Supplier News 447

FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2009
Compass Pharma Services Offers ISO Class 8 Capabilities 
for Potent CompoundsTo provide contract pharmaceutical packaging services for certain high-potency pharmaceutical products, Compass Pharma Services, LLC announced that it has completed a capital investment project to upgrade its production capabilities to include “ISO Class 8” (ISO 14644) specifications.“These capital improvements now allow us to provide cGMP contract packaging services for select potent pharmaceutical compounds such as enzymes, antibiotics, antifolates, antimetabolites and some hormones,” said Tony Fenno, Chief Operating Officer. “Compass Pharma investments continue to position the company as a responsive contract pharmaceutical packaging partner for sophisticated, high-demand contract packaging services for the pharmaceutical industry.”In February 2009, Compass Pharma added Micro and Nanofill packaging capabilities to its growing list of cGMP contract packaging capabilities. Micro and Nanofill technologies allow filling small volumes (less than one gram) of powders into blister packaging, vials or pouches.The capital improvements for ISO-Class 8 certification comprise a fully integrated production suite where the primary packaging area has negative differential air pressure relative to surrounding gowning and secondary packaging areas. High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters are deployed in the primary packaging area.  www.compasspharma.com


Chief Executives of FMI and GMA are Elected to GS1 US Board of GovernorsPamela G. Bailey, president and chief executive officer of the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), and Leslie G. Sarasin, president and chief executive officer of the Food Marketing Institute (FMI), have been elected to the Board of Governors of GS1 US, the supply-chain standards organization.The Board includes executives from The Coca-Cola Company; CVS/pharmacy; Johnson & Johnson; The Kroger Company; McKesson Corporation; the Premier healthcare alliance; Procter & Gamble; Publix Super Markets; Sam’s Club; J.M. Smucker Company; Unilever; and Wegmans Food Markets, in addition to executives from GS1, GS1 Australia, and GS1 Canada.
www.fmi.org | gmaonline.org | www.GS1US.org
TAPPI Appoints David Bell Vice President of Corporate RelationsTAPPI has appointed David Bell as Vice President of Corporate Relations. In this role, he will be involved in directing corporate sponsorships, fundraising, and major gifts. Related activities will have him involved in TAPPI Foundation fundraising, grant development, and acting as TAPPI’s liaison to the Research Management Committee as well as university and education communities.Prior to TAPPI, David served for 8 years at the Institute of Paper Science and Technology (IPST), the Center for Paper Business and Industry Studies (CPBIS), and the Robert C. Williams American Museum of Papermaking. All three organizations are located in Atlanta, Georgia, and his responsibilities covered marketing, communications, fundraising, and exhibition design. David’s knowledge of the paper industry, fundraising, and corporate development are skills that he brings to TAPPI’s Senior Strategy Team.David received his Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing and a Bachelor of Fine Arts/ Papermaking from Georgia State University. He also earned a Technical Certificate in Professional Photography from the Southeastern Center for the Arts. www.tappi.org

