Supplier News April 2011
PEOPLE
PARSIPPANY, N.J.—Rudi Lenz, the chief executive officer and president of Sun Chemical Corp., has been given added responsibilities as an executive officer of DIC Corp., Sun Chemical’s parent company, effective April 1, 2011. Lenz has been with Sun Chemical since 2002.
PALO ALTO, Calif.—HP announced new executive appointments within its Graphic Solutions Business (GSB) as part of its strategy to drive the transformation from analog to digital printing. Sumeer Chandra has been promoted to GSB vice president, worldwide marketing and strategy. Francois Martin is the new GSB director of worldwide marketing reporting to Chandra.
RIDGEFIELD PARK, N.J.—Agfa Graphics announced that Lois Catala has joined the company as marketing communications manager. She will be responsible for implementing Agfa’s strategic branding campaign.
GORHAM, Maine—The Montalvo Corp. has named Helge Birkwald as its manager of European operations. He will oversee direct sales and provide sales support and technical backup for end-user customers, representatives, and distributors.
LOUISVILLE, Colo.—CSAT America announced the appointment of Ron Shepard as VP of sales and marketing. He will head up the launch of the company’s latest digital product, the ITS 600 Digital Press.
PAWCATUCK, Conn.—Davis-Standard, LLC announced several personnel changes in its Extrusion Systems Aftermarket Department. Kevin Breault has been promoted to manager of aftermarket sales; Bill Houle has re-joined the company in the position of sales engineer, aftermarket; and Rick Reigelsperger has also re-joined Davis-Standard as a salesman in its Spare Parts Department.
A&V to Distribute for Roland
BRYAN, Ohio—Roland, a manufacturer of inkjet printer/cutters, has appointed Anderson & Vreeland, Inc. (A&V) as its distributor in the United States effective immediately.
Roland’s VersaUV LEC series is designed to make a significant impact in the packaging prototype and short-run label industries. With this printer/cutter, professionals can print CMYK plus white and clear inks on virtually any substrate, and then crease, contour cut, or perf-cut their designs—all on one device through one seamless workflow. It uses low-heat LED lamps to print on materials ranging from metallic and synthetic papers and foils to BOPP, PE, and PET film.
Darin Lyon, vice president and general manager of A&V, noted, “With Roland, we now have the world’s most advanced, high-quality printer/cutters to offer our customers. These products complement our extensive line of products to create the broadest, most advanced selection of flexo proofing and plate-processing equipment.”
Anderson & Vreeland will sell Roland’s line of VersaUV LEC printer/cutters and provide technical support using a nationwide staff of technical sales representatives.
Roland’s VersaUV LEC-330 inkjet printer/cutter.
Avery Dennison Opens Design and Innovation Center
SPROCKHÖVEL, Germany—Avery Dennison’s Retail Branding and Information Solutions (RBIS) group has opened its first Europe-based Customer Design and Innovation Center and introduced enhanced capabilities for the apparel industry in design, high-definition graphic decorations, sustainable packaging, and RFID-enabled inventory and loss prevention solutions.
The new center incorporates in one location a state-of-the-art design workshop and a simulated global supply chain, where apparel retailers, brands, and manufacturers can create custom solutions—from inception to the retail sales floor. The center will primarily serve Avery Dennison’s European customers in the global apparel and footwear industry.
“This center gives Avery Dennison a strong platform to partner with customers and help them elevate their brands at retail and accelerate performance at all points along the complex global supply chain,” said Shawn Neville, group vice president of RBIS. “In the fast-paced, ever-changing global apparel market, speed, flexibility, creativity, and collaboration are keys to success, and the primary goal of our center is to support leading apparel retailers and brands.”
At the opening of the new design center, the company introduced new offerings designed to leverage Avery Dennison’s leadership and investments in material science, high-speed digital printing, and information technology.
The company unveiled its new high-definition graphics transfer process, which can produce engaging graphics with exceptional depth, special effects, and texture, and deliver them with globally consistent quality. On the sustainability front, Avery Dennison is providing new packaging solutions for apparel, footwear, and accessories. It launched Avery Dennison™ Greenprint, a blueprint for retail apparel customers to better understand the environmental consequences of their branding and packaging materials decision-making.
Within its simulated global supply chain at the design center, Avery Dennison is also showcasing its RFID-enabled inventory productivity and loss-prevention solutions from manufacturing through to consumer purchase at retail. The use of RFID in the retail supply chain is a fast-growing solution due to the significant improvements in inventory productivity and operating efficiency that it makes possible.
In opening the Customer Design and Innovation Center in Sprockhövel, Neville said Avery Dennison’s customers now have two locations where they can experience in real-time many of the company’s capabilities. Avery Dennison opened its first global Customer Innovation Center in November 2010 in the United States in Ohio. The company plans to open two to three additional Customer Design and Innovation Centers around the world in the next 18 months.
ROCHESTER, N.Y.—Eastman Kodak Company has completed its previously announced acquisition of substantially all of the assets of the relief plates business of Tokyo Ohka Kogyo Co., Ltd. (TOK). The acquisition expands and enhances Kodak’s capabilities to serve customers, particularly in the packaging industry, a key growth segment for the company.
The relief plate business includes flexography, letterpress, Braille, and molding plate products produced and marketed by TOK worldwide. Included in the acquisition agreement is a manufacturing plant and development facility located in Yamanashi Prefecture, west of Tokyo, which produces relief plates.
This newly acquired business is now a part of Kodak’s Prepress Solutions business and will conduct business under the name of Yamanashi RPB Supply Company.
“Kodak is strongly committed to the packaging industry and we are seeing growing.
demand, especially in the Asia-Pacific region,” said Douglas Edwards, vice president and general manager, prepress solutions, Kodak. “Delivering solutions for the packaging industry is one of Kodak’s key corporate growth initiatives, and we expect to double revenues in this segment by 2012, so this will contribute toward that goal.”
Ashland, Flint Group Sign Distribution Agreement
DUBLIN, Ohio—Coatings and adhesives from Ashland Performance Materials, a commercial unit of Ashland Inc., that are marketed to North American narrow-web label, tag, and wrapper converters, will now also be available from Flint Group. The distribution agreement calls for Flint Group to market Ashland products under a co-branded label that will carry the Flint Group trademark or trade name.
The long-term agreement enables Flint to distribute Ashland’s full range of radiation-cure, water-based, and solventless laminating adhesives and coatings in North America. Flint Group will also acquire the management of some Ashland customers and will provide them with dedicated sales, technical service, and customer service support.
“Flint Group is a world-class organization that brings a strong market presence to Ashland’s coatings and adhesive products,” said Kelly Williams, market development manager for Ashland’s laminating adhesives and coatings. “Flint Group’s capabilities reach all of our key markets, and they bring top-notch commercial and technical staff with demonstrated abilities to grow business.”
Susan Kuchta, vice president of the North American Packaging and Narrow Web business for Flint Group, looks forward to growth opportunity for both companies. “We were chosen due to our strength and stature in the printing industry. We are proud of our broad offering and excellent customer support. This relationship adds other key products to our portfolio in order to better support package and label printers,” said Kuchta.
“We see this move as a natural first step in a long-term strategic alliance between two world-class companies,” said David Hatgas, global director, packaging and converting, Ashland Performance Materials.
