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Milacron gets new owner


Private investment firm Bain Capital has taken a major shareholding in plastics machinery manufacturer Milacron. Bain will buy an owner-


ship stake of around 51% of Milacron for US$287 million, subject to custom- ary closing adjustments. Current owner Hillenbrand will retain a stake of around 49%. The transaction is


expected to close at the end of the company’s fiscal second quarter or begin- ning of the fiscal third quarter. “With manufacturers


increasingly focused on supply-chain resilience and domestic production, we believe the US is entering a manufacturing renaissance that will create significant opportunities for industry leaders like Milacron,” said Matt Evans, a partner at Bain Capital Special Situations. �www.milacron.com


Italy expects dip in 2024 machine sales


Italian sales of plastics and rubber processing machin- ery are expected to fall by around 9% in 2024, accord- ing to a full-year forecast. Amaplast, which repre- sents manufacturers, said sales fell to an estimated value of €4.35 billion, due mainly to a reduction in exports to around €3.25bn. At the same time, weak domestic demand reduced imports by 15%. Sales to Europe – the main


export market – fell by around five percentage


points, due mainly to dips in Spain and Poland. However, sales to Germany, Turkey and the UK were healthy. Sales to the Americas showed “little dynamism”, said Amaplast. Sales to Mexico were healthy, while those to the US were slower. In South America, Brazil remained the leading market, but there were slowdowns in Argen- tina, Peru and Chile. There was a sharp growth in sales to Asia, especially China, India, Thailand and Indone- sia. In Africa, strong sales to


sub-Saharan countries (such as South Africa) were offset by weaker sales to Mediter- ranean countries – though both Morocco saw a positive result.


“It is not easy to make


predictions for 2025,” said Massimo Margaglione, president of Amaplast. “The ability to adapt to changing markets – and propose technologically advanced solutions – must be balanced against the growing com- plexity of global scenarios.” �www.amaplast.org


Arterex expands in Adroit move


US-based contract manufac- turer Arterex has bought Adroit USA – which special- ises in medical device manufacturing.


It says the acquisition will


help it expand its medical manufacturing and machin- ing capabilities. Adroit has two ISO 13485-certified manufactur-


ing facilities in Bangalore, India and an engineering applications development lab in California. It has over 650 employees and special- ises in high-precision injection-moulded plastic components and other parts. “Through this integration,


we are able to provide a breadth of new manufactur-


ing capabilities,” said Jeffery Goble, CEO of Arterex. “These enhanced manufac- turing capabilities position us to serve customers in every corner of the globe.” The takeover means that


Arterex now has 11 manu- facturing facilities on four continents. � https://arterexmedical.com


Orbis plans to open Texas plant in 2026 IMAGE: ORBIS 6


Oribis, which makes reusable packag- ing such as totes and pallets, is opening a new manufacturing plant in Greenville, Texas. The plant – about 50 miles from Dallas – will have 420,000 sq ft of manufacturing space and 240,000 sq ft of warehouse space. The company has repurposed and modernised an existing facility. A phased installation will include 16 presses in 2025, with room for future expansion. The plant is expected to be in full production by


INJECTION WORLD | January/February 2025


spring 2025 – and create more than 190 new jobs within three years. “This brings us much-needed capacity and space to support the growing needs of our customers – who are turning to reusable packaging to add supply chain efficiency and sustainability,” said Norm Kukuk, president of Orbis. The new plant will enable Orbis to


raise production and expand its geographic reach, he added. �www.orbiscorporation.com


www.injectionworld.com


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