PACKAGING BRIEFS Thursday, Feb. 24

Aluminum can industry raises more than $150,000 for charity
The aluminum beverage can industry collected and recycled approximately 140 million cans and raised more than $150,000 for charities across the country through a competition among can companies and aluminum suppliers, the Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI) //www.cancentral.com. // announced today. The contest, the America Recycles Day Challenge, took place over 76 days and involved 55 facilities, including plants and corporate offices of aluminum companies - Alcoa Inc., Arco Aluminum and Novelis - and can manufacturers - Ball Corp., Metal Container Corp. and Rexam.  The individual facilities partnered with schools and local organizations to collect and recycle used beverage cans.  Proceeds from the effort will benefit Habitat for Humanity, the American Red Cross, Boys and Girls Clubs, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Toys for Tots and other charities throughout the U.S.

Agfa Graphics hires new marketing communications manager
Agfa Graphics announced today that Lois Catala has joined Agfa Graphics as marketing communications manager. Catala will report to Deborah Hutcheson, Agfa Graphics North America's Director of Marketing and will be responsible for implementing Agfa's strategic branding campaign.

Cascades Names new COO
Cascades Inc. announces the appointment of Mario Plourde as chief operating officer (COO). Plourde will work in close collaboration with the group presidents in the recovery, packaging and tissue paper sectors, in the pursuit of operational and business objectives. He will retain responsibility for managing the specialty products group until his successor has been chosen.

Henkel delivers record results in 2010
Henkel's sales in fiscal 2010 were 15,092 million euros, an increase of 11.2 percent versus the prior-year figure. After adjusting for foreign exchange, sales improved by 6.4 percent. In organic terms, i.e. adjusted for both foreign exchange and acquisitions/divestments, sales grew by 7.0 - a relatively strong growth after 2009 which was impacted by the financial crisis. This strong performance was supported by all Henkel business sectors.

Bosch Rexroth becomes principal member of ODVA
Bosch Rexroth becomes principal member of ODVA--a group whose mission is to advance open, interoperable information and communication technologies in industrial automation.-- joining leading industrial suppliers Cisco Systems, Rockwell Automation, Omron and Schneider Electric. Bosch Rexroth's increased participation builds on its long-term support of ODVA technologies and the ODVA organization in which it has been an active member for several years.

Octal targets sales of US $1.5 billion in 2012
Global PET packaging supplier OCTAL reports that it is on track to complete the second phase of its operational expansion this year following a new round of funding from six Middle Eastern banks. The privately owned Oman-based manufacturer opened a 400,000 metric tons of capacity integrated PET resins and sheet packaging facility in the southeast port city of Salalah in January 2009. Phase two of the complex, which will be commissioned in June 2012, will add an additional 527,000 metric tons of production, which the co. says will make it the world's largest producer of PET resins on one site. Octal is already the world's largest producer of PET sheet. The completion of its second phase of expansion later this year will put Octal well on the way to achieving US$1.5 billion in annual sales in 2012.

Lakeside Plastics selects Telles' Mirel film for new line of compostable bags
Telles, a joint venture between Metabolix, Inc. and Archer Daniels Midland Co., today announced that Lakeside Plastics Ltd., an film converter headquartered in British Columbia, Canada, will be launching a compostable bag product line based on MveraT B5002, a compostable film product made from a proprietary blend with MirelT bioplastics.

INX Digital launches new Prodigy business unit
INX Digital Intl Co. is launching its new Prodigy brand, has a twofold plan that will continue its focus on Graphic Arts for the immediate future and directly serve the OEMs, Integrators and print head companies within the digital market. Willis Reese, INX Digital's global director of business development will head the Prodigy team. "Graphic Arts customers remain very important and instrumental to our Prodigy business, both short and long term," Reese explains. "However, we expect to be in a position to grow the new Industrial side substantiallyI see Prodigy having immediate success this year in specific markets such as packaging and labels."

UPM Raflatac to acquire labelstock coating operation in Brazil
UPM Raflatac announced plans to acquire Gumtac, the Brazilian labelstock coating and slitting business of BIC Group. Gumtac is located in Rio de Janeiro and employs approximately 35 people.The closing of the acquisition is subject to obtaining appropriate licences from local authorities.

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