By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

An Alabaster packaging company recently added more employees and an expanded product line after acquiring a Birmingham-based strapping company.

Sunbelt Paper and Packaging, which operates a warehouse in Alabaster near the Shelby County Airport, acquired All Pack Inc. in downtown Birmingham on Dec. 22, 2010.

Sunbelt specializes in packaging and shipping products, and acquiring All Pack will allow the company to add the Signode Strapping line to its offerings, said Sunbelt owner Bill Rivers.

“It made sense because we are in the packaging and shipping business, and they are in the strapping business,” Rivers said. “It gives us an opportunity to expand what they are doing, and it strengthens our business.

“Signode is the number-one name in strapping,” he added.

Sunbelt will close the Birmingham location, but the company will not lay off any employees, Rivers said.

“We are merging everyone into our facility in Alabaster,” Rivers said.