Shalam Packaging buys former Astrapak companies in Amcor Group
THERE was another development in the evolving Astrapak story when the remaining South African companies formerly known as Amcor Rigid Packaging Solutions were acquired by Shalam Packaging, UK. However, on this occasion, the buyer has a direct link with South Africa, already part-owning a converting business here, which bodes well for the deal.
The companies involved in the Amcor entity in South Africa included in the purchase are Marcom Plastics (Rosslyn, Pretoria), Thermopac (a thermoforming business based in Cape Town), and injection moulding operations JJ Precision and Plastop (KZN). Tube manufacturer Consupaq (Durban) was part of the SA group but shut down in March.
Since 2008, Shalam has been involved in the local industry when it entered into a technology agreement with Marcom, the thin-wall injection moulding manufacturer in what was then known as Astrapak Group. Shalam subsequently bought a 40% share in Marcom, which they held for nearly two decades while Astra businesses underwent various ownership changes.
Shalam, a thin-wall packaging leader, is also involved in thermoforming and blow and injection moulding, supplying several blue-chip brand businesses. It operates two plants in England and has manufacturing sites in Israel and Greece, so the addition of the South African companies broadens its international portfolio. The purchase concludes the uncertainty that’s affected the four former Astra businesses for the last two years.
Astrapak Group was formed in 1996 and, through various acquisitions, became the then second largest converting group in South Africa (probably after the now departed Nampak at that time). It was purchased by the British/Dutch RPC Group in 2016 and rebranded RPC Astrapak. Then, in 2019, Berry Global of the USA bought the RPC Group internationally, resulting in the SA companies transitioning to American ownership under Berry and being renamed Berry Astrapak.
After that, the Berry Global business internationally was purchased by Amcor Group of the USA in 2024, resulting in the most recent ID switch for the four SA companies, under the Amcor Rigid banner.
However, it appeared that Amcor did not want to be reinvolved in South Africa, which is no surprise following the torching of its flexibles plant in Durban during rioting in July 2021.
The remaining flexibles entities in the Amcor business in South Africa at the time included two other film plants, in PE and Cape Town, which were subsequently purchased by CTP in 2022, when Amcor exited SA.
It was thus incidental that Amcor became involved in South Africa again, with the SA companies forming a relatively minor part of the Berry Global deal. It appears that the last two years of negotiations reached a conclusion recently when Shalam put in its bid and took the SA companies out of the Amcor fold. Shalam Packaging Group was established in 1976 and is privately owned. Its main plant is at Basildon in Essex, allowing it to service its growing UK and European customer base. It operates the latest injection moulding machines, state-of-the-art IML systems and has developed new moulds to further expand its product range. Its second plant is in Sunderland, England, where it offers thermoforming and blow moulding. It operates over 55 production lines and warehousing for over 35,000 pallets in the UK. And now, with its assets in Greece, Israel and SA, Shalam is establishing itself as a major player in the global FMCG sector.
