One Year of SwissPrimePack AG

The company SwissPrimePack AG operates in the area of plastic packaging for food products, whilst employing 200 staff at two production locations in Altstätten and Niederuzwil, Switzerland and sales offices in France and England. Managed by joint partner Jan Schürmann, the company primarily produces packaging for premium products in the areas of ice cream and milk products (industrial packaging), as well as cups for the major operators of vending machines (service packaging).

June 2009. What started a year ago with the merging of the long- standing Swiss companies Albiplast AG and Bellaplast AG, is now established and consolidated in the form of SwissPrimePack AG. The old, solid values will be retained, new opportunities seized and the synergies of the companies focused across a customer and market-oriented operation.

“A newly merged company has to be able to gain in market strength.” This was the clear statement from Jan Schürmann, CEO and joint partner of SwissPrimePack AG when he joined the company one year ago. It was anticipated that it would be possible to concentrate the available strengths of both companies and to base them on the existing, broad customer base.

A vast amount of valuable expertise has been gathered at the production locations of Altstätten and Niederuzwil over past decades that will be maintained & developed upon. The existing injection moulding, sheet extrusion and thermoforming technologies, and the different finishing techniques such as the printing, in-mould labelling, sleeves and labelling processes are now benefiting from superior levels of knowledge and corresponding specialisations in the individual plants.

Results from the first year have proved the new company maintained its position in the market as a provider of high quality food packaging, and has sound potential to successfully face the future - In light of the current economic situation, this is mission critical.

SwissPrimePack AG is well aware of the difficult market situation at present. It has responded by working hard on ensuring the flexibility of its structures, and therefore sees itself as being well placed for the future. The results in this context have so far been positive: along with supplying products to existing customers, the company has also gained prestigious new customers and projects in Europe, in both areas of service and industrial packaging, thereby enabling the company to pursue the planned strategy of internationalisation.

As a company with production locations in Switzerland, the SwissPrimePack AG proudly supports the ‘Swiss Made’ quality distinction. This especially applies to the company’s product and service quality pledge, whilst also investing strongly in the associated areas of work and process safety, to guarantee the basis of a company committed to its future.

The company will continue to pursue its goals and make the most of its opportunities in a consistent manner. Forward-looking investments in the company’s plants and projects have been made and flexible structures facilitate the rapid and effective implementation of necessary adaptive measures.

During the course of this initial year Jan Schürmann, who has led the company as CEO since the merger, is now supported by a newly established management team, in Philipp Hecht, CFO and Thomas Leng, CTO (Chief Technical Officer).

wissPrimePack AG
The merger between Albiplast AG and Bellaplast AG

June 2008. Albiplast AG, Niederuzwil and Bellaplast AG, Altstätten (SG) will in future be taking the same path and merging with retrospective effect from 1 January 2008 to create SwissPrimePack AG with headquarters in Altstätten (SG). The new CEO and shareholder will be Jan Schürmann who is joining SwissPrimePack AG from the Neuhausen-based packaging group SIG.

The merger between Albiplast and Bellaplast brings together two Swiss companies with a history of tradition which have already been working closely together for many years. SwissPrimePack AG is therefore a logical step in order to combine the existing know-how to even better effect, to make joint use of the sales organization and to achieve relevant synergies in other areas such as in production.

Expansion of the market position through targeted growth
The new SwissPrimePack AG is today already strongly positioned in the consumer packaging market, specializing in plastic packaging - from yoghurt pots to ice cream packaging, through to coffee cups for vending machines. Development and manufacture is carried out for the food industry in Switzerland and neighboring countries, with the company’s own undertakings in France and England. The aim is to use this basis in future to press ahead strongly with the process of internationalization and in an initial step to broaden the position in the European market in particular. This process will be driven by the significantly expanded product offering following the merger, together with the clear objective to significantly increase future investment in the development of innovations and new technologies.

To this end the two Swiss production sites in Niederuzwil and Altstätten (SG) will be further expanded.

Everyone involved - above all the customers - will gain from the amalgamation of the two companies and the growth strategy associated with this step. Customers will benefit from an extended product range, greater flexibility in the services structure, enhanced specialist expertise and ideal production conditions.

Strengthening of the management team
The CEO of the newly-formed SwissPrimePack AG will be Jan Schürmann who is joining SwissPrimePack AG from the Neuhausen-based packaging group SIG (Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft). The 36-year old began his professional career in marketing at Nestlé and subsequently joined Andersen Business Consulting as a management consultant. He has been with SIG since 2002, holding various international management positions in Switzerland, the USA, China and Germany - latterly as Head of Global Marketing of SIG Combibloc.

At SwissPrimePack AG, Jan Schürmann will not only be taking on the role of the CEO but simultaneously shareholder of the newly-formed company. This is intended to ensure that the direction and development of the new company follows a long-term, business-driven approach.

SwissPrimePack AG is involved in the area of plastic food packaging and generates annual sales of around 80 million Swiss francs (50 million Euros) with around 200 employees. The new company will operate under the supervision of the previous Board of Directors of the two companies.