ASG Sells U.S., Mexico and Asia Gravure Assets to Amcor

Sale allows ASG to focus on core packaging segments and growing regions

STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AGI-Shorewood Group (ASG), a leading global specialty-packaging manufacturer, today announced it has sold its gravure assets in the United States, Mexico and Asia to Amcor Limited, the world’s largest packaging company.

“ASG remains dedicated to the flawless supply of award-winning packaging to our customers in the consumer products and home entertainment segments.”

“The sale of select gravure assets to Amcor is a strategic milestone that helps ASG focus our energy and investment on customers in our core North America and Europe specialty-packaging markets and on growing regions across Asia, Poland, and Latin America including Mexico,” said Mike Ukropina, President and CEO of AGI-Shorewood Group. “ASG remains dedicated to the flawless supply of award-winning packaging to our customers in the consumer products and home entertainment segments.”

“The acquisition strengthens our value proposition to customers in three critical areas,” said Peter Konieczny, President, Amcor Tobacco Packaging. “Through the acquisition, we expand our presence in the emerging markets of Asia and Latin America, enhance our innovation capabilities, and welcome strong new talent into our organisation, all focused on meeting the needs of our global and regional customers.”

While ASG will exit tobacco packaging and gravure printing in most of its regions globally, the company will continue to own and operate its Smiths Falls, Canada plant which provides innovative consumer gravure packaging like MagneteX — the world’s first automated inline process for creating magnetized product packaging.

With this transaction complete, Ukropina said the company can now focus on serving its packaging customers in health and beauty, pharmaceutical, confectionery, home entertainment, consumer electronics, spirits, and sporting goods through its 19 plants and eight creative services centers worldwide. “We believe the intense focus of an organization — in terms of customer service, innovation, capital and operational excellence — is the pathway to great performance for our customers and ultimately for our shareholders,” he said. “At the same time, Amcor gains a strong tobacco packaging business to enhance their global platform. We wish Amcor and our talented former employees great success, and we will work to ensure a smooth transition for customers and operations in the coming months.”

Moving forward, ASG continues to operate manufacturing facilities on four continents — North America, Europe, Asia and Latin America. In addition, ASG maintains creative services offices in the U.S., U.K., France, China and Australia, as well as plastic injection-molding plants in the U.S., U.K., Germany and Poland.

About Amcor

Amcor Limited is a global leader in responsible packaging solutions, employing more than 33,000 people worldwide and operating in 42 countries across 300 sites. Amcor supplies a broad range of plastic (rigid and flexible), fiber, metal and glass packaging solutions to enhance the products consumers use in everyday life. Amcor also provides packaging-related services that help customers succeed through collaboration and innovation driven by art and science. Amcor is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, and is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange. Visit www.amcor.com for more information.

About ASG

ASG, which is comprised of two separate legal entities — AGI-Shorewood U.S. and AGI-Shorewood International — is a leading specialty packaging company that delivers innovative packaging solutions for the world’s premier consumer brands. Key packaging segments ASG serves include health and beauty, pharmaceutical, home entertainment, consumer electronics, confectionery and specialty foods, spirits, and sporting goods. AGI-Shorewood U.S. and AGI-Shorewood International collectively employ 3,000 people, operating 19 lithographic, flexographic, digital, and specialty gravure print and injection-molded plastics manufacturing facilities in North America, Europe, Asia, and Latin America with eight creative services centers in the U.S., U.K., France, China, and Australia. For more details about ASG products and services, visit www.asg-worldwide.com.