Printer News - March 2012
FPA Achievement Awards Winners
LINTHICUM, MD—The Flexible Packaging Association announced the winning entries in its 2012 FPA Flexible Packaging Achievement Awards competition. Of the 86 flexible packaging entries submitted, 25 packages were presented with 31 Achievement Awards within one or more categories, including Packaging Excellence, Printing Achievement, Technical Innovation, and Environmental & Sustainability Achievement. Winning entries are:
HIGHEST ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
• Orville Redenbacher's Pop Up Bowl; ConAgra Foods, Phoenix Packaging
AWARDS: Highest Achievement; Gold - Packaging Excellence; Gold - Technical Innovation
GOLD AWARDS
TECHNICAL INNOVATION
• Microwaveable "One Size Fits All" Packaging; Berry Plastics Corp.
• Amcor's Interior Tinted/Printed Formpack®; Amcor Flexibles Europe and Americas
• Method Laundry & Dish Refill Pouch (with Spine); Innovative Packaging Solutions, Inc.
PRINTING ACHIEVEMENT
• Ganador QuadSeal Sack, 10 kg; Printpack Inc.
• Icelandic Grouper Fillets; Flex-Pack
ENVIRONMENTAL & SUSTAINABILITY ACHIEVEMENT
• FreshCase® Packaging For Fresh Red Meat; Curwood, Inc. - A Bemis Company
PACKAGING EXCELLENCE
• Heinz® Dip n Squeeze®; Curwood, Inc. - A Bemis Company
• Blue Bones Small Natural Dental Chew Bones; Plastic Packaging Technologies, LLC
ADDITIONAL AWARDS: Printing Achievement; Technical Innovation
SILVER AWARDS
PACKAGING EXCELLENCE
• Schwan's Fresch Taste-Seal™ Packaging for Freshchetta® Simply Inspired…Pizza; Curwood, Inc. - A Bemis Co.
• Beneful® Discovery Pack; Printpack Inc.
• BENGAY® Zero Degrees; Printpack Inc.
• Swanson® Flavor Boost™ Portion-Control Sachet; Curwood, Inc. - A Bemis Co.
ADDITIONAL AWARD: Environmental & Sustainability Achievement
• Easysnap Sachet Pouch; Ampac
ADDITIONAL AWARD: Technical Innovation
ENVIRONMENTAL & SUSTAINABILITY ACHIEVEMENT
• Pocket Shots Stand-Up Pouch in Amcor's Alcohol Compatible Laminate; Amcor Flexibles Europe & Americas
• Bag 2 Bag Plastic Retail Carryout Bag; Hilex Poly Co. LLC
PRINTING ACHIEVEMENT
• Tesco Finest Soups Retort Pouch; Ampac
• Land of Sybaris; Flex America Inc.
• Earthborn Holistic Primitive Natural; Nordenia U.S.A.
• Zeal for Life Protein Shake Pouch; CL&D Graphics, Inc.
• Scotts Miracle-Gro Expand 'n GRO Quad Seal Pouch; Exopack, LLC
• Bertolli Meals; American Packaging Corp.
TECHNICAL INNOVATION
• Philadelphia Cream Cheese Overwrap with Smartseal®; Sonoco Flexible Packaging
• Scotts Turf Builder EZ Seed, 40 lb.; Peel Plastic Products Ltd.
• Cryovac Freshness Plus® Odor Scavenging Films; Sealed Air Corp., Cryovac Food Packaging
• Heinz® Dip n Squeeze®; Curwood, Inc. - A Bemis Company
Reflectivity in Specialty Packaging
STAMFORD, CT—AGI-Shorewood announced the introduction of refleXions™, a proprietary next-generation technology that gives consumer product companies enhanced ability to apply highly reflective packaging design elements. refleXions uses patent-pending technology in an in-line process to offer a cost-effective alternative to metalized polyester, metalized transfer, or hot foil stamping, allowing reflective design elements to be applied in a single process. This is the first major innovation launched by the recently merged AGI-Shorewood.
"refleXions greatly expands our clients' design options by bringing together manufacturing technology and creative for branding excellence and operations efficiencies," says Duncan Watson, vice president of creative services at AGI-Shorewood. refleXions allows metallic details to be selectively applied to designs. This creates areas of high reflectivity (pure metallics such as silver, which can also be overprinted in selective areas with any transparent colors), as well as brighter white areas.
