pack2pack started as a family business, Joseph Verstraete and Son PVBA, in 1957 which developed into the world’s largest processor of reconditioned steel drums. In 1973 the business was acquired by Blagden Industries plc, a UK company also active in protective clothing, packaging and chemicals. Blagden continued to grow rapidly through the 1980’s and 1990’s both organically and through a number of acquisitions in Belgium, France, Holland and Spain. From the mid-1990’s Blagden Industries plc began to focus on its core chemical activities and the packaging division, Blagden, was sold in 1998 in a leveraged buyout. This MBO was led by Marc Verstraete and sponsored by two private equity firms, CVC and Bridgepoint. In February 2004, a secondary buyout, which was led by funds advised by Alchemy Partners LLP and certain members of the Group’s management, was completed. Since then, the Group has continued to grow organically as well as through selective acquisitions, successfully expanding its geographical network and product offering through acquisitions in Europe and Asia. At the end of 2006 the new packaging activities were being sold to Greif, the global number one in Industrial Packaging. The reconditioning part of the company was renamed as pack2pack and the beginning of 2008 a new was sponsored by the private equity firm, Towerbrook Partners. In this period pack2pack became the European market leader in the collection, reconditioning and recycling of used industrial packaging and the number one in Benelux for the production of smaller packaging made of steel or tinplate. In August 2011 the pack2pack group was acquired by EarthMinded™ Life Cycle Services (EarthMinded LCS), a subsidiary of Greif, Inc. EarthMinded LCS also collects, reconditions, remanufactures and recycles used industrial containers and it is the industrial packaging side of Greif’s EarthMinded business. The consumer side of EarthMinded™ currently produces and sells the RainStation™ rain barrel and rain barrel kits to the consumer market. EarthMinded LCS is now composed of pack2pack with operations all over Europe, the joint venture Container Life Cycle Management (CLCM) and affiliated partners, delivering reconditioned and remanufactured industrial packaging and related services throughout Europe and North America. Additional information is on the EarthMinded™ website at www.earthminded.com. Greif is a world leader in industrial packaging products and services, producing steel, plastic, fibre, corrugated, flexible and multiwall containers, packaging accessories and containerboard, and providing reconditioning, blending and filling services for a wide range of industries. Greif’s significant resources and its core focus on industrial packaging make the company ideally suited to help pack2pack continue to grow and develop products and services that benefit its customers. See also www.greif.com.
