Mocon-certified package testing facility opens in Canada
Mocon Inc. and the Guelph Food Technology Centre (GFTC) have partnered to establish a certified permeation testing lab at GFTC. This will be the first Mocon-certified test facility in Canada, and only the second non-MOCON owned and operated in the world. (The first was in partnership with Hemetek, Mumbai, India.) The two MOCON-certified facilities are in addition to the four company-owned and operated laboratory locations (Minneapolis, Austin, Texas, Germany and China).

Recycle Solutions helps businesses reduce, reuse, recycle packaging waste
Recycle Solutions, the Midsouth's largest recycling company, has expanded its services to provide manufacturers and distributors more options to focus on the "reuse" aspect of their "reduce, recycle, and reuse" initiatives. Recycle Solutions has opened a new 25,000 sq-ft processing center in Searcy, AR, where 12 employees receive packaging waste, sort and clean it, and send reusable components back to the packaging providers for reuse. This service will provide companies in Tennessee, Arkansas, Alabama, Missouri, Mississippi, and other midsouth states, a cost-effective closed-loop process

Bosch takes part in Save Food Initiative
Bosch Packaging Technology business unit is taking part in the international "Save Food" initiative, which was initiated by the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the food and packaging industry and the Düsseldorf Trade Fair Center. At present, over a third of all food is wasted globally as it travels from the field to the plate. In emerging countries like India the amount is over three-quarters. The initiative wants to ensure more diligent handling of available foodstuffs and to look for solutions so that less food is wasted.

Military contract awarded to Amazing Packaging Supplies
Amazing Packaging Supplies Inc., San Jose, Calif., won a $672,535 federal contract from the General Services Administration's Federal Acquisition Service, San Jose, Calif., for packing and packaging supplies.

Intelligrated Robotics Lab hosts St. Louis Elementary Students
Intelligrated, a North American-owned automated material handling solutions provider, is hosting second grade students from 11 Rockwood School District elementary schools May 16-18 at the company's new Alvey Robotics Lab in St. Louis, MO. Teaming up with Partners in Education, an organization devoted to linking K-12 academically gifted curriculum with "real world" experiences, Intelligrated will offer students firsthand demonstrations and presentations on the role robotics are playing in the world today and the potential for the future.

Robert K. Whyte becomes CEO at Good Time Beverages
Robert K. Whyte, CEO at newly-formed "Good Time Beverages" has successfully completed his transition to the company from his previous post as managing partner at Diamond Capital Partners, a Los Angeles-based mid-market investment bank. Mr. Whyte was appointed CEO by members of Good Time Beverages, and as such, he is leading sales and marketing efforts, as well as overall direction of the innovative, portable cocktail products.

Stelmi has opened an office in Mumbai, India
Stelmi, a specialist in the production of elastomeric closures for pharmaceutical vials and prefilled syringes, hasopened an office in Mumbai, India.

EskoArtwork hardware, software find academic home at Clemson University
EskoArtwork's investment in software and equipment at Clemson University's Department of Graphic Communications continues to reap rewards -- both to students' education and to research for the graphic arts industry. The experience has been enhanced by the most recent upgrade to university efforts: the Sonoco Institute of Packaging Design and Graphics, which utilizes EskoArtwork software and a CDI Spark imager.

Cartondruck and MPS complete international partnership
Cartondruck, a European manufacturer of premium packaging, headquartered in Obersulm, Germany, has signed a definitive purchase agreement with Multi Packaging Solutions Inc. (MPS).

Scholle Packaging acquires Zork
Scholle Packaging announces the acquisition of Zork, developer of 'peel and reseal' closures for wine and spirits.

Strainoptics names former Corning Scientist as director of product development
Strainoptics Inc. has appoints Dr. Scott Eric Slavin as director of product development. Dr. Slavin has extensive research and development experience, including senior scientist and technology management positions at leading companies including Corning, Rohm and Haas, and the David Sarnoff Research Center in Princeton, NJ. Slavin holds a Ph.D. in Materials Science Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania and a B.S. in Physics from the State University of New York at Stony Brook.

Value Added Packaging techniques announced by PrintCity Alliance members at Interpack
PrintCity Alliance members UPM, Sun Chemical, M-real and launch PrintCity Value Added Packaging (VAPack) project for world packaging markets. The new VAPack project focuses on the needs of brand owners & designers, to open discussions on the latest opportunities & benefits in using value added packaging techniques. The VAPack multi-company shared knowledge project emphasises the many benefits of Value Added Packaging techniques: increased consumer attraction from new or combined VAP techniques; enhanced product differentiation in all consumer market sectors; and new opportunities in brand development and brand positioning.

Finch Paper appoints Ken Chartier to director, quality and continuous improvement
Finch Paper has appointed industry veteran Ken Chartier, formerly of NewPage Corp., to director, quality and continuous improvement. Chartier reports to Bob McDonald, vp operations, Finch Paper.

Attendance at SPE'S Antec 2011 jumped 31 percent
Attendance at the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) ANTEC 2011 totaled 2,023, nearly 31 percent greater than the 2010 annual technical conference. ANTEC 2011 included 108 topical sessions comprised of more than 700 presentations, with technical papers consisting of original content reviewed by industry peers. Paper and presentation submissions were up 25 percent from 2010 levels, and student presentations hit a 10-plus year high.

Odva selects organization leadership for 2011-2012
Odva, the organization that supports network technologies built on the Common Industrial Protocol (CIPTM) - DeviceNetTM, EtherNet/IPTM, CompoNetTM, and ControlNetTM, has selected its leadership for its 15th termDirectors constituting ODVA's Board, as it enters its 15th term, include: Cyril Perducat, senior vp for plant solutions and system consistency at Schneider Electric; Frank Kulaszewicz, senior vp for architecture and software at Rockwell Automation; Michael Höing, vp for electronics business at Weidmüller Interface; Chet Namboodri, global director for manufacturing for industry solutions and marketing at Cisco Systems; Ryuji Yamasaki, GM for Drives Development (Industrial Automation Business) for Omron; and Bernd-Josef Schäfer, executive vp for engineering and manufacturing (Electric Drives and Controls) for Bosch Rexroth, who is joining ODVA's board for his first term as a director. ODVA's Board has re-appointed director Cyril Perducat to serve as ODVA's president, director Frank Kulaszewicz as treasurer, and participant from ODVA member Eaton Electrical, Richard Harwell, as chief technology officer (CTO). Also re-appointed was ODVA senior staff member, Katherine Voss, as executive director, who is responsible for general management of the organization which has headquarters in Ann Arbor, Mich., USA, and additional operations in China, Germany, Japan and Korea.

PolyOne Opens Innovation Center in Avon Lake
PolyOne Corp., a premier global provider of specialized polymer materials, services and solutions, today opened the doors of a state-of-the art Innovation Center at its Avon Lake, OH, headquarters.

Asahi Photoproducts to reorganize North American sales network
Asahi Kasei E-materials Corp. (Asahi), a world-leading supplier of photopolymer printing plates to the flexographic printing industry focusing on providing high value added products and unique photopolymer technology for flexographic printing plates and systems, announces that it is reorganizing its photoproducts sales network in North America. Going forward, Asahi will discontinue its direct sales efforts, and will rely on its reseller network for all sales and technical support activities. In doing so, Asahi is in the process of closing the Atlanta Office of Asahi Kasei America Inc.(AKA).

Menasha Packaging names new vp of business development and corrugated business
Menasha Packaging has promoted Jerry Hessel to the newly created position of executive vp of business development, and Mike Riegsecker to vp of corrugated businesses, the position Hessel previously held.

.