PMMI 'Pack Gives Back' raises money for K9s for Warriors

The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies' (PMMI) "Pack Gives Back" event at Pack Expo International and Pharma Expo 2014 raised over US$34,000 for K9s for Warriors, a charitable organization dedicated to providing service dogs to military veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress as a result of their service since 9/11. The Nov. 3 event, open only to Pack Expo and Pharma Expo registrants, featured former Tonight Show host and comedian Jay Leno.

Leno entertained a sold-out crowd of 1,900, and funds raised included a portion of ticket sales and supplemental donations collected online and on site at Pack Expo. The program includes three weeks’ training for the canine/warrior teams at the K9s for Warriors facility in Ponte Vedra, Florida. Over 90% of the partnered dogs are obtained through rescue groups.
“We’re always happy to support those that have fought for our country,” said Charles D. Yuska, president and CEO of PMMI. “Our service men and women have given so much for us. It’s a pleasure to be able to give something back to them.” A link for donations will be active through November 2014 at Packexpointernational.com, and donations are always accepted at K9sforWarriors.org.

German court rules patent infringement case in favor of Zip-Pak

The Düsseldorf Regional Court has ruled in favor of Zip-Pak, a division of Illinois Tool Works (ITW), in a patent infringement case against Elplast Sp.z o.o. initiated in November 2013. The court ruled that an Elplast product infringed several claims of the Zip-Pak patent in question.
The ruling was pronounced final Oct. 6, 2014. Krieger Mes & Graf von der Groeben and Roche, von Westernhagen und Ehresmann represented ITW in the matter. “We are very pleased that the court ruled in our favor in this matter," said Eric Plourde, manager of intellectual property for Zip-Pak. "Zip-Pak has long been known as a leader for investing in new innovative products and processes and, in order to protect and continue to make these investments, we will strongly defend our global intellectual property."

Presto, Mondi continue to collaborate on packaging solutions

Presto Products Company and Mondi have collaborated for 18 years to provide packaging solutions to global customers. Collaborations include the expansion of Mondi’s FlexZiBox portfolio in Europe with a flat-bottom, reclosable bag featuring a Slide-Rite slider, and technical support to help Mondi’s customers in North America.

The relationship began when Mondi was exploring reclosable pouch options to penetrate the North American market. The company (then known as Nordenia USA) enlisted Pactiv’s zipper group, which was acquired by Presto in 2010, to provide PTC technology for easy resealability. Prior to that acquisition, the two companies were also working together in Europe, with Pactiv providing Slide-Rite sliders for larger sized bags beginning in 2000. Four years later, Nordenia looked to Pactiv to equip an extension of its FlexZiBox flat-bottom bag portfolio with Slide-Rite sliders. Today, Presto services Mondi on both sides of the Atlantic with resealable innovation.
“We recently completed a multi-year project where Presto provided invaluable insight and assistance from inception to commercialization,” said Mark Gum, Technical Support and New Product Development, Mondi Jackson Consumer Goods Packaging. “Presto’s immersion in the entire process and its ability to respond quickly to our customer needs helps us bring our ideas for packaging innovation to life—and speed their time to market.”

Bischof + Klein looks to further growth in 2014

Bischof + Klein
In 2013, Bischof + Klein invested in a new 3-ply blown film line.
In 2014, packaging and film specialist Bischof + Klein (B+K) is anticipating sales growth of around 5%, enabling it to crack the 500-million-euro mark, according to the company.

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With a volume of around 30 million euros, the investment program is continuing the company's consistent modernization and extension of its production plants' capacity. Over the coming years, expansion of the plant in Bavaria's Konzell is on the agenda, among other aspects, said B+K. B+K Polska is extending its extrusion capacities and is aiming to achieve 50% production growth in the medium term. "Sustainability projects, e.g., for reducing the use of resources and consistently increasing productivity, are of particular importance to us," said Managing Director Dr. Volker Pfenning.
In 2013, the B+K-GROUP achieved annual sales of just under 500 million euros with around 2,350 employees, some 1,900 of which are located in Germany. Throughout that year, the investment program focused on expanding extrusion and printing capacities as well as on energy efficiency measures at the German plants.
The subsidiary companies also performed positively. B+K UK increased its flexographic printing production and was running at full capacity in 4-shift operation at the end of the year. A modern 8-color flexographic printing press, aimed at achieving growth in new markets, came online at B+K France. With a new extrusion building, B+K Polska created the prerequisites for further expansion of the plant. The multi-year contract with a major customer landed by the B+K Middle East Comp. participation (30%) and market growth in the region are ensuring full utilization of production capacity, which has now increased to more than 30,000 metric tons per year in Saudi Arabia, and are offering an adequate basis for further expansion, said the company. 

