RPC expands presence in North America with major investment at Pennsylvania facility

Established in 2005, the Morgantown factory now employs approximately 120 people, offering injection molding and thermoforming of packs, as well as assembly. Major markets served include beverages and coffee systems, cosmetics and food.

The multi-million dollar investment, valued at upwards of 10 million USD, at RPC Bramlage-Wiko USA has seen a near doubling in size of the production area to around 120,000 sq ft. 

As well as providing for the growth of existing and new business, the new facility will enable the site to introduce IML to its technology portfolio.

RPC Group said the expanded facility underlines its commitment to continue to develop its operations outside of Europe in order to better support its customers in all areas of the world.  

This itself is part of the group's Vision 2020 strategy, a focused growth strategy aimed at building RPC Group’s ‘strong market positions, leading innovation capabilities and the success of its investment programs’. Key components of Vision 2020 are continued organic growth in selected areas of the plastic packaging markets, selective consolidation of European plastic packaging market through targeted acquisitions and establishing a meaningful presence outside Europe.

RPC is targeting the following KPIs which will be used to measure its financial progress going forward: a minimum 20 percent return on net operating assets, an adjusted return on sales of at least eight percent, maintaining a progressive dividend policy targeting 2.5x cover through the cycle and continued targeting of a return on capital employed of 20 percent for its existing business portfolio.

In addition to the investment at Morgantown, RPC Group is also planning to further develop its other US businesses, which currently include a manufacturing facility for M&H Plastics in Winchester, Virginia and a sales office for RPC Superfos in Cumberland, Maryland.

RPC Group chief executive Pim Vervaat said: ‘A key focus of our Vision 2020 strategy is to achieve a meaningful presence outside Europe, and supporting and further developing our North American operations is an important part of this.

‘Morgantown has played a crucial role in our success to date in this market and this additional capacity will further enhance the level of localised support that we can offer our customers in the region.’

Pictured: RPC Group chief executive Pim Vervaat (center) officially opened the expanded US manufacturing facility in Morgantown on September 4