Nordenia (Greven, Germany) says it is investing €3 million in its facility in Osterburken, Germany. The investment includes construction of a new production hall (see photo) where, starting next month, a new three-layer blown film extrusion line will be housed. The Osterburken facility extrudes film for food packaging for sale throughout Europe. The expansion also will lead to hiring of three new employees, bringing total employment at the site to 93. Worldwide, Nordenia employs about 3000.

The new line, the 13^th there, will raise the Osterburken site's capacity from 22,000 tonnes/yr to 26,000 tonnes/yr.

Staying in Germany, the Bilcare Solutions division of the Bilcare Research Group has installed a new PET film extrusion line at its site in Staufen, Germany. "The capacity extension enables us with immediate effect to serve the strong demand in the fast growing market of shrink film for sleeve applications even better than before," said Heinz Gärtner, chairman of Bilcare Research AG.

The Group operates 13 sites and employs about 2300, with sales in 2010 hitting 270 million. Total  film extrusion capacity is around 120,000 tonnes of films per annum. Bilcare, based in Pune, India, was a major processor there but put its stamp on the global industry when in August 2010 it spent approximately $130 million to acquire the global film extrusion operation of Ineos, one of the world's largest suppliers of petrochemicals and plastics. That purchase included Ineos' films operations, assets and personnel in North America, Europe and Asia.