South American BOPP and CPP film supplier enters North American market

South American BOPP and CPP film manufacturer Opp Film, SA, a subsidiary of Oben Holding Group, announced that it will immediately begin supply of its bi-axially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) and cast polypropylene (CPP) films to firms in Mexico, Canada and the United States. The company recently established a North American distribution and technical support subsidiary in Houston to facilitate Opp's move into the North American market. Under the name Packfilm North America Inc., the division will be headed by Steve Brandt, a 30-year industry veteran, who serves as president. Diana Hidalgo Durand is VP sales and logistics.

Opp film line

To accommodate increased demand from entering the North American market, the company is installing a new BOPP line, increasing total capacity to 165,000 tonnes. The company is also installing a new CPP line capable of making film 6.2m wide. The new Bruckner machine will be the largest cast film machine in the world, according the company's representative. Currently, they can make cast film 4.8 meters wide, and have a capacity of 15,000 tonnes.

"We're expanding to take on additional markets and to be able to serve North America more efficiently," said Alfredo Barreda, corporate vice president for Opp Film SA, in an interview at Pack Expo. "We are very strategic in our growth and have a plan, and now we are executing it."

Currently, the company exports 65% of its BOPP and CPP film, but with the expansion, Latham expects that to increase to 85%. Currently the leading markets for the company are in Central and South America.

"The markets and applications for BOPP and cast-film products, especially in the flexible packaging area have increased greatly during the past few years by an average of more than 7% annually," said Barreda. "We have experienced significant growth passed on our new investments."

Barreda noted that Peru has free trade agreements with both the U.S. and Canada, so the company will benefit from duty-free shipping to its distribution in Houston. Currently the U.S. is the second largest market for Peru, added Barreda. However, the company exports to 23 countries and has more than 1000 employees.