Recycling, globalisation and new generations - ALPLA 2005-2017

The entry into modern recycling

On the occasion of the company's 50th anniversary in 2005, ALPLA draws a remarkable balance sheet:
87 plants in 28 countries, 6,800 employees and a turnover of 1.5 billion euros. But instead of pausing for breath, the company is looking resolutely to the future.

One milestone is the opening of the IMER plant in Toluca (Mexico) - a joint venture with Coca-Cola FEMSA and the Coca-Cola Company. The state-of-the-art facility is one of the largest and most technologically advanced recycling plants in Latin America and marks ALPLA's decisive entry into the growing global circular economy. The significance of this milestone is also demonstrated by the fact that the then Austrian President Heinz Fischer attends the official opening.

ALPLA completely back in family hands

An equally significant step is taken in 2006: with Günther Lehner as Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Georg Früh as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Nicolas Lehner as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), operational management is completely back in family hands in 2006 after around 30 years. Their arrival marked another turning point: after more than 40 years, commercial management returned from Markdorf to the headquarters in Hard, reuniting it with the Technology division for the first time. 

Only one year later, another highlight followed: ALPLA opened its 100th plant in Tianjin, China, thereby tapping into the key market of the 21st century. The consistent focus on in-house production, technical expertise and short distances gives ALPLA a clear competitive advantage in the booming Chinese market.

Knowledge, training and global expertise

The need for qualified specialists is growing in parallel with the company's global expansion. ALPLA's response is the establishment of its own Academy, which opens in 2009 in a separate building at the Harder headquarters. It professionalises technical and social training and lays the foundation for uniform qualifications worldwide. Equally important is the internationalisation of apprentice training. What has worked in Hard for decades is now also being implemented globally: at the end of 2012, ALPLA is launching dual training programmes based on the Austrian model in China and Mexico - a pioneering project that will subsequently be expanded to other regions.

The future belongs to recycling

A decisive step for the future of ALPLA was taken in 2010 with the majority takeover of the PET Recycling Team (PRT) plant in Wöllersdorf, which had been founded five years earlier. This plant marks the starting point of systematic recycling at ALPLA and forms the basis for the subsequent global circular economy strategy. Just three years later, the third recycling plant goes into operation in Radomsko (Poland). It produces food-safe rPET granulate - a technological breakthrough that establishes ALPLA as a leading quality provider in the rPET sector.

In the same period, ALPLA creates a centralised structure for sustainability for the first time with the new "Strategy, Business Development & Sustainability" department. The first Sustainability Report 2014, which builds on this, shows how clearly ecological, social and economic responsibility are anchored in the company.

Philipp Lehner joins the company

In 2014, the current CEO Philipp Lehner, son of Günther Lehner, joined the company. He gained his first operational experience in Lübeck and Hard and took over responsibility as Plant Manager in Iowa (USA) in April 2015. This marks the beginning of the third generation's active involvement in the company's global operations - an important step for continuity and future viability.

In parallel, ALPLA continues to grow geographically: with the opening of the plant in Kempton Park, South Africa (2014), the company enters its fourth continent. At the same time, new sites are established in Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, the Philippines and the Dominican Republic. ALPLA thus finally becomes a packaging and recycling partner with a global presence.

Opening of the Competence Centre in Shanghai

Between 2015 and 2017, ALPLA further strengthens its international presence in a targeted manner and professionalises internal structures at the same time. New plants and expansions in growth markets, particularly in Asia and Latin America, strengthen customer proximity. With the opening of the Competence Center Shanghai, China (2016), ALPLA is also creating a technological centrepiece for the region that combines development, training and process optimisation under one roof and ensures that expertise and technical standards are also firmly anchored in the Asian market.

At the same time, ALPLA is expanding its portfolio in a sensitive and forward-looking area: With the acquisition of the Egyptian Taba Group in 2016, the company is expanding its presence in North Africa and strengthening its pharmaceutical packaging business in particular - an area that will become increasingly important for ALPLA in the years to come.