Media contact: Anke Peinemann, Head of Corporate ... - THIMM

PRESS RELEASE
Thimm Verpackung enters Polish market:
Thimm Verpackung and Saica acquire corrugated packaging business of TOP
Northeim, Germany, July 18, 2011: German company Thimm Verpackung has
signed an agreement to acquire the corrugated packaging division of Tektura
Opakowania Papier (TOP), a company based in the southern Polish town of
Tychy. The manufacturer of corrugated board transport and sales packaging,
which achieved a turnover of 17 million euro in 2010, employing 170 people, will
be taken over after approval by the Polish anti-monopoly office. The company
will be jointly owned by the Northeim-based packaging specialist Thimm, with a
51 percent stake, and Spanish company Saica (S.A. Industrias Celulosa
Aragonesa), with a 49 percent stake. These two family businesses have been
working together in a strategic sales alliance since the late 1990s. TOP’s paper
and board divisions are not part of the acquisition deal.
Jeremiasz Zaleski, General Manager of TOP Packaging Division says: “My colleagues
and I are delighted that we have been acquired by two such prestigious international
Companies who have previously not been present in the Polish market. Significant
additional investment is planned, to increase our capacity and widen our capabilities,
which we are confident will make TOP an even more attractive supplier to an extended
range of local, national and multi-national customers.”
This move into the Polish market will also allow Thimm Verpackung to continue its
growth strategy in Central & Eastern Europe. The Northeim-based family business is
already operating its own production facilities in the Czech Republic and Romania.
With the newly acquired plant in South Poland, Thimm is now in a position to serve
much of Poland and neighbouring export markets. The company thus increases its
appeal, especially to major international key accounts. Such companies are
increasingly centralising their purchasing and therefore select European suppliers who
can offer services over extensive geographical areas.
Jens Fokuhl, Managing Director of the Thimm Group explains: ‘Strategic takeovers
such as the acquisition of TOP in Poland are key part of our growth strategy. We thus
continue to focus on the internationalisation of our business and are developing the
largest Eastern European market in the EU for our packaging operations.’
Media contact:
Anke Peinemann, Head of Corporate Communications, THIMM – THE HIGHPACK GROUP,
Tel. +49 (0) 5551 703 414, email: anke.peinemann@thimm.de

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Per-capita consumption of corrugated cardboard in Eastern Europe currently lies well
below that of Western Europe. Thimm expects substantial growth thanks to positive
economic development in the region, especially in Poland.
Fokuhl continues: ‘Both TOP's business model and their client and product portfolio
match our operations ideally. TOP specialises in high-quality printed packaging, their
technical facilities are good.’ These factors were pivotal in Thimm’s decision to enter
the Polish market through acquisition.
Susana Alejandro, Managing Director of Saica Pack says: “The acquisition is part of
Saica’s long-term strategy to become a global player in Europe. Saica has ambitious
expansion plans with regard to corrugated business in Poland in order to strengthen
Saica’s long term commitment to its customers and the key importance of the Polish
market for the group.”
Thimm has been working together with well-positioned companies such as Saica for
many years with the aim to furthering its internationalisation based on a long-term
strategy and is planning to achieve further growth within the framework of strategic
partnerships and investments.
Media contact:
Anke Peinemann, Head of Corporate Communications, THIMM – THE HIGHPACK GROUP,
Tel. +49 (0) 5551 703 414, email: anke.peinemann@thimm.de