Plysu expands into Spain

Cathy Newman

Plysu, the plastic containers group, has made the first of a series of planned acquisitions in Spain with the pounds 4.25m purchase of Iplast, a company which makes bottles for olive oil.

Buying Iplast, which is based in Andalucia, would enable Plysu to exploit opportunities in the liquid food packaging market in Spain, the company said yesterday.

David O'Shaughnessy, Plysu's chairman, said "further carefully targeted acquisitions" were planned following the formation of the company's Spanish division, Plysu Envases Alimentarios. Iplast is expected to make a profit before interest and tax of 210 million pesetas (pounds 900,000) this year.

Announcing a 35 per cent increase in pre-tax profits to pounds 9.3m for the year to the end of March, Mr O'Shaughnessy said the strength of sterling had depressed profits by around pounds 500,000. He warned that, although performance in the UK had "significantly improved", the economic and political situations in France and Germany were likely to hinder future growth.