Wikipedia

SIG Group

(Redirected from SIG Combibloc Group)
For the Indonesian company, see Semen Indonesia Group.

SIG Group AG is a Swiss multinational corporation in the packaging industry.[2][3]

SIG Group AG
Company typePublic
SIX: SIGN
SMI MID component
PredecessorSIG Holding AG
Founded1853 (1853)
Headquarters
Neuhausen am Rheinfall (canton of Schaffhausen)
,
Switzerland
Key people
Samuel Sigrist, CEO
ProductsLiquid food and beverage packaging
ServicesAseptic cartons, filling equipment and service
Revenue€3.2 billion (2023)[1] Increase
Number of employees
c. 9000 (2023)
Websitewww.sig.biz
SIG buildings in Neuhausen am Rheinfall (Switzerland)

Originally founded 1853 as a railway car producer named Schweizerische Waggonfabrik ("Swiss Wagon Factory"), it was renamed SIG (Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft, German for Swiss Industrial Company; in French, as Société Industrielle Suisse; and, in Italian, as Societá Industriale Svizzera)[4] a decade later, after it had won a contract for the production of firearms by the Swiss government.[5][6]

The SIG Group shares are listed on SIX Swiss Exchange and are a component of the SMI MID index. The industrial site at the headquarters in Neuhausen am Rheinfall is located directly on the Rhine Falls. Built at this location in 1853 for the use of hydroelectric power,[7] the site was transferred to the SIG Charitable Foundation in 2011.[8]

History edit

Packaging (1906 - today) edit

1906 - 1950 edit

In order to address the volatility of the railway vehicle and firearms businesses, SIG started to produce packaging machinery starting from 1906 as a third main business area.[9] The machines were produced at SIG in Neuhausen[10] on behalf of the patentee of a "folding box" die-fold system, a co-founder of SAPAL (Société Anonyme des Plieuses Automatiques). Most of SIG's earlier packaging equipment efforts were focused on small dry food items such as chocolates and candy. The first packaging machines were delivered to Swiss chocolate manufacturers. In 1921, SIG started to construct its own packaging machines.[11]

1950 - 2000 edit

1956 SIG launched its first continuous flow wrapping machine. 1964 the business unit moved to Beringen where it had built a new factory. By 1981, it was producing 60 models of packaging machines.[11]

In 1989, through the acquisition of PKL from Linnich, Germany, SIG entered the field of aseptic carton liquid packaging, later known as SIG Combibloc.[12][13]

2000 - today edit

In 2000, SIG started to focus on food and beverage packaging technology. Management directed revenues from the sales of SIG Sauer and Rocktools to acquire global businesses, including Krupp Kunstofftechnik (Corpoplast / Blowtec / Kautex brands) and HAMBA in Germany;[14] Ryka Blow Molds in Canada;[15][16] and a substantial portion of the Italian conglomerate SASIB.[17] The food-related (dry) businesses were organized under the SIG Pack division,[11] while the beverage-related (wet) businesses formed SIG Beverages. Aseptic liquid packaging remained separate under SIG Combibloc.[18]

The former SASIB wet businesses Simonazzi, Alfa and Meyer / Mojonnier were sold to Tetra Laval in 2005,[19] while HAMBA, Kautex and Blowtec were sold separately to private investor groups.[20] The food packaging businesses were sold to Robert Bosch Verpackungstechnik in 2004.[21] The former SASIB dry unit Stewart Systems (bakery products) was sold to UCA Group in 2004.[22] Laser-guided vehicle manufacturer Elettric 80, part of the 1999 SASIB acquisition, was sold back to its original Italian owners in 2004.[23][24]

By 2006, Sigpack Systems had an export ratio of 97% of its products.[11] The slimmed-down SIG Beverages unit, manufacturer of PET bottle blow-molding machinery, was sold off to the German company Salzgitter AG in March 2008. This sale encompassed the subsidiaries Corpoplast, Asbofill, Plasmax and Moldtec.[25][26]

In 2007, SIG Holding AG was acquired by Rank Group Limited, the private investment company of New Zealand businessman Graeme Hart, and operated under its subsidiary, Reynolds Group Holdings Ltd., which, in March 2015, announced completion of its sale of SIG to ONEX Corporation.[27]

