AUSTRIAN PACKAGING COMPANIES HOLD THEIR GROUND November 8, 2007

Difficult Conditions Make Challenging Times 
 

Despite unfavorable price changes the Austrian packaging industry managed to finish business year 2006 in good shape and make solid gains. A recent study by the management consulting firm SynGroup shows that drastic increases in the price of raw materials could be offset in large part by stepping up productivity by 5 – 10%. Domestic output, however, was down 1-2 percentage points. Austrian companies were very active in the CEE countries which continue to be growth engines and consistently bring in positive results. Trends toward value-added and lucrative niche products are expected to continue in 2007.

103 companies, among them international concerns such as Mondi Packaging, Constantia, Mayr-Melnhof, and Greiner Packaging have an annual domestic production of approx. 6.5 billion EUR. About 20,000 of the 30,000 workers are employed in Austria. Austrian packagers were able to implement specific measures in order to counteract extreme increases in the prices of raw materials; a few top performers even registered gains in production. In general, sales have risen. All told, because of intensive efforts to increase efficiency and production, 2006 turned out to be a good business year.

The U.S. point of contact to Austrian companies in the packaging sector is the Austrian Trade Commission in Chicago.  

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