Metsä Board, a leading European producer of premium fresh fibre paperboards and part of Metsä Group, and the Finnish start-up company Esbottle have been jointly developing an ecological and appealing paperboard flute cup concept that meets the need to reduce the use of plastic. The newly designed paperboard cup is a stylish solution for celebration drinks, as well as lightweight and easy to transport and recycle. It can be personalised using traditional printing methods and special effects. Esbottle, based in Espoo, develops innovative, responsible and high-quality solutions for the beverage and food industry. The innovative shape of the paperboard cup is the result of collaboration between Esbottle and Metsä Board's packaging design team. The classic flute shaped design consists of two parts enabling the cup and base sections to be stored inside each other so they can be transported and recycled efficiently.

C-P Flexible Packaging announces the acquisition of privately held Bass Flexible Packaging, Inc. (Bass). With the addition of Bass, C-P expands into the highly attractive confectionary and health & beauty markets and adds state of the art short run and short lead time capabilities. C-P is a long-standing portfolio company of First Atlantic Capital, a New York based private equity firm. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Located in Lakeville, MN, Bass has developed a customer-centric service model supported by nimble assets and systems enabling the company to meet short lead times for a wide breadth of order quantities. Bass produces a variety of stand-up pouches, premade bags and shrink sleeves. This strategic investment complements C-P Flexible Packaging’s best-in-class converting capabilities. C-P Flexible Packaging’s North American footprint now consists of 11 locations with over 1,000 employees. According to C-P Flexible Packaging CEO Mike Hoffman, “The Shaffers have developed one of the most agile service models in the industry at Bass, with precision focus on the market’s need for short lead times and run lengths. Combining this unique strength with their high-growth end markets complements C-P’s strategic initiatives in these areas. We are excited to welcome the Bass family to our team!”

DS Smith will acquire Corrugated Container Corporation (CCC), for an undisclosed amount, to boost its box-making capacity. It will acquire four CCC facilities in North America in Tennessee, North Carolina and two sites in Virginia, which employs more than 190 people. Click Read More below for additional information.