SubscribeTransferred reorganisation of Adolf Lony KG to Cellpack Packaging AG. The Cellpack Group secures more than 130 workplaces in Lauterecken over the long term.
Within the context of a transferred reorganisation, the Cellpack Group, from Wohlen, Switzerland, took over the assets of Adolf Lony KG in Lauterecken on the 1st of September. Through the conclusion of the reorganisation tariff contract, the works council and the insolvency administration have been able to save 130 of the original 150 workplaces over the long term. The Cellpack Group is already active in the area of Flexible Packaging on the basis of the Flexodruck process, and can now also offer its customers gravure products from its own production as a result of this takeover.
Paul Wieschermann, the insolvency manager, explained: “The transparent and convincing concept of the investor, combined with a long-term location and employment guarantee, convinced both ourselves and the creditors. Once the current investment jam has been cleared, there will once again be a competitive company in Lauterecken with good, long-term growth prospects.”
The Cellpack Group took over all assets of Adolf Lony KG, which has been insolvent since the 1st of August, from the 1st of September. The operational location and the business goal, the refining of packaging films for the foodstuff industry, remain unchanged. The takeover company is Cellpack Packaging GmbH, a 100% subsidiary of the Swiss Cellpack Group.
Friedrich Mumenthaler, head of the Packaging business division of the Cellpack Group, explained further: “For a long time now, our customers have wanted a complete provider who could offer them packaging solutions on the basis of Flexodruck and gravure printing. The motivation and the flexibility of the team in Lauterecken, as well as the constantly high quality of the products, which has been achieved despite very difficult conditions, were the convincing factors for us.”
“It is only thanks to the tireless efforts of the works council that the reorganisation contract could be signed with the ver.di trade union after several weeks of negotiations. The long-term continuation of the company would not have been possible without this. Today, however, we would, above all, like to offer a hearty welcome to the new employees of our group” said Peter Hauser, the managing partner of the Cellpack Group. Hans-Peter Bult, the chairman of the works council of Lony KG, added, “The hard but fair negotiations carried out directly with the new owner convinced us of the continuation concept. We are certain that we have found the partner that best matches us, and we look forward with pleasure to calmer days.”
The Cellpack Holding AG, Wohlen, in Switzerland, is an industrial holding company with the business areas of office automation, electronic and electrical products, plastics technology and flexible packaging. The Group has 830 employees, 50 of whom are apprentices, and achieves a turnover of € 160 Mio. On the basis of an equity capital ratio of around 60%, the Group will continue to expand individual companies in the future in a targeted manner.
Contact Cellpack: Peter J. Hauser
Tel: +41 (0) 79 610 2710
Contact Insolvency Administration: Paul Wieschmann
Tel: +49 (0) 631 341 85 30
Fax: +49 (0) 631 470 269
Cellpack Packaging GmbH
Hauptstrasse 20
OUR GERMAN SUBSIDIARY
As the Swiss would say, Cellpack packaging in Villmergen has gained a “little sister”…which is basically correct, but not quite, because Cellpack Packaging GmbH in Lauterecken is larger. It has 130 employees, and achieves a turnover of more than CHF 38 Mio.
For football fans, Lauterecken is 40 kilometres north of Kaiserslautern, and, for frequent flyers, one and a half hour’s southwest of Frankfurt. With this company, we have acquired a well-known name in the market for flexible packagings, as well as the possibility of also offering gravure printing from our own companies, and, last but not least, a strong foothold in Germany, our second-most-important market.
The economic aspect is, however, only one side of the coin. We were also looking for a company that matched our activities, where the people have similar values to our own and are also prepared to make their contribution to success.
Together, we are well represented within Europe, and can now count well-known names such as Haribo with its fruit gums, Lorenz Snack World (formerly Bahlsen) with crisps and snacks, and Zabler, the first address in Germany for pasta, amongst our circle of customers. But high turnovers have also been made with names that are not so familiar here, such as the SCC Group (Scandinavia’s largest producer of snacks with production locations in Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland), and Harry’s in France for cakes and brioche. A further important business line for the enterprise in Lauterecken is the strongly booming sector of meat and sausage packaging.
Above all in markets in which there is strong competitive pressure - and flexible packaging is undoubtedly one of these - it is important to expand the transaction volume with existing customers. Thanks to our group of companies, we are now able to offer our customers printed roll format, compound rolls and bags, regardless of the printing process used. So as to say, “everything from a single source”. This should not be underestimated, as the marketing people of brand-name article manufacturers have different ideas regarding the value of the Flexodruck and gravure print technologies.
In collaboration with a subcontractor, Cellpack Packaging GmbH in Lauterecken also has the know-how to offer extrusion-laminated composite films, the use of which is being considered by an increasing number of companies as this process offers improved barrier characteristics for the product, as well as a more appealing presentation in the shelves of retail traders as a result of the handiness and stability of the bag.
Traditionally, gravure printing has been the leading printing process for flexible packaging, because the image reproduction is clearly defined and allows high printing speeds. This is possible because the printing plate is a polished and engraved steel cylinder. Flexodruck has gone through a rapid development over the last ten years, and has blossomed from “potato-cut printing” into a printing process that has a quality similar to that of gravure printing. Today, they are differentiated less by the “print quality” than by the optical effect that the packaging should have on the shelves in the shop. Gravure printing is preferred for a photo-realistic image reproduction, while Flexodruck is chosen for an attractive appearance. This statement alone, however, could keep the specialists arguing for hours!
We sales people are happy that we can nowadays listen to our customers, and no longer have to defend a printing process. In the future, and as a result of the acquisition in Germany, it will be possible for us to offer the customers an even better service with the same high quality, with a considerably expanded product portfolio that is rounded off with gravure printing.