Things look grim for blow molding equipment supplier W. Amsler Equipment Inc., according to a statement from Marco Corvi, CEO and chairman of the board for owner Benpac Holding AG based in Stans, Switzerland.
“At the moment we are trying to get an overview of the actual situation at Amsler, which is very difficult,” Corvi wrote. “We have asked employees to look around for other employment, as we are completely restructuring our business in Canada and North America.”
Although calls to Amsler’s headquarters reached no human or automated response, in an email Corvi said Amsler “is integrated, not closed.” When asked if he planned to continue to produce equipment under the Amsler brand, or to sell or continue the brand in some way, Corvi responded “No, we will sell under the Benpac brand.”
In his statement, Corvi said subsidiary Benpac Holding Ltd. USA acquired Amsler Enterprises Inc. at the beginning of 2020. He said the onset of the pandemic made travel and in-person oversight of the company difficult. Corvi blames a cascade of problems, which include cost overruns, unpaid suppliers and unfulfilled orders, on local mismanagement, which he said caused damages totaling $7.5 million for Benpac and himself personally.
A former employee, who requested anonymity, disputed Corvi's account and said Amsler's problems were not due to local mismanagement.
Corvi said that when Benpac took over Amsler, there were nine employees, and at the end of November there were seven. He said he paid the wages of Amsler’s employees until mid-November of 2021. The former employee disputed that number, saying there had been 22 employees, and by December there were only four remaining.
Corvi’s statement said Benpac is following a strategy of establishing country-specific companies to offer an entire portfolio of packaging solutions. “Benpac Packaging Canada Ltd., which belongs to the group, will not only offer PET bottle blowing machines, but will also offer the entire product range of PET bottle blowing, metal packaging, blisters, thermoforming, paper-based packaging and medical parts at the new location in Canada.”
Corvi said these efforts will begin in two months, and his prepared statement said Benpac Packaging will report on its activities “in the coming weeks.”
The Benpac Holding website lists nine locations within North America, including Amsler in Bolton, Ontario.
W. Amsler Equipment Inc. was founded in 1994 by Werner Amsler, a Swiss native.
