based Greif Inc. said in a statement that it is forming a joint venture with a Saudi Arabian company to handle the production of “flexible” industrial packaging. Greif said the joint venture will include a business that makes a type of container called “flexible intermediate bulk containers,” otherwise known as “big bags.” Greif, through a subsidiary, has agreed to form a flexible products joint venture (JV) with National Scientific Company Limited (NSC), a subsidiary of Dabbagh Group Holding Co. Dabbagh is a leading privately held Middle East business group headquartered in Saudi Arabia. Greif will manage the JV, 50 percent of which will be owned by National Scientific, and 50 percent by Greif's subsidiary. The venture includes the flexible products business of Storsack, which was recently acquired by Greif. Storsack is the world's largest producer of flexible intermediate bulk containers (FIBCs), with 3,000 employees and 16 production facilities worldwide. The joint venture will be completed after certain conditions are satisfied, including any necessary merger and regulatory approvals. “This joint venture extends our core rigid industrial packaging business,” said Michael J. Gasser, Greif chairman and chief executive officer. “By joining forces with NSC and the Dabbagh Group, which has an established reputation as a trusted partner and pioneer of business within the Middle East and internationally, the JV will benefit from upstream advantages in the flexible products business. “Also, the extension of Greif's product portfolio to include flexible woven polypropylene packaging enables us to diversify deeper into markets such as the food and pharmaceutical industries.” The JV expects to build a factory in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The factory will produce the woven polypropylene fabric used to manufacture the finished flexible containers. It will also produce flexible containers for regional customers. Dr. Majed Al Kassabi, chairman of Dabbagh Group, said “together, NSC and Greif are in a prime position to leverage attractive growth opportunities in the flexible packaging global market. The combination of Greif's industrial packaging expertise, NSC's proven entrepreneurship and Saudi Arabia's competitive cost basis will provide customers with unrivalled value.” David Fischer, Greif president and chief operating officer, said “applying Greif's global footprint and the Greif Business System to this strategic JV will create additional value for our customers and shareholders. By locating in KSA, we will have many advantages including a progressive, business-friendly environment, advantaged logistics and abundant energy and raw material sources.”
