IOWA CITY, Iowa, June 10, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ALPLA Inc. today announced the opening of its new Learning & Development Hub in Iowa City, reinforcing its commitment to workforce development and advanced manufacturing across North America.
The facility will serve as the home of ALPLA’s paid, three-year apprenticeship program and provide industry-certified training for employees. Iowa City Mayor Bruce Teague and Austrian Ambassador Dr. Petra Schneebauer joined ALPLA leadership for the ribbon-cutting, highlighting the importance of public-private partnerships in building a strong regional workforce.
The Hub will support three core areas: apprenticeship programs, technical training, and leadership development. Designed as a key driver of ALPLA’s long-term talent strategy, the facility brings together hands-on training, classroom learning, and access to advanced equipment.
“Highly skilled specialists are essential to our success,” said Tasos Pourloukakis, Regional Managing Director, North America, ALPLA Inc. “This integrated approach creates meaningful opportunities to strengthen manufacturing expertise within ALPLA and the broader industry.”
Developed in collaboration with ALPLA’s global team in Austria, the center enables apprentices to train on advanced equipment while earning a fully funded degree and competitive compensation. Current employees will also benefit from expanded upskilling and career development opportunities.
“As the first program of its kind in North America, this Hub reflects ALPLA’s commitment to developing talent and building sustainable career pathways,” said Mirna Morcos, Director of Human Resources, ALPLA Inc.
The investment is expected to create new career pathways, attract additional business, and support regional economic growth.
ALPLA will begin enrolling its next apprenticeship cohort this fall. For more information, visit education.alpla.com.
About ALPLA
ALPLA is one of the leading companies involved in plastic packaging and recycling. Over 25,000 employees worldwide produce custom-made packaging systems, bottles, caps and molded parts at 206 sites across 45 countries. In North America, ALPLA specializes in bottles and caps for the food, beverage, auto, health, beauty, and home care industries by using conscientious culture to drive purposeful packaging. ALPLA operates recycling plants for PET and HDPE. The international network of ALPLArecycling now includes 14 plants, including five joint ventures, in 10 countries: Germany, Italy, Mexico, Austria, Poland, Romania, Spain, South Africa, Thailand and Brazil. Other projects are being realized elsewhere around the world.
www.alpla.com
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