DS Smith, a packaging solutions provider based in the UK, is upgrading and expanding its Arnstadt facility in Thuringia, Germany.
The project involves a €16.7m ($19.8m) investment, which will allow the company to better serve the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) and e-commerce customers.
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DS Smith conducted a ground-breaking ceremony in the first quarter of 2021 to mark the commencement of construction work for the renovation and expansion of the packaging facility in Germany.
DS Smith’s Arnstadt facility expansion and modernisation details
The project involves the installation of an advanced corrugator at the plant, which will help save 154t of CO₂ a year compared to the previous corrugator.
With a higher working width, the new corrugator will provide better paper utilisation, higher speed and improved performance.
The investment in the Arnstadt facility will enable the company to minimise energy consumption and reduce paper waste generated during production.
The first phase of the project will also feature the expansion of the existing hall. The facility will be equipped with two new automated conveyor systems for the automation of the internal transport in the second phase.
Additionally, an intermediate storage facility will be built, with completion expected by the second quarter of 2022.
The project, which is in line with DS Smith’s new ‘Now and Next’ sustainability strategy, is expected to continue for 12 months. The ongoing expansion works will not affect production and operations at the facility.
Details of Arnstadt facility
Claimed to be one of the most conventional facilities in the German packaging industry, the DS Smith plant in Arnstadt provides innovative packaging solutions for clients in the e-commerce and FMCG segments.
The plant is situated near the Erfurt freeway junction in proximity to online retailers. Most customers are situated within a radius of 150km from the plant site. The latest investment will boost growth while enhancing the quality and delivery reliability of the manufactured products.
Sustainability
DS Smith unveiled its new sustainability vision and strategy, Now and Next, in September 2020. The strategy outlines the company’s commitments and targets for the next ten years.
The Now and Next sustainability strategy focuses on closing the loop through better design, protecting natural resources by optimising fibre use and reducing packaging waste and pollution to enable a circular economy.
The strategy aims to reduce carbon emissions by 30% until 2030 when compared to 2015 levels.
DS Smith is targeting the goal of manufacturing 100% reusable or recyclable packaging by 2023 and ensure all of its packaging is recycled or reused by 2030.
DS Smith product portfolio
The product portfolio of DS Smith includes retail and shelf-ready packaging, transit cases, industrial packaging, point-of-sale (POS) and point-of-purchase displays, consumer boxes, corrugated packs printed for gift and POS applications, as well as designs for heavy-duty industrial products.
The company also provides consulting services related to creative design and supply chain audit.
In addition, other offerings include print solutions and recyclable corrugated pallets and converters.
Marketing commentary on DS Smith
Headquartered in London, UK, DS Smith is an international packaging company. The sustainable packaging company provides innovative packaging solutions, paper products and recycling services.
Established in 1940, the company operates in more than 30 different countries and has a workforce of more than 30,000.
Founded by David Gabriel Smith and David Solomon Smith, the company has expanded its operations through several acquisitions over the years.
Some of the major acquisitions of the company include St Regis Paper Company, Corrugated Products, and Waddington & Duval in the 1980s and Kaysersberg Packaging, Spicers and John Dickinson in the 1990s. More recently, the company purchased Interstate Resources in 2017 and Europac in 2019.
