Paper maker Amcor Ltd is set to merge with Amcor Packaging Distribution and eventually combine all its Australasian operations into Amcor Australasia and Packaging Distribution, which will be based in Melbourne and set to be headed by US-based Nigel Garrard.

The integration came following Amcor's announcement of plans to earmark $700 million for some major plants and capital investments as Mr Garrard hailed the operational merger as the marriage of sales and marketing expertise of both the US and Australasian operations.

Mr Garrard is presently in charge of the Australasian operations and is set to move from Los Angeles to assume his new role while Eric Bloom will be appointed as senior vice president of sales and marketing for the same area of operations.

Amcor spokesman John Murray said that the operational restructuring will take effect immediately and the two units would be mostly combined in the 2010/11 accounts, as he added that Amcor is set to file its full year 2009/10 fiscal report on August 26.

The company reported a 2.3 percent hike or $95 million in its first half net profit in February, though leaving note that its second half performance would not veer away from net profits posted in the previous corresponding period.

Amcor said that its full year 2008/09 after tax profit of $211.7 million on June 30 2009 was a decline of 18.2 percent from the previous year and the company has not issued second half earnings guidance since then.

As of press time, Mr Murray refused to issue any comments when asked about Amcor's Australasian sales.