Germany-based Ringmetall SE has acquired Woodridge-headquartered Rapak, a packaging manufacturer with about 50 employees.
Ringmetall, based in Munich, completed its purchase of 100% of Rapak, LLC from TriMas Corporation on Nov. 2, according to a Ringmetall announcement. Financial terms were not disclosed. Ringmetall trades on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.
Rapak makes flexible bag-in-box packaging and filling systems for liquid food, beverages and industrial applications. The company operates at two sites, its Woodridge headquarters and a facility in Indianapolis. It generates about $20 million in annual revenue with approximately 50 employees across both locations, according to Ringmetall's announcement.
The acquisition makes Ringmetall the fourth-largest bag-in-box manufacturer worldwide, by the company's own estimate. Rapak is the fourth company Ringmetall has acquired in 2026, following purchases of Makplast, the thermoforming division of New England Plastics and Vinbag.
Local impact unclear
Neither Ringmetall nor Rapak has publicly addressed specific plans for the Woodridge facility, including whether it will remain the company's headquarters or how staffing levels might change under new ownership.
Christoph Petri, co-CEO of Ringmetall, said in the Oct. 29 announcement that the company plans to leverage the acquisition to enter the North American bag-in-box market. "With the established bag-in-box producer Rapak, we are now opening up the growing North American bag-in-box market and adding an important building block to our liner range in the USA," Petri said.
TriMas exits bag-in-box
TriMas Corporation, a publicly traded manufacturer based in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, bought Rapak in 2020 and operated it within its TriMas Packaging group. The company has about 2,500 employees in 12 countries.
Thomas Snyder, president and CEO of TriMas, called the sale "another important step in streamlining our portfolio," according to a PR Newswire release issued Nov. 2. Snyder said TriMas was "pleased to have found a strong strategic owner for Rapak." Woodward Park Partners advised TriMas on the transaction.
Ringmetall said integration of Rapak into its corporate structure would begin shortly after closing. The company has not said what that process will mean for Rapak's Woodridge operations.
