Hébert Group and ANDRITZ pioneer Dry Molded Fiber
In the push for plastic-free packaging, French specialist and PulPac licensee Hébert Group has teamed with ANDRITZ to scale up Dry Molded Fiber production. Located in Orgelet, France, the family-owned company has long championed responsive, highquality consumer packaging.
Consumers and brand owners are increasingly demanding alternatives to conventional plastic packaging. The Hébert Group specializes in the development and manufacture of custom-molded packaging solutions for leading European and global brands across the food, dairy, cosmetics, and reuse sectors. The group is acutely aware of the challenges being faced to offer more sustainable packaging.
Julien Hébert, Chief Commercial Officer at the Hébert Group, says,“ We listen closely to our customers to create products that are chosen by the top names in the food and cosmetics industries. In the course of these discussions, we have gained a deeper understanding of their expectations regarding sustainable development.
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“ This approach has naturally driven us to diversify our technologies, creating new opportunities and strengthening our position as a pioneer into other raw materials and environmentally friendly processes.”
After intense market analysis in 2020, the company began to look deeply into the groundbreaking technology of Dry Molded Fiber made from natural cellulose fibers. By 2023 the group had set up a dedicated building and ecosystem along with installation of its first Dry Molded Fiber line.
“ We pride ourselves in our approach to sustainability in our manufacturing processes, which are energy and water efficient and where we can use materials of renewable or recycled origin that are free from fossil fuels,” continues Julien Hébert.“ And this is why we have made the decision to add Dry Molded Fiber to our process offerings.”
To launch its Dry Molded Fiber journey, the group formed a separate business unit in 2023 – Herpulp – and since then has invested in several first-generation
Modula lines incorporating ANDRITZ Dan-Web mill-to-web forming technology. In 2024, ANDRITZ stepped in to support the group with a dedicated expert team to complete the commissioning and stabilize process and product consistency. Throughout 2025 the Hébert Group benefited from technical visits, parameter optimization, and process upgrades including the signing of a comprehensive service contract. The service contract enables ANDRITZ to continue supporting the Hébert Group during the commissioning of the lines, with the objective being to achieve a Site Acceptance Test( SAT) and ensuring proper and reliable operation of the lines.
Mathieu Hébert, Chief Operating Officer at the Hébert Group says,“ Fiber integration began even before the installation of our first line in Orgelet, with the construction of a dedicated facility designed to prevent any risk of crosscontamination. Today, we are incorporating this activity into the scope of our standards and, in the long term, aim to position this technology as a complement to our core business, allowing us to