• Flexibles: growth in challenging market
    Flexibles: growth in challenging market
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Revenue at Pro-Pac Packaging rose by five per cent in the quarter to December 31, driven by new flexibles customers, in what the company said was a challenging market.

Sales rose to $81.1m for the quarter, up from $77.8m in the previous three months, with flexibles up to $63.9m from $60.6m, while specialty packaging was steady at $17.2m.

Pro-Pac said the trading environment “continues to be challenging” as the cost of living crisis impacts on discretionary spending for consumers.

Cashflow at Pro-Pac for the quarter was an outflow of $2m, predominantly due to a seasonal increase in net working capital for the quarter. The company’s payments included $2.5m for a new printing press, with installation completed this month; it will be operational by the end of this quarter.

Pro-Pac has $2.5m in cash on hand, and of its $39m in financing facilities, it has unused credit facilities of $16.8m, including $5.6m from a government grant.

During the quarter it made $3.4m in payments to related parties, including $385,000 to directors and execs, and $3m to Visy “on arm’s length terms”.

Food & Drink Business

The New South Wales government has established its $25 million Agriculture Industries Innovation and Growth Program to increase uptake of innovative technology and equipment in the local agriculture sector. Applications close 23 January.

The Western Australian government has announced recipients for round seven of its Agrifood and Beverage Voucher Program, offering a share of $680,000 in funding to small-to-medium food and beverage companies.

Treasury Wine Estates has flagged softer near-term earnings as category conditions weaken across key markets, while outlining a broad reset of inventory, capital structure and operating costs under newly appointed CEO, Sam Fischer.