Packaging company Mpact on Wednesday opened its expanded corrugated plant in Port Elizabeth.

The expansion of the 100-year-old Port Elizabeth plant is part of Mpact Corrugated’s extensive modernisation programme which has included investments of more than R800-million over the past six years.

“The expansion extends Mpact Corrugated’s national manufacturing footprint, which enables us to consistently offer the highest levels of quality and service to our customers,” said Mpact Corrugated MD Johan Stumpf.

He added that the project was finished on time and within budget.

Mpact’s R150-million investment into the carton manufacturing facility is centred around a high-tech corrugator, which was supplied by German machine supplier BHS.

“The new machine more than doubles the factory’s capacity, while improving quality, production efficiencies and key sustainability metrics such as energy use. This is geared towards growth in demand for citrus packaging in the Eastern Cape on the back of substantial investments by Mpact’s customers in the sector,” explained Stumpf.

Mpact will also install a fully integrated printing and converting machine, as well as a flat-bed die-cutter. Both are on schedule for completion during the second half of this year.

“Our capital investments across the Mpact group, such as the Port Elizabeth facility, a recently commissioned R765-million Felixon paper mill project, and a new R100-million jumbo bin injection-moulding machine, are all geared towards ensuring that customers get value for product,” said Mpact Group CEO Bruce Strong.

Meanwhile, Mpact reduces the amount of waste going to landfill each year. “Besides these projects, we opened a new facility last year for recycling paperboard-based milk and juice cartons – an investment of R50-million.

The paperboard-based recycling goes hand-in-hand with Mpact’s paper recycling business and polyethylene terephthalate bottle recycling plant, which was commissioned in 2015 and currently supplies recycled PET for use in new beverage bottles.