DS Smith is investing DKK 100 million (€13,384,000) to install an advanced rotary die-cutting line for flexographic printing at its packaging facility in Grenaa – boosting its annual capacity by up to 15 million m² of corrugated board.
The facility is located in Grenaa, Djursland, Denmark. Currently, it claims to serve customers in the food, beverage, and e-commerce industries, among others.
DS Smith’s strategic investment will primarily fund the addition of five printing units and a Göpfert Rotary Die Cutter 16/28 High Board Line to the Grenaa facility.
Set to feature servo-driven technology, vacuum sheet transport, and automatic register control, the machinery is expected to improve production accuracy, increase changeover speed, and ensure reliable mechanical stability for continuous loads. It is also anticipated to unlock the creation of complex die cuts with high precision and minimal material waste.
With its new machinery, DS Smith hopes to help identify and prepare for potential challenges in the production process ahead of time, strengthening supply chain resilience. The increased capacity is also hoped to shorten delivery times and improve stability.
The company aims to provide its packaging solutions to customers in the region – offering ‘optimal’ benefits to customers with a specific requirement for automated packing solutions and logistics lines – while boosting its competitiveness in Northern Europe.
“We see a clear trend where an increasing number of customers are automating their packing and logistics processes,” said Kristian Eriksen, sales director at DS Smith Denmark. “This places significantly higher demands on consistent quality and precision in packaging.
“With this investment, we are strengthening our ability to deliver solutions that perform seamlessly in our customers’ automated flows – both for today and in the future.”
Alongside this investment, DS Smith also plans to upgrade its state-of-the-art packaging facility in Bredasten, Värnamo, Sweden. This will involve a 3,000 sqm expansion, as well as the relocation of warehouse services from Malmö to Bredasten.
This transition will take place in phases, with DS Smith expecting to complete the development by June 2027. It is set to strengthen internal processes and operations while providing customers with the ‘best possible’ services and product innovations.
In another development, DS Smith has partnered with Apilab to monitor the environmental impacts of its French packaging facilities. Bees are released to forage for microsamples within a 3-kilometre radius; non-invasive sampling materials, such as nectar and pollen captured on silicone bracelets, are then taken to a laboratory to analyze the health of the local ecosystem and support DS Smith’s ESG reporting requirements.
Elsewhere, Tetra Pak has made its own €60 million investment into a Swedish pilot plant for its paper-based barrier technologies, which is thought to unlock 80% paper content and 92% renewable content in a single aseptic carton.
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