Today, SIG Group focuses on aseptic packaging. In 2016, the company introduced Combibloc RS Composite, a composite structural inner layer which increases system stability and reduces the carbon footprint of carton packs.[28] In 2017, SIG introduced the first individual QR codes with digital sourcing transparency, tailored for dairy product consumers.[29]

In April 2022, the company was renamed from SIG Combibloc Group AG to SIG Group AG. In the same year, SIG finalised the acquisition of Scholle IPN,[30] an American producer of flexible food and beverages packaging including spouted pouches and bag-in-box solutions originally developed by William R. Scholle. Also in 2022, SIG acquired the Asia business of US competitor Pactiv Evergreen[31] with its production facilities for fresh products, especially fresh milk in the People's Republic of China, Taiwan and South Korea.[32]

Railways, Vehicles (1853 – 1995) edit

The schweizerische Waggonfabrik[33] ("Swiss Wagon Factory") was founded in 1853 by Friedrich Peyer im Hof, Heinrich Moser, and Johann Conrad Neher.[6] From 1854, it produced railway cars for the emerging Swiss railway companies. Friedrich Peyer was one of the directors of the Swiss Northeastern Railway, also founded in 1853. Their factory in Neuhausen am Rheinfall was originally powered by the nearby Rhine Falls and employed 150 workers,[34][6] which by the mid-1860s increased to 500 workers.[33]

In the late 1970s, SIG was the designer and builder of Toronto's streetcar, the CLRV L1.[35][36][37] The remaining 190 L2 vehicles, along with 52 articulated variants, were made by Thunder Bay, Ontario-based Urban Transportation Development Corporation (UTDC), now a subsidiary of Bombardier Transportation.

In the early 1980s, SIG was the designer and builder of the Utrecht sneltram trams.[38] 27 were ordered and delivered in 1983. Their scheduled replacements ran from 2017 to 2020.

The tilting system of the SBB RABDe 500 was developed by SIG. The railway branch of SIG was sold in 1995 to Fiat Ferroviaria.[39]

Firearms (1859 – 2000) edit

SIG started to produce the Prélaz-Burnand in 1859. It was invented by gunsmith Jean-Louis Joseph Prélaz and forestry inspector Colonel Ėdouard Burnand (father of Swiss painter Eugène Burnand). In 1860, the rifle won a competition held by the Swiss Federal Ministry of Defence, resulting in a contract to produce 30,000 pieces.[40][6] This rifle was adapted as the M1863.

Upon receiving the contract to produce rifles, the company name was changed to reflect its new emphasis on machined production, becoming Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft (SIG); in English, Swiss Industrial Company; and, in French, Société Industrielle Suisse.[41][42][6]

SIG produced the Mondragón Rifle between 1908 and 1910.[43] The SIG P210 pistol was developed in 1937 based on the French Modèle 1935, and was adopted by the Swiss military in 1949 as the "Pistole 49". This pistol's frame design incorporates external rails which fit closely with the slide, thus eliminating play in the mechanism during firing. The P210 was noted for its accuracy.[44] The Petter-Browning patent was a refinement—and John Moses Browning's last design—of the Browning Hi-Power (P35).[45]

In 1975, the Swiss military replaced the P210 with the P220, dubbed the "Pistole 75", which was the first product of a partnership with J.P. Sauer & Sohn. In a 1984 bidding contest to provide more than 300,000 sidearms to the US military, the SIG Sauer P226 was defeated by Beretta's 92FS which was awarded the contract for the M9 pistol. The SIG SG 510, or Sturmgewehr 57, battle rifle was produced by SIG from 1957 to 1983. Its appearance was vaguely similar to the German MG34 light machine-gun, due to its ventilated barrel jacket. It employed roller-delayed blowback, as used on the CETME/HK rifles.[46] The only general purpose machine gun produced by SIG was the SIG 710-3, which is based on the MG42.[47]

Due to Swiss restrictions on the export of military weapons, SIG entered into a relationship with the German company J.P. Sauer & Sohn, in order to give SIG access to the global firearms market. During the 1970s, SIG purchased both Hämmerli[48][49] and J.P. Sauer & Sohn, resulting in the formation of SIG Sauer.

