic automation specialist Flexicell, Inc. The acquisition expands Pearson's manufacturing footprint with Flexicell's Ashland, Virginia facility.

Orkla will invest over EUR 1 million in a new packaging line for chip bags at its Ādažu Čipsi facility in Latvia. The project, awarded to ABB, aims to automate box packing and increase capacity, to be completed by November 30, 2018.

Poligal, a Grup Peralada member, began production at its new €40 million plant in Skarbimierz, Poland, with a Brückner extrusion line and capacity of 40,000 tonnes per year of BOPP film. Metallization will be added later this year.

Dai Nippon Printing and SIG Combibloc will establish a 50/50 joint venture in Japan on April 1, 2018 to sell carton packaging and aseptic filling systems for food and beverages.

Progroup started active preparation for a new paper factory for containerboard in Germany, scheduled to start production in 2021.

Bemis installed a Totani pouch-forming machine at Predilecta's plant in Patos de Minas, Brazil, to produce 6 million pouches per month for vegetables and other foods. The equipment began operation in November 2017.

Ring Container Technologies of Tennessee plans to open a plastic bottle plant near Hagerstown, Maryland, in a revamped existing building, producing HDPE bottles for food packaging. It is expected to start operating around mid-2018 and initially employ 18 people.

Schur Flexibles Group acquired packaging firms Cats-Hansel and Nimax from Clondalkin, including plants in Rotterdam, Freital and Elst.

Lumi, a US packaging manufacturer for e-commerce brands, raised $9 million in a Series A round led by Spark Capital, Forerunner Ventures and Homebrew Management.

UK packaging company DS Smith designed injection-moulded reusable plastic tote boxes for Spanish retailer Zara, suited to its automated picking system.

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

Berry Global Group acquired plastic products company Clopay for $475 million to optimise production capacity and reduce costs.

BEWi Group has submitted a binding offer to acquire Synbra Holding, a manufacturer of particle foam products for thermal and technical industries, from a consortium led by Gilde Buy Out Partners. Completion is expected in the first half of 2018.

INDEVCO Paper Containers has licensed SCA's Arcwise curved corrugated packaging technology to produce curved board packaging in the Middle East and North Africa region.

Mark Andy made a conquest sale of a Performance Series P5 flexo press to Polish label converter Mal-Pol in Olesin, Poland. The 8-color press will help Mal-Pol develop its peel/reseal label business.

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.

Welch Packaging Group of Elkhart, Indiana completed its acquisition of Cooper Container II, a corrugated sheet plant near Nashville, Tennessee, strengthening its Midwest footprint. Terms were not disclosed.

National Container Group, the reconditioning division of Mauser, acquired a 51% stake in Noreko AS effective February 1, 2018, forming a joint venture that extends its reconditioning business into Scandinavia.

Berry Global is considering a $70 million project to add four thermoforming lines and seven printers for cups and lids at its Evansville, Indiana plant, with about 150 jobs expected. The plan emerged from a tax abatement application reported on 2018-02-13.

VPK Packaging Group is starting construction of an extra 10,000 m² hall in Radomsko, Poland, investing EUR 10 million. The expansion will add 30 million m² of corrugated cardboard packaging capacity and increase employment from 200 to 215.

Finnvacum Sverige AB took over the operations and sales of Sundsvall-based Lars Norin AB in mid-November to increase its presence and customer service to the Swedish food industry. Finnvacum supplies packaging machines, packaging materials, and service.

Riverside Medical Packaging, a Derby-based manufacturer of medical packaging machines, plans to create 40 new jobs after investing nearly £100,000 in new technology. The company aims to quadruple sales of its Shawpak thermoforming machinery and target a £2 million boost in sales.

Swedish business Duni bought Worcestershire-based disposable food and beverage packaging firm Biopac for an undisclosed fee, reported on 12 February 2018.

Huhtamaki will make 19 million more compostable molded-fiber round plates a year at its Waterville, Maine factory to supply the Philadelphia and Baltimore school districts through the Urban School Food Alliance, raising its annual supply to 244 million. The deal was announced on Monday, February 12, 2018.