Smurfit Kappa acquires Papcart, expanding its presence across Europe

Smurfit Kappa Group has significantly expanded its product range in France with the acquisition of Papcart, a specialist in offset printing and conversion of cardboard and corrugated board consumer packaging.

The acquisition enables Smurfit Kappa to extend its portfolio with a complete range for the luxury goods, wines & spirits, FMCG and bag-in-box markets. Smurfit Kappa already has a strong presence in the consumer packaging segments and corrugated board solutions for perfume and food so there is a natural synergy between the two companies.

With over 70 years’ experience, Papcart is equipped with the latest generation of offset printers, die-cutters, folder-gluers and finishing equipment and offers the widest spectrum of finishes required for gift and premium packaging by combining acrylic or UV inks, specific varnishes, hot and cold foil gilding, embossing and lamination to meet even the most complex customer needs.

With the Papcart acquisition and Smurfit Kappa's current sites of Tours sur Marne, Siemco and Colorys, Smurfit Kappa now has approximately 700 employees including a 40 person-strong design department to develop customised and sustainable consumer packaging for its customers in the luxury and consumer goods segments.

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Speaking about the new acquisition, CEO of Smurfit Kappa Europe, Saverio Mayer, said: “This latest acquisition is of significant strategic importance for our French operations and significantly adds to the range of capabilities that we can offer our customers.”

Jean-Christophe Bugeon, CEO of Smurfit Kappa France added: “We are delighted to welcome the Papcart employees into the company. More and more companies are seeking more sustainable packaging alternatives and we can add an even wider choice of premium solutions to our offering.”

The Papcart sites located in Gétigné (44) and Jarnac (16) total 50,000m² of production, storage and office space.

The company has also recently strengthened its presence in Western France with the acquisition of two Europac sites in Brittany by acquiring Caradec Box Plant, reinforcing its capabilities in the fruit and vegetable sector. The move will enable the business to build a stronger link within Brittany food markets.