Opal
Australasia’s newest fibre packaging and paper company has been launched today after Nippon Paper Industries confirmed it had successfully completed its $1.72 billion acquisition of the Orora Fibre Businesses which have been combined with Australian Paper to form Opal.
With over 4,500 employees and more than 80 sites and offices in Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Europe and North America, Opal is one of the largest and most diverse fibre packaging and paper companies in the
region.
“Nippon Paper Industries is committing to a long term, strategically integrated approach to growth in the Australia and New Zealand packaging markets,” said Mr Tomo Koyanagi, Opal’s CEO.
“Especially with current challenges, Opal’s businesses will continue to support our customers by providing an essential service of supplying recyclable packaging for the Australian and New Zealand food and grocery supply chains. Products like Reflex from Opal Australian Paper are also vital to many businesses which rely on office paper to keep their operations running”, Mr Koyanagi said.
Nippon Paper Industries is one of the world’s 10 largest paper and packaging companies and Opal is its largest investment outside of Japan. Opal is vertically integrated from base paper through to end packaging
products and provides Nippon Paper with global scale in the converting of fibre packaging.
“Nippon Paper is focusing on packaging as one of its key strategic growth areas and Opal provides an ideal platform to secure a strong position in the Oceania region. By working closely with our customers, Opal will
deliver innovative packaging solutions”, said Mr Koyanagi.
In addition to a comprehensive network of packaging converting operations, Opal operates the Botany Mill in Sydney which is Australia’s most advanced recycled facility for brown packaging. Opal Australian Paper’s Maryvale Mill which is one of the largest employers in the Latrobe Valley, is also part of the Opal Group.
Opal’s head office will be in Melbourne, Australia.
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/Public Release.
