DS Smith Hellas, a fibre-based sustainable packaging company in Greece, has announced the completion of the upgrade of its box plant in Korinthos.
The €17.6m investment will lead to a further 30% increase in the plant’s production capacity. At the same time, it aims to upgrade equipment and amplify the quality of the products for innovative packaging solutions and capacity enhancements.
The investment in the Korinthos box plant is part of an overall €33.9m investment plan and inaugurated with the upgrade of the Ierapetra box plant.
The investment plan being implemented over the course of two years at DS Smith’s three box plants in Greece is expected to significantly enhance production capacity, improve energy efficiency, and contribute to the company’s sustainability and innovation goals in the packaging sector.
Reinier Schlatmann, regional managing director, DS Smith East Europe: “I am happy to announce the completion of an almost €18m investment in our Korinthos plant as part of an overall investment program totalling nearly €34m in the Greek market. This latest investment will significantly increase our capacity, quality, and portfolio of innovative packaging solutions. It will also enable plastic replacement alternatives and further strengthen our position in this important market”.
The company’s box plant in Korinthos is equipped with a state-of-the-art Bobst Master DRO machine to upgrade printing capabilities and improve energy efficiency. In addition, a 2.8 m Fosber Corrugator machine was installed to enhance the operational capability of the site and optimize the allocation of the plant’s resources, leading also to improved efficiencies. Furthermore, the company constructed a building extension of 825 m2 to accommodate the new corrugator, and completed the construction of the new 3,300m2 raw materials warehouse.
In addition, the expansion of the finished-products warehouse by 2.330 m2 is anticipated to be completed by November 2024.
The infrastructure upgrade improves the logistics of materials – and boosts the plant’s productivity, creating a dedicated Work in Progress (WIP) area that is designed to effectively manage intermediate stages of the production process.
Major upgrades were made to the plant’s peripheral equipment, including transformers and the glue kitchen facilities.
With the completion of the investment in the packaging box plant in Korinthos, DS Smith Hellas said it is demonstrating its commitment to helping customers reach their environmental targets and move towards a circular economy.