THURSDAY, JULY 23, 2009 

Primera announces enhancements to CX1200 Digital Label Press

Primera Technology, Inc., a leading manufacturer of specialty printers, today announced it has released a number of hardware and software enhancements to its CX1200 Digital Label Press.CX1200 was first introduced in March 2009. It has quickly become the best-selling digital label press in its category with installations in over a dozen countries including the USA, Germany, England, France, Belgium, Italy, Australia, Czech Republic and Russia.Most notable among the changes is a new rewind/tensioning system. Utilizing Primera’s exclusive IntelliTorque™ technology, the rewind mechanism automatically applies just the right amount of tension as the printed roll increases in diameter. The new enhancements virtually guarantee perfect rewinds on every roll when using approved media.Improvements have also been made to software and firmware, including Primera’s new RichBlack™ print optimization feature. RichBlack produces deep, highly saturated black printing on labels, delivering stunning contrasts against other colors. www.primeralabel.com
Plastics Color applies tomorrow’s best practices today 
in clean-compounding facilityPlastics Color Corporation (PCC), a leader in delivering color concentrates and additive masterbatches to the plastics industry, operates its Plant Within a Plant as a clean-compounding facility applying best-practices manufacturing that much of the industry has yet to adopt. Operating on PCC’s Asheboro, North Carolina, campus since 2008, the Plant Within a Plant has already won plaudits and customers for configuring a dedicated closed-loop manufacturing system around a quick-turnaround, just-in-time production strategy.The 7,000-square-foot Plant Within a Plant is a fully functioning manufacturing unit that operates alongside PCC’s traditional production platforms on the North Carolina campus. It is a separate, self-contained operation that allows PCC to apply and evaluate the most advanced manufacturing techniques, including just-in-time production, under actual conditions. Already serving the needs of customers such as medical-device manufacturers, the Plant Within a Plant is not merely attracting and keeping customers, but advancing PCC’s corporate culture as a whole after four decades, says Douglas Borgsdorf, PCC President.Currently, the Plant Within a Plant is capable of handling a maximum capacity of 2 million pounds annually. Additionally, the Plant Within a Plant is the template for the reengineering of manufacturing operations throughout PCC, which operates facilities in Illinois and North Carolina, as well as in China. www.plasticscolor.com


H.B. Fuller adds Steven Kenny as senior VP EMEA and India, 
and Stephen Ringsdore as vice president, Western EuropeH.B. Fuller Company announced that Steven Kenny will join the company as senior vice president, EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) and India, on Oct. 5, 2009, and Stephen Ringsdore will join the company as vice president of Western Europe, on Sept 1., 2009. Kenny will also serve as a member of H.B. Fuller’s Executive Committee. The moves reflect H.B. Fuller’s commitment to profitable growth in its established markets in Western Europe, while pursuing growth opportunities and geographic expansion in the emerging markets of Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa and India.Kenny, 48, has built an extensive career in the adhesives industry, having spent 25 years with National Starch and Chemical. Before leaving that company in 2008, he served as corporate vice president and general manager for National Starch’s Adhesives Division, Europe, Middle East, and Africa. In that role, he led 900 employees in 15 countries, including operations in Poland, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Kenny, who spent his early career in sales and sales management positions with National Starch, also served as divisional vice president and general manager for the company’s Vinamul Polymers Division in North America; general manager for Chile; and business group director for Bondmaster Adhesives in Europe, Middle East and Africa. He is currently based in Warwickshire, U.K., and serves as president for the specialty packaging business of Pregis, a Deerfield, Ill., based global specialty packaging company. Kenny holds a master’s degree in economics from the University of Edinburgh.Ringsdore, 51, has 26 years of adhesive industry experience, including 25 with National Starch and Chemical. Since 2007, he has served as managing director, Industrial Adhesives, China, where he has overseen operations in China and Taiwan, driving sales growth and significantly improving return on sales, and managing the company’s recent integration with Henkel in this market. Previous positions include: regional sales director for National’s North American Adhesives Division; business director of the pressure sensitive adhesives business; regional sales director for the Eastern United States; regional sales director for the U.K., France and Ireland; and general manager of the U.K. Ringsdore holds a bachelor’s degree in economic history from Southampton University.Jan Muller, H.B. Fuller’s vice president of EMEA since 2006, has left the company to pursue other opportunities. During the interim, the EMEA region will report to Michele Volpi. www.hbfuller.com
 WEDNESDAY, JULY 22, 2009
AVT presents new PrintVision/Helios II capabilities 
for the first time at Labelexpo EuropeAVT is presenting a new comprehensive solution for on-line verification of barcodes, data-matrix codes and variable data, integrated into its top-of-the line print inspection solutions.The AVT PrintVision/Helios II can inspect and verify UPC barcodes, 2D Data Matrix barcodes, and human readable information. The system performs 100% verification of all barcodes and is able to detect and immediately alert press or rewinder operators of any barcode quality or readability problems. The PrintVision/Helios II’s easy-to-use interface makes set-up and inspection of barcodes and variable data items fast and intuitive.The system also supports the new E-Pedigree FDA regulations to “track and trace” pharmaceuticals from manufacturer to customer, protecting consumers from contaminated or counterfeit medicines or drugs. The PrintVision/Helios II verifies and validates these unique codes, and alerts and reports on print quality and validity as well as duplicated or missing codes. www.avt-inc.com 

