Announcements for projects to expand packaging manufacturing in North America trickled in during the last month. These projects span a variety of packaging formats, including in plastics, metals and reusable transport containers.

• Amcor announced a “significant expansion” of its North American printing, lamination and converting capabilities for the protein market. It did not specify total spending or how many facilities would receive upgrades, but noted the investment is one of its largest to-date. The equipment installations are expected to increase production capacity immediately and through the first half of 2026.
• Averra Packaging doubled the square footage of the clean room at its thermoforming facility in Salt Lake City to house an additional inline medical thermoforming machine. Benefits of the line include greater production capacity, including for parts that require high precision and tight tolerances.
• Gaia Biomaterials established a supply hub in Los Angeles for its compostable, microplastic-free material that is used to make items including straws, cups and grocery bags. The Sweden-based company partnered with distributor Mitsubishi International Corp. to create the site, which will shorten lead times for U.S. customers.
• Orbis held a grand opening for its renovated manufacturing facility in Greenville, Texas, with 420,000 square feet of manufacturing space and 240,000 square feet of warehouse space. The expansion of the reusable pallet, tote and bulk container production site also is poised to create 190 jobs within three years, the company said.
• Peli BioThermal, a temperature-controlled packaging solutions provider, announced expansions for two facilities: one in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and another in Frankfurt, Germany. In Allentown, the company relocated to a 90,100-square-foot facility, which is that is roughly 43% larger than its former facility about 10 miles away.
• Saica held a groundbreaking ceremony for a $110 million corrugated plant in Anderson, Indiana — the Spain-based company’s second in the United States. Factory operations at the nearly 350,000-square-foot facility are expected to begin in Q4 2026. It also will serve as a backup for Saica’s plant in Hamilton, Ohio. The Indiana Economic Development Corp. offered up to $2 million in tax credits and $150,000 in training grants, based on Saica’s commitment to create more than 100 new jobs within five years, as well as $300,000 in funding for infrastructure improvements.
• SmartSolve Industries, which produces water-soluble materials for flexible packaging, received a $1 million grant from JobsOhio for a $3.6 million project to create a new R&D center in Northwest Ohio. The project could create at least 30 new jobs within the next five years, the company said.
• Wyda Packaging USA doubled the footprint of its Charlotte, North Carolina, facility to 26,000 square feet and added advanced robotics. This expands the production capacity for aluminum foil rolls and containers to 6,000 tons annually. Last year the Brazil-based company made its first foray into the U.S. with its original 15,000-square-foot plant in Charlotte. The company says growing demand from private label customers drove the decision to accelerate capacity expansion.

International updates

• Ahlstrom, a Finland-based fiber company, opened a new warehouse in Nuevo León, Mexico. The site is slated to become operational in January 2026 and will feature four loading docks, a packaging line and a test lab.
• Ball announced it would invest $60 million to expand its aluminum beverage can manufacturing facility in Sri City, India. Last year the company invested close to $55 million in a can manufacturing facility in the Maharashtra district near Mumbai, and it is exploring additional expansions to support demand growth in the Indian market.
• Smurfit Westrock opened what it calls a first-of-its-kind adherence and clinical packaging facility in Ireland. It invested more than 40 million euros in the new facility, which will provide packaging solutions for clinical trials and regulated pharma packaging.