Five packaging companies in North America and Europe announced their intent to combine and operate as one global company, under the name Exopack Holdings Sarl, a Luxembourg-based company. The combined business will have 63 plants and 8,650 employees.

Joining Exopack, a US-based producer of flexible paper and plastic packaging, will be four Europe-based companies: Britton Group, a flexible plastic packaging manufacturer; PACCOR, a rigid plastic packaging company; Kobusch, a producer of tailor-made flexible and rigid packaging systems; and Paragon Print & Packaging, a provider of private-label packaging solutions.

The combined company will be led by Jack Knott, who will serve as CEO; along with Mike Alger, chief financial officer; Dieter Bergner, CEO of PACCOR (Global Rigid business); and Michael Cronin, CEO of the Global Flexibles business.

“By joining together to form this new entity, we will be better able to serve the needs of our global customers through a manufacturing base spanning North America, Europe, the Middle East and China that enhances our ability to deliver outstanding service,” said Knott. “The larger scale will enable us to accelerate the development and commercialization of new and differentiated products that offer our customers a competitive advantage.”