PACKAGING BRIEFS Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Sealed Air's nationwide 'pop' contest down to three inventive kids
Sealed Air announces three finalists in 5th Annual Bubble Wrap competition for young inventors. The nationwide competition encourages students in grades six through eight to design an invention that incorporates the use of Bubble Wrap brand cushioning.This year's three finalists are: Lillith Bulawa of Ava, NY, for Floating Garden of Bubble-On - A self-watering garden that floats on top of water with the aid of Bubble Wrap cushioning and is designed to help save crops in flood zones; Mackenzie Conkling of Massapequa, NY, for Uber Bubble Glove -a glove insulated by two different layers of Bubble Wrap material and covered by a larger glove in order keep the hands of people affected by ailments like Raynaud's Disease warm in cold weather; and Autumn Trogdon of Windsor, CA, for Cell Phone Holder - An inexpensive, lightweight cell phone case made entirely of Bubble Wrap cushioning.

Shorr Packaging wins platinum Lantech Century Club Award
Shorr Packaging Corp., an industry leader in advanced packaging solutions, materials and equipment, is proud to announce the company has received the Lantech Platinum Club Award for 2010. The award recognizes Shorr Packaging's success as a Lantech distributor.

Sonoco increases donation to American Red Cross
Sonoco is contributing an additional $25,000 to the America Red Cross to fund relief and recovery efforts following storms that devastated dozens of Alabama communities on April 27 and to support efforts by the Pee Dee Chapter of the American Red Cross in South Carolina to respond to fires that have impacted nearly 400 residents during 2011. Fifteen thousand will assist to in Alabama tornadoes recovery, and $10,000 has been designated for Pee Dee Chapter Fire Response.

Mark Andy Inc. hires new director of continuous improvement
Mark Andy Inc., a global manufacturer of narrow- and mid-web printing and finishing solutions, has hired Chris Bronikowski to serve as Director of Continuous Improvement. In this role, Bronikowski will lead, drive, and sustain the cultural and technical changes necessary to further Mark Andy's commitment to Lean manufacturing. He comes to Mark Andy with more than 17 years experience in manufacturing, the most recent years being heavily involved in Lean and continuous improvement initiatives.
 

Novelis launches aggressive plan to reduce lifecycle impact of aluminum products
Novelis Inc. announces plans to increase the amount of recycled metal used in its aluminum rolling operations. It also plans to make 80 percent of its products from recycled metal by 2020. Recycled metal currently accounts for 34 percent of all material used by Novelis, and the company estimates that the projected increase to 80 percent will remove 10 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually from the aluminum product value chain.

Schawk recognized by Computerworld as a 2011 Honors Laureate
Schawk Inc., a leading provider of brand development and deployment services, enabling companies of all sizes to connect their brands with consumers, announced IDG's Computerworld Honors Program has recognized Schawk as a 2011 Honors Laureate in the Business Responsiveness category. The annual award program honors visionary applications of information technology promoting positive social, economic and educational change.

Sun Chemical showcases packaging solutions at Metpack 2011
Sun Chemical, the world's leading manufacturer of printing inks and pigments, will be showcasing its dedicated packaging solutions at Metpack 2011 between May 10 and 14 in Essen, Germany. Sun Chemical can be found in Hall 3.0, Stand C25.

Milacron completes $140 million term loan transaction
Milacron Holdings Inc. completed its previously announced plan to refinance its existing debt facilities in a new $140 million senior secured term loan due in 2017. By providing a lower interest rate, extended maturity and more favorable terms, the refinancing will enable Milacron to continue reinvesting in the business, including technology advancements, product and service enhancements and expanded global reach.

Apollo appoints Quadpack as exclusive distributor
Intl. cosmetic packaging provider Quadpack has signed a contract with leading Korean manufacturer Apollo to distribute its innovative range of dispensers in Europe, Australia and New Zealand. The agreement makes Apollo's cutting-edge pumps, including its high-tech foamers, exclusively available to Quadpack's client base, while providing Apollo with an established route to external markets.

Nipro makes $161 million offer for Amcor's glass tubing business
Amcor has received an offer from Nipro CorP. to purchase the Amcor Glass Tubing business for consideration of US$161 million. The Glass Tubing business was acquired with the former Alcan Packaging assets and for the six months ended 31 December 2010 the business had sales of approximately US$66 million. A period of exclusivity with Nipro has been agreed, and Amcor will respond to this offer following consultation with the relevant European works councils.

TAPPI Cullison Scholarship Seeking Applicants
TAPPI, an association for the worldwide pulp, paper, packaging, and converting industries, has extended the deadline for applications for the William L Cullison Scholarship. Scholarship funds are currently awarded in increments up to $4,000 per academic year for the last two years of a student's undergraduate program. The deadline has been extended to August 1, 2011. All candidates will be notified of their application status by September 1, 2011. Potential candidates must meet all of the following eligibility criteria to be considered: Major in a pulp and paper science course of study at a college or university; maintain a 3.5 grade point average or better (on a 4.0 scale) through the first two years in a four-year program, or first three years in a five-year program; demonstrate outstanding leadership abilities; and demonstrate significant interest in the pulp and paper industry. Financial need is not a requirement to be eligible.

XAAR appoints ink sales manager and GM for Asia Pacific
Xaar, an independent supplier of industrial inkjet printheads, is pleased to announce the appointment of Bob Bobertz as GM for Asia Pacific, and Duncan Gellatly as ink sales manager.These newly-created roles are part of Xaar's expansion plans and ensure that the company has the best structure in place to deliver rapid growth over the next few years.

Ready Pac hires CFO
Ready Pac Foods Inc. has hired Marc Serrio to be its vp and CFO. Serrio will report directly to Michael Solomon, Ready Pac Foods president and CEO.

Praxis selects Mia Goeddeke as marketing & customer service rep
Praxis Packaging announces today the selection of Mia Goeddeke as marketing and customer service representative. A recent graduate of Grand Valley State University, Goeddeke has hands-on experience in the conception and development of media relations, communications and marketing plans using print and electronic media types.

Wago Corp. offers free Ethernet 2.0 industrial control training
WAGO Corp. will host free Customer Training seminars at WAGO's Germantown, WI headquarters, on May 16-18, July 25-27, August 22-24 and October 10-12. The three-day industrial control seminars focus on ETHERNET 2.0 hardware, applications, functionality, programming and topologies, e.g., Bluetooth. Hands-on exercises include integrating WAGO Add-On Instructions for Allen-Bradley Controllers and developing custom function blocks.

GMG in 2010 reports substantial increase in sales
GMG, a developer and supplier of high-end color management software solutions, has achieved a substantial increase in sales of 30 percent in 2010, compared to the previous year. The highest growth was recorded in Germany/Austria/Switzerland, the largest single region for GMG, and in Oceania. Software sales likewise rose in France and Northeast Asia, as well as in the Iberia region. The good development at the company's three subsidiaries - GMG Americas, GMG Japan and GMG UK - was above average.

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