RPC Group has completed the acquisition of British Polythene Industries plc (BPI), a leading manufacturer and supplier of polythene films for a diverse range of end markets, including agriculture and horticulture, construction, industrial, healthcare and waste services, and retail food and non-food. The company has 19 manufacturing facilities in the UK, Europe and North America, employing around 2,000 people. 

BPI has a proven reputation for new product development, and is one of Europe's largest recyclers of waste polythene films with strong market positions. Sectors where the company enjoys market leadership include silage stretch films and sheet, form fill seal films and industrial and consumer packaging.

Both RPC and BPI have a strong focus on innovation and complementary knowledge and expertise of key end markets. Like RPC, BPI's broad portfolio of customers across a wide range of market sectors and geographical regions enables it to service both large global blue-chip companies and smaller local players.

The arrival of BPI is an important step in the implementation of our Vision 2020 strategy and allows RPC to enter the European polythene films market through an established platform. BPI will further broaden RPC's range of polymer conversion technologies in line with global peers, establish a new growth platform.

"We are delighted to welcome BPI into the RPC Group", comments RPC Chief Executive Pim Vervaat. "The additional technologies that we can now offer customers confirm our position as one of the world’s leading plastics design and engineering companies with the widest range of products to meet the specific needs of a large number of end markets."

The new enlarged RPC Group has a turnover in excess of £2.5bn with over 20,000 employees, operating from over 140 sites in 29 countries. BPI will form a separate, sixth, division within the company as the acquisition further extends RPC's capabilities.