Printer News - November 2013

Ampac Provides Customer Education

CINCINNATI—Ampac has recently completed its LEAD training, providing customers insight into laminations and pouches, as well as Ampac's processes and methods.

LEAD – Learn, Engage, Act, Discover – Ampac Academy is an educational vehicle established to teach employees and customers in four functional areas of the packaging business: co-extruded films, laminations, pouches, and surface printed rollstock. The forum not only allows customers to see first-hand the capabilities Ampac possesses, but also provides an educational overview of the flexible packaging industry.

Customers learned about packaging design, from the basics of sealant technologies to exterior print substrates. Additional instruction on printing technologies, barrier basics, and manufacturing processes for laminating and pouch formation was also provided.

Ampac's Dave Bartish, Marketing Director, states, "To be able to provide this type of education in a forum with our customers is a privilege. We appreciate them taking the time to be with us during the training sessions, and Ampac is happy to provide them with the tools to make informed decisions about packaging."

MCC Acquires Two European Label Companies

CINCINNATI—Multi-Color Corp. (MCC) has completed its acquisitions of 100 percent of John Watson & Company Limited, based in Glasgow, Scotland, and Gern & Cie SA, based in Neuchatel, Switzerland. Both acquisitions are expected to be immediately accretive. Combined annual revenues are approximately $20 million.

John Watson & Company is a leading wet-glue spirit label producer in the UK. It is complementary with MCC's existing Glasgow business (formerly Labelgraphics), a leading pressure-sensitive spirit and wine label producer. Gern & Cie SA is a premier wine label producer, located in the French speaking wine region of Neuchatel.

MCC President and CEO Nigel Vinecombe, stated, "These acquisitions strengthen our leadership position in the large European wine and spirit label markets. We are delighted that both management teams will continue to run the businesses, allowing for the current owners, John Watson and Michel Quinche to retire after successfully leading their companies to the best in their markets."

New Product Groups for WS Packaging

GREEN BAY, Wis.—WS Packaging Group, Inc. has realigned its product offerings into four new groups to more effectively communicate its focus on the full range of packaging and branding solutions it offers to the market. The four product groups are WSPackaging&Label, WSPromotion, WSAutomation, and WSTechnology.

"Our goal for the rebranding was to effectively organize our product offering and brands under appropriate headings so customers can more easily identify the full range of solutions we can bring them to help them achieve their brand growth objectives," said Mark Moorhead, corporate director, marketing.

WSPackaging&Label product offerings include labels (pressure-sensitive, glue-applied, and in-mold), folding cartons, shrink decorations, dome labels, MultiVision® extended text labels, flexible packaging, compliance labels, and printed and specialty tape.

WSPromotion includes games and sweepstakes offerings that encompass both the printed game, as well as supporting systems with verifiable security throughout the production process. Also included in this product group are coupons and folded booklets, large-format graphics and signs, POP materials, booklets, and hang tags.

WSAutomation offers a broad platform of automated label application solutions. As an OEM of label application solutions, the company is a single-source provider for equipment engineering, manufacturing, installation, and support for label applicator solutions.

WSTechnology covers a broad range of new developments that are already commercialized, as well as ongoing research and development efforts focused on bringing new technologies to commercial application. Current advancements offer application solutions to brand owners in the areas of RFID tags and applicators, NFC/Near Field RFID, track and trace, serialization, brand protection, LinerLESS™, and LinerLITE™.

PEOPLE

Mac Arthur Corp. CEO, Christie Wong, has been appointed by President Obama to the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership (AMP) Steering Committee 2.0. This news Steering Committee will build on the work of the previous group and will work closely with the White House's national Economic Council, the Office of Science and Technology Policy, and the Department of Commerce. It is part of a continuing effort to maintain U.S. leadership in the emerging technologies that will create high-quality manufacturing jobs and enhance America's global competitiveness.

Kendall Packaging Corp. announced the addition of Jon Solberg as area sales manager. He will be responsible for marketing the company's complete product offering, developing and securing new customers, and assisting his direct Customer Focus Team.