PACKAGING BRIEFS Thursday, Apr. 28

Coke and Heinz to give out samples of their PlantBottles at BioPlastek 2011 Forum
The Coca-Cola Co. and H.J. Heinz Co. are sponsoring the BioPlastek 2011 Forum on Bioplastics Today and Tomorrow, which will take place on June 27-29, 2011, at The Waldorf-Astoria in New York City. The sponsorship underscores the importance both companies attach to their landmark strategic partnership: Heinz is adopting Coca-Cola's PlantBottle technology for its iconic ketchup starting in July. At the event, Coke will formally announce the national rollout of its Dasani bottled water in PlantBottles. Attendees will have the opportunity to use the new plant-based bottles both in food preparation and beverage refreshment at the forum's welcoming reception on June 27 and luncheon on June 28, co-hosted by H.J. Heinz and Coca-Cola. Forum participants also will be offered unopened filled bottles to take with them at the conclusion of the event.

MGS expands manufacturing capacity; appoints new CFO
MGS Machine Corp. is more than doubling manufacturing capacity by adding a new facility to its campus located within 30 minutes of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Intl. Airport. The plant is undergoing a complete renovation and full occupancy is scheduled for the end of May 2011. MGS has also appointed Mary Zadach, CPA, the new chief financial officer. Zadach previously served as the company's controller.

Krones sees 14% revenue growth for 1Q2011 versus last year
Krones, the world's largest bottling and packaging equipment maker, reported that revenue in the first three months of 2011 rose 14 percent to €606.7 million, a first-quarter record. As the company focuses on innovation and high-growth markets, sales may reach €3.45 billion ($5.06 billion) by 2015 in the "best case," according to deputy CEO Hans-Juergen Thaus. The company expects annual sales to grow by about 7 percent per year through 2015, and sales may reach as much as €2.6 billion this year.

Berlin Packaging wins seven NACD awards, including Best of Show
Berlin Packaging, a leading full-service supplier of containers and closures, won seven awards in the 2011 National Association of Container Distributors (NACD) Package Awards Competition, including Best of Show. The Pampers Kandoo hand soap package that won the competition's Bernard M. Seid Best of Show award is custom-molded in the shape of a frog, reflecting the Kandoo brand's longtime mascot. The bottle's unique 90-degree back fits snugly in tub or sink corners to restrict lateral movement, allowing children to pump the package by themselves rather than requiring assistance from a caregiver to hold the container steady.

Dassault Systèmes acquires Enginuity PLM
Dassault Systèmes, a world leader in 3D and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions, has acquired Enginuity PLM, a leader in formula-based PLM and widely acknowledged as the best-in-class solution. The addition of Enginuity expands Dassault Systèmes' already extensive suite of collaborative business process solutions to help customers bring breakthrough formulations to market more rapidly and at a lower cost. Using the Enovia V6 platform, formula-centric companies in the pharmaceutical, personal care, cosmetics, food and beverage, and flavor/fragrance industries will be able to accelerate product innovation and product launches while successfully navigating complex regulatory requirements and more effectively managing and leveraging their formula, packaging and consumer Intellectual Property (IP) in a single, global PLM solution.

Ball reports sharply higher first quarter results
Ball Corp. has reported first quarter 2011 net earnings attributable to Ball Corp. of $91.3 million, or 53 cents per diluted share, on sales of $2 billion, compared to $79.3 million, or 42 cents per diluted share, on sales of $1.6 billion in the first quarter of 2010.

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