Private equity group Oaktree Capital Management has agreed to buy German flexible packaging group Nordenia International for an undisclosed sum. The deal is expected to close in Q1, after which Oaktree plans to expand the group through "bolt-on acquisitions" and organic growth.

Nordenia employs 3,000 and has operations in Asia, Africa Europe and North America, with a combined turnover of 294m (430m).

Fellow packaging giant Alcan has expanded its food and speciality packaging interests in North and South America with the purchase of Recubrimientos y Laminaciones de Papel, based in Guadalajara in Mexico.

The purchase price for the assets and business of the 12.5m ($22m) turnover firm was undisclosed.

Meanwhile, Mayr-Melnhof Karton has taken a 50% plus one share stake in the Russian folded carton printer Polygrafoformlenie.

The management team will stay at the 24m (35m) turnover St Petersburg firm. The 650-staff outfit has an ambitious growth plan, pending regulatory approval, which includes a new cigarette packaging gravure plant.

Hong Kong-based Vision Grande Group Holdings is also planning to grow its cigarette packaging market share, with the purchase of Amcor's two China plants.

The 37m (HK$509) deal for the Beijing and Qingdao plants provides Amcor with a 44% stake in Vision.