Phoenix Closures opens California warehouseOn July 27, 2009, Phoenix Closures is opening a new distribution center (DC) in Ontario, CA. Customers west of the Rocky Mountains will benefit from decreased transit times and lower freight costs for items coming out of the DC. Over 30 different closures will be available for immediate shipment—ranging in sizes from 24mm to 110mm and lined with SureSeal® foam, pressure sensitive, and a variety of foil induction liners.This is the company’s first facility on the West Coast and signals a new approach to servicing customers in this market. “Phoenix has been very successful providing less than truckload shipments of stock items to customers near our manufacturing facilities,” explains Albert “Alby” Miller, Regional Sales Manager for the West Coast. “The new DC in California will allow us to build on this success and offers a new competitive advantage which will benefit our customers and distributors west of the Rockies.” www.phoenixclosures.com
TUESDAY, JULY 21, 2009
BASF announces price increases for Styropor® and Neopor® 
expandable polystyreneBASF announced it is increasing prices for all grades of Styropor® and Neopor® expandable polystyrene by $0.04 per pound, effective August 1, 2009, or as contracts permit. This increase is necessary due to raw material cost increases, particularly benzene and ethylene, principal precursors in the production of EPS. www.basf.com 


Klöckner Pentaplastinvests in new UK PET capacityThe Klöckner Pentaplast Group, the largest European producer of rigid PET films, announced today that it will add to its European production capacity for polyester films. Primarily used for food and consumer packaging applications, the new capacity will be located at the company’s Crumlin, UK, manufacturing facility. The start up of the state-of-the-art extrusion line is targeted for late 2009 and will produce high-performance polyester films. The £3 Mio (€3.4 Mio /$4.4 Mio USD) investment will be supported by the Wales Assembly Government (WAG) and includes an expansion of the existing building.“This PET expansion will enable us to continue to support our customers’ growing global demand for high-quality PET films, specifically in the UK. This is another example of kp continuing its commitment to meet future market needs,” notes Hans-Joachim Kogelnik, president and COO, Klöckner Pentaplast/Europe. “In addition, this new capacity will further enhance our ability to service our UK food industry customers with a highly flexible supply capability while increasing new product development resources.” www.kpfilms.com 


TAPPI Volunteers Create Young Professionals CommitteeTAPPI’s newest committee will be aimed at helping industry students and those beginning their careers by linking industry newcomers with experienced professionals. Called the Young Professionals Committee, the group was formed at the suggestion of University of Washington student Zac Mahlum, who will serve as Committee Chair.The YP Committee held its inaugural meeting June 1, 2009 at PaperCon ’09 in St. Louis, Missouri. Discussion centered on how TAPPI can help young professionals manage the transition between student life and career success. More than 30 students, new professionals, PIMA Division leaders and TAPPI staff were on hand to launch the group with a brainstorming session that will set the course for the new committee.All TAPPI Members beginning their industry careers, as well as all TAPPI Student Chapter members, are encouraged to become a part of the newly-formed committee. As with all TAPPI committees, there is no additional membership fee for becoming involved. www.tappi.org 


