Smurfit Kappa has acquired an injection facility in San Antonio, Texas, in order to bolster its bag-in-box production and strengthen its Vitop tap manufacturing capabilities. The Vitop tap is used as wine taps in a bag-in-box wine system. It is said to exhibit a tamper-proof design and extends shelf life for the stored product. The acquisition will help Smurfit Kappa to meet the growing demand of premium bag-in-box wines in the North American beverage sector.
The company also plans to make a series of investments in the new 100,000-sq-ft injection facility to support the production of other bag-in-box solutions, such as the new Delta tap for rigid packaging. The site will employ 70 people at its full capacity.
The new plant will help the company to play a significant role in the U.S. market. Premium bag-in-box wine is a fast growing segment in the North America beverage sector, said the company. Smurfit Kappa Vitop CEO Didier Pontcharraud said: “Acquiring this new U.S. facility is an important milestone for Smurfit Kappa Bag-in-Box. The new plant will support the growth we’re seeing in both the wine and non-food markets in the Americas and will facilitate the development of state-of-the-art new dispensing technologies.”
Smurfit Kappa’s Bag-in-Box currently operates in 12 countries worldwide.
