Ipacan – International Packaging Association

International Packaging Association

IPA – the International Packaging Association – is an association of major and independent canmakers from six continents. Its members are corporations manufacturing metal packaging as the main activity.

Visit us on Interpack in Dusseldorf

Welcome to our virtual home for the upcoming Interpack 2023.
Meet us at the world’s biggest packaging trade fair from 4th to 10th of May in Düsseldorf.
IPA will exhibit together with associated members Auxiliar Conservera, Gruppo ASA and Pirlo.
We are located in Hall 7a at booth no. 7aB27 right next to the passage to Hall 6.
In this area of our website we will keep you updated regarding our Interpack presence, our activities and so on.

Watch this space !

Who are we?

A brief history

Motivated by new trade opportunities opening up in post-WWII Europe, five independent can makers met at the Belleview Hotel in Hilterfingen, Switzerland, in 1953. Thus was born the EUROPEAN CAN ASSOCIATION.

The new association met yearly in a General Assembly and, in 1957, almost all members signed a Technical Assistance Agreement with American Can Company.

With expanding membership and increased project work, the task force was divided into committees which would become the backbone of European Can Association. After the creation of the Technical and Commercial committees, a Purchasing Committee was added in 1973.

By 1986, with 6 out of 14 members being non-European and several dealing also with non-metal packaging, it was clearly time to rename the association to the more accurately descriptive INTERNATIONAL PACKAGING ASSOCIATION.

The following year American Can Company was taken over by Triangle, becoming American National Can Company. After Pechiney’s purchase of ANCC, the licensee arrangements with IPA members ceased. In 2019, there are member companies on all six continents.

Nevertheless, the basic tenets set forth by the founding members still guide the association in the 21st century, the main purpose of which is to create, through an exchange of ideas and know-how in an atmosphere of mutual trust, an organization with a competitive edge for small- and medium-sized metal-can makers in a world of heavy-weight multinational conglomerates.

Structure

Working Committees: In general, the association’s work is executed through specific working groups, called committees. The Marketing, Purchasing and Technical Committees meet twice per year, in autumn and in spring.

Office: In 2000, IPA created a Technical Office run by a full-time metal packaging engineer in order to enhance multi-lateral project development and innovation and to assure effective cross-referencing and synergy between the working committees. The Executive Office also resolves all administrative matters of the association.

General Assembly: A two-day General Assembly is held annually, hosted on a rotation basis by a member company. The agenda includes an overview of the packaging industry, committee and individual member reports, guest speakers, approval of new memberships, a financial report and all matters pertaining to IPA affairs. The General Assembly guides the committee work and develops the overall strategy. A third day is devoted to a plant visit.

Annual subscription fees: Membership is contingent upon payment of an annual subscription fee set by the General Assembly, consisting of a fixed rate plus a variable rate based on the weighted consumption of tinplate, black plate and aluminium.

Management: A Management Committee, consisting of a President, a Vice-President and a Second Vice-President plus the Banking liaison, is elected annually by the General Assembly; the Executive Office Manager is appointed by the General Assembly. A President’s term is usually for 3 years. The Extended Management Committee includes the committee chairmen as well and meets usually once per year to review committee work and to execute the IPA’s strategy.

Legal status: The association is registered in France under registry number N° 0601013894 issued by the Oise Prefecture on March 18, 1998. Its by-laws are available to all members upon request.

Committees

All three working committees meet twice a year.

Marketing Committee
The marketing and sales managers debate market trends and its requirements, different marketing tools, new products and competitive materials, as well as sustainability and environmental issues. Once per year the Marketing meeting is held in a back-to-back format with the Purchasing meeting.

Purchasing Committee
The meeting point for our buyers and material managers. It focuses in one meeting on the tinplate market and in the second meeting on all other major components used in the production process

Technical Committee
The technical managers discuss technical problems and solutions as well as new developments and innovations in the market.
Once per year we run a conference focusing on one topic of broad interest in detail. Past examples for this are printing, weld quality, maintenance issues, and automation.
The other technical meeting is the major annual meeting that is always hosted by a member (to visit their plant) or arranged to coincide with trade fairs (like Metpack or Cannex China). We cover several topics and provide our members with as many updates as possible.

Our Service

what we do

Conferences
Information services / Information management
Newsletters
Networking access

Market overviews
Product or machinery reviews
Project support
Joint technical activities

Members Mission

Think global, act local !

Our mission is to secure the global information exchange between independent canmakers worldwide and to enhance the technical and environmental expertise of each associated company.

Our products

Food Cans – Retort

Auxiliar Conservera
Envases Antillanos
Fadesa
Hindustan Tin Works
Lageen
Pirlo
Staehle

Food Cans – Non-Retort

ASA
Auxiliar Conservera
Brasilata
Envases Antillanos
Fadesa
Hindustan Tin Works
Independent Can Co
Lageen
National Can Industries
Pirlo
Staehle

Technical Packaging

ASA
Brasilata
Envases Antillanos
Fadesa
Hindustan Tin Works
Independent Can Co
National Can Industries
Pirlo
Staehle

Promotional / Specialty

Brasilata
Hindustan Tin Works
Independent Can Co.
Pirlo
Staehle

Easy Open Ends

ASA
Auxiliar Conservera
Envases Antillanos
Fadesa

Tubes

Fadesa
Lageen
Pirlo

Aerosol cans

ASA San Marino
Brasilata
Hindustan Tin Works
National Can Industries
Staehle

Litho Services / Pre-press

ASA San Marino
Hoffmann-Neopac
National Can Industries
Independent Can Co.

Drums

National Can Industries

Contact us

IPA Technical Office | Paul-Michael-Str. 4 | Leipzig, Germany
Dipl. Ing. Joerg Pfuetzner
Tel : +49 – 341- 4422612
Fax : +49 – 341- 4422613
E-mail : info(at)ipacan.com