Amcor provides new on

Rick Lingle | Apr 26, 2017

Amcor Rigid Plastics (Ann Arbor, MI) expands its relationship with long-time customer Campbell Soup Co. (Camden, NJ) with the opening of an on-site bottle manufacturing operation in Paris, TX.

Amcor's new in-line operation is expected to produce approximately 50 million hot-fillable polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles each year. Campbell's increased access to packaging will also deliver sustainability benefits including reduced freight costs and carbon emissions, and enhanced operational efficiencies.

"We’re excited about establishing this on-site operation because it expands our long-time strategic partnership with Campbell and gives us an opportunity to better serve a key strategic customer," says Larry Weber, vice president and general manager of Amcor's North American beverage business unit.

Amcor invested $7 million to repurpose 6,000 square feet of the Paris manufacturing facility including site preparation, machinery and installation.

The on-site operation will produce 46oz and 64oz PET containers for a variety of V8 Vegetable Juice products.

PlasticsToday confirmed that this is a direct and literal through-the-wall in-line application. "Amcor's bottles are essentially part of their manufacturing line," offers Weber.

The on-site production of hot-fill PET bottles will keep more than 2,000 truckloads of containers off the road each year and eliminate more than 376 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions; that's equivalent to 901,246 miles driven annually by an average passenger vehicle, according to Amcor. Previously, the vendor supplied Campbell with PET containers from Amcor's Fort Worth, TX, manufacturing plant.

Since 2004, Amcor has operated an on-site blow molding operation at Campbell's beverage production plant in Napoleon, OH, where it produces 150 million hot-fill PET containers annually.

Amcor has strong expertise in running on-site manufacturing operations with similar hot-fill facilities located at several beverage filling plants throughout the U.S.

Replying to PlasticsToday's additional questions about the experience, Weber responds, "every site is unique and yes, there are always lessons learned and continuous improvements made. Paris challenged us to use less space, while still achieving quality product. Considering the smaller size and output of the volume we had to think holistically and efficiently about every aspect of the facility—achieved thanks to Amcor's long-term partnership with Campbell Soup."

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