Packaging Briefs – WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24

Astro-Med elects Vice Presidents as part of strategic growth plan
Astro-Med, Inc. announces the appointment of three vice presidents. According to the Company, each vice presidency is a newly-created position within the company, and is intended to provide additional decision-making authority to each department. Under the Company's Three-Year Strategic Business Plan, additional leaders were to be identified from within the company and empowered to support growth goals. The new appointments are Thomas W. Carll, appointed as Vice President and Sales Manager of Astro-Med Test & Measurement and Astro-Med Ruggedized Products, Eileen D. Millar, appointed as Vice President and Plant Manager of Grass Technologies, and Eric E. Pizzuti, appointed as Vice President and Worldwide Sales Director of QuickLabel Systems.

Sonoco receives outstanding merchandising achievement awards
Sonoco announced that its retail point-of-purchase (P-O-P) display and packaging services business won eight Outstanding Merchandising at Retail Achievement Awards (OMAs) at the 52nd Annual Point of Purchase Advertising International (POPAI) competition.

Coating Excellence International opens manufacturing plant in Kentucky
Coating Excellence International (CEI), the Wisconsin-based, market-leading flexible packaging company specializing in extrusion coating, laminating, printing and woven bags, today announced that the company has opened an additional manufacturing plant in Hebron, Kentucky, a short distance from Cincinnati and the Ohio River.The facility, which spans 120,000 square feet, will be CEI's first manufacturing plant outside of Wisconsin.

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