The Sunny Delight Beverages Co. (SBDC), Cincinnati, signed a letter of agreement with Alpla Inc. for the plastics processing company to provide on-site plastic bottle manufacturing at SBDC’s Sherman, Texas, plant. The Alpla agreement will produce all bottle sizes for SunnyD products manufactured at the facility.
 
“We are delighted that Alpla will have a facility within our Sherman plant to produce all the bottles for the SunnyD made there,” said Ellen Iobst, senior vice president of manufacturing and technology, in a statement. “This will allow us to significantly reduce our freight costs, speed delivery time to customers, improve our manufacturing efficiency and further reduce our environmental footprint. Alpla’s production will include Sunny Delight’s new consumer preferred, square gallon bottle which consumers call ‘fridge friendly’ and which is easier to pour.”
 
In December, SBDC announced a $70 million investment to purchase the former J.M. Smucker Co. coffee plant in Texas and to upgrade it and four other North American manufacturing sites and data systems.
 
Alpla plans to install its latest generation, state-of-the-art equipment and employ approximately 18 full-time employees at the Sherman plant, said Jodok Schaeffler, general manager of Alpla North America, in a statement. Alpla’s core business is the design, development and production of plastic bottles and closures. The company operates more than 130 plants in 37 countries, including 12 plants in the United States.