PACKAGING BRIEFS Thursday, Feb. 2

Pro Mach strengthens end-of-line packaging capabilities with new acquisition

Pro Mach Inc. has acquired Edson Packaging Machinery Ltd., a leading manufacturer of high-performance case packing equipment, based in Hamilton, Ontario. Edson will join Pro Mach's End of Line Business Unit, which provides standalone equipment and integrated packaging line solutions for many of the world's most recognized food, beverage, industrial products and consumer goods companies.Gary Evans, CEO at Edson, will join Pro Mach as vp and general manager of Edson, reporting to Barry Heiser, president of Pro Mach's End of Line Business Unit.

Versatile Packagers introduces trapped blister packaging solutions
Florida-based contract packager Versatile Packagers has added trapped blister packaging solutions to its offerings. With the addition of a new machine to its 150,000 square foot facility, the company can now offer clients an alternative to traditional all-plastic clamshell packaging, which is typically hard to open. Alternatively, trapped blister packaging offers the same benefits as clamshells but uses recycled materials and less plastic.

Schott appoints vp of global syringe business
Schott has appointed Christophe Muguet as vp global syringe business. Based in St. Gallen, Switzerland, Muguet leads the global syringe business activities of Schott Pharmaceutical Packaging. His responsibilities include business development, product management, research and development, and operations. Muguet joins Schott from Becton Dickinson, where he was vp industrial operations.

Menasha Packaging acquires in-store display leader

Menasha Packaging Co. LLC has bought The Strive Group of Chicago, a leader in merchandising displays and in-store promotional solutions. The acquisition makes Menasha the largest independent in-store promotional solutions provider to retailers and CPGs in the United States. "The Strive acquisition broadens our market penetration and the ability to provide more products and services to our customers," says Jim Kotek, president and CEO of Menasha Corp. Menasha Packaging and Strive both focus on the food, household and personal care markets and provide design, manufacturing, fulfillment and logistics expertise to their customers.

Paperboard competition now open for entries

Members of the Paperboard Packaging Council are now invited to submit their best package designs to PPC's 69th annual North American Paperboard Packaging Competition (NAPPC). To be eligible for the competition, each entry must be submitted by a PPC member and converted in their facility. Unless it is a self-promotional piece, each entry must have been produced and sold by a PPC member for the first time between June 1, 2011 and May 1, 2012. The early bird entry deadline is May 1 (and offers one FREE entry) while the regular entry deadline is June 1. The Call for Entries Guide, the official entry form and competition details are available at www.ppcnet.org/cc.

Perception Research Services (PRS) celebrates 40 years of "Winning at Retail"
Perception Research Services Intl. (PRS), a global leader in packaging and shopper research, will celebrate its 40th anniversary throughout 2012. PRS was founded in 1972 and soon pioneered the application of eye-tracking to advertising and packaging research. Today, PRS is among the world's 25 largest research firms, with more than 200 employees around the globe--and a trusted partner to many of the world's largest CPG companies, including Kraft Foods, HP, Target and Johnson & Johnson, among many others.

Plastic Technologies appoints Scott Steele president
Scott Steele has been appointed president of Plastic Technologies Inc. (PTI), a leader in package development and design, rapid prototyping and material evaluation engineering for plastic packaging. He will be responsible for global operations and will report to the company's board of directors. Dr. Tom Brady, founder of Plastic Technologies, will continue as chairman. Steele is recognized internationally as an expert in blow-molding technology for plastic packaging applications. Over the past three decades, he has led the development of design, development and manufacturing "firsts." He joined Plastic Technologies in 1987 as one of the company's first employees and has been vp of PTI since 1995. Additionally, he is the author of 11 U.S. and international patents.

Denso offers free QR Code guide

Denso ADC, the Americas sales arm of Denso Wave Inc., inventor of the QR Code, has published a new free guide, QR Code Essentials. The 12-page guide provides key facts and information about the QR Code and the technology associated with it. It includes tips on successfully generating codes, how to choose a scanner and more.

‘Canny' awards to honor the best craft beer can designs
The best can graphics in the craft beer industry will be recognized as part of the first annual "Canny" Awards, a competition to promote craft beer in cans and highlight the high-quality, captivating graphics on canned craft beer. Awards will be presented during the Craft Brewers Conference, May 2-5 in San Diego, CA. The competition is sponsored by four leading suppliers to the canned craft beer industry: Ball Corp., Cask Brewing Systems, Hi-Cone and Mumm Products. Entries are now being accepted through March 31. For a complete set of guidelines and rules and an entry form, click here.

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