Weidenhammer Packaging Group

Weidenhammer Packaging Group (WPG) was a German, family-owned packaging manufacturer headquartered in Hockenheim, Baden-Württemberg. Founded in 1955 by Arthur Weidenhammer, the company grew into one of the leading producers of composite cans, composite drums, decorative tins and plastic packaging. Its products were used across food, pet food, cosmetics and household products, toys, garden products and tobacco products. The business remained in the hands of the Weidenhammer family until 2014, when all shares were sold to the U.S. packaging group Sonoco for a reported purchase price of EUR 286 million. The transaction closed on 31 October 2014, after which the production sites continued under the new company Sonoco Consumer Products Europe. WPG built its reputation on composite cans and drums, a packaging format developed after the Second World War as an alternative to tinplate cans. Roughly 90 percent of a composite can consists of recycled paper, while the base and closure are made of plastic or metal. The can wall is built from multiple material layers, combining an inner barrier layer of aluminium foil or a specific barrier material made from recycled cardboard with a laminated label as the outer layer. Wax or aluminium linings protect the contents against fat and moisture. WPG produced composite cans in round, oval and non-round formats with various fill heights and capacities from 50 millilitres up to 5 litres. In 2005 the company founded the Weidenhammer Plastic Packaging (WPP) division, expanding its portfolio into plastic packaging. WPP produced plastic packaging in Zwenkau and Bradford, mainly cups, cans and trays with a volume from 100 millilitres and buckets from 1 to 11.4 litres. These were manufactured using in-mould labelling, a process that combines packaging production and decoration in a single operation: the label is preferably made of the same plastic as the container, and the two parts fuse during processing without additional adhesives. This also offered advantages for later recycling, since label and container do not have to be separated. For sensitive products such as sterilised and pasteurised foods, plastic containers were produced by injection moulding. Before the sale to Sonoco, WPG operated production sites in Belgium, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Greece, the Netherlands, Russia and the United States, with individual plants specialising in particular products. The company was wholly owned by four shareholders, all members of the Weidenhammer family. After the acquisition, the business was integrated into Sonoco and the former official website was deleted, redirecting to Sonoco's European site.

Weidenhammer Packaging Group was founded in 1955 by Arthur Weidenhammer as a medium-sized company in Hockenheim. After winning major customers such as Colgate-Palmolive, Franck & Kathreiner and Sunlicht, the firm already employed 85 people by 1962. In 1977 it took over the Schmalbach-Lubeca works in Worms and Lübeck. By 1980 the composite can segment accounted for the largest share of the company's total sales for the first time. In the mid-1990s the company had to accept a drop in sales due to the introduction of the packaging ordinance, because many customers replaced composite drums with folding cartons. In 2005 the company founded the Weidenhammer Plastic Packaging (WPP) division and expanded its product portfolio to include plastic packaging. On 25 August 2014 it was announced that Weidenhammer Packaging Group would be acquired by U.S. competitor Sonoco for a purchase price of EUR 286 million. The transaction was completed on 31 October 2014. Subsequently, the production sites were continued under the new company Sonoco Consumer Products Europe. Before the sale of all shares to Sonoco, the company was family-owned, with all four shareholders coming from the Weidenhammer family. The WPG maintained production sites in Belgium, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Greece, the Netherlands, Russia and the United States, with the plants each specialising in certain products.

• 2005

  Founding of the Weidenhammer Plastic Packaging (WPP) division, expanding into plastic packaging.

• 1980

  The composite can segment achieves the largest share of total sales for the first time.

• 1977

  Takeover of the Schmalbach-Lubeca works in Worms and Lübeck.

• 1962

  The company employs 85 people after winning major customers such as Colgate-Palmolive, Franck & Kathreiner and Sunlicht.

• 1955

  Arthur Weidenhammer founds the company in Hockenheim.

• Announcement that Sonoco will acquire WPG for EUR 286 million.

• Completion of the acquisition by Sonoco; sites continue as Sonoco Consumer Products Europe.

Leading European manufacturer of composite cans and drums, later expanded into plastic packaging; family-owned until 2014, then integrated into Sonoco.

• Composite cans

  Round, oval and non-round formats with capacities from 50 ml to 5 litres; about 90% recycled paper with plastic or metal base and closure, barrier layers of aluminium foil or barrier material, and laminated labels.

• Composite drums

  Composite drums used in food, pet food, cosmetics, household, toy, garden and tobacco applications.

• Decorative tins

  Decorative tins produced by the company.

• Plastic packaging (WPP)

  Cups, cans and trays from 100 ml and buckets from 1 to 11.4 litres, made using in-mould labelling; injection-moulded containers for sterilised and pasteurised foods.

1. 1Weidenhammer Packaging Group – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org
2. 2Weidenhammer Packaging Group – Wikidatawikidata.org