PACKAGING BRIEFS: Tuesday, April 12, 2011

ConMexico, PMMI announce alliance
PMMI, the producer and owner of EXPO PACK México, and ConMexico (the Mexican Council of the Consumer Goods Industry) will host an exclusive conference session for ConMexico's members during EXPO PACK México 2011 (June 21-24; Centro Banamex, Mexico City). During this session, packaging experts will share the latest ideas, technologies and solutions to address ConMexico's members' needs. Topics presented will include RFID, lead-free inks, palletizing, sustainability and cost reduction, and subject matter experts will be provided by the Mexican Packaging Association (AMEE) and PMMI.

Schneider Packaging recognized by Fanuc for outstanding robotic integration achievements
Schneider Packaging Equipment Co. Inc., is honored to received four additional Fanuc Awards for innovation in use of robotics as well as sales volumes. Schneider achieved the highest success in 2010 among FANUC Robotics' integrators with the M-1iA, one of FANUC's latest delta robots, for which Schneider was recently awarded the "M-1iA Outstanding Sales Achievement" trophy. In addition, in recognition of their expertise and proficiency in vision-assisted applications using FANUC Robotics iRVision built-in vision system, Schneider received the "Excellence in Intelligent Robotics" award. As FANUC Robotics' highest-volume packaging-oriented integrator, Schneider was also recognized with a "Sales Excellence" award. Finally, and perhaps most impressively, Schneider accepted their fifth consecutive "Outstanding Sales Growth" trophy, which is awarded to FANUC Robotics' integrators who achieve a minimum of 50 percent growth in robot unit sales over the prior year."

Normal operations resume at Komori factories in Japan
As of March 22, 2011, normal operation resumed at Komori's Tsukuba and Yamagata factories in Japan. The first shipment from the Tsukuba plant after the earthquake was a four-color Lithrone S40 that was shipped to China. The first shipment from the Yamagata factory was a four color Lithrone S26 shipped to a Japanese user. Since that time presses have been shipped to customers in Japan, China, North America, Latin America, Europe and India.

Emerald Packaging bests it previous food safety scores for a third consecutive year
For a third consecutive year, Emerald Packaging, a manufacturer of flexible packaging for the fresh produce, frozen food and bakery industries, has scored a Superior rating from the American Institute of Baking (AIB) as a measure of excellence in food safety for manufacturing operations. "Superior" represents AIB's highest rating. This year's Superior rating is Emerald Packaging's highest ever rating, with the organization achieving 965 out of a possible 1,000 points on the inspection report.

Berry Plastics launches indirect flexographic printing technology
Berry Plastics Corp., a global manufacturer and supplier of plastic packaging, announces a new exclusive indirect flexographic printing technology. The co. states that this technology will give brands the ability to have superior photographic images applied directly on containers during production, offering crispness and shading that has been unable to be achieved with offset printing. Vivid details of water droplets, textures of light colored foods such as peaches and bananas, as well as small detailed images, and 5-pt font copy are now within the realm of this printing technology.

Intelleflex, Jamison partner to help perishable food industry reduce shrink
Intelleflex, a provider of on-demand data visibility solutions, is partnering with Jamison RFID, a division of Jamison Door Company, to introduce state-of-the-art RFID temperature-monitoring capabilities for perishable foods. Jamison will incorporate Intelleflex XC3 TechnologyTM RFID readers and tags as part of its warehouse and portal systems to provide for the management of cold-storage solutions. The new solutions will enable users to deploy RFID for on-demand temperature monitoring and drive informed decisions on product shipment, and inventory management and rotation, which the suppliers say can reduce shrink by 50 percent and improve operations.

Blue Gold Beverages to acquire assets of Epic Nutrition Canada
Blue Gold Beverages Inc. executed a Letter of Intent to acquire 100 percent of the assets of EPIC Nutrition Canada's sales division. The company is based in Ontario, Canada, and is a specialty food and beverage distributor with exclusive marketing rights for the Canadian market for all product lines developed by Epic Nutrition USA as well as the exclusive licensee for PitBull Energy bars and Torino Lamborghini Energy Drinks. Both parties are now in the final stages of the due diligence period. 

