Just over one year after the birth of Aetna Group China—an organisation born from the merger of the two historic subsidiaries: Robopac China and OCME China—this inauguration represents a significant milestone in the Group's strategic expansion and reinforces its global leadership position in end-of-line packaging.
More than 100 guests, including customers, OEMs, and dealers, attended the event. Many took advantage of the shuttle service organised to connect the Jiaxing site with the concurrent China Brew & Beverage exhibition in Shanghai.
During the ceremony, Enrico Aureli, CEO of the Aetna Group, highlighted how the doubling of production capacity in Jiaxing strengthens the group's position in a highly competitive local market. All this confirms its internationalisation strategy and “local for local” approach. “This new plant”, said Aureli, “allows the Group to respond even more quickly and efficiently to the demands of Chinese manufacturers, offering Made in Italy solutions specifically designed to meet the demands of this territory.”
This view is also reinforced by the words of Federico Spallino, General Manager of Robopac, who emphasised the new possibilities the plant provides for Chinese customers. “This plant will serve as a permanent showroom with a ready supply of machinery. In addition, by the first half of 2025, we will build a TechLab (the most advanced research laboratory system in the packaging industry) to support continuous development of products and processes.” In his conclusion, Spallino stated: “The new facility will allow us to offer a more functional and customised technical and business support, as well as practical demonstrations of the Group's advanced technologies.”
The ceremony was also attended by Paolo Parmeggiani, Branch Manager of Aetna Group China, and Rebecca Zhang, Sales Director of OCME China. Both gave an overview of the evolution of the Group's presence in China and retraced the milestones of OCME's history in the country. In fact, they recalled the opening of the first factory in Jiaxing in 2006, the production of the first local machine in 2007 and the significant expansion of the subsidiary in 2013. As Parmeggiani and Zhang jointly emphasised, this new chapter further strengthens the presence of OCME and Robopac in the country, uniting skills and services under one roof to better anticipate market needs.
Important feedback also came from the local authorities and the Jiaxing Economic Development Zone representative, Mr Wu Yangping. They all expressed their appreciation for Aetna Group's commitment to local businesses and shared their satisfaction with this significant milestone. They also thanked the company for its significant contribution to local economic development.
The inauguration ended with OCME General Manager, Gaetano Libratti, leading the traditional ribbon-cutting ceremony. Guests were then given a tour of the plant by representatives of Robopac and OCME, where they were able to explore three different stations dedicated to semi-automatic wrapping technologies, automatic wrapping machines and complete end-of-line systems. The first plant in Jiaxing, which was recently renovated, was also visited by Aetna Group customers who were able to observe the company's progress and appreciate its continuous evolution.
The day ended with a gala dinner at the impressive Nanhu Hotel on the shores of South Lake in Jiaxing. This is where guests toasted to the future of Aetna Group in China to the notes of the famous Brindisi (“The Drinking Song”) from La Traviata, performed by a live musical trio.
With the opening of this new plant, Aetna Group demonstrates its position as a leading partner in the Chinese industry and as the main local supplier of end-of-line packaging solutions, with an exceptionally wide and customisable range of products, along with a deep-rooted presence that makes the service even more efficient and personalised.
