NEWS
Berry boosts profits
Investment raises PE film output in Louisiana
US-based film and bag producer Mid South Extrusion (MSE) is investing US$12.5 million to raise capacity at its facility in Monroe, Louisiana. The expansion, which is
expected to create 12 new jobs at the Monroe facility, includes the installation of two new polyethylene extrusion lines – as well as modifications to accommo- date them. The company also plans to build new raw material storage silos and add a new HVAC system. The new lines will allow the company to increase
production of PE film. MSE supplies customers in a range of sectors, including agriculture, consumer products and food and beverage. The new production lines
are expected to become operational in early 2026, to support increased demand for food and industrial packaging. “This investment marks a
strategic advancement in our capabilities – significant- ly increasing production capacity and enabling us to serve our customers with greater speed, consistency,
and flexibility,” said Mark Kent Anderson, executive vice president of sales and marketing at MSE. This is the company’s
second expansion in recent months. In September 2024, it announced a US$17m investment for two similar production lines to support growing consumer demand. The company, founded in 1986 as a small blown-film company with one produc- tion line and four employ- ees, now operates 16 production lines and has more than 240 employees. �
www.msefilms.com
Packaging major Berry Global has announced flat sales but increased profits for the first half of the year. The company – which has just completed a merger with Amcor – reported sales of US$4.9 billion, which was margin- ally ahead of last year’s first-half result. However, it also posted
a profit of US$543 million for the period – about 56% up on the same period in 2024. “We delivered a solid second quarter result, with all three of our segments delivering positive volumes,” accordingto Kevin Kwilinski, CEO of Berry. The latest quarter saw similar flat sales but a doubling in profits. This was attributed to higher selling prices – due to the pass-through of higher polymer costs – and 2% organic volume growth, said the company. �
www.berryglobal.com
Packaging M&As strong in first quarter
PMCF, a consultancy that tracks mergers and acquisitions in the packaging industry, recorded 26 deals in March 2025. This was lower than the 32 deals
seen in February, but ahead of the 20 deals see in March 2024. “Strong activity in the first two months of 2025, combined with steady March deal volume, pushed Q1 totals above prior-year levels,” said PMCF.
4 FILM & SHEET EXTRUSION | May 2025
The year-on-year increase was driven mainly by strong activity in rigid packaging, printing/labels and protective packaging – which doubled their deal volume compared to Q1 2024. Overall, the global packaging M&A market closed ended first quarter strongly – 28 deals ahead of last year. Deals involving either two domestic entities or two foreign entities account- ed for nearly 93% of total M&A activity
in the month, as cross-border deals slowed “due to macroeconomic headwinds related to tariffs”. The consumer end market recorded
a quarter, with 36% of all activity – well above historical averages. The indus- trial end market represented only 30% of total M&A activity in same period – compared to 40% in each of the past two years. �
www.pmcf.com
www.filmandsheet.com
IMAGE: MID SOUTH EXTRUSION
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