Gulf Glass Factory signed an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract with Falorni Gianfranco for Qatar's first container glass plant, with a first-phase capacity of 200 tons/day and total cost of QR 238 million ($65.3 million).

The US Federal Trade Commission has approved Silgan's $900 million purchase of the dispenser and tube business of French cosmetics packaging firm Albea, which Silgan expects to add $20 million in annual earnings.

Shrinath Flexipack agreed to build its first Middle East factory on a greenfield site in KIZAD Polymers Park, Abu Dhabi, with an AED 55 million investment, producing 30,000 tonnes of plastics per year.

Bemasa Caps plans a EUR 1.5 million first phase of works to expand its metal caps factory in Molina de Segura, Spain, to about 20,000 square metres, with completion expected later this year.

Highlander Partners sold its portfolio company Akomex Group, a Central European cardboard packaging producer, to co-founder Sebastian Sliwa, backed by AMC Capital IV. The closing was completed on 2 April 2020; the price was not disclosed.

Highlander Partners completed the sale of its portfolio company Akomex Group, a Polish packaging manufacturer, to co-founder Sebastian Śliwa with management and support from AMC Capital IV. The article is dated April 2, 2020, and no deal value is given.

StrongPack Ltd. established a greenfield non-alcoholic contract packaging operation in Nigeria, installing four Sidel lines over two years, including a can line, two PET lines and a PET line with Sidel's Actis coating system. The article is dated April 3, 2020.

Arglass, a sustainable glass manufacturer, is building its first U.S. plant in Valdosta, Georgia, with a $100+ million investment. The plant will produce custom food and beverage glass containers and is expected to create hundreds of jobs.

CMG Plastics completed two capital improvement projects adding energy-efficient injection molding machines and in-mold labeling capabilities at its facilities in Somerville, New Jersey and Brantford, Ontario. The upgrade adds close to a 10% increase in annual output.

Graphic Packaging Holding Company announced the close of its acquisition of the Consumer Packaging Group business from Greif, Inc., a paper-based consumer packaging business.

Greif announced a minority investment stake in Centurion Container LLC to expand its intermediate bulk container reconditioning network in North America, with a clear path to full ownership.

Greif Inc. completed the divestiture of its Consumer Packaging Group business to Graphic Packaging Holding for $85 million in cash, with proceeds used for debt repayment.

Mondi is investing in a new 300,000 tonne per year kraft top white machine at its Ruzomberok mill in Slovakia, with start-up expected towards the end of 2020. A related pulp mill upgrade adds 100,000 tonnes per year of pulp capacity.

Klabin agreed to acquire International Paper's packaging assets in Brazil for R$330 million, consolidating its leadership in corrugated packaging. The deal was announced on 29 March 2020.

UB Community Development announced $7 million in New Markets Tax Credits within $10 million of financing for Master Extrusion LLC, an affiliate of ColorMasters, to add extruder machines at its Albertville, Alabama facility. The project is expected to create 45 jobs and retain 90.

Cullen, a UK corrugate packaging maker, is replacing its multi-point gluers with two Bobst Expertfold 165 folder-gluers at its Glasgow site, expected in place by Q3 2020.

Kalmar municipality in Sweden awarded Duni AB a contract to supply packaging material for food distribution, with a contracted value of 2,800,000 SEK. The award was published on 2020-03-25.

Dunapack Packaging, part of the Austrian Prinzhorn Group, plans to invest about EUR 52 million in a new packaging plant in Dunavarsány, near Budapest, Hungary, scheduled to open in summer 2021 with 200 workers and capacity of 240 million square metres. The plan was reported on March 23, 2020.

Sonoco agreed to acquire food can, ends and closures maker Eviosys from KPS for about $3.9 billion, creating a global leader in metal food can and aerosol packaging. Sonoco expects over $100 million in synergies.

Seala, a French lamination company, has acquired a Comexi SL2 laminator from Comexi. The machine increases Seala's production capacity and enables it to enter food markets and produce eco-friendly designs.

OAO Grodnenskaya Tabachnaya Fabrika Neman (GTF) will hold a tender to purchase 1,200 tonnes of biaxially oriented polypropylene film for cigarette packs with an estimated total value of EUR 3.03 million. The tender documents are accepted until April 21, 2020, with delivery from April 29, 2020 to May 31, 2021.

Atlantis-Pak, part of the Agrokom Group, will build a production line for high-barrier films on the premises of the Rostov Civil Aviation Plant No. 412 in Rostov-on-Don. The line will have a capacity of 800 kg/hour, with commissioning planned for October 2020. Total investment is over 3 billion rubles, with a second line planned by end of 2023 to reach 10,600 tons per year.

SIT Group is completing a new flexible packaging factory in San Marino, with four new gravure printing machines and a laminator, as part of roughly €80 million in investments. The factory is due to open in June 2020.

Atlantis-Pak is installing a high-barrier packaging film line with 800 kg/hour capacity at Rostov Civil Aviation Plant No. 412 in Rostov-on-Don, as a temporary measure before a new plant in Yuzhno-Bataisk. Commissioning is planned for October 2020; total investment exceeds 3 billion rubles.

Ball is adding a fourth canmaking line at its plant in Rome, Georgia, USA.

