BATAVIA – A factory that makes packaging for food products has a new owner.
Earlier this week, Rio Tinto, parent company of Alcan Packaging, completed the sale of Alcan's Food Americas operation to Bemis Company.
The $1.2 billion transaction, which was announced March 1, included 23 Food Americas flexible packaging factories in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and three other countries, as well as Alcan's Batavia packaging plant at 475 N. Kirk Road.
The Batavia factory, which sits on about 20 acres just north of the intersection of Kirk and Wilson Street, was sold to Curwood Inc., of Osk Kosh, Wis., a company operated by Bemis, for $5.36 million, according to documents filed with the Kane County Recorder's Office on March 3.
Representatives of Curwood-Bemis did not return calls for comment Friday.
Curwood makes a number of food packaging products, including packaging for cheese, coffee, convenience foods, meat, pizza, pasta and baked goods, according to its Web site.
In a statement released March 1, Bemis officials said the Alcan acquisitions would "augment Bemis' product offerings and technological capabilities."
The Batavia facility had been operated by French company Pechiney Plastic Packaging. It was sold to Alcan in 2003.
Rio Tinto then purchased Alcan in 2007.
The Batavia facility employs about 100 workers and ranks as one of the largest employers in Batavia, according to information obtained from the Web site of the Kane County Economic Development Advisory Board.
The sale of Alcan's Food Americas operations is the latest in a string of sell-offs – or "divestments" – at Rio Tinto.
The company has, to date, raised $10 billion from the sales of its holdings, including much of it in cash, company documents said.
