ACON Completes Investments in Colombia and Peru to form Amfora Packaging S.A.S.

Latin America - español

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Jun 03, 2015, 01:28 ET

WASHINGTON, June 3, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- ACON Investments, L.L.C. and its affiliates ("ACON") announced today that it has completed the acquisitions of Intecplast S.A.S., a leading Colombian rigid plastic packaging manufacturer focused on personal care, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, and Pieriplast S.A.C., a Peruvian supplier of luxury high-end, customized packaging solutions for the direct sales cosmetics industry in the Andean Region. Intecplast and Pieriplast will be consolidated under a new holding company, Amfora Packaging S.A.S. ("Amfora" or the "Company") to form one of the largest pan-Andean plastic packaging companies with over 800 employees and production facilities in Lima, Peru and Bogota, Colombia. ACON's investment in Amfora supports the existing management of Intecplast and Pieriplast. Mr. Jose Alejandro Arango, the CEO of Intecplast, will become Amfora's CEO and Mr. Renato Pierinelli, founder and former CEO of Pieriplast, will retain an important equity stake in Amfora and will become both the Chief Technical Officer and Chairman of the Board of the Company.

"The integration of Intecplast and Pieriplast into Amfora forms the leading manufacturer of plastic packaging for cosmetics and personal care products in the Andean region. The Company will be well-positioned to enter new export markets and at the same time capitalize on a fragmented industry in the Region with few competitors able to develop and produce quality products acceptable to multinational customers," commented Jose Miguel Knoell, Managing Partner of ACON.

The investment is representative of ACON's continued investment strategy throughout Latin America where it has been actively investing for nearly two decades in medium-sized businesses across a range of industries related to Amfora including retailing and light manufacturing. The transaction also builds on ACON's experience owning and operating businesses active and growing in multiple markets.

Mr. Arango commented, "We are proud to unite our companies. These transactions and the merger of Intecplast and Pieriplast will benefit our customers since we will be the only 'one-stop shop' alternative for customers with industry leading service and quality products including a dedicated senior team focused on innovation."

Mr. Pierinelli added, "Based on our clients' needs and requests we had contemplated expanding into Colombia for the past several years and this merger finally achieves this in the most effective way possible. One of our main objectives is to bring more innovation across our product platforms."

The transaction represents the third investment made from ACON's fourth pool of capital for Latin America, ACON Latin American Opportunities Fund IV, L.P.

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

LXG Capital served as financial advisor to Pieriplast. Ferrero Abogados and Posse Herrera Ruiz served as legal advisors to Pieriplast in Peru and Colombia, respectively. Heritage Capital served as financial advisor to Intecplast. Bernal Medina Laverde Consultores Legales Asociados of Colombia served as legal advisors. Gomez-Pinzon Zuleta Abogados and Miranda & Amado Abogados served as legal advisors to ACON in Colombia and Peru, respectively.

About Intecplast S.A.S.
Founded in 1982 in Bogota, Colombia, Intecplast is a leading manufacturer or rigid plastic packaging solutions using injection, blow molding, injection stretch blow molding and injection blow molding for the cosmetics, personal care and pharmaceutical industries. From its production facilities outside Bogota, Colombia, the company services the main multinationals operating in the Andean Region as well as best in class Colombian customers, exporting to other 13 countries on the region. For more information, visit www.intecplast.com.co.

About Pieriplast S.A.C.
Founded in 1987 in Lima, Pieriplast is the leading supplier of high-end packaging solutions for the direct sales cosmetics industry in the Andean Region. The company produces a diverse portfolio of formats including mascaras, lipsticks, powder dispensers, jars, and perfume caps, among others. The company is also a leading processer of engineering resins. Pieriplast services customers in Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, and Brazil. For more information, visit www.pieriplast.com.

About ACON Investments
ACON Investments, L.L.C. is a Washington, DC-based international private equity investment firm that manages private equity funds and special purpose partnerships that make investments in the United States and Latin America. Founded in 1996, ACON and its principals have managed over $3.6 billion of capital and made more than 50 investments, 30 of which were completed across 10 different Latin American countries. ACON has professionals in Washington, DC, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Sao Paulo and Bogota. For more information, visit www.aconinvestments.com.