Harry van Beek, former president of Klöckner Pentaplast/Americas, passes away
Harry van Beek, 77, former president of Klöckner Pentaplast/Americas (kp) from 1977-1999, passed away on April 4, 2011. Van Beek founded the company in Gordonsville, VA, in 1977. Under his leadership, kp had gone from a single calender line to become the leading supplier of rigid film in the Americas.

Graphic Packaging Intl to acquire assets of Sierra Pacific Packaging
Graphic Packaging Intl. Inc., a subsidiary of Graphic Packaging Holding Co., has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire substantially all of the assets and business of Sierra Pacific Packaging Inc., a producer of folding cartons, beverage carriers and corrugated boxes for the consumer packaged goods industry. This acquisition will provide Graphic Packaging with a strategic location to service customers on the West Coast.

German Packaging Institute e. V. reports record attendance at this year's German Packaging Congress
More than 180 leaders and project managers from the packaging industry gathered at this year's German Packaging Congress in Berlin. Sustainability, Emerging Trends and Operational Excellence were focal issues of an event which carried the motto "Think. Rethink. Think Ahead".
 

Unique Solutions names new executive vp
Unique Solutions, a div. of Unique Coupons, Inc., has named Kelly Staley Antonou as executive vp. In her new role, Antonou's main responsibilities include ensuring business operations excellence as well as overseeing the continued growth of the Unique Solutions brand, which implements turnkey In-Pak and On-Pak promotional programs. Unique Solutions also is a member of PMMI, IoPP, Snack Food Assn., American Society of Baking and Women's Business Enterprise National Council.

Yamato Promotes Kieselhorst to CEO
Yamato Corp. has promoted Ralph Kieselhorst from president to CEO. In this new role, Kieselhorst will oversee operations of Yamato's Dataweigh and Accuweigh divisions. The
Dataweigh Division (Mequon, WI) offers multihead combination weighers for the food packaging industry. Accuweigh (Colorado Springs, CO and Surrey, British Columbia, Canada) offers scales for the retail and food service industries. Kieselhorst formerly served as president of the Dataweigh divison.

Klöckner Pentaplast new shrink-label film production capacity starts up in Americas

The Klöckner Pentaplast Group (kp) announced today that it has begun production utilizing its new global production capacity for transverse-direction oriented shrink label films, used primarily for full- or partial-body shrink-sleeve applications. Announced in March 2010 as part of kp's global capacity expansion plans for shrink-label film, the new capacity is located at the company's Rural Retreat, USA, manufacturing facility. The new tentering line produces high-performance PETG and PVC shrink-label films and has added significant shrink-film capacity to the company's existing global production.

Multisorb Technologies appoints Brizman Packaging
Business Development Ltd. as representation in Israel
Multisorb Technologies announced the appointment of Brizman Packaging Business Development Ltd. (Brizman Ltd.) as exclusive sales representation for Israel. Brizman Ltd. is led by company founder Udi Brizman. Based north of Tel Aviv, Brizman will oversee the development of the local market via the communication of Multisorb's Calculations through Operations program to manufacturers and packagers in the healthcare, food/beverage, electronics, and transportation industries.

Brook & Whittle double annual production capacity
Brook & Whittle has announced that it will open a new 75,000-sq-ft factory at Guilford, CT, that will double its annual production capacity. The plant, which opens in April, will cater to the packaging and label converters high volume production work for the beverage market and will house a 17-, 22- and a new 40-in. press with additional ancillary and support equipment.

Ball Corp. nearly double the number of zero-waste manufacturing facilities in North America and Europe
Ball Corp. reduced its global energy use by 2 percent and waste-to-landfill by 6 percent based on per unit of production in 2010. The company also increased the number of manufacturing facilities in North America and Europe sending no waste to landfill to 11, compared to six facilities in 2009.

Berlin Packaging completes integration with Continental Packaging

Berlin Packaging, a  full-service supplier of plastic, glass, and metal containers and closures, announced today that it has completed the integration of all operations of Chicago-based Continental Packaging Solutions following its acquisition of Continental last December.

Anthemmakes appointments to newly created vp, brand strategy roles
Anthem Worldwide, the strategic design division of Schawk, has appointed Kris Hull as vp, brand strategy for Anthem's Cincinnati office and Bruce Levinson as vp, brand strategy for Anthem's New York office.

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