Succession plan: Bayer Kartonagen to be part of Schwarzach Packaging in future

It is good news for the staff and customers of Bayer Kartonagen: Schwarzach Packaging, a Vorarlberg-based company that already has a long tradition of cooperation with the Lustenau-based cardboard packaging specialist, is taking over the helm. “We know and appreciate each other, our corporate cultures simply fit together. And with Schwarzach Packaging, we have a successor who is clearly committed to Vorarlberg and its people,” says Josef Bayer, happy to be able to hand over his third-generation, successfully managed company into good hands before he goes into well-earned retirement. The economic link between the two companies is the product area with laminated cardboard packaging, which the Lustenau-based company has always produced for its partner in Schwarzach. “Josef Bayer is helping us in a one-year implementation process to bring this area of expertise in-house. And we are happy when as many employees from Lustenau as possible come along. It's a good fit not only professionally, but also on a personal level,” Johannes Knapp, Managing Director of Schwarzach Packaging, welcomes the Bayer-Kartonagen workforce.

In any case, the merger is strategically important, as Schwarzach is positioning itself more broadly and therefore more securely in a challenging market environment. By integrating its cardboard production, the company aims to bundle strengths, secure jobs, utilize synergies and further expand expertise and capacities. As part of an asset deal, Schwarzach Packaging is taking over the entire workforce and operations of the Lustenau-based company. The timing is favorable, as Bayer Kartonagen's order volume has recently been on the rise. The plans are long-term and sustainable, as Ralph Joser, Managing Director of Schwarzach Packaging, explains: “The merger and implementation process will take several months, and we are taking great care to ensure that the move has no impact on production processes. Bayer Kartonagen's customers rely on the high quality of its packaging solutions. And they can continue to do so in the future.”