PACKAGING BRIEFS Thursday, July 14

NatureWorks to offer new high-performance Ingeo resins and lactides in 2013
NatureWorks LLC has announced a major capital investment project at its Blair, Neb., manufacturing facility for the production of new grades of high-performance Ingeo biopolymers as well as a new generation of lactide intermediates. Samples of the new polymers and lactide intermediates will be available in 2012, with commercial sales commencing by 2013. A new Ingeo grade for injection molding will contribute to lower molded part cost through faster cycle times and higher production rates. NatureWorks new specialty lactide products are expected to broaden the use of lactide intermediates in polymers, resin additives/modifiers, adhesives, coatings, elastomers, surfactants and solvents.

Machinery parts supplier expands in eastern U.S.
BDI (Bearing Distributors Inc.)—a leader in the distribution and application of bearings, mechanical power transmission, electrical power transmission, linear motion, fluid power, material handling, industrial and safety products—has opened two new branches. The Wilkes Barre, PA, location will be overseen by branch manager Robin Gwynn, a 25-year industry veteran who recently joined BDI, and account manager Joseph Nayavich. The Easton, ME, location will be overseen by operations manager Kevin Mitchell.

Tension expands its pharmaceutical packaging and automation solutions
Tension Envelope Corp. celebrates its 125th anniversary in 2011 with an updated brand identity that includes a new naming convention, refreshed logo and a tagline. Effective July 13, 2011, the company will be known as Tension Corp., or simply Tension. Under the Tension brand there will be three distinct divisions: Tension Envelope, Tension Packaging & Automation and Tension Intl. "Envelopes are our core business and a critical part of Tension's future. However, we have diversified to grow our business," says Tension president and CEO, Bill Berkley. "We are expanding our global presence and our leadership in packaging and automation solutions." Tension Packaging & Automation designs and builds automated packaging systems and equipment for central fill, mail order and specialty pharmacies, and direct-to-consumer order fulfillment distribution centers. This includes equipment, consumables, software, service and systems integration.

Portola wins all of Kroger's milk closure business
The Kroger Co. has awarded Portola Packaging Inc. all of its milk closure business. The retailer is in the process of converting all of its fresh milk bottle brands to Portola's 38 mm tamper-evident, drop band, plug closure, known as the DBJ. Also included in the conversion are Kroger's juice and tea beverages. Independent consumer research conducted individually by both Kroger and Portola revealed a clear preference for this closure. "Consumers prefer a drop band that stays on the bottle vs. a tamper-evident feature which requires that you tear off a band and then have to dispose of it. Additionally, consumers prefer the DBJ's easy opening and resealing attributes," says Roy Robinson, vp of business development, Portola.

Adept Technology receives major order from packaging automation solution partner in Australia
Walls Machinery has secured an order for two dual OctoLoader systems inclusive of four Adept Quattro s650H robots to automate secondary packaging operations for a leading shelf-ready food packaging company.

Cereplast expands supply of bioplastic resin to the Turkish market
Cereplast Inc. has entered into a distribution agreement with Polimernet Plastik Ltd. to supply Cereplast bioplastic resins in Turkey. According to Frederic Scheer, chairman/CEO of Cereplast, "This is another step in our growth strategy to secure quality distribution partners in key regions, such as Turkey. Turkey is one of the first three countries in Europe who have forged forward with adopting bioplastic material for products and packaging in an attempt to help safeguard the environment." Under the terms of the agreement, Polimernet Plastik will supply Cereplast Compostables resin to product and package manufacturers in Turkey. The contract includes a minimum of 100 tons of Cereplast resin per month for 2011, a number to grow in 2012 and beyond.

Multivac names Mark Snethen as regional sales manager
Multivac Inc., a leading global supplier of packaging solutions for perishable food products, has named Mark Snethen regional sales manager for its Food Division. Snethen will serve customers in a sales territory covering Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska and Kansas. He has worked in packaging machinery and equipment sales for the past 20 years, most recently at VC999 Packaging. He will be based out of his home office in Thornton, CO.

MonoSol achieves halal certification
The Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America (IFANCA) has certified that MonoSol MonoDose films are halal and thereby suited for use by Muslims. Under Islamic dietary guidelines, halal products are deemed "permissible" for consumption and contact by practicing Muslims. Halal certification is granted only when a product demonstrates alignment with Islamic dietary guidelines. Restrictions include prohibition against contact with pork (and their by-products), alcohol, intoxicants, as well as carnivorous and improperly slaughtered animals. Additionally, halal products must not be processed in a manner that allows contamination with any prohibited items.

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