In January 1985, SIGARMS was established in Tyson's Corner, Virginia, where its handgun models P220 and P230 were imported into the US from its sister company in Europe.[6] In 2007, SIGARMS changed its name to SIG Sauer. SIG Arm's division was purchased in 2000 by L & O Holding,[50] and is now known as SIG SAUER AG.

Business areas and locations edit

 
SIG site at the Rhine Falls managed by SIG charitable foundation

SIG manufactures aseptic carton packs, bag-in-box packaging and spouted pouches for beverages and food. It also produces, operates and maintains packaging machines.[51] The ownership of the SIG site, located directly on the Rhine Falls, was transferred to the SIG Charitable Foundation in 2011.[52] In addition to the conversion of the site (residential, commercial, retail, gastronomy), it is still home to the company's headquarters and a production facility with 200 employees. The SIG Group has 95 subsidiaries in 40 countries.

See also edit

External links edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft.

References edit

  1. ^ "Full year 2023 financial results highlight strong business profile". SIG Group. 2024-02-27. Retrieved 2024-03-30.
  2. ^ "Global Aseptic Packaging Companies". Mordor Intelligence. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  3. ^ "Global Aseptic Packaging Market". Spherical Insights. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  4. ^ "SIG Combibloc Services AG – Central Business Name Index". Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft. Retrieved 2023-10-31.
  5. ^ "Listofcompanies.co.in". Archived from the original on 2019-09-27. Retrieved 2017-01-30.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Sagi, Guy J. (2022-04-13). "SIG Sauer: From Wagon Factory To Modern Gunmaker". American Rifleman. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
  7. ^ "Wärme statt Waggons". EKS on! - Elektrizitätswerk des Kantons Schaffhausen. Retrieved 2023-10-31.
  8. ^ "SIG Group AG: Strong revenue growth and high level of filler placements". Finanzen.ch. 2023-02-28. Retrieved 2024-03-30.
  9. ^ Knoepfli, Adrian (2011-10-27). "Schweizerische Industrie-Gesellschaft (SIG)". Historisches Lexikon der Schweiz (HLS). Retrieved 2023-11-27.
  10. ^ Marion, Gilbert. "Montet, Gabriel". Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse (DHS). Retrieved 2023-11-27.
  11. ^ a b c d "100 years of innovation in the packaging industry". Process technology online. Retrieved 2023-11-27.
  12. ^ Shurtleff, W., et al History of Soybeans and Soyfoods in Austria and Switzerland (1781-2015), by William Shurtleff and Akiko Aoyagi, Soyinfo Center, 2015, page 564. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
  13. ^ "Global renaming: SIG Combibloc / New regional companies / Group strategy". Plasteurope. 1998-03-31. Retrieved 2023-11-27.
  14. ^ "PET bottles: Now a system supplier / Acquisition of Hamba / Aseptic filling technology". Plasteurope. 2000-09-21. Retrieved 2023-11-27.
  15. ^ "SIG acquires Ryka". Plasteurope. 2002-10-24. Retrieved 2023-11-27.
  16. ^ "Ryka Molds: Project Mgmt and Performance Flow Get Results". Moldmaking Technology. 2005-01-06. Retrieved 2023-11-27.
  17. ^ "Changes in store for SIG Hamba". Bakery And Snacks. Retrieved 2023-11-27.
  18. ^ "The history of SIG Combibloc". SIG. 2013-02-04. Retrieved 2023-11-27.
  19. ^ "Schlechtes Jahr für SIG". 20 Minuten. 2005-03-08. Retrieved 2023-11-27.
  20. ^ BREGAR, BILL (2004-05-03). "SIG to sell Kautex, Blowtec to German company Adcuram". Plastics News. Retrieved 2023-11-27.
  21. ^ "Kautex and Blowtec sold to private equity investor / SIG Pack acquired by Bosch". Plasteurope. 2004-05-27. Retrieved 2023-11-27.
  22. ^ "SIG Stewart Systems, Inc. Acquired by UCA Group, Inc". Allegiance CapitalCorporation. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  23. ^ Pontecorvo,Laura "Elettric 80: the Eagle is back! — Elettric 80, which has become 100% Italian again after a few years spent in the Swiss group SIG, confirms its character as innovative company in the field of integrated logistics systems", Perini Journal (PJL-23), 2004. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
