UK – PFF Group, one of the UK’s largest independent food packaging manufacturers, has acquired the UK arm of the Italian Sirap Group to expand presence in the UK thermoformed packaging industry.  

The acquisition of Sirap UK will see the two long-standing business in the packaging sector combine and help diversify PFF’s product range.  

“This investment forms a key part of the Group’s continued growth strategy,” PFF Group managing director Kenton Robbins said. 

Robbins noted that with Sirap UK, PFF will be able to increase its brand share of the UK’s thermoforming sector while providing a  fantastic opportunity for the company to manufacture a wider variety of products to a more diverse range of customers.  

“We look forward to realizing the significant synergies that Sirap UK and PFF Group have and the opportunities for growth and scale that this presents for the Group,” Robbins added.  

 Based in Keighley, family-owned PFF employs more than 250 people and supplies supermarkets, multinational food manufacturers, foodservice, and fresh produce companies across the country.

PFF also recently launched a health division with an investment of £2m and has been producing millions of disposable polythene aprons at its Washington site for use by frontline NHS and social care workers.  

Earlier in February, Sirap Group agreed to offload its German business and Austrian-based food packaging solutions company Petruzalek to Irish-owned Zeus Packaging. 

Petruzalek joined Sirap Group in 2003 and supplies a wide range of packaging and processing machines, equipment and packaging materials – such as films, trays and cups – in several categories including fish, meat, bakery, fruit and cheese. 

Meanwhile, Sirap Group acquired its German subsidiary in 2018 and saw it continue to supply food stretch films and foam trays. 

The deal with Zeus came shortly after Faerch acquired the Sirap food packaging business in Italy, Poland and Spain. 

The acquisition – which was made for an undisclosed sum – will further expand and strengthen Zeus Packaging’s geographic presence across 12 countries in Western, Central and Eastern Europe. 

With the sale of the UK business, Sirap Group will now only maintain control over its business in France. 

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