PACKAGING BRIEFS Thursday, July 21

Kraft's Perales to keynote at SPE's annual blow molding conference
Perfecto Perales, senior director packaging research at Kraft Foods, will be giving the keynote presentation, "Driving Growth and Consumer Satisfaction Through Packaging Innovation," at The Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) 27th Annual Blow Molding Conference and Exhibits at the Chicago Marriott O'Hare on Oct. 12-13, 2011. Perales is responsible for global packaging research, packaging equipment development and packaging open innovation as a member of the Kraft Research, Development and Quality Extended Leadership Team. SPE's two-day annual event will also include technical/business overviews; industrial and automotive materials and applications; packaging machinery advancements; coextrusion and injection blow molding technology; packaging sustainability and recycling; and barrier technology. Registration and additional information is available at www.blowmoldingdivision.org/.

PMMI announces 2011 PACK EXPO Selects Call for Entries
PMMI has issued a Call for Entries for its 6th annual PACK EXPO Selects competition, which will showcase winning packaging designs, structures and processes at the PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2011 show, running Sept. 2628 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. PACK EXPO Selects recognizes innovation in commercial packages developed, produced or executed by PACK EXPO exhibitors. The deadline for entry forms is Fri., July 29, 2011, and samples of all entries must be submitted no later than Mon., Aug. 15, 2011. There is no entry fee, and people may enter more than one package. Entry forms are available at www.packexpo.com.

Automated Packaging Systems receives award for Top Work Places
Automated Packaging Systems, the world leader in high-reliability bag packaging systems, has been recognized as one of the Top Work Places In Northeast Ohio. The company ranked 5th among large companies with more than 500 employees in the area. The Top Work Places Award is determined by Workplace Dynamics and based on confidential survey results from employees. Criteria include how confident employees feel about their managers, do they feel appreciated and secure about their future, are they encouraged to make suggestions, and are they happy with their pay, flexible hours and benefits. A summary of the survey results for Automated Packaging Systems is available here.

Branson, MO, launches PepsiCo's Dream Machine recycling program
Country Marts in Branson, Hollister, Branson West and Forsyth have launched PepsiCo's Dream Machine recycling program that provides shoppers with a convenient and rewarding way to recycle their bottles and cans while on-the-go. The interactive Dream Machine kiosks accept aluminum cans and plastic bottles and allow users to earn points. Points are redeemed online at www.greenopolis.com for local discounts on dining, travel, entertainment, or even for charitable donations.

Europe's leading plastic bottle recycler expands
ECO Plastics, Europe's leading plastic bottle recycler, has raised £24 million expand its Hemswell recycling facility. The funds provide a solid financial platform for the company's expansion plans, including its joint venture with Coca-Cola Enterprises unveiled in March 2011, which will more than double British production of food-grade recycled material (rPET) for soft drinks packaging. The expansion funds include a £5m equity investment by Ludgate Environmental Fund Limited (LEF.L), the previously announced £5m from Coca Cola Enterprises to form the joint venture, with the balance funded through new banking facilities. The funds will support construction and operation of an expansion to ECO Plastics' existing plastics processing plant, as well as the investment required to build and operate the Joint Venture business that will supply rPET to Coca-Cola Enterprises over the next 10 years. The expanded facility will be fully operational during 2012.

Tetra Pak steps up sustainability efforts
Tetra Pak CEO Dennis Jönsson says the company will step up efforts to reduce its environmental footprint and meet rising demand for safe and nutritious food. The company's biennial sustainability update, Mission Possible, outlines future goals. Tetra Pak's 2020 strategy puts the company's environmental ambitions at the heart of its business-from the design of processing and packaging solutions to responsible sourcing, recycling of used cartons, and partnering with such organizations as the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).

NY's Chemung County now accepts aseptic packaging for curbside recycling
Chemung County in New York is now letting residents add aseptic packaging to their blue recycling bins. Casella Waste Management, operator of the Chemung County Landfill, began accepting aseptic packaging in June 2011.

More xpedx locations earn Energy Star rating
xpedx, one of the largest and premier distribution companies in North America, has earned the Energy Star at its locations in Clifton, NJ; Downey, CA; and Portland, OR. To earn this, the Clifton, Downey and Portland sites scored in the top 25 percent of similar facilities nationwide for energy efficiency, based on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's energy performance rating system. Qualified facilities meet strict energy performance standards, use less energy, are less expensive to operate and cause fewer greenhouse gas emissions than peer facilities. With Clifton, Downey, Portland and locations in Colorado, Georgia, Massachusetts and Michigan already qualified, xpedx is nearly to its goal of earning the Energy Star in eight large distribution centers within the U.S. by the end of 2011.

