PACKAGING BRIEFS Thursday, Dec. 15

Avery Dennison launches online Inspiration Studio
Avery Dennison Label and Packaging Materials has launched the Inspiration Studio, an online tool designed to help packaging designers, brand owners and brand managers explore ways to get more from their packaging and decoration strategies with pressure-sensitive labels. A component of Avery Dennison's www.EnhanceYourBrand.com website, the Inspiration Studio features content about trends, innovation and sustainability. Each category includes supporting articles and research highlighting the latest trends in package design, strategies for creating shelf differentiation and sustainability efforts.

xpedx names Mark Butryn vp, sales-packaging
Mark Butryn has been named vp, sales-packaging, at xpedx, and will become a member of the xpedx Sales Lead Team. xpedx is a business of International Paper. In this role, Butryn will be responsible for the packaging sales channels, national business customers, national corrugated initiatives and national service and packaging equipment strategy. He will also lead xpedx's packaging sales organization, accelerating growth to achieve profitable marketplace opportunities. Butryn brings more than 17 years of sales and manufacturing experience to his new role, holding positions in sales and sales leadership, including national sales manager and global account manager for International Paper's Fluff Pulp business. Most recently, he was IP's national sales manager, Bristols and Specialty. Butryn will report to Dan Watkoske, evp, sales, xpedx.

KUKA Robotics opens new North American headquarters
KUKA Robotics Corp., a subsidiary of KUKA Roboter GmbH, has opened its new North American headquarters building in Shelby Township, MI. The new facility is home to the company's USA-based sales, applications, project engineering, service, parts, training and administrative staff, plus North American business leadership personnel. Half of the building is dedicated to "hands-on" experiences with the latest robotics technologies, products, and training. Stocks of robots and parts are also on-hand to meet ever increasing pressure for fast delivery.

Packaging machinery industry veteran, Glen Long, joins Adco Manufacturing as COO
Adco Manufacturing Inc. has named Glen Long its new chief operating officer. A veteran packaging machinery management professional, Long began his career at Kliklok-Woodman and has since held positions as president of cup filling machinery manufacturer Holmatic Inc., vp of Packaging Technologies Inc., owner/president of Inex Vision Systems and, most recently, vp of carton machinery manufacturer Delkor Systems. Long is a past chairman of the Packaging Machinery Manufacturer's Institute (PMMI), past chairman of the PMMI Education and Workforce Development Committee, past chairman of the PMMI Global Marketing Committee and a past Board Member of the Refrigerated Foods Assn. He currently serves on PMMI's Strategic Show Committee, as well as its President's Advisory Council.

Anthem Worldwide appoints senior creative director
Anthem Worldwide, the brand development division of Schawk, has appointed John-Paul Doyle to serve as senior creative director for its New York office. Doyle joins Anthem from Raison Pure (New York, NY) where he managed and directed large strategic projects from concept to execution through to production, and led teams of graphic, structural and production designers in all aspects of brand creation and realization, as creative director. Doyle's background includes experience with the following companies and brands: Diageo, Unilever, Kraft, Godiva, Burt's Bees, Johnnie Walker, Dove and Evian.

Sonoco announces major facility upgrade in Darlington County
Sonoco, a global producer of packaging products, plans to upgrade its plant in Darlington County, SC. The $100 million investment is expected to generate up to 10 new jobs, in addition to the more than 1,600 employees currently working for the company in Hartsville. Sonoco will invest about $75 million to add a new biomass boiler to its plant in Hartsville, replacing two aging coal-fired boilers. The new boiler will be fueled primarily by woody biomass created by regional logging activity, but can also run on natural gas. The boiler will produce about 16 megawatts of "green" energy that will be consumed by the manufacturing complex, as well as steam that is used in the paper making process. The company will also upgrade a machine that produces corrugated paperboard, as well as emission control technology on another boiler at the plant. Groundbreaking is expected in December 2011, with construction continuing until July of 2013. The boiler is expected to be operational by the fourth quarter of 2013.

Packaging Corp. of America to buy back stock
Packaging Corp. of America is buying back $150 million of the company's outstanding common stock, to be bought from time to time in accordance with applicable securities regulations. Commenting on the additional authorization, CEO Mark Kowlzan says, "This action reflects both our continued commitment to return value to our shareholders and the operating and financial strength of the company." PCA is the fifth largest producer of containerboard and corrugated packaging products in the United States with sales of $2.44 billion in 2010. PCA operates four paper mills and 71 corrugated product plants in 26 states across the country.

AMERIPEN announces leadership changes
The American Institute for Packaging and the Environment (AMERIPEN ) has announced the retirement of the organization's president, Joan Pierce of Colgate-Palmolive Co., along with related changes to its executive committee and board of directors. Gail Tavill of ConAgra Foods Inc., formerly the group's vp, will replace Pierce. Other changes: Shanna Moore of DuPont Packaging & Industrial Polymers has been named vp, and Jeff Wooster of The Dow Chemical Co. succeeds Moore as the organization's secretary. Ron Cotterman of Sealed Air Corp. remains treasurer. AMERIPEN has also appointed Richard Abramowitz, director of public affairs of WM Recycle Services, to its board of directors on an interim basis to serve out the remainder of Pierce's term. In extending an invitation to Waste Management Inc., the AMERIPEN board is reinforcing the group's commitment to diversity and representation of the full packaging value chain.

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