PACKAGING BRIEFS Thursday, Jan. 6

Compliance Package of the Year competition now accepting entries
The Healthcare Compliance Packaging Council has kicked off its 2010 HCPC Compliance Package of the Year Awards Competition. Entries will be accepted through March 15, 2011. There is no fee or other monetary requirements to participate. Qualifying packages must: 1) be in a compliance-prompting format with at least one patient adherence assistance feature; 2) have been commercially available- anywhere in the world-during 2010; and 3) not require drug products to be repackaged by patients. Guidelines and an official entry form are at www.hcpconline.org or call the HCPC office at 804/338-5778.

Berlin Packaging renames recently acquired All-Pak
In completing the March 2010 acquisition of All-Pak by Berlin Packaging, all sales and warehouse locations formerly known as All-Pak Inc. are now operating under the Berlin Packaging name. The rebranding is the culmination of a 10-month initiative to integrate the two businesses. More than 70 locations now carry the Berlin Packaging name.

Maui Brewing install new packaging line
Maui Brewing Co. has installed a new canning line, capable of speeds in excess of 650 cans per minute, reports BeerAdvocate. The company has paired a Crown 40 valve can filler with an Angelus 61h seamer.

Pro Mach acquires Shuttleworth Inc.
Packaging machinery leader Pro Mach Inc. has acquired Shuttleworth Inc., a leading global conveyor automation and product handling machinery manufacturer based in Huntington, Indiana. Shuttleworth, with facilities in Belgium and Malaysia, will become a division of Pro Mach's End of Line Business Unit.

AmeriStar competition deadline is Jan. 31
The Institute of Packaging Professionals is accepting entries for the 2010/2011 AmeriStar competition through Jan. 31, 2011. Click here for details and to submit your entries. Questions? Contact Carole Schiller, IoPP awards manager, at 630-544-5050 x106 or [email protected].

Transilwrap expands with Interfilm Holdings acquisition
Transilwrap Co.—a manufacturer, coater and precision converter of plastics in the lamination, print, packaging and industrial markets—has bought Interfilm Holdings Inc., a diversified distributor and converter of flexible films in the U.S. This acquisition supports Transilwrap's strategic growth strategy to provide customers with a strengthened service platform, new solutions through added converting capabilities and expanded product lines to reach new markets.

Cereplast opens European headquarters to serve bioplastic demand in Europe
Cereplast Inc. has opened a European headquarters in Bönen, Germany, to support the rapid expansion of European operations for its proprietary bio-based, compostable and sustainable plastics. The new headquarters will provide a complete suite of services to Cereplast clients in the pan-European region and handle logistics between its U.S. and Germany-based offices.

Barry-Wehmiller expands Design Group with acquisition
Barry-Wehmiller Design Group has acquired Delphey-Gerdes Engineering. Located in Los Angeles, Delphey-Gerdes Engineering is a full-service engineering firm that specializes in designing facilities for food and food processing, but also serves other industrial applications. As part of the merger, the principals of Delphey-Gerdes Engineering will remain as executives with the firm in its Los Angeles office, taking on regional leadership roles within the Design Group.

Overnight Labels earns fourth gold award for printing craftsmanship
Overnight Labels has won the International Gallery Gold Award in recognition of excellence for superb craftsmanship from the IAPHC (International Association of Printing House Craftsmen) for 2010. This is the fourth year in a row that the company has both entered and won awards in the competition.

Adept Technology expands its food packaging business
Adept Technology Inc., a leading provider of intelligent vision-guided robotics and autonomous mobile solutions, is buying privately held InMoTx, a provider of industry leading technology for the global food processing market. With operations based in Denmark, InMoTx enhances Adept's position in the fast-growing food packaging industry through a broad portfolio of intellectual property dedicated to inspecting, sorting, grading and hygienically packaging natural products, improving food safety by eliminating the risk of contamination introduced by manual handling.

Natural Products Assn changes name of annual tradeshow and conference
The Natural Products Association and New Hope Natural Media, which produces the NPA's official trade show and conference, have announced a new name for this annual event: Natural Products Association MarketPlace. It will be held at the Las Vegas Convention Center June 23-25, 2011.

Hunt appointed president of West's Pharmaceutical Packaging Systems business
West Pharmaceutical Services Inc. has appointed Jeffrey. Hunt president of the company's Pharmaceutical Packaging Systems business, previously headed by Steven Ellers, the company's president and COO, who is planning to retire. Pharmaceutical Packaging Systems is a global business and is the company's largest, generating annual sales revenue of nearly $800 million. Hunt, 52, joined West in July 2010 as vp, Strategic Planning and Business Development. He has more than 23 years of experience in medical device and related businesses, including bouts at Covidien and the SharpSafety Div. of Tyco Healthcare/Kendall.

Linpac Group sells five non-core businesses
Linpac Group, the British-based international plastic packaging manufacturer, has sold five standalone, non-core business units to funds managed by Chamonix Private Equity, a London-based private equity firm. The sale completed on Dec. 31, 2010. The business units sold are Linpac Storage Systems, Linpac Environmental, Linpac Recycling, Intellident and Linpac Metal Decorating-previously collectively known as the Linpac "Speciality Businesses." All are based in the United Kingdom, although Intellident also has a small presence in France and the Netherlands.

Optima Group integrates Metall + Plastic GmbH, gains isolator products
Effective Jan. 1, 2011, Metall + Plastic GmbH is now part of Optima Group. Headquartered in Radolfzell, Metall + Plastic GmbH is a manufacturer of isolators and e-beam sterilizers that are used in pharmaceutical filling and packaging lines. Optima Group Pharma is one of the leading manufacturers of these highly specific machine systems. Hence, the product portfolios of both companies ideally complement each other. With its product range, Metall + Plastic rounds off the brand portfolio of Optima Group Pharma. The production of Metall + Plastic at the company's headquarters will continue unchanged. Likewise, Christoph von Stenglin will remain directing manager of this thriving company.

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