ALPLA broadens reach with new learning hub in Iowa City

USA – Austrian packaging and recycling company ALPLA has announced the construction of a Learning & Development Hub in Iowa City, committing approximately €15 million (US$16m) to strengthen workforce training in the United States.

The facility, set to open by mid-2025, will feature workshops, offices, and training rooms to support ALPLA’s first apprenticeship program in the U.S.

This initiative mirrors the company’s successful dual-training system, blending hands-on experience with theoretical learning, which ALPLA has implemented in China, Mexico, India, Poland, and South Africa.

According to Tasos Pourloukakis, ALPLA’s Regional Managing Director for North America, “Highly trained and motivated specialists are key to our success.

With this all-in-one concept, we are creating attractive apprenticeships for young people from the region and advanced training for our existing staff.”

The first group of 12 mechatronics apprentices began their three-year program in Iowa in mid-2024, and a plastics technology apprenticeship program is scheduled to launch in 2026.

ALPLA has partnered with Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids and the Industry Consortium for Advanced Technical Training to deliver these educational initiatives, bringing a proven model from Europe to the U.S. market.

Simultaneously, ALPLA is expanding in South Africa. Earlier this month, the company inaugurated a state-of-the-art recycling plant on a 90,000m² site in Ballito, KwaZulu-Natal, with an investment of US$65 million.

The plant will produce up to 35,000 tonnes of recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) annually, transforming into sustainable plastic packaging at ALPLA’s facility in Lanseria, Gauteng.

Philipp Lehner, ALPLA’s CEO, highlighted the company’s commitment to South Africa, “South Africa is a strategically important market for us, and we’re excited to continue growing here.

“In partnership with our customers, we aim to provide safe, affordable, and sustainable packaging solutions that enhance living standards. Our investments in Ballito and Lanseria have set the stage for a successful future.”

Following quality approvals, the Ballito plant’s rPET production will commence in early 2025.

With an initial capacity of 35,000 tonnes of rPET flakes, 16,000 tonnes of which will be converted into rPET pellets, the plant will be crucial in supplying high-quality recycled materials for South Africa’s beverage industry, aligning with the nation’s recycled content requirements.

Through these projects in the U.S. and South Africa, ALPLA sets a global precedent for sustainable packaging and workforce development, marking a strategic commitment to economic and environmental progress across regions.

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