Liner brews up more appeal for coffee brick

Community Coffee has perked up its coffee with a new 16-oz brick-like package featuring an outer liner from Sonoco (www.sonoco.com) that delivers not only the shelf appeal, but also the compatibility Community wanted with the package's existing inner liner, the company says. It was another challenge to ensure that the two liners would be compatible and would fit together perfectly.

Notes Ray Cate, general manager of technical services at Community Coffee, "The outer liner needed a new look. It has to stand out on the shelf and catch the consumer's eye. Because of Sonoco's expertise in packaging at its Keating Gravure operation, we trusted they could maintain the integrity of the existing package while they developed an updated look for it."

Another hurdle was finding a material that would seal through the bag's new film/paper structure without diminishing the package esthetics. The package also has to be tough enough to withstand distribution, yet be easy to open. The outer liner consists of a polyester laminate made at Sonoco's Waco, TX, facility. The glossy, reverse-printed polyester has an upscale appearance and is printed by gravure in conjunction with Keating's unique engraving processes. Finely detailed graphics include a black-and-white illustration of the home that Community Coffee customers easily recognize. The coffee marketer is using the liner for brands including Dark Roast, Between Roast, Medium Roast, Light Medium Roast, New Orleans blend and Community Lite. The packages are sold throughout the Southeast and at CommunityCoffee.com.