Berlin Packaging acquires Lerman Container
Berlin Packaging (a supplier of plastic, glass, and metal containers and closures) has acquired packaging distributor Lerman Container. According to company representatives, the combined company will have 2012 revenues exceeding $700 million, more than 110 packaging consultants, and more than 80 sales offices and warehouse locations across North America; also, it reportedly will help the company provide clients across the country with improved service. "The closer we can get to customers geographically, the faster we can serve them and the more attention we can give them. This acquisition makes that possible by adding local presence in important markets as well as top packaging talent and deep vertical industry expertise," says Andrew T. Berlin, chairman and CEO of Berlin Packaging.

MWV Healthcare to present at Pharmapack North America
MeadWestvaco Corp., a multinational packaging solutions provider, will present at Pharmapack North America's inaugural conference at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, May 22-23. Its first presentation, entitled "The Demonstrated Impact of Packaging on Patient Adherence," will be led by John Grinnell, vice president and managing director, of MWV Healthcare's Secondary and Adherence Packaging Division, as part of the "Exploring the Human Interaction with Pharmaceutical Packaging" session to be held Tuesday, May 22 from 9:15-10:40am. The second presentation, "Equivalence in Nasal Pump Systems for Generic Products in the US Market," will be led by Rabih Karam, North American sales manager, MWV Healthcare, as part of the "Emerging Technologies in Drug Delivery" session to be held Wednesday, May 23 from 10:50 am to 12:40 pm.

Bosch packaging plant receives German Ideas Award
The manufacturing location of Robert Bosch GmbH in Homburg/Saar was presented with the German Ideas Award in Dresden. The award is given annually by the German Institute for Business Administration, based on its socio-cultural, ecological and economic value as well as the degree of innovation, feasibility and transferability. The plant took part in a structured communications model for energy management in the category "Environmental Idea - Best Green Innovation" and also received the overall award for the "Idea of the Year." Efforts to reduce carbon footprint reportedly reduced carbon dioxide emissions by several thousand tons; company leaders plan to reduce emissions by 20 percent by 2020 from 2007 levels.

Cognex to host barcode webinar
Cognex Corp., a supplier of machine vision systems, is offering an online presentation outlining a new application for image-based barcode readers. "A New Foundation for 1-D Barcode Reading: Hotbars Image Analysis Technology" will take place Tues., May 22 at 2 p.m. EDT (11 a.m. PDT). Hotbars is the result of a two-year R&D effort by a team at Cognex; according to company representatives, the technology changes the way that image-based barcode readers generate 1-D signals from barcodes, and it is said to enable the latest generation of image-based barcode readers to outperform traditional laser scanners in the most demanding applications. Participants will learn how Hotbars finds barcodes in a scene and extracts 1-D signals for decoding, and hear potential applications and implications for the technology.

Crown Holdings building beverage can plant in Cambodia
Crown Holdings Inc., a supplier of metal packaging products worldwide, is constructing a new beverage can plant in Sihanoukville, Cambodia to meet growing international demand. The new plant will be sized to accommodate multiple can lines and have an initial annual production capacity of 725 million two-piece 33cl aluminum cans. The facility is expected to be operational in the third quarter of 2013 and will be Crown's second beverage can plant in Cambodia including its two-line operation in Phnom Penh.
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