• 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

Fonterra Co-operative Group has completed the sale of Mainland Group to French dairy giant Lactalis, closing a divestment process that began in mid-2024 when the co-op announced a strategic shift to become a pure-play global B2B dairy provider.

A potential combination of the world’s second and fifth largest spirits companies would create a $43.6 billion (US$30 billion) global player, second only to Diageo.

Tongala Nutrition has received a $1.5 million government grant through the new $150 million Victorian Investment Fund. The funding will support the company’s expansion, creating more than 40 new jobs in the region.