Widest-ever U.K. window on the packaging world. (Pakex 89 U.K.)

Industrial & Trade Fairs' Pakex 89

Widest-ever U.K. window on the packaging world

The record-breaking Pakex 89 opened with 57 600m[2] of stand space occupied by 1764 exhibitors. Well-known names in the canmaking, canning and closures supply industry changed their names officially and made known their new alliances, while new products and technologies made an equally impressive mark on some 46 000 worlwide visitors CMB, LM, MCG, are the new "styles" of well-known companies, each presenting a united face to its customers in the packaging industry, and a presence--on a large scale--at Pakex 89 allowed these major players on a world stage to show their new colours. The Carnaud-Metalbox "merger" resulted in a large stand devoted to the "art" of packaging and the presentation of the two companies' united front dedicated to reflecting CMB Packaging's "initial emphasis" on metal and plastics, though the result disappointed visitors (and other exhibitors) seeking the opportunity to see and handle on a wider scale the new combine's vast range of machinery and packaging products.

The nett result of the merger is the formation of a major European packaging, services and machinery group with a potential turnover of some 2 billion [pounds].

Market response to merger

CMB Packaging shares rose FFr22 to reach FFr692 on the Paris Bourse and they were first traded on the London Exchange on April 26. Of more immediate interest to readers of CCI is an indication of the new range of titles for the already recently renamed Metalbox companies: for example, the former Metalbox Engineering becomes CMB Engineering while CMB Technology is the new name of the division responsible for technological development and applications. Recent innovations announced by CMB are described elsewhere in these pages.

CMB Packaging shares rose FFr22 to reach FFr692 on the Paris Bourse and were first traded on the London Exchange on April 26.