PACKAGING BRIEFS Tuesday, March 20

SPC announces Spring Meeting 2012
The Sustainable Packaging Coalition has released the agend for its Spring Meeting 2012, to be held April 23-25 at the Fairmont Royal York in Toronto. Speakers will address a range of topics, including sustainability strategies, food waste, branding, end-of-life options and EPR. Member companies hosting the event include BASF Corp., Be Green Packaging, MWV, Shanghai Luxin Packing Materials Science & Technology Co., Ltd., and TricorBraun.

U.S. Tsubaki launches redesigned website
U.S. Tsubaki has redesigned the website profiling its power transmission and motion control products to be more user-friendly, streamlined and functional. Users can download 3D CAD drawings, create custom PDFs, build attachment chains and submit for quotes, perform advanced searches, and watch the roller-chain video seen on the Discovery Channel's How It's Made TV Show. View the site at www.ustsubaki.com.
 

Unilever launches online Open Innovation platform
Unilever's Open Innovation team today launched a new online platform, designed to help company representatives explore technical solutions that can help grow business and reduce environmental impact. The global consumer goods manufacturer will work with industry partners to develop innovations in new products, packaging design, materials conservation and other areas. View the details of various research projects here.

TLMI honors label manufacturer for business management
Pressure-sensitive label and flexible packaging maker Consolidated Label Co. has landed the Tag and Label Manufacturers Institute's Eugene Singer award for the 10th tenth consecutive year. TLMI President Frank Sablone says of Consolidated Label, "Their unwavering dedication to their company, to the TLMI and to the greater narrow web industry is truly a benchmark we can all aspire to."

Jolly Time popcorn packaging operation adds second plant
American Pop Corn Co.,the Sioux City, IA-based maker of Jolly Time, has opened a second facility to produce its All-in-One, commercial kit, which comes with pre-measured amounts of corn, oil and salt. Two microwave popcorn lines also operate in the new 40,000-sq.-ft. plant, and the structure has sufficient room to allow for future growth. The new $6 million facility was built just south of the company's existing 41st Street microwave plant, which opened in 1988.

MCA, AIA to present free motion/vision webinar
The Motion Control Association, in partnership with the AIA (the global trade association for the vision and imaging industry), will host a free webinar on Advanced Motion and Vision Integration on Friday, March 23, from 11 to noon EST. The event, to be presented by Priya Ramachandran from National Instruments is intended to give participants in-depth knowledge of the different integration levels starting from the basic to highly advanced applications requiring FPGA-based solutions. Attendees also will hear the benefits of motion and vision integration; the implementation techniques for integrating motion and vision systems; and solutions to address common challenges that developers face when integrating motion and vision. Register at www.motioncontrolonline.org.

Peninsula Packaging expands into Wash. facility
Peninsula Packaging, which manufactures plastic packaging for bakery and produce items, is expanding into a new Yakima, WA facility. The expansion, which reportedly will add 25 new jobs, comes several months after Peninsula Packaging purchased a division of Packaging Plus, another California-based plastic packaging manufacturer.

Aluminum Week 2012 to hit Chicago in October
Three major trade associations representing the aluminum industry will host Aluminum Week this October in Chicago. The Aluminum Association, Aluminum Extruders Council and Aluminum Anodizers Council will co-locate their meetings to increase cooperation and communication among different sectors of the industry. The events will be held October 15-18 at the Renaissance Chicago Downtown hotel. Industries served by the groups include packaging, construction, metal processing and others.
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