Food and drink packaging specialist Huhtamaki is investing approximately €7m to expand its fiber packaging business in Russia and the Nordics.
Image: Huhtamaki's NestPack. Photo: courtesy of Huhtamaki.
Huhtamaki said the operations in Ivanteevka, near Moscow, cater the growing market of Russia along with the neighboring countries of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Nordic markets.
The investment will be used to expand and upgrade the range of egg packaging manufactured in Ivanteevka to better meet Huhtamaki’s customers’ expectations in Russia and in the Nordic markets.
Huhtamaki general manager for fiber packaging, Russia, Gala Mansurova said: “We are proud to continue developing Huhtamaki Fiber Packaging together with our partners in Russia and the Nordics. Product range, quality and innovation are our highest priorities in serving our customers and meeting their growth expectations.”
Huhtamaki said the the increased capacity will support the ongoing transfer of existing plastic egg packaging to much viable fiber packaging in Eastern Russia.
The investment covers building the latest molded fiber packaging manufacturing line along with renovation of an existing line at the Ivanteevka unit.
The facility’s water management system has been upgraded as part of Huhtamaki’s efforts to reduce the ecological footprint of its production activities. In the fourth quarter of 2019, the new manufacture line is anticipated to start operations.
Recently, Huhtamaki has completed 25years of its presence and business in the Russian market.
Huhtamaki has network of 78 manufacturing units and additional 24 sales only offices in 34 countries.
In the UK, the company aims to replace the existing plastic packaging with the fiber packaging of ready meal trays.
Huhtamaki’s new concept is introduced to the consumers in UK as a trail version to test and know whether they appreciate it. The fiber-based trays are renewable and eco-friendly in nature.
The packaging concept will be tested with three ready meals by consumers at
Waitrose stores for two months.
In 2017, the company’s net sales totaled EUR3bn. The group has its head office in Espoo, Finland. It employs about 18,100 people.