PACKAGING BRIEFS Thursday, May 19

Klöckner Pentaplast appoints new corporate leaders
Dr. Christian Holtmann has been appointed CEO of The Klöckner Pentaplast Group, effective June 1, 2011. Holtmann succeeds Tom Goeke, who will remain an advisor to the company. Holtmann, who most recently served as CEO of PolymerLatex GmbH (a world leader in synthetic latex dispersions), will be based in Montabaur, Germany. He has a Doctorate in Economics from the University of Vienna, Austria.

Additionally, Dr. Axel Herberg, a current member of the board of directors, will succeed Dr. Gerard Murphy as chairman. Herberg recently joined the Blackstone Group (The Klöckner Pentaplast Group is wholly owned by affiliates of The Blackstone Group) as a senior managing director focusing on Blackstone's German operations. Previously, he was the president and CEO of Gerresheimer AG (Duesseldorf, Germany), a specialty glass and plastic producer. Murphy, also a senior managing director of the Blackstone Group, will continue to serve as a board member.

Dow invests further in European Packaging Center of Excellence
The Dow Chemical Co. is continuing to invest in a Packaging Center of Excellence in Horgen, Switzerland, to better serve the needs of the packaging industry across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Dow is doubling the staff of its packaging center to approximately 20 to 25 people, and significantly expanding its capabilities for testing and prototyping adhesive laminating and film structures for food and beverage packaging needs. The packaging center houses equipment and collaboration space for specialty adhesives, resins and formulated films in one place. It will also enhance customers' ability to test materials and formulations for new package functionality and design. The Center also will hold seminars and forums that will allow package makers and brand owners and others to occasionally share insights about the future needs of the packaging industry. The Horgen center is linked to Dow's other centers of excellence, including the Sensory Science facility in The Netherlands, and Films Application Development Centers in Tarragona, Spain; Freeport, Texas; Singapore, and Jundiai, Brazil.

Rock-Tenn to close Milwaukee plant, cutting 199 jobs
Rock-Tenn Co., a paper and paperboard packaging supplier based in Georgia, will permanently close its plant on the northwest side of Milwaukee, according to a filing with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development. The closing on July 17 will result in the permanent layoff of 199 employees.

Field Packaging Group sold to Packaging Corp. of America
Field Packaging Group—an entrepreneurial manufacturer of corrugated packaging products that serve customers in the food, confectionary, durable goods, furniture and metal stamping industries, among others—has been bought by Packaging Corp. of America. Mesirow Financial acted as financial advisor to Field Packaging throughout the process.

Plastics Color Corp. opens new customer solutions center in N.C.
Plastics Color Corp. (PCC), a leading supplier of color concentrates and additive masterbatches for the plastics industry, has opened a new customer solutions center, a leading-edge design and application development center based at the company's Asheboro, N.C., campus. The new Solutions Center consists of a high-end color and product design center, affectionately known as the "light box," which is linked to a comprehensive R&D laboratory and manufacturing center.

TurboFil Packaging Machines earns exporter recognition
The U.S. Small Business Administration's NY District Office honored TurboFil Packaging Machines with its Exporter of the Year Award. Deborah Smook, vp of marketing and business development and an owner of the company accepted the award. This award recognized a large sale that TurboFil closed for export of a highly specialized parts assembly project for an Israeli defense contractor, as well as for TurboFil's growing export business.

Curtis Packaging named Healthy Air Ambassador
Curtis Packaging has received the Healthy Air Ambassador/Corporate Award from the American Lung Assn. The ALA recognized Curtis for a demonstrated commitment to clean air through environmentally sound practices and a dedication to healthy lungs for all. The folding carton manufacturer is one of the first printing and packaging companies in North America to be Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified, Sustainable Forest Initiative (SFI) certified, use 100 percent renewable energy and to be 100 percent Carbon Neutral.

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