Zip-Pak, Manteno, Ill., will open a manufacturing facility in São Paulo, Brazil.

The plant will reduce lead times and greatly expand technical and consulting services to customers in Brazil, Argentina and Chile, and reduce its environmental footprint by shipping freight shorter distances to reach Latin American customers.

The Brazil location also enables machinery, material and package design experts to offer ongoing consultation and field service to its Latin American customers, ensuring smooth operations and alleviating unforeseen maintenance issues. Local field technicians will offer consultation on ways brands can retrofit production lines to incorporate resealable packaging. Zip-Pak's engineering team can also develop custom retrofit packaging systems that ease the transition to consumer-preferred resealable flexible formats without significant capital investments.

"The expansion in South America will enable Zip-Pak to continue providing innovative packaging solutions to an important global market," says Perry Malik, business manager for Zip-Pak’s Latin America territory. "We are excited to initiate local production and warehousing operations that will support the local economy while enhancing Latin American customer's experiences with our proven brand of resealable solutions."

Zip-Pak plans to begin full production of its line of resealable closures in early 2013.