Figures released by the alliance show a total turnover in 2005 of €244.2m, up 11.7 per cent on the previous year, buoyed by the membership of French pharmaceutical leaflet and labelling specialist Rotanotice.
The alliance now boasts ten member companies with 19 manufacturing sites and a total capacity of 6.5bn folding carton units, 4.6bn leaflet units and 3.2bn label units across Europe.
Folding cartons, leaflets and labels all have the same popularity, but where manufacturers have the biggest need, according to the alliance, is folding boxes.
"Big pharmaceutical customers are increasing concentration and consolidation in the pharmaceutical healthcare market and are looking for partners who can serve them throughout Europe," Copapharm spokeswoman Sylvia Wieloch told In-PharmaTechnologist.com.
"In their home countries members perform separately, but in the case of big European business alliances they work together and can offer the best possible consolidated service as well as back-up supplies within the alliance guaranteeing same quality and service, and benchmarking in order to offer the best solutions to their customers."
The members of the alliance are Germany's Faller, France's Packart, Italy's Palladio/Zannini, Belgium's Goldprint, Great Britain's Storey Evans and Spain's Icesa, Pans and Cartonplex.
They have a total of 19 manufacturing sites across Europe, in Italy, Germany, Belgium, France, Spain, Serbia/Montenegro, the UK and Ireland.
Pharma/health care remains the dominant source of revenue for the alliance with 84 per cent share, but there are other areas of operation including bodycare, confectionary and food, and consumer products.
Copapharm says 2006 has already started well for the alliance, with several of its members experiencing fast growth ahead of sales forecasts.