HUHTAMÄKI OYJ STOCK EXCHANGE RELEASE 3.6.2009 AT 14.00
Huhtamaki sells its rigid plastic consumer goods business in Brazil to Dixie Toga S.A. and in Argentina to American Plast S.A., both subsidiaries of Bemis Company, Inc. The annual net sales of the divested business is some EUR 60 million and it currently employs some 640 people. The agreed value for the transaction is EUR 30 million.
"This sale represents an excellent outcome to the review of our rigid plastic consumer goods business in South America and supports the strategy execution", says Huhtamäki Oyj's CEO Jukka Moisio. "We are also genuinely pleased to have Bemis as the buyer and are confident that they will be a good owner for this business."
"We will continue to review the remaining rigid plastic consumer goods operations in Europe and in Australia. In South America, we will continue to operate our flexibles and rough molded fiber packaging units."
The divested business includes three manufacturing units in Brazil and one in Argentina. The units in Brazil serve mainly large multinational customers with dairy, ice cream and edible fats packaging, while the unit in Argentina serves local foodservice markets.
For further information, please contact:
Jukka Moisio, CEO, tel. +358 (0)10 686 7801
Timo Salonen, CFO, tel. +358(0)10 686 7880
HUHTAMÄKI OYJ
Group Communications
Huhtamaki Group is a leading manufacturer of consumer and specialty packaging with 2008 net sales totaling EUR 2.3 billion. Foodservice and consumer goods markets are served by approximately 14,000 people in 65 manufacturing units and several sales offices in 35 countries. The parent company, Huhtamäki Oyj, has its head office in Espoo, Finland and is listed on the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki Ltd. Additional information is available at www.huhtamaki.com.