Packaging specialist Alpla is investing in Morocco and planning expansion
By acquiring a majority stake in the packaging company Atlantic Packaging and establishing a joint venture with the previous sole owner Diana Holding, Alpla Group is expanding its presence in North Africa. In addition to PET preforms for the beverage industry for the regional markets in the Maghreb and for Western Africa, Alpla Morocco also produces plastic pallets by injection moulding and packaging films by extrusion at its modern plant in Tangier. Currently, 32 people are employed at the site.
Alpla Morocco’s preform capacity has already been tripled in 2023 by two additional preform production lines. In the coming years, the company intends to increasing the portfolio of the Moroccan site through further local activities, potentially including bottle and closure production. This initiative aims to establish the groundwork for growth and sustainable packaging solutions in the North Western African Region.
In addition to its packaging subsidiary, Diana Holding is primarily active in the agro-industrial sector. Through this joint venture, the family-run group is claimed to strengthen its packaging division, which was founded in 2007, by capitalising on its substantial bottling experience garnered over nearly 50 years as the former Coca-Cola Company bottler in the northern region of Morocco.
The approximately 12,000 m2 plant in the free trade zone of Tangier is to be expanded in stages over the coming years. More than 20,000 m2 of space is available for future expansion. In the first stage, Alpla Morocco has tripled its production capacity from the current 100 million preforms to around 300 million units per year. To this end, the company is investing in two new PET preform production lines.
The joint venture was signed by the contracting parties on August 31, 2023, and approved by the local antitrust authorities. The parties have agreed not to disclose the terms and conditions.
