Weidenhammer in Greece: Peel-off Top opens new markets

Ενημέρωση από τον Εμπορικό Δ/ντη της Weidenhammer στην Ελλάδα, κ. Άρη Μπίνη

Composite cans are the core business of the Weidenhammer Packaging Group (WPG), Europe’s leading manufacturer of durable, attractively labeled consumer packaging.

To increase business with existing and new customers, the WPG focuses on developing new markets for composite cans. One of the latest innovations is a composite can with a new type of closure, the “Peel-off Top”. Thanks to its gas tightness, this solution can be used for perishable products – a segment that is currently dominated by metal cans. The Peel-off Top is produced at Weidenhammer’s site in Inofita near Athens.

Weidenhammer started producing composite cans in Greece in 2004, supplying a customer base not only in the Greek market, but also throughout Southeastern Europe. In 2010, Weidenhammer Hellas moved to its new site in Inofita near Athens, which meets the highest quality and hygiene standards as well as environmental requirements. Currently, about 35 employees are working on the facility’s three assembly lines, producing several million packages per month. In Greece, Weidenhammer manufactures self-opening cans for fresh dough products next door to its primary customer, the U.S. food group General Mills. The company also supplies several other customers with composite cans for product segments ranging from snacks and nuts to instant beverages.

New closure, proven handling
Weidenhammer has been expanding its business in recent years. In many product segments, composite cans have already replaced the more expensive tin can solutions. One of the most important developments in this segment is Weidenhammer’s “Peel Off Top”. This closure is required for gas tight composite cans for consumer-friendly packaging used for baby food, powdered milk, coffee, snacks and other moisture-sensitive products. “In these segments, there was never a viable alternative to metal cans,” explains Aris Binis, WPG Sales Director in Inofita. “Our composite cans with the Peel-off Top offer better sealing properties and can be used in segments where the usability of composite cans was relatively limited. In many cases, we can offer an equivalent but more competitive alternative to metal cans.” The closure device is similar to the ring-pull or the tab on a metal can, which means that consumers already know how to use it. The packaging product is also steps ahead of the competition when it comes to material and transport costs.

WPG produces the Peel-off Tops at its plant in Inofita. The composite cans that go with the tops are manufactured in different diameters (73, 99 and 126.7 mm) at production facilities in Germany, Greece and France. The annual production volume for Weidenhammer composite cans with Peel-off Tops is expected to exceed the tens of millions in the future.

About Weidenhammer
With 12 production sites, over 1,000 employees and annual sales of €230 million in 2011, the Weidenhammer Packaging Group is one of the world’s two leading suppliers of composite cans, composite drums and rigid plastic containers. Founded in Hockenheim, Germany in 1955, the family-owned enterprise has evolved over the last 55 years to become a market and technology leader in its segment. Weidenhammer customers include international brand product manufacturers Nestlé, Unilever, Procter & Gamble, Kellogg, General Mills, Imperial Tobacco and BAT. Further information is available on the Internet: www.weidenhammer.de

Caption “Peel-off Top”:
The Peel-off Top is the first closure system for composite cans that is suitable for powdered milk and other highly sensitive products.