UFLEX Group is the still-new name for the former Flex Group. The company is one of the world’s five largest manufacturers of flexible packaging films (flexible laminates & pouches, plain and metalized BOPET/BOPP/CPP/coextruded films). The processor, based in Noida, India, is taking a major step forward in its international operations by investing in a large facility in Europe. This first European plastic film processing facility will be located near Poznan, Poland.

The plant is being set up under the aegis of Flex Film Europa Sp.z.o.o. Initially the facility will house an 8.7m-wide, 500-m/min line for producing biaxially oriented polyester (BOPET) film as well as a high-barrier plasma enhanced vacuum metalizing plant near Poznan in central Poland. Once running, this BOPET film plant will be capable of turning out about 36,000 tonnes (about 80 million lb) of film annually. The total investment in the first phase will be $90 million and the plant is due to start commercial production in mid-2012, according to UFLEX.

The UFLEX Group has annual revenues are about INR40 billion ($870 million) realized at its film processing plants in India, Dubai, Mexico, and Egypt. As cited earlier, the company is installing two more new 8.7m BOPET film lines, one each at its Mexico and Egypt facilities—and a new cast polypropylene (CPP) film line is under commissioning in Egypt. With the lines presently under installation, UFLEX figures to emerge as one of the world’s top three BOPET film producers. —Matt Defosse