After half a century of sustained growth and commitment to aerosol can making and contract manufacturing, Colep is now widely recognised as a streamlined, global operation, adding value to its customer offer through innovation, technology and sustainable practices.

Now with 11 manufacturing sites worldwide, located in Portugal, Brazil, Germany, Mexico, Poland and Spain, and alliances in Asia and the Middle East, Colep has true global reach.

Founded in 1965 as a steel can making business in Portugal, Colep began its journey in packaging; ten years later it embarked on its aerosol contract manufacturing and filling activities. In 1993 Colep invested in a former SC Johnson plant in Spain, followed a few years later by the acquisition of CENSA, a tinplate packaging producer in Navarra, the second major step for Colep in Spain. Today, Colep is the leader in the Iberian market for tinplate general line packaging.

At the turn of the century, while the company was expanding, Colep was acquired by RAR, one of Portugal’s leading business groups. In 2002, Colep commenced activities in Poland, building a Greenfield contract manufacturing plant, Colep Polska.

In 2004, Colep merged with CCL Industries – a successful North American aerosol and liquids manufacturer who had entered the European market in 1989, making its mark in the north of England and then later in Laupheim Germany. The new partnership became ColepCCL, bringing two of the largest European players together.

In 2006, Colep launched its Innovation Centre – a strategic move for the burgeoning company who recognised the need for a forward-thinking, creative hub for development. The new multinational innovation team brought together people with varied skills and disciplines from chemists, designers, packaging engineers and product managers. Today, Colep is widely recognised by its peers for its innovation and creativity, working closely with customers to develop ideas and industry-leading aerosol technologies.In 2008, Colep began manufacturing cans at Colep Polska, followed in 2009 by the acquisition of Czewo – a contract filling operation in Germany.

In 2010, following a period of sustained growth in Europe, the business announced its entry into Brazil, through a joint venture with ZM Participação. Under this joint venture, Colep acquired 51% of Provider and Total Pack, Brazil’s leading suppliers of personal care and home care liquid products. The new partnership then invested in a greenfield contract manufacturing facility, known as Colep Provider Aerosol (CPA).

In 2013, the next major step in Colep’s growing operation saw the acquisition of the aerosol personal care products contract manufacturing plant of Aerosoles y Liquidos S.A de C.V. in Santiago de Querétaro, Mexico. With this acquisition, Colep initiated its operations in the Central and North American contract manufacturing markets for personal care products. From this manufacturing base the company would be able to better serve its already existing customer base, as well as other important multinational, regional and local brand owners.

This was followed by a Joint Venture with Scitra Aerosols in Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. The new partnership called Colep Scitra Aerosols (CSA), committed to ongoing expansion and improvement of the existing Scitra aerosol filling plant, further aligning it with international standards required by multinational companies in the personal care and home care industries.

Colep then formed a Strategic Alliance with the One Asia Network – a Manufacturing & Technology agreement based on the sharing of knowledge and expertise, which would offer the member companies the opportunity to serve a worldwide customer base. This agreement was officiated at the FEA International Aerosol Congress in Madrid, in 2013.

Finally, in 2015, Colep became the sole shareholder of the 3 Brazilian plants (CPA, Total Pack and Provider), representing part of the company’s international strategy which includes the reinforcement of the business in different regions of the globe.

Colep’s globalisation strategy has presented new opportunities for the business, not only by entering new geographies, but by bringing sustainable benefits to the environments it operates in. Colep is working on its Sustainability Programme - Love Tomorrow® - which demonstrates the strides that Colep is taking to reach its goal of being its customers preferred sustainability partner.

Vitor Neves, Colep CEO commented: “After celebrating 50 years in the industry, it is important to thank all of our customers, employees, suppliers and partners who have supported us and grown with us over five decades. The shared knowledge, trust and commitment that we have cultivated over 50 years have been paramount to our success. 2016 already looks to be an exciting year where we focus on nurturing our new geographies and developing our customer and supplier relationships in those communities.”