Tradition meets innovation: Vetropack Nemšová celebrates 120th anniversary

03.11.2022: This fall, Vetropack Nemšová s.r.o., the Slovakian subsidiary of the Vetropack Group, is celebrating a double anniversary. The production site in Nemšová was founded 120 years ago and has been part of Vetropack for the past 20 years. The glass factory with a rich tradition is on course for growth and supplies important Vetropack customers in Slovakia and neighboring European countries. The anniversary year also marks a milestone in the ongoing modernization of the plant. The converted recycling line has not only drastically increased the capacity for processing used glass; it also helps to achieve significant savings in energy and CO2 emissions.

Although Nemšová with a population of around 6,500 is one of Slovakia's smaller towns, it is also among the most traditional and modern glass packaging production sites in Europe. And it has been for 120 years, ever since Baron Anton Dreher laid the foundation for the glass factory in 1902. "There are few places that can look back on such a long and successful history in glass production," explains Johann Reiter, CEO of the Vetropack Group. 

Most important employer in the region

To date, Vetropack Nemšová is the largest employer and one of the most important economic drivers in the region. Around 425 colleagues work at the site today, most of them directly in glass production. "People are proud of the glass plant and this state-of-the-art production," explains Boris Sluka, Managing Director Business Unit Czech Republic and Slovakia. "The high level of expertise and commitment of the workforce are at the heart of this site's success."

In 2002, Skloobal Nemšová, which had been run as a corporation since 1989, became part of the international Vetropack Group. This was an important milestone for the site: "Vetropack opened up completely new development opportunities for us," says Boris Sluka. "Regular investments in our equipment have enabled us to modernize our production processes and to grow significantly over the past two decades." This was also the case last year, when the site produced and processed around 196,000 tons of glass with two blast furnaces and a total of seven lines. In total, Nemšová generated net sales of 63.6 million Swiss francs (CHF) in 2021.

Investment in state-of-the-art recycling line

The site aims at maintaining this growth course in the coming years. Vetropack Nemšová is the undisputed leader in the domestic market, with a majority of products being manufactured for export. Customers include important names such as the Carlsberg brewery, for whom Vetropack exclusively produces the unmistakable blue bottles of the Kronenbourg wheat beer 1664 Blanc in Nemšová. 

To further strengthen its market position, Vetropack has invested significantly in the expansion of its recycling line for used glass in Nemšová this year. The existing recycling line for broken glass from 2008 was converted to increase the yield of white glass considerably. Vetropack Nemšová is currently the only processor that meets the current and future needs of the Slovak Republic in used glass recycling. 

The conversion has increased the capacity of the recycling line by 50 percent: the line can now process around 140,000 tons of used glass per year. At the same time, this has a positive effect on the environmental record of the entire Nemšová production site. The increased use of recycled glass can save 4,100 tons of raw material and reduce CO2 emissions by 550 tons. "Projects that combine technological innovation and ecology show us the way to the future," Boris Sluka underlines. "They are the next chapter in the history of our site."

About Vetropack Group

At Vetropack, we enable people to enjoy food and beverages as safely as possible by providing solutions that combine optimum elegance with maximum responsibility. We view glass as the most sustainable packaging solution – and the perfect material to ensure that food is packaged safely. Our holistic Service plus+ approach helps our customers to optimise their value chains and guarantee consumers' safety. Close, long-lasting relationships are the hallmarks of our collaboration with partners. Guided by our understanding of environmental responsibility and cost efficiency, we aim to minimise our carbon footprint throughout the supply chain, and we are committed to recycling as the key to optimising product life-cycles.

Vetropack Group is one of Europe's leading manufacturers of glass packaging for the food and beverage industry with around 4,000 employees and net revenues of CHF 816.5 million in 2021. Vetropack has state-of-the-art production facilities as well as sales and distribution offices in Switzerland, Austria, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Slovakia, Ukraine, Italy, the Republic of Moldova and Romania.