Bemis receives DuPont awards for packaging innovation

Bemis Company has received two DuPont Awards for Packaging Innovation. Receiving silver awards are the Hillshire Brands Heat Fresh package from Curwood (now Bemis North America) and a standup food service pouch for Fujini-brand vegetables from Bemis Latin America.

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"We are honored to receive these prestigious DuPont awards," said WIlliam Jackson, vice president of chief technology officer of Bemis. "These recognitions reflect our persistent focus on innovation, our technological expertise in material science and our collaborative relationships with innovative customers like Hillshire and Fujini."
The DuPont Awards for Packaging Innovation is an international, independently judged competition that honors innovations in packaging design, materials, technology, processes and services across the entire packaging value chain.

Thiele Technologies acquires Symach business

Thiele Technologies, Inc., a leading manufacturer of high-speed integrated packaging equipment solutions based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, has acquired Symach palletizers business based in Terneuzen, The Netherlands. This is Thiele Technologies' seventh acquisition in nine years, creating one of the largest providers of comprehensive end-of-line packaging equipment solutions for a broad range of global markets.

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The acquisition of Symach affects the flexible and rigid business groups of Thiele Technologies, a division of Barry-Wehmiller Companies, Inc. Thiele's flexible division handles bagged products, ranging from flour mixes to soil to petfood. The addition of Symach's line will strengthen Thiele's capabilities as a supplier of total bag handling solutions for the industrial markets. Combining Thiele's weighing, bag-filling and bag-closing solutions with Symach's palletizing and load-securing technology further expands its capabilities to serve the global markets.
Thiele's rigid division handles products packaged in cases and cartons, including bliss and tray equipment, often used in the produce industry. Symach also plays a dominant role in the produce bag/case palletizing market segment, handling challenging products including potatoes, onions and more. With a dedicated manufacturing location in Reedley, California, USA, Thiele has a strong presence in the corrugate tray and bliss forming/erecting machines for the agricultural produce industry.
"This will be an exciting new chapter in our history. We look forward to joining the teams of Thiele and Barry-Wehmiller, continuing to offer the fantastic service and top-notch equipment on which we've built our reputation and business," said Sacha Bakker, sales and market development director for Symach.

Frito Lay, Kraft among presenters at Packaging Conference 2014

Speakers from Frito Lay North America and Kraft Foods will share their packaging strategy, design and innovation expertise at The Packaging Conference 2014. On the supplier side, BP Amoco Chemical Company will discuss new polyester technology advancements.

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Two senior Frito Lay packaging and R&D professionals, Garry Kohl and David Lestage, PhD, will discuss how internal resources are leveraged to deliver the desired consumer experience.  The speakers will share how the R&D packaging "push" is turned into marketing "pull" using transformational formats.
Peter Borowski, head of design for Kraft Foods Group Inc. and the visionary behind the MiO launch, will lead a panel discussion on "Why Integrating 2D and 3D thinking into the developmental process is needed today."  The advantages of an integrated packaging design approach will be presented with the goals of faster-to-market, higher efficiencies and under the least amount of stress.
Luis Sierra, president, BP Amoco Chemical Company, will offer his insights on how the company's latest technology advancements will impact global packaging innovation.
The Packaging Conference also will feature for the first time a Latin American session to provide a forum for dialog between brand owners and suppliers who are supporting the Latin American marketplace.
The event will be held February 3-5 in Orlando, Florida, USA, at the Rosen Shingle Creek.

Barry-Wehmiller acquires French packaging supplier Arcil SA

Barry-Wehmiller Companies Inc. recently acquired Arcil SA, a Paris-based supplier of packaging technology for the fresh dairy and food industry. The purchase expands the firm's packaging platform to six separate operating companies.
Arcil, with US$120 million in revenue in 2013, employs approximately 350 people between its two Paris operations. Its machines use heat to convert plastic film into custom-formed cups that are filled then sealed.
"Arcil's expertise in providing cutting-edge, efficient packaging solutions is highly complementary to our diverse portfolio of packaging companies," said Bob Chapman, Barry-Wehmiller CEO.
Arcil represents Barry-Wehmiller's 65th acquisition since 1987 and its first in France. Through a combination of acquisition and organic growth initiatives, Barry-Wehmiller expects its 2014 revenues to reach approximately US$1.7 billion. Chapman predicts Barry-Wehmiller's revenues will surpass the US$2 billion mark within two years.
"We have been on an extraordinary path of purposeful and deliberate growth that exemplifies our philosophy of combining people, purpose and performance to create value for all stakeholders," Chapman said. "We are delighted to welcome Arcil as the newest member of the Barry-Wehmiller organization, and we look forward to working together to build a strong global business, serving a balance of industries and markets."