Polyplex Corp. to open flexible packaging plant in Decatur
Polyplex Corp. Ltd. plans to invest $185 million and open a new manufacturing plant that will create 150 new jobs. With facilities already in operation in India, Thailand, and Turkey, Polyplex will build its first North American manufacturing plant in Decatur, AL. The company is a global leader in high performance plastic films (polyester and polypropylene) that are used for flexible packaging and industrial applications. With a $110 million investment, Phase I of the facility will create 100 jobs and is expected to be complete in fall 2012. Polyplex has plans to expand the polyester film line facility in Phase II, an investment of $75 million, which would create an additional 50 jobs.

New offset printing press expands sales at Hammer Packaging
Hammer Packaging—one of the largest producers of high-end package and label decorating in North America—began running production in April 2011 on its new offset press, a UV-capable Heidelberg Speedmaster CX 102-8+L, said to represent a new market segment in the 40-in. format. An integrated IST UV system uses the new Electronic Lamp Control (ELC) that reportedly enables the system to operate at very low energy consumption and take up half as much floorspace.

James Hammer, president/CEO, explains, "Like commercial printing, packaging and label printing are capital-intensive businesses characterized by dramatic incremental and cumulative improvements in the technology. If you're going to be a leader, you have to pay attention to these developments and be prepared to invest in equipment and software that will elevate your capabilities, lower your operational costs and enable you to stay competitive. Like Hammer, Heidelberg never stops looking at every component and taking advantage of every opportunity for improvement. The first-generation Speedmaster CX 102 is a fine example of this approach. We not only have expanded our capacity and improved our redundancy during peak periods, but also definitely have added sales in the wake of this installation."

Anomatic adds new anodizing facility to its global roster
Anomatic Corp.—known for its high volume metal packaging and custom anodizing process for the medical, pharmaceutical, personal care and cosmetic packaging industries—is expanding operations with a new facility in New Albany, Ohio. Anomatic will open a 65,000-sq-ft anodizing production plant, representing an investment of $8.7 million. The company expects to create approximately 185 positions in the first three years of operation. In 2010 Anomatic supplied over 1.2 billion anodized components to global customers servicing the packaging industry. The Ohio-based company continues to invest in high-speed stamping and assembly machines, lean manufacturing and innovative decorating technologies to service their customers' needs.

Investment extends Billerud's packaging solutions to Asia
Billerud is investing in a minority stake in PACCESS Packaging, a U.S.-based company with numerous operations throughout Asia. This new service platform will enhance Billerud's presence in Asia, one of the world's largest and fastest growing packaging markets. PACCESS Packaging provides a range of value-added services to design and deliver cost- and time-effective retail and transport packaging solutions across key industry verticals.

Luxe Pack Monaco 2011 renews the Innovation Forum
Luxe Pack Monaco 2011, the global luxury packaging event, will take place from Oct. 19-21 at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco and will again feature the "Luxe Pack Innovation Forum," and easy way for attendees to see the latest packaging developments. Invited exhibitors will be giving short presentations in a dedicated area located in the Atrium of their new products and innovations.

Rexam hires category manager for ‘mini' products
Emmanuelle Hermandesse has joined the Rexam Personal Care product management team, as category manager-mini-products. This appointment further strengthens the company's ongoing commitment to providing innovative, brand-building packaging solutions through sampler programs. In her new role, Hermandesse will work closely with the company's Chicago-based Innovation Center, as well as with the product development team in Le Treport, France (Sampler Center of Excellence) and the division's marketing team, to create breakthrough samplers that enhance ROI as well as the consumer's sampler experience.

ACMA plants earn quality certification
Acma Spa (an associate of Coesia group) obtained ISO 9001:2008 quality certification in April 2011, as part of its ongoing efforts to become a customer satisfaction oriented company. The certification process involved the Italian factories of ACMA (Bologna, Pozzolo and Schio) and also its division, M.C. Automations. Furthermore, the management has already given the input to promptly certify Tecnomeccanica and Tecnosweet, another group of companies controlled by/connected to Acma.

SATO names new general manager
SATO-a leader in bar code printing, labeling and EPC/RFID solutions-has appointed J. Michael Fowler new general manager of the Intl. Business Div. of SATO Corp. as of July 1, 2011. Fowler succeeds Kaz Matsuyama to become SATO Corp.'s first non-Japanese general manager. While remaining president of SATO Intl. America, Fowler will be based at the company's headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, and will direct SATO Corp.'s international business strategies, including sales and product development.

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