Ara Partners acquires Petainer

Ara Partners, a Houston-based private equity firm that specializes in industrial decarbonization investments, has acquired Petainer Ltd., a U.K.-based global producer of sustainability-focused beverage packaging solutions. Petainer was acquired by Ara in partnership with Petainer management and affiliates of London-based Next Wave Partners LLP.

Petainer develops and manufactures sustainable polyethylene terephthalate (PET) packaging solutions for blue chip customers in the soft drinks, beer, water and other consumer packaged goods sectors. The company has a focus on refillable bottles (refPET), recycled PET (rPET) and circular applications.

“Ara’s investment focus on industrial decarbonization and its expertise and existing presence in the plastics recycling industry in Europe and the Americas make them a uniquely valuable partner for Petainer,” says Hugh Ross, CEO of Petainer. “Ara’s ownership will significantly enhance Petainer’s ability to invest in expansion alongside our multinational customers as these customers implement their global sustainability and circularity strategies.”

Petainer offers a wide range of sustainable PET packaging solutions that allow its customers to reduce their carbon footprints. It has more than 35 years of experience designing and manufacturing products with circularity as a core principle. It operates eight sites in Europe, the Americas and Asia to serve customers globally.

“Petainer is a compelling addition to Ara’s portfolio of companies working to decarbonize the packaging industry through technical innovation and best practices,” says Christopher Picotte, a partner at Ara. “From its product leadership in the refPET and rPET markets, to the certified carbon-neutral manufacturing at its Lidköpking factory in Sweden, the company has consistently achieved success in decarbonizing both its products and its own operations. We look forward to working with Hugh and his team and supporting Petainer in its future growth.”