Tray co-operation for the beverage industry
position as a supplier of trays to the beverage industry by buying
out the corresponding operation within Arca Systems.
Finnish company K. Hartwall has said it has strengthened its market position as a supplier of trays to the beverage industry by buying out the corresponding operation within Arca Systems.
The new collaboration with Arca means that K. Hartwall can now supply all its customers with a wider product range based on the companies' joint expertise.
K. Hartwall is taking over the marketing & development of distribution and merchandising systems for the beverage industry, in which the tray plays an important role. The beverage tray developed by Hartwall in Finland in the 1990s has met with international acceptance, and today the trays are the predominant load-carrier for beers and soft drinks in the Nordic region.
The beverage tray is a new way of distributing beverages, whereby costs are saved by effectively combining distribution with good merchandising in stores. The trays are suitable for soft drinks, beers, wines and spirits in both PET and glass bottles as well as cans.
"Thanks to the collaboration with Arca Systems, we now have access to their modern, highly automated production units worldwide. This enables us to produce close to the customer, thereby reducing costs," said John Hartwall, president of K. Hartwall.
"The trays are increasingly used in display solutions where there is a demand for supplementary products and systems, so it is partly outside our core business of manufacturing plastic products for materials handling. There is good market potential for the trays internationally, and we believe that continued expansion will benefit from a stronger, focused company within the segment," said Wiking Henricsson, president & CEO of Arca Systems.
K. Hartwall, established 1932, is a leading manufacturer of materials handling equipment for the retail, dairy and beverage industries. It has exports to most European countries, the Middle East, South Africa and Australia. K. Hartwall's production units are located in Sipoo, outside Helsinki, Finland. The company has a turnover of €30 million and 240 employees.
Arca Systems operates in 30 countries in Europe, North America and Asia, and is a market leader in products and systems for materials handling. Arca Systems' head office is located in Perstorp, southern Sweden. The company has a turnover of almost SKr2 billion (€220m), and approximately 900 employees.
