The Brazilian company has been investing in upgrading its factories in Mauá and Votorantim since 2022, despite economic pressures, to maintain its position in the competitive flexible packaging market.
Vitopel, a Brazilian manufacturer of BOPP (biaxially oriented polypropylene) films for flexible packaging, has been pursuing an ongoing industrial modernization plan since 2022, including the installation of a new, state-of-the-art metallizing machine using English technology. The investment—made amid an unstable economic climate, with rising interest rates, inflation, and logistical bottlenecks—is part of the company’s strategy to expand its presence in high-value-added markets and face growing competition in the sector.
Member of Think Plastic Brazil, a portfolio of solutions for the plastic-converted products sector in the process of internationalization to target markets, implemented through a partnership between ApexBrasil (Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency) and INP (Brazilian Plastics Institute), the company has been updating its production processes to meet the new performance demands of bioriented films, such as thinner film, higher gloss, thermal resistance, and better sealing properties. The improvements aren’t limited to operational efficiency: Vitopel also aims to gain momentum to compete internationally, especially in the Americas.
“Vitopel has a clear calling to be a global provider of flexible packaging solutions for specialty products,” says João Batista, the company’s industrial manager. He says collaboration with converters and major brands has driven the development of films with improved barrier properties and better optical performance.
Technical Modernization and Production Leap
The new metallizing machine marks one of the most advanced stages of the investment plan, but it’s not the company’s only development. In October 2024, Line 4 at the Votorantim plant underwent a complete modernization process with support from Germany’s Brückner Servtec, a leading provider of industrial technology for the sector. The project lasted 45 days, mobilized over 100 outsourced professionals, and was considered a technical success—although the schedule and volume of operations posed logistical and operational challenges.
The restructuring included replacing electronic components, upgrading electrical and mechanical systems, and implementing a new control system. The same modernization is planned for Line 5 at the Mauá plant in 2025.
In 2023, the lines considered less complex—Line 3 (Votorantim) and Line 4 (Mauá)—also underwent upgrades. Since 2021, the company has been making structural improvements to its plants, including the adoption of the IPC (Integrated Process Control) system on the BOPP lines.
Market demands transformation
The pressure for innovation and technical performance has been a determining factor in upgrading the industrial infrastructure. Vitopel recognizes that plastic films used in packaging must meet increasingly stringent requirements—not only from direct customers, but also from consumers and regulatory agencies—on topics such as sustainability, recyclability, and energy efficiency.
“The competitiveness of the Brazilian converted plastics industry depends directly on consistent investments in modernization and technical advantage. Vitopel is an example of how it’s possible to respond to global market demands with strategy and innovation,” says Carlos Moreira, INP Executive Director and Think Plastic Brazil CPO.
With the new equipment and processes, the company expects to offer products with differentiated and competitive characteristics, seeking a stronger position in higher-value-added niches.
Despite maintaining its ongoing investment plan, Vitopel—like other companies in the sector—still faces the challenge of balancing innovation with costs, especially in a context of pressured margins and growing Asian competition.
Focus on regional and international competitiveness
The company aims to expand its operations in the Americas and focuses on offering more technical and customized solutions to win new contracts. The combination of technological updates and on-demand product development has been one of Vitopel’s strategies to stand out.
Still, industry analysts point out that, in addition to factory modernization, it will be necessary to strengthen commercial strategies and seek international alliances to sustain growth. In the plastic packaging market, technical innovation and market intelligence go hand in hand—and the time between one update and the next is often short.
About Think Plastic Brazil
Think Plastic Brazil started its activities with 38 companies and, over the last 20 years, has expanded its participation to more than 250 companies. During this period, the Portfolio promoted 4,773 participations of companies in the industry in 240 projects specifically for Trade Promotion, resulting in 64,366 meetings. The economic impact was significant, with more than US$1.247 billion in business generated and a total investment of US$12.338 million, achieving an impressive ROI of US$101.04 for every dollar invested.
For those interested in buying from Brazil and contacting Brazilian companies associated with Think Plastic Brazil directly, please contact cristina.sacramento@thinkplasticbrazil.com and daniela.ornelas@thinkplasticbrazil.com via email or visit the website (https://thinkplasticbrazil.com/en/home-en/). Think Plastic Brazil is a non-profit, non-commissioned organization that can facilitate your direct contact with Brazilian producers.
About INP
Founded in 1989, the Brazilian Plastic Institute – INP arises amid the process of globalization and the need to make the plastic market more competitive internationally. Its strength and representativeness are the results of the union of the Brazilian Processed Plastic and Recycling Industry (ABIPLAST), the Brazilian Association of the Chemical Industry (ABIQUIM), and the Union of Synthetic Resin Industries in the State of São Paulo (SIRESP).
As a sectoral technological body, the INP’s is to be the focal point for the entire plastics production chain in Brazil. To this end, the body maintains an extensive workforce qualification program, promotes access to the most modern technologies, especially for small and medium-sized companies, and develops Technical Standards so that products with better quality be manufactured.
About ApexBrasil
The Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil) promotes Brazilian products and services abroad and attracts foreign investments to strategic industries of the Brazilian economy. To reach its goals, ApexBrasil carries out diversified trade promotion actions aimed at promoting exports and valuing Brazilian products and services abroad, such as prospective and trade missions, business roundtables, support for the participation of Brazilian companies in major international fairs, and visits by foreign buyers and influencers to learn about the Brazilian productive structure, among other business platforms that are also focused on strengthening “Brazil” as a brand.
The agency also acts in a coordinated manner with public and private actors to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) to Brazil, focusing on strategic sectors for the development of the competitiveness of Brazilian companies and the country.