  24. ^ "Germany's SIG Combibloc develops new combibloc RS composite structure for carton packs", RISI Technology Channels, December 15, 2016. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
  25. ^ Patton, Dominique (2008-07-19). "Salzgitter to buy SIG Beverages unit". Beverage Daily. Retrieved 2023-11-27.
  26. ^ "Plasmax included in acquisition of SIG Beverages / Further development of coating process". Plasteurope. 2008-06-03. Retrieved 2023-11-27.
  27. ^ Businesswire "Reynolds Group Holdings Limited Announced Closing of Sale of SIG Combibloc Business", March 13, 2015. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
  28. ^ Qureshi, Waqas (2016-12-09). "SIG Combibloc boosts system stability with new carton". Packaging News. Retrieved 2023-11-27.
  29. ^ "SIG Combibloc launches new digital solution for Languiru's products". NS Packaging. 2017-06-21. Retrieved 2023-11-27.
  30. ^ Koltrowitz, Silke (2022-02-01). "SIG Combibloc acquires bag-in-box maker Scholle IPN in $1.53 bln deal". Reuters. Retrieved 2023-11-27.
  31. ^ "SIG completes acquisition of flexible packaging solution provider Scholle IPN". Packaging Gateway. 2022-06-03. Retrieved 2023-11-27.
  32. ^ "SIG closes acquisition of Pactiv Evergreen's Evergreen Asia". Packaging Gateway. 2022-08-04. Retrieved 2023-11-27.
  33. ^ a b Hermann Alexander von Berlepsch, Schweizerkunde: Land, Volk und Staat, Schwetschke, 1864, p. 512.
  34. ^ SIG-Geschichte Archived 2020-02-23 at the Wayback Machine, Baublatt, 21 September 2017.
  35. ^ Bow, James (2020-05-17). "THE ARTICULATED LIGHT RAIL VEHICLES (THE ALRVS)". Transit Toronto. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
  36. ^ Thompson, John (2018-01-05). "Light Rail The car that saved Toronto's streetcars". Railway Age. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
  37. ^ McGillivray, Kate (2017-12-30). "Now 40 years old, the CLRV streetcar is a piece of Toronto history that almost never came to be". CBC News. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
  38. ^ "Utrecht to convert Sneltram". Tramways & Urban Transit. 2016-12-09. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
  39. ^ "The Northlander". UWyo.edu. Archived from the original on 31 December 2015. Retrieved 29 April 2017.
  40. ^ "Eugène Burnand Biographic Information", "Eugène Burnand, the man, the artist and his work, by René Burnand, MD Berger-Levrault, Paris, 1926 via eugene-burnand.com Retrieved August 30, 2018.
  41. ^ "History - Sig Sauer". SigSauer.com. Archived from the original on 13 January 2010. Retrieved 29 April 2017.
  42. ^ Sig-Sauer Law Enforcement Archived 2012-03-11 at the Wayback Machine
  43. ^ Firestone, Adam C. "Historic Firearm of the Month, February 2001". Cruffler.com. Retrieved 29 April 2017.
  44. ^ Wood, Keith (12 February 2020). "SIG Sauer P210 Review". Gunsandammo. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  45. ^ "Sig P210". ForgottenWeapons.com. 2 December 2011. Retrieved 29 April 2017.
  46. ^ "SIG Stgw 57". ForgottenWeapons.com. 23 September 2011. Retrieved 29 April 2017.
  47. ^ "Modern Firearms - SIG MG 710". Guns.ru. 27 October 2010. Retrieved 29 April 2017.
  48. ^ GmbH, CARL WALTHER. "Home - Hämmerli Website". Haemmerli.info. Archived from the original on 27 September 2019. Retrieved 29 April 2017.
  49. ^ "SIG-Hammerli Trailside/X-Esse". TonyBrong.Blogspot.com. Retrieved 29 April 2017.
  50. ^ Samsel, Aaron (31 May 2013). "SIG SAUER Parent Company Buys GSG, supplier of SIG 1911-22 Handguns". Guns.com. Archived from the original on 31 August 2018. Retrieved 29 April 2017.
  51. ^ "SIG Aseptic Carton Packaging Plant". Packaging Gateway. 2019-08-02. Retrieved 2023-10-31.
  52. ^ "AN AREA OF CHANGE". SIG Areal. Retrieved 2023-10-31.
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