Italian metal packaging group Tecnocap set up joint venture Tecnocap Oriental in Mumbai with Indian packager Oricon Enterprise, taking 75% control via the acquisition of Oricon's Metal Lug business. It marks Tecnocap's entry into India and the Far East.

Subsidiary Max Ease International agreed on 17 March 2020 to extend its printed carton supply agreement with British American Tobacco for Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam for five years to 31 December 2024. A formal contract is expected by end of Q2 2020.

Fortaleza Capital acted as exclusive corporate finance adviser to the shareholders of Bark Packaging Group on the sale of a minority stake to Quadrum Capital. Bark Packaging Group is headquartered in Eerbeek, Netherlands, with 36 employees.

Manjushree Technopack has launched a new greenfield rigid plastic packaging plant in Silvassa, western India, with capacity of 10,000 MTPA and an investment of INR 100+ crore.

Erik Bos, currently CCO at Bark Packaging Group, will take over as CEO from Berny Plas, who will remain actively involved in the company.

Quadrum Capital has added Bark Packaging Group, a Dutch packaging management intermediary, to its portfolio as a minority investment to fund international growth. The article gives no deal value.

Embaquim started full operation of a new Carnevalli coextruder at its São Bernardo do Campo plant to make multilayer barrier films. The equipment adds 50 tonnes per month and raises total film capacity by 15%.

New York private equity firm Monomoy Capital Partners acquired Jacksonville-based paper and packaging distributor Mac Papers, which generates over $600 million in annual sales. The price was not disclosed, and Mac Papers' COO Rick Mitchell will become president.

Graphic Packaging International expanded its Sneek, Netherlands folding carton facility, doubling production capacity with a new 11-colour press and a new folder-gluing line. The EUR 20 million (about $22 million) project took two years and added a 5,000 m2 building extension.

Loop Industries entered a multiyear offtake agreement with L'Oréal to supply 100% recycled PET resin from its joint venture facility in Spartanburg, S.C., with Indorama Ventures. The facility's capacity is being increased to 40,000 tons per year.

Syntegon Technology installed a new horizontal packaging system at Wibisco's biscuit manufacturing facility in Barbados. The system includes vibratory channels, magazine feeders and two Pack 201 horizontal flow wrappers, increasing production capacity and efficiency.

Printpack signed a two-year contract with Collegiate Clean Energy to supply renewable power to two Virginia plants, generated from captured landfill methane. The deal removes reported Scope 2 emissions from its Rigid Business Unit plants.

Poste Italiane awarded ETA-RO Lavorazione Carta in Rotoli a framework contract worth EUR 24,720,364 to supply labels, packaging, forms, kraft envelopes and cardboard boxes.

INDEVCO North America is investing $15 million to expand its Specialty Coating & Laminating facility in Doswell, Virginia, including $3M in building construction and renovation and over $12M in machinery. The expansion will create 40 new jobs over 4 years.

Ball Corporation agreed to buy Tubex Industria e Comercio de Embalagens for $80 million plus a potential earn-out, gaining an aluminum aerosol can plant near Sao Paulo with eight extruded can lines.

Italian packaging company Iriapak will invest $7 million to establish a packaging film manufacturing facility in eastern New Orleans, its first North American plant, creating 25 direct jobs.

Aptar opened a 5,000 square meter facility in Chonburi, Thailand, with injection, assembly and finishing capabilities and room for expansion. The opening was reported on 11 March 2020.

Arglass Yamamura, a joint venture between Cambium and Nihon Yamamura, will invest $123 million to build its first U.S. glass container manufacturing plant in Valdosta, Georgia. The facility will create over 150 jobs and is expected to begin production by the end of 2020.

Schneider Electric has been awarded a contract to supply, install and commission two medium-voltage switchgear systems for SCA's kraftliner production expansion at the Obbola paper mill in Umeå, Sweden. The expansion will increase capacity from 450,000 to 725,000 tonnes per year.

Gertex Solutions acquired Freepak Inc., a packaging supplies provider based in Stoney Creek, Ontario, adding warehouse space and expanding its Ontario service coverage. The announcement was made on 9 March 2020.

Luxury packaging firm GPA Global acquired Hub Folding Box, a printing and packaging manufacturer with a facility in North America, for an undisclosed fee. Combined assets are expected to generate more than $250m in annual revenue. The announcement was made on 9 March 2020.

CM Downton, part of EV Cargo, won a three-year contract to transport packaging products from two Smurfit Kappa manufacturing sites in the south-west of England. The announcement was made on 9 March 2020.

Dairy group Ausnutria and packaging company Trivium are building a new can factory at the Internationaal Bedrijvenpark Friesland in Heerenveen for EUR 30 million, shared between them. The plant is due for completion at end 2020 and needs 50 to 60 workers.

Loop Industries entered into a multi-year offtake agreement with L'Oréal to supply PET resin made from 100% recycled materials for packaging. The resin will be supplied from Loop's joint venture facility in Spartanburg, South Carolina with Indorama Ventures.

Schumacher Packaging, the German family-run corrugated packaging group, has acquired Jaffabox, a UK family-managed corrugated board packaging manufacturer. The Amyes family will continue to run Jaffabox.