ALPLA
A World Leader in Innovative Plastic Packaging Solutions
is Expanding in the United States
Depiction of the ALPLA injection molding process
PHOTO: ALPLA
ALPLA is a world leader in the development and production of innovative plastic packaging solutions, producing systems, bottles, caps, and injection-molded parts for a variety of industries. The family-owned company maintains 177 locations across four continents in forty-five countries, employing some 22,100 people. The company’s turnover in 2021 was €4 billion.
Austrian Beginnings
ALPLA was founded in 1955 by two brothers, Helmuth and Alwin Lehner, as Alpenplastik Lehner Alwin GmbH in the town of Hard, which is located in the state of Vorarlberg in western Austria. The brothers started out in their parents’ laundry room, which they converted into a production hall. Three years later, Alwin Lehner built the company’s first in-house machine—the Alplamat. The first bottles for glass cleaners were produced in 1959. Continuous development of this series of machines laid the foundation for the company’s technology leadership, which has been growing around the globe since.
The company today has a standard product catalog of over 600 standard packagings, including bottles, jars, canisters, closures, tubes, and capsules. Those come in all shapes and sizes to meet customer demand, and can be found on store shelves worldwide, containing anything from cleaning products to beauty products and also pharmaceuticals. ALPLA produces its own tools to manufacture these items, ensuring independence from external suppliers.
In addition, sustainability has been at the forefront of ALPLA’s innovation process with investments in recycling and in the development of bio-based and biodegradable plastics. Specifically, the company has invested an average of €50 million per year into the recyclability of plastics since 2021. This process has been summarized in ALPLA’s annual Sustainability Reports, which detail the company’s progress not only in the field of bio-friendly plastics, but also in reducing emissions in the production process. All Austrian sites have already transitioned to electricity from renewable sources by 2020, and the effort is ongoing globally.
ALPLA in North America
ALPLA North America is headquartered in McDonough, Georgia and was established in 2001. Today, the company manufactures its products in seventeen locations across the United States, employing some 1,400 people in the country. The products in the United States include bottles and caps for the beverage and food industries, as well as for the beauty- and home care markets. This includes bottles, jars, canisters and their closures, as well as tubes and also Nespresso-compatible coffee capsules that are biodegradable and certified for home composting. Containers come in all shapes and sizes, and many of the brand-name products in American households are in a container made by ALPLA.
Towards the end of 2021, the company announced plans to break ground for a new facility in Kansas City. The 250,000 sq. ft. manufacturing plant will be dedicated to injection molding and create seventy-five jobs. “We are excited about our new Kansas City site, which represents a key element of our growth strategy and our continued commitment to the expansion of our injection-molding capabilities,” James Rooney, Managing Director, ALPLA North America said. The planned facility will already be ALPLA’s fourth in the State of Missouri. The company cited the Kansas City region’s central location and strong community relationships as key drivers for the decision. The new facility is scheduled to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2022.
For more information, visit
https://www.alpla.com