Guinness World Record for 'largest petfood package in the world' set by SPF-Diana

SPF-Diana and customers set the Guiness World Record for "the largest petfood package in the world."
At its recent IV Latin American Symposium event held in Águas de São Pedro, Brazil, SPF-Diana and its customers broke a record for "the largest petfood package in the world," certified by Guinness World Records.
The petfood package, at 3 meters (9.8 feet) high and 1.78 meters (5.8 feet) tall wide, was specifically created for the event with the support of ABINPET, the Brazilian Industry Association of Pet Products, and Incoplast, a Brazilian packaging company.
Attendees were able to put their dog kibbles inside the bag, helping to achieve a record 563.2-kilogram (1,240-pound) petfood bag. At the end of the symposium, the petfood collected in the bag was donated to the dog shelter of Descalvado/SP community, the city where the SPF-Diana Brazilian facility is located. 
"Until now nobody was able to establish a record due to the difficulty of the challenge. SPF-Diana has shown great creativity and innovation…and relied on their clients, representatives of the petfood industry from across Latin America, to help them achieve this new goal...We, Guinness World Records, were delighted to see this level of participation from the members of the reunion," said Ralph Hannah, adjudications executive at Guinness World Records. "We also fully support, and encourage, SPF-Diana decision to donate the collected petfood…it will benefit hundreds of stray dogs in the area." 

Combination of five packaging companies unveils new COVERIS name

Exopack Holdings S.A., formed in May by the combination of five packaging companies in North America and Europe, unveiled "COVERIS" as the organization's new name. COVERIS is the sixth-largest global plastics packaging company, with revenues in excess of US$2.5 billion and operations in 21 countries. The company, an affiliated portfolio company of Sun Capital Partners, Inc., produces flexible and rigid plastic and paper packaging, as well as advanced coatings.
"Today's rebranding announcement marks an important milestone for us, signifying the successful integration of five packaging companies into a global industry leader," said Jack Knott, CEO. "More than a global business, COVERIS is a 'multi-local' business partner, close to our customers in many regions and markets around the world. We're confident that the COVERIS name will become synonymous with our passion for excellence in high-performance packaging products that add value to our customers' products and businesses."
The selection of COVERIS comes after a thorough process to create a new brand identity that would differentiate the company in the marketplace, the company says. The new COVERIS graphic identity and website will be rolled out over the next few months.
In May 2013, US-based Exopack joined with four European packaging companies-Britton Group, PACCOR, Kobusch, and Paragon Print & Packaging. The combined businesses have operated as one global entity under Exopack Holdings S.A., although the five brand names remained in use. Going forward, the COVERIS brand will ultimately be used for all of the company's operations.
COVERIS also implemented a new organizational structure to optimize delivery of service to global customers and enhance the company's investments in technologies and people. The Global Flexibles business is now organized in two markets, Europe and North America, with three main product lines: Food & Consumer, Industrials and Advanced Coatings. The Global Rigid business is organized by geographic markets serving mainly customers in Europe.
"Uniting all of our operations as COVERIS is much more than just a name change," said Michael Cronin, CEO of the Global Flexibles business. "It enables us to more efficiently deploy our technology and capabilities to our customers in every market, and is a clear indicator of our commitment to upholding the highest standards of excellence in all of our working relationships."
Since combining, the companies that now comprise COVERIS have integrated back-office functions and have made new investments to strengthen the company's IT infrastructure. The businesses recently unified under a single financial structure.

Kendall Packaging begins 56,000-square-foot packaging facility expansion

Kendall Packaging broke ground on a 56,000-square-foot expansion to its Jefferson, Wisconsin, USA, packaging facility on April 26.
The expansion will double the plant's production and storage capacity and create 36 to 48 new jobs. The project is scheduled to be completed in late-summer 2013.
"This expansion reflects the steady growth and expanding capabilities we've seen over the years," said director of manufacturing, Nate Friedl. "By doubling our capacity and increasing our production capabilities, we will be able to better serve our customers and build upon our success in the packaging industry."