PWP Industries to open second recycling facilityThermoformer PWP Industries plans to open a second recycling facility that will require an initial investment of approximately $20 million, according to PWP Industries Chairman & CEO Leon Farahnik. The new facility will be located in the state of California and is expected to be operational in the second quarter of 2010.Last month, PWP opened an 80,000-sq-ft, in-house post-consumer-recycling center in Davisville, WV. The facility is one of the first in North America by a thermoforming company. For the second planned center, PWP will again work with Coca-Cola Recycling LLC of Atlanta to convert post-consumer PET bottles into Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-compliant resin for food-grade suitable material. Upon opening in 2010, the facility is projected to have an annual capacity to recycle 40 million pounds of PETE bottles. A second phase, projected to be operational during the second quarter of 2011, will increase annual capacity to 80 million pounds of PETE bottles.“With the successful start-up of the West Virginia facility, we believe the time is right to build the largest post-consumer- recycling facility in PWP’s founding state of California," Farahnik says. "This will enable us to further our commitment to save energy, reduce the output of carbon dioxide and keep plastic out of landfills.”  www.pwpindustries.com
MONDAY, JULY 20, 2009
Spear expanding Mason, OH facilitySpear Group Holdings has announced an expansion of their Mason, OH production facility including the addition of 30 jobs. This strategic realignment of the Company’s production footprint includes the transfer of manufacturing capacity from its Milford, NH facility.President, Randy Spear says, “We have experienced strong growth over the last several years with our global output more than doubling in the last seven years. This includes the addition of two wide-web gravure facilities, doubling the output of our European capabilities and creating state-of-the-art operations in South Africa. Updating our narrow-web capabilities in Mason ensures that Spear’s customers can continue to depend on our industry leading capabilities for both their narrow and wide-web requirements. Spear has named the Mason facility their “Narrow Web UV Center of Excellence” and it will include new printing presses, production flows and cosmetic upgrades. Work is scheduled to begin in August and complete by the end of 2009.Spear has been the world’s leading innovator and supplier of pressure-sensitive labeling for the food, beverage and personal care industries since 1982 with customers in 48 countries. The company currently operates four facilities across North America – Clarksville, TN, Mason, OH, Milford, N.H., and Fulton, N.Y. as well as operations in the United Kingdom and South Africa. www.spearsystem.com 

ID Label Inc. acquires Universal Label TechnologiesID Label, Inc. today announced it has signed a letter of intent to purchase the assets of Universal Label Technologies, Inc, "ULT"."ULT has been a leader in the variable image, barcode label manufacturing for warehouse applications since it was founded in 2001. We look forward to building on the foundation that ULT has provided its' clients for the past 8 years, and extending the product offering to help them grow their business under the ID Label banner," stated Neil Johnston, president of ID Label."The acquisition gives ID Label an expanded customer base of clients that have an ongoing need for LPN labels, rack bin location labels, retro reflective signs and installation services," said William Powers, vice president of sales and marketing. "The manufacturing and service offerings of ID Label will significantly benefit ULT clients.""The equipment we have acquired with this transaction expands our capabilities to service additional niche applications in the barcode and variable image market place," added Jeff Chandler, COO of ID Label. "Our expertise in variable image label manufacturing provides us with a strong understanding of how we can utilize this equipment to the benefit of existing and future clients.""We are excited about the opportunity to be part of the ID Label team," stated Barry Alves, CEO of Universal Label Technologies. "Our clients will definitely benefit from the range of products and services ID Label has to offer."ID Label will continue to maintain operations at the existing ULT facility and employ a number of staff at this Attleboro Falls, MA location. A portion of the manufacturing operation will be transferred to the new 21,000 sq ft facility ID Label will operate in Lake Villa, IL. This facility will be complete in September 2009.  www.idlabelinc.com

Peach State Integrated Technologies launches supply chain blogIn response to this growing demand for relevant and readily available supply chain and material handling information, Peach State Integrated Technologies announces the launch of its new supply chain engineering blog, a weblog dedicated to providing useful information, tips, and strategies to professionals in the logistics and distribution industry, as well as commentary about current news, trends and best practices within the field."This blog is a resource for supply chain professionals, our clients, and other individuals interested in keeping abreast of the current trends, news and events in the Supply Chain and Material Handling arenas," said Peach State Integrated Technologies President & CEO James R. Bowes, Jr. "We are excited about this new addition to our website, and hope people take the time to read the blog and submit to us any comments or questions they may have."Peach State recently launched a redesigned website in March 2009. The new website is designed to provide information to individuals and consumers about supply chain and material handling engineering in a dynamic and interactive format. The website provides comprehensive information about the variety of solutions offered by Peach State, anchored by a collection of case studies that highlight the actual project experience garnered by Peach State in its more than 30 years of existence. In addition, the website features a Thought Leadership section, containing white papers and information on the Peach State Speakers Bureau, as well as a listing of key industry events.
The link for the blog is: www.peachstate.com/newsevents/blog and the URL feed is: www.peachstate.com/blog/feed 



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