COURBEVOIE, France, September 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Saint-Gobain's Packaging Sector has just gained control of BO Glass Containers SA, which has begun construction of a wine bottle plant in Rosario, located in a winegrowing region south of Santiago (Chile). Saint-Gobain acquired 51 percent of the company through a capital increase, with the historic shareholders led by Juan Obach and Felix Bacigalupo retaining the remaining 49 percent. BO Glass Containers SA will now change its name to Saint-Gobain Envases SA.
This plant will have one furnace and two production lines specialized in the manufacturing of wine bottles in clear, green and dead-leaf glass.
With this acquisition, Saint-Gobain will become the second largest wine bottle manufacturer in Chile. It will also speed up its growth in one of the world's most dynamic wine industries. This new position will also enable Saint-Gobain, the leading European and the world's second largest packaging glass manufacturer, to work apace with the Chilean wine industry and its remarkable growth, especially on the export market.
This operation dovetails with the Packaging Sector's growth strategy in emerging countries. It will boost the Sector's presence in Latin America where it already has five manufacturing facilities in Brazil, and another plant with two furnaces in Mendoza (Argentina).
Saint-Gobain is already active in Chile, in association with Juan Obach and Felix Bacigalupo, in Lirquen, the country's only manufacturer of flat glass. It also has a minority interest in Volcan, a leading company in the plaster, plasterboard and insulation products markets.
With more than 20,000 employees globally (71 manufacturing plants in Europe, North and South America, and in China), Saint-Gobain's Packaging Sector is the leader in all its business areas:
- The manufacture of bottles and jars for the food and beverage industries,
- The manufacture of bottles for the fragrance, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries,
- Packaging added value using the most sophisticated decoration techniques.
In 2005, the Sector reported sales of 4 billion euros, that is, 10 percent of Saint-Gobain's consolidated sales.
Investor Relations Department
Mrs Florence TRIOU-TEIXEIRA Tel.: +33-1-47-62-45-19
Mr Alexandre ETUY Tel.: +33-1-47-62-37-15
Fax.: +33-1-47-62-50-62