Packaging films manufacturer Clysar purchased by Cove Point Holdings

Cove Point Holdings LLC, a privately held company, announced that its affiliate has purchased the Clysar division of Bemis Company Inc., a manufacturer of polyolefin shrink films used in petfood packaging. 
Now an independent company, Clysar will move its headquarters from Oshkosh, Wisconsin, USA, to Clinton, Iowa, USA, where its extrusion and converting campus is located. 
"Our capable, dedicated Clinton workforce has played a pivotal role in our first half-century of growth," said Hare. "This is an opportunity for Clysar to centralize our leadership, technology, development and manufacturing to make us an even stronger force in the shrink film market."

Zip-Pak opens new packaging closure facility in Brazil

Zip-Pak began commercial operations at its newest plant, a 46,000-square-foot facility in Cabreuva, São Paulo, Brazil, in February. The facility produces a selection of resealable solutions, including string zippers, double-track zippers and flange zippers, which can be used in petfood packaging.
The new facility allows Zip-Pak to expand its production of closures ideal for form-fill-seal applications, including petfood, and support services. As part of its “global to local” customer service commitment, the Brazil facility also warehouses and distributes many other zippers produced by Zip-Pak facilities in North America and Europe. Zip-Pak field technicians are also consulting with potential customers on ways to retrofit production lines to incorporate resealable packaging.
"Having a local presence means that Zip-Pak can better serve and meet the needs of this growing and dynamic global market,” said Daniel Richena, commercial director.

Bosch expands vertical form-fill-seal packaging test facility

Bosch Packaging Technology, a supplier of processing and packaging technology solutions, completed expansion of its vertical form-fill-seal test facility in New Richmond, Wisconsin, USA. 
The US$850,000 vertical expansion, which started in May 2012 and was completed in December, helps Bosch accommodate two full VFFS packaging lines that include secondary packaging, such as case erecting, loading and closing. The expansion also enables Bosch to provide customers with equipment training for a smooth start- and ramp-up of production, from hands-on operation during the Factory Acceptance Testing to Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute-certified classroom training. 
The facility's expansion included several sustainable elements, such as windows with low-emissive glass, T8 flourescent lamps, incorporation of a point-of-use water heater, variable frequency drives and more. 

Five packaging companies to form one business

Five packaging companies in North America and Europe announced their intent to combine and operate as one global company, under the name Exopack Holdings Sarl, a Luxembourg-based company. The combined business will have 63 plants and 8,650 employees.
Joining Exopack, a US-based producer of flexible paper and plastic packaging, will be four Europe-based companies: Britton Group, a flexible plastic packaging manufacturer; PACCOR, a rigid plastic packaging company; Kobusch, a producer of tailor-made flexible and rigid packaging systems; and Paragon Print & Packaging, a provider of private-label packaging solutions. 
The combined company will be led by Jack Knott, who will serve as CEO; along with Mike Alger, chief financial officer; Dieter Bergner, CEO of PACCOR (Global Rigid business); and Michael Cronin, CEO of the Global Flexibles business.
“By joining together to form this new entity, we will be better able to serve the needs of our global customers through a manufacturing base spanning North America, Europe, the Middle East and China that enhances our ability to deliver outstanding service,” said Knott. “The larger scale will enable us to accelerate the development and commercialization of new and differentiated products that offer our customers a competitive advantage.” 

Glenroy launches pet food packaging app for iPhone, iPad

Glenroy Inc., a converter and printer of flexible pet food packaging film, launched a flexible packaging iPhone and iPad application.
The apps, available as a free download in the Apple market, allows users to quickly calculate commonly used flexible packaging specifications such as roll weight, roll footage, roll diameter, basis weight and yield. Also available are several conversion tools including MSI (thousand square inches) to Linear Feet, MI (thousand impressions) to linear feet, MI to MSI, pounds to linear feet, meters to linear feet, and linear feet to impressions. Users can also email the calculations and conversions directly from their Apple devices.
The app has also been available for Android smartphones since late 2010, available from Google Play.

PackTV offers petfood manufacturers new packaging ideas

PackTV is a recently-launched webTV channel targeting manufacturers and retailers, including those in the petfood industry, looking for new product packaging ideas.
PackTV broadcasts new packaging options and its "10 of the Best" weekly, as well as interviews with industry leaders.
"Busy people want to see what’s new, quickly, in a fun way,