ALPLA marks 70th anniversary
Packaging and recycling specialist ALPLA has celebrated its 70th anniversary, looking back on its development from a family start-up in Austria to a global company with 200 locations in 46 countries.
Founded in 1955 by brothers Alwin and Helmuth Lehner in their parents’ laundry room in Hard, Austria, ALPLA has grown into one of the world’s leading producers of rigid plastic packaging. Today, more than 24,000 employees work on developing, manufacturing and recycling packaging solutions for consumer goods industries across Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia. At the anniversary celebration on September 12 , CEO Philipp Lehner set the tone for the technology market leader’s ambitious plans for the future.
Over the decades, the company has marked milestones including the launch of its own extrusion blow-moulding machine (1958), the first in-house plant directly at a customer’s site (1985), the development of the world’s first two-step PET bottle (1985), and the early use of post-consumer recycled materials (1990). More recently, it has focused on innovations such as biodegradable coffee capsules and bio-based paper bottles.
As a system provider, the company implements packaging solutions from a single source – tailor-made and optimised in seven development centres and four one-stop shops for product design (STUDIOa) worldwide. ALPLA is also actively promoting the appreciation of plastic through its ‘Plastic is Fantastic’ initiative, educating consumers about the many benefits of the material.
At an anniversary event in Bregenz, CEO Philipp Lehner, representing the third generation of family leadership, outlined the company’s vision for the future. He emphasised continuity in ALPLA’s core business, an increased focus on high-quality recycling, and investment in digitalisation, automation and circular economy models. “We have grown enormously and always remained true to our values. We will continue to do both. To this end, we are focusing on our strengths in our core business, relying on high-quality recycling and specifically tapping into new markets and technologies. And we are exploring the unknown with bold ideas.”