PACKAGING BRIEFS Tuesday, Apr. 17

Anchor Packaging expands thermoforming operations
Anchor Packaging Inc. has purchased Mount Vernon, KY, thermoforming facilities and equipment, which were earlier run by MVP. With this purchase, along with Anchor Packaging's track record of organic growth, the company now has six facilities with a combined total of more than 1.6MM sq ft of manufacturing and warehousing space. Mount Vernon facility will initially manufacture polypropylene deli cups and lids, injection-molded polyethylene lids and a new line of deli containers, unique to the industry. After that, it will manufacture additional product lines, which will use the capabilities of the equipment, beyond their present application. The new operation will start delivery of selected products later in 2012. The full-scale production is likely to offer new jobs for about 150 residents of Mount Vernon area.

Scott Naturals paper products earn the Green Good Housekeeping Seal
The Scott Naturals brand products have earned the Green Good Housekeeping Seal, an emblem given by the Good Housekeeping Research Institute in recognition of a brand's demonstration of environmental responsibility across a range of criteria. Scott Naturals dry bath tissue, paper towels and napkins have met the Good Housekeeping Green Seal's environmental standard for paper goods based on recycled content and other factors.

AMERIPEN executive director named to MSU's Packaging Alumni Hall of Fame
Joan Pierce, executive director of the American Institute for Packaging and the Environment (AMERIPEN), was inducted into the Michigan State University School of Packaging Alumni Hall of Fame during the Annual Awards Banquet held April 12, 2012, at MSU in East Lansing, MI. Recipients of this prestigious award are selected by the Alumni Board of the School of Packaging for their support of the School and the University, career accomplishments and community service. The award was first given in 1964 and was known as the MSU Packaging Alumnus of the Year Award until 1995. Pierce is only the fourth woman in the history of the program to achieve this distinction. She was nominated by a distinguished group of alumni, all of whom already have their pictures on the Wall of Fame at MSU.

Cryopak expands manufacturing capacity on the East Coast
Cryopak, a leader in cold chain packaging, has added a new manufacturing line at its Edison, NJ, plant to make the IcePak Brick. This increased capacity allows the company to service customers at a higher level by reducing cost and lead time. IcePak Bricks are a refrigerant that phases at 0°C and can be used in applications where a dimensionally stable refrigerant is critical. Unlike conventional gel packs, these bricks do not expand when frozen and remain rectangular even when melted. Bricks are made using high-quality nylon/polyethylene film that makes them durable and puncture resistant. The film is thermoformed and vacuum sealed around a foam brick core to ensure a consistent shape that will reliably fit inside insulated containers.

Toray names new national sales manager
Toray Plastics (America) Inc. has named Lauritz Goodrich its new national sales manager for the Torayfan Polypropylene Film Div. He will oversee Toray's North American sales team and be responsible for growth in both OPP and PET film among strategic customers and key accounts in the packaging sector. Goodrich joined Toray in 2007 as a strategic alliance manager in the Torayfan Div., a position that included the responsibility of bringing value-added OPP and PET innovations to end users. Prior to joining Toray he worked for four years with Unilever as a packaging engineer. Before that he was a contractor with Kraft Foods Inc. Goodrich has a B.S. degree in chemical engineering from Michigan State University.

AlpVision launches iPhone 4 app for instant product authentication
To help fight counterfeiting, AlpVision has introduced an iPhone 4 instant product authentication app capable of detecting its Varnish Cryptoglyph solution, an invisible (covert) marking embedded in the standard varnish coating applied to packaging and labeling. Brand owners can now perform instant product authentication on any Varnish Cryptoglyph-secured packaging using an iPhone 4-like device, therefore multiplying the number of verifications along the supply chain without changing the flow, speed or cost of production.

Accraply buys Turpins Packaging Group and Sleevit product line
Accraply Inc. has expanded its line of shrink-sleeve labeling equipment with the acquisition of Turpins Packaging Group Ltd. Turpins, located in Clacton-on-Sea, England, specializes in the design and manufacture of high-performance shrink sleeve application solutions marketed under its Sleevit brand. With a range of standard and custom-configured sleeving systems, Turpins sells to a global customer base in a range of industries.

Saudi Arabia food processor to install latest Tetra Pak filling line
In a $2.5 million agreement, Tetra Pak will install the world's first high-speed Tetra Prisma Aseptic 200 Sq filling line at Saudi Arabia's Al Rabie Saudi Foods. The Tetra Prisma Aseptic 200 Sq filling line technology offers a host of advantages, including packaging 400 juice cartons per minute, about the rate of three regular filling lines. 

Bosch acquisition extends its pharmaceutical inspection competence
Bosch Packaging Technology has bought the machinery business companies of Eisai Co. Ltd. (hereafter Eisai Machinery), one of the leading Japanese pharmaceutical companies based in Tokyo. Eisai's machinery business is specialized in the manufacture, sales and export of inspection equipment, as well as pharmaceutical machinery and packaging materials. In 2010, Eisai Machinery generated sales of around €76 million (¥8.6 billion). Inspection technology from Eisai Machinery is used for liquid and solid pharmaceuticals, such as ampules, syringes, vials and tablets. Eisai Machinery has installed more than 1,000 inspection machines worldwide, from basic solutions to fully automated high-performance systems. 

Tna celebrates 30-year anniversary
Tna, a leading global supplier of integrated food packaging solutions, is celebrating 30 years of innovation in 2012. The company provides a comprehensive range of products including spraying, distribution, seasoning, weighing, packaging, metal detection and identification solutions, plus promotional and cutting equipment. Tna offers innovative technologies, extensive project management experience and 24/7 global support to ensure that customers achieve faster, more reliable and flexible packaged food products at the lowest cost of ownership.

Sidel launches new packaging line audit program
Sidel has invested in a new competence audit program, two new world class technical training centers and further global training solutions to help customers worldwide to get the most out of their equipment. The new competence audit program looks at operators and maintenance staff from both a theoretical and a practical point of view. Based on a profile for each employee, Sidel specialists evaluate them on the job. Each client receives a comprehensive report with the detailed results for each employee as well as a recommendation for a custom-designed training plan. The training sessions are held either on site or at one of Sidel's training centers, which have grown in numbers over the past year. Sidel now operates seven training centers worldwide—including its newest ones in Parma, Italy, and Beijing, China—training more than 5,000 people each year.

ID Technology adds account managers
ID Technology has named Charles Shepherd national accounts manager. Shepherd, regional sales manager of the IDT St. Louis office for the last four years, will transition into this new position. He will use his extensive experience in labeling, coding and marking to work with national companies on their corporate initiatives for product identification. Additionally, Chris Silva will be joining ID Technology in the role of St. Louis regional manager.

UPM Raflatac to open new slitting and distribution terminal in Mexico City
UPM Raflatac's new labelstock slitting and distribution terminal in Mexico City, Mexico, will begin operations in the second quarter of 2012. The facility will stock a range of paper and film labelstocks, including trimless offerings, and is strategically located to strengthen UPM Raflatac's service to customers in Mexico and Central America.

.