History

Essentra's strong competitive position in the various international markets within which it operates has been developed through a combination of organic growth and acquisition activity.

A chronology of major events in the history of Essentra is set out below:

  • Filter
    2022
    • December
      Sale of Filters division to a wholly owned subsidiary of Centaury Management Limited for an enterprise value of approximately £262.1m

      Acquisition of of Wixroyd Holdings Limited, a leading UK supplier of industrial parts for the engineering sector
    • October
      Sale of Packaging division to Mayr-Melnhof Group, a leading producer of carton board and folding cartons based in Austria, for a cash consideration of £312 million, on a cash-free, debt-free basis.
  • Metal hardware
    2021
    • October
      Announcement of strategic goal to become a pure play Components business

      Strategic reviews of Filters and Packaging divisions launched
    • August
      Acquisition of Hengzhu an access hardware manufacturer and distributor in China operating from a Yichun, Jiangx.
  • Packaging
    2020
    • September
      Acquisition of 3C! Packaging, Inc. a leading designer and manufacturer of custom folding cartons, printed literature, foil and flexible packaging and labels focused on the pharmaceuticals and healthcare sectors, headquartered in North Carolina, USA.
    • April
      Establishment of Filters JV in China, China Tobacco Essentra (Xiamen) Filters Co., Ltd’.
  • Bits and bobs
    2019
    • September
      Acquisition of Nekicesa Packaging S.L, one of the leading converters of folding cartons supplying the pharmaceutical end-market in Spain with two well-invested facilities in Madrid.
    • August
      Announcement of simplification of the Company’s portfolio:
      1) Specialist Components division dissolved by the end of Q3 2019.
      2) The remaining two businesses in Specialist Components division, Tear Tapes and Industrial Supply (Reid), absorbed into the Filters and Components divisions respectively owing to the complementary nature of the end-markets served.
    • July
      Divestment of the Card Solutions business in the Specialist Components division to Barcodes, Inc.
    • June
      Divestment of the Extrusion business in the Specialist Components division to Inter Primo A/S for EUR 16.2m.

      Divestment of the Speciality Tapes business in the Specialist Components division to OpenGate Capital for US$77m.

      Acquisition of Innovative Components Inc. and Componentes Innovadores Limitada. Headquartered in Chicago, US, Innovative Components is one of the leading manufacturers and distributors of knobs, pins and handles in North America for a broad range of end-markets.
    • March
      Acquisition of the 49% minority interest in the Filters joint venture, Essentra (MEA) Pte. Ltd, being the holding company of Essentra FZE which undertakes the Company’s Filters activities in Dubai.
    • January
      Divestment of the Pipe Protection Technologies (PPT) business in the Specialist Components Division to National Oilwell Varco, Inc. for US$48.0m (approximately £38m).
  • Bits and bobs
    2018
    • July
      Acquisition of Hertila, a leading manufacturer and distributor of caps and plugs and other plastic components, based in Sweden. The acquisition expands the Components division’s product range and adds manufacturing capacity in Scandinavia, complementing Essentra’s existing facility in Sweden.

      Divestment of Swiftbrook, Ireland in the Packaging division, a paper merchant based in Dublin, that serves customers in end-markets such as office supplies, commercial print and pharmaceutical.
  • Bits and bobs
    2017
    • December
      Acquisition of Micro Plastics, based in Arkansas, US, a leading manufacturer and distributor of nylon fasteners and other plastic components for a wide range of industrial end-markets - including general industrial, automotives and white goods.
  • Stacked white blocks
    2016
    • August
      Agreement to divest Porous Technologies business for £220m, a leading developer and manufacturer of custom vapour- and fluid-handling components engineered from three material technologies: bonded and non-woven fibre, polyurethane foam and porous plastic.
  • Packaging
    2014
    • November
      Agreement to acquire 100% of the share capital of Clondalkin Specialist Packaging Division for US$455m, a leading global provider of a broad suite of specialist secondary packaging solutions for the pharmaceutical and health & personal care industries.
    • September
      Agreement to acquire 100% of the share capital of the major operating subsidiaries of Abric Berhad, based in Malaysia, a global leading manufacturer and distributor of security sealing products and solutions for use in a diverse range of growing end-markets.
    • April
      Acquisition of Kelvindale Products Pty Ltd, based in Australia, a leading manufacturer and distributor of an extensive range of plastic protection and finishing products.
  • Metal hardware
    2013
    • December
      Acquisition of Mesan Kilit A.S., the leading Turkish manufacturer and distributor of a range of locks, hinges, latches and hardware accessories for use in a wide variety of attractive growth end-markets.
    • December
      Strategic expansion of activities in India, with the formal opening of a new purpose-built, standalone facility in Bangalore with the capacity to accommodate manufacturing, warehousing and the appropriate commercial infrastructure for all Essentra's businesses (excluding the JV in Filter Products).
    • November
      Acquisition of Dakota Packaging Limited, a well-positioned supplier of printed, folding and litho-laminate cartons to the pharmaceutical and healthcare end-markets in Ireland.
    • June
      Filtrona plc announces that it will rebrand as Essentra plc with effect from 26 June.
    • March
      Agreement to acquire 100% of the share capital of Contego Healthcare Limited for £160m, a leading pan-European specialist business providing a range of innovative print, packaging and support services to the pharmaceutical and healthcare markets from operational sites across Europe.
    • February
      The formation of a joint venture with BBM Bommidala Group ("BBM") in the United Arab Emirates, to manufacture filters.
    • February
      Acquisition of Ulinco Components AB, based in Sweden, a leading distributor of plastic protection and finishing products, hardware and specialist masking solutions in the Nordic region.
  • Wipes
    2012
    • June
      Acquisition of Lymtech Scientific, based in Westover, Massachusetts, a manufacturer and distributor of porous speciality wiping materials used within the clean environments increasingly required by the medical, life science, electronic and industrial markets.
    • April
      Acquisition of Jae Yong Co.Ltd, based in South Korea, a globally recognised manufacturer of reservoirs, nibs, and tubes for the writing instruments industry.
    • February
      Acquisition of Securit World Ltd, based in the UK, a distributor of desktop personal identification ("ID") card systems, providing printers, software and associated accessories across a wide range of growing end-markets, including Trade Distribution, Education, Government, Health and General Industry.
  • Components
    2011
    • December
      Acquisition of Richco, Inc, based in Chicago, a leading international designer, manufacturer and distributor of engineered plastic and elastomeric solutions for fastening and cable management applications.
    • August
      Acquisition of Reid Supply, based in Muskegon, Michigan, a leading distributor of standard industrial components to a vast range of markets and customers via catalogues.
  • Specialty tape
    2010
    • November
      Acquisition of Stera Tape, based in Bridlington, a manufacturer of high quality speciality adhesive tapes
    • March
      Acquisition of BP Labels, based in Cardiff, a manufacturer of high quality, creative and secure self adhesive labels.
  • Extrusion
    2009
    • March
      Disposal of Filtrona's North American Plastic Profile and Sheet business
  • Foam
    2008
    • October
      Acquisition of Lendell Inc Manufacturing based in Michigan, a producer of speciality hydrophilic foam products, following the acquisition Filtrona Fibertec changed its name to Filtrona Porous Technologies
  • Consumer packaging
    2007
    • June
      Disposal of Globalpack its Brazilian consumer packaging business
    • May
      Acquisition of Duraco Inc, based in Chicago, a leading provider of adhesive coated products to many industries
  • Filter
    2005
    • June
      Filtrona demerged from Bunzl plc and became a separately listed company on the London Stock Exchange
  • Components
    2004
    • Acquisition of the Skiffy Group, based in the Netherlands, which provides expertise in the manufacture and supply of small nylon parts for protection and finishing applications
  • Writing instruments
    2003
    • Acquisition of Baumgartner Fibertec, a Swiss based business engaged in the development, manufacture and supply of cigarette filters and writing instrument reservoirs
  • containers
    2000
    • Acquisition of Davidson Plastics, a profile extrusion operation located in Washington State and Pexco, a specialist medical tubing extruder located in Massachusetts. Expansion of MSI into the Latin American market by opening a manufacturing facility in Veracruz
  • Extrusions
    1998
    • Acquisition of Enitor, a leading Dutch extruder
  • Filter
    1997
    • Acquisition of American Filtrona Corporation which delivered significant extra filter and bonded fibre technology and an extrusion business
  • Tear tape
    1996
    • Acquisition of Payne and entry into the self-adhesive tear tape market
  • Pipe protection
    1994
    • Acquisition of MSI Oilfields Products a market leader in OCTG thread protectors and pipe protection products
  • Components
    1955
    • Formation of Moss Plastic Parts, Moss manufactures and distributes protection and finishing products for a wide range of industries and applications
  • Plastic products
    1950s
    • Filtrona Corporation was formed in the United States
  • Filters
    1940s
    • The Austrian business Bunzl commenced its manufacturing operations in Jarrow, United Kingdom