Pro Carton, the European Association of carton and cartonboard manufacturers, is continuing to grow its membership with the addition of a French cartonboard mill, La Rochette Cartonboard SAS and European cartonboard producer, FOLBB. The announcement marks the growing alliance between key players across the sustainable packaging supply chain.
A leading manufacturer of cartonboard packaging products, La Rochette Cartonboard SAS was founded in 1873 at the exact location it continues to operate from today – a traditional area of papermakers at the foot of the Belladonne mountain range. From its production facility in Valgelon–La Rochette, it produces multi–layered folding boxboard (FBB), produced from woodchips from within 150km of the
local area. The company is the main producer in Southern Europe’s FBB market, operating predominantly in France, serving a range of sectors including pharmaceutical and food where quality cartonboard is required.
The second new member to join the association’s roster is FOLBB. Since 1st August 2021, it has operated independently after the sale of Baiersbronn Frischfaser Karton GmbH Mill and Folding Boxboard Eerbeek B.V. to Oaktree Capital Management. Employing around 430 staff, FOLBB is a leading European producer of virgin fibre cartonboard, with a capacity of more than 240,000 tonnes each year. It has two
production sites in Germany and Netherlands where it produces high–quality folding boxboard (GC1 and GC2) for packaging in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries.
By joining Pro Carton, La Rochette Cartonboard SAS and FOLBB will support Pro Carton’s activity in promoting the use of cartonboard and cartons as the most preferred packaging medium. Pro Carton members enjoy a number of benefits. These include exclusive access to the website’s members area which contains new industry research and insights into the latest trends and challenges impacting the packaging sector. Pro Carton also offers excellent networking and insight–sharing opportunities, while promoting member’s initiatives to help realise the circular economy.
Commenting on the announcement, Pierre–Yves Guégan of La Rochette Cartonboard SAS said: “We are delighted to join forces with some of the most significant players in our industry to help communicate the many benefits of cartonboard to stakeholders. Joining the association will enable us to closely collaborate with industry leading companies to promote usage of cartonboard as the most desirable packaging material, as well as align on important industry topics.“
Commenting on the announcement, Daniel Wiktorin of FOLBB said: “We are delighted to join such a well–known and recognised association. As a cartonboard producer, it was a no–brainer. Joining allows us to collaborate more frequently to help defend our industry’s interests and benefits, such as sustainability and the circular economy, as well as enabling framed exchanges between colleagues to create enriching discussions on important issues.”
Pro Carton General Manager, Winfried Muehling added: “On behalf of everybody here at Pro Carton, I welcome La Rochette Cartonboard SAS and FOLBB as members of Pro Carton. We’re excited to learn from their experience, honed through years in the cartonboard sector. Their fresh perspective on our industry will no doubt help us in our common goal to make cartonboard and carton packaging solutions the most preferred packaging choice for brand owners, retailers and consumers”
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