Alcan Packaging, a division of Rio Tinto Alcan, announced today that it will invest €17 million (approximately US$27 million) in the Central European packaging market. Alcan Packaging will build a state of the art flexible packaging facility located in the Novy Bydzov area, in the Czech Republic, to supply the emergent food market.

“This investment will strengthen our position on the fast growing Central Europe market,” said Ilene Gordon, president and chief executive officer, Alcan Packaging. “It is a new and important step in Alcan Packaging’s growth strategy implementation,” she added.

The new plant will focus primarily on the production and printing of high quality rotogravure flexible packaging. The plant is expected to be operational in the fourth quarter of 2009 and to employ 100 people in the first development phase.

“Our customers are growing and we will be able to better serve their needs and deliver reliable, innovative and high quality packaging materials and solutions,” said Michael Cronin, president, Alcan Packaging Food Europe.