Smurfit Kappa has purchased Cartones del Pacifico, a paper-based packaging company in Peru.

In a statement, Smurfit Kappa said the acquisition represents “an important milestone for the company” as it expands its presence in the Americas from 12 to 13 countries, and builds on its leadership position as the largest pan-regional supplier in Latin America.

As part of the transaction Emusa Group has acquired Smurfit Kappa’s flexible packaging business in El Salvador.

Smurfit Kappa CEO, Tony Smurfit, said: “The acquisition of Cartones del Pacifico further expands our strategic reach and underscores our growing regional capability in Latin America.”

“With a population of over 30 million, we are delighted to expand our footprint into Peru to help drive future growth.”

The acquisition will see 368 employees join Smurfit Kappa. This brings the total number employed at the Dublin-listed group to around 46,000.

The company said the purchase will open opportunities for Smurfit Kappa to enhance the business through the group’s best-in-class operating systems, procurement arrangements, and design and innovation capability to attend customers, mainly in the agricultural and industrial sectors.

It added that the group’s enlarged global footprint will improve its packaging offering to multinationals operating throughout the Latin American region.

Smurfit Kappa, which has over 350 production sites across the world, reported revenue of €8.5bn last year.