Packing and plastic firm Astrapak has sold its East Rand Plastic business to another packaging group, Transpaco, for R77.5 million. Transpaco will also acquire the property occupied by the business for an additional R14m. The group said yesterday the decision to dispose of East Rand Plastic accords with its strategic objective to focus on operations of scale within the food, beverage, personal care and pharmaceutical and petrochemical markets. The East Rand Plastic business specialises in the manufacturing of polyethylene flexible packaging material predominately active in the production of refuse bags. The factory was devastated by a fire in January 2013, and the business was downsized significantly after the rationalisation of Astrapak’s Flexible Division last year. Astrapak shares on the JSE closed unchanged at R4.20. – Nompumelelo Magwaza