Huhtamaki has sold its confectionary trademark portfolio to Highlander Partners, a US based investment firm. Related to the sale, an after taxes gain of approximately USD 16 million will be booked as an item affecting comparability (IAC) during the second quarter of 2018. The sold trademark portfolio was related to Huhtamaki's confectionary business divested in 1996.

ProAmpac announced that it has acquired Belle-Pak Packaging (“Belle-Pak”), an award-winning manufacturer of flexible packaging products. With the addition of Belle-Pak, ProAmpac expands its growing presence in Canada and extends its reach in high-growth e-commerce, healthcare and logistics end markets. Based in Ontario, Canada, Belle-Pak’s diverse portfolio of flexible packaging products includes poly mailers for e-commerce and logistics services, packing list envelopes and custom medical and clinical bags. This acquisition allows ProAmpac to serve a broader base of category-leading customers across North America with high-quality and innovative flexible packaging solutions. Greg Tucker, Founder and CEO of ProAmpac, said, “I am pleased to welcome the talented Belle-Pak team to ProAmpac as we continue our growth in Canada and embark on this exciting partnership. With Belle-Pak’s advanced technology and efficient manufacturing capabilities, our combined company will be well-positioned for continued growth and operational excellence.”

Rottneros AB, one of the world's leading suppliers of first-class market pulp, is now investing in Blue Ocean Closures and becomes a co-owner of the Swedish start-up, developing proprietary fiber-based packaging materials. Since just two years, Blue Ocean Closures AB has developed technology to produce fiber-based closures for consumer packaging at large scale, aiming to replace current plastic solutions on a global market. The innovative technology and material have potential for many more high volume use cases and making an impact in terms of reducing plastic pollution and its climate effects.