"For the first time, refleXions enables clients to place reflectivity only where they want it without layering over the metallic and diminishing the white, resulting in brighter white space," states Watson. "There has been a reluctance of some consumer packaged goods companies to use film products on their packaging due to costs and the limitations of high-speed filling lines. refleXions gives us the ability to create fresh, dynamic designs that may not have been possible in the past."
Rollprint: Pouches in Clean Room
ADDISON, IL—Rollprint Packaging Products is expecting to be the first sterile packaging manufacturer to convert pouches in a certified clean room environment in the U.S. The company announced the construction of a 6,000 sq.-ft., ISO Class 8 clean room, expected to be fully operational in the second quarter of 2012.
By definition, a clean room environment has a controlled level of contamination that is specified by the number of particles per cubic meter at a specified size. "We started preparing for this two years ago with investments in vision systems, web cleaners, and other equipment and procedures to minimize particulates in our film converting area. We wanted to properly address upstream criteria before taking the next step," said Dwane Hahn, vice president of sales and marketing, Rollprint.
The upgraded capability has been driven by customer demand for domestic supply that has been produced in a clean room environment. The cleanroom will house five production lines capable of producing a variety of pouch structures, including header bags, chevron, vented, three-side weld seals, and corner peels. "Many of the packaging structures used today for pharma and medical device applications—such as film and foil header pouches, coextruded, peelable heat-seal films and silicon oxide/aluminum oxide composites—were first introduced to the industry by Rollprint. The new clean room capability builds on that legacy," said Hahn.
Astro-Med Divests NC Label Operations
WEST WARWICK, RI—Astro-Med, Inc. announced the divestiture of its label manufacturing operations in Asheboro, N.C. The sale was made to the original owners of Label Line, Ltd.
Commenting on the sale, Everett V. Pizzuti, CEO, stated, "The primary business of that facility, producing labels for distributors, was not fully compatible with the business of our QuickLabel Systems Product Group, which produces labels primarily for sale to end-user customers who own QuickLabel color printers. Although the divestiture will result in approximately $3 million less in annual revenues in the new fiscal year, the effect on Astro-Med's profitability and cash flow will be positive with annual savings of approximately $400,000.
"As Astro-Med has expanded its label manufacturing capacity over the past three years in Montreal, Canada; Frankfurt, Germany; and West Warwick, RI, the sale of the Asheboro plant will have little effect on the company's capabilities to supply labels to our growing base of color label printer customers."
Menasha Packaging Acquires Strive Group
NEENAH, WI—Menasha Packaging Co. has acquired The Strive Group of Chicago. Both companies are family-owned and privately held. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
According to Mike Waite, president of Menasha Packaging, "The acquisition of Strive will enhance our merchandising supply chain model and strengthen our geographic coverage. Customers are increasingly turning to companies that can manage their entire merchandising process and the addition of Strive to Menasha Packaging will improve our offerings and strengthen our competitive position."
PEOPLE
SPARTANBURG, SC—Exopack announced that it has selected Christian Ragot as chief executive officer of the company. Ragot most recently served as president and CEO of Novariant, Inc., a technology-based company. Tom Vale, who had temporarily assumed the Exopack CEO role, will continue to fulfill his responsibilities as president, chief operating officer, and secretary of the company.
MONTAGUE, MI—International Master Products Corporation (IMPC) has appointed Nicholas P. Ferris to the role of president. Prior to joining IMPC, Ferris was an executive with a leading supplier to the graphic arts industry.
HARTSVILLE, SC—Sonoco announced three executive officer appointments. John M. Colyer, Jr. has been promoted to VP, Global Paper and Industrial Converted Products, with responsibility for Sonoco's largest business segment. Ronald G. Leach has been named VP of the recently expanded Global Protective Packaging segment, elected an officer of the company, and appointed to the executive committee. R. Howard Coker has been named to the company's executive committee and remains VP, Global Rigid Paper and Closures. He has global responsibility for the company's composite can, and metal and peelable membrane ends and closures businesses.
PAWTUCKET, RI—The MATLET Group announced Ed Wiegand as its new executive vice president. With an engineering background and 23 years of experience and knowledge of print technologies and digital solutions, he will report to Gary Stiffler, the company's president and CEO.
PHILADELPHIA—Thomas J. Garland has resigned as president and CEO of PaperWorks Industries, Inc. As the company's first full-time chief executive, Garland provided the company with leadership through its growth phase from shortly after its founding in late 2008. Richard LeBlanc, an executive with almost 30 years of experience in driving strategic outcomes, will step into the role on an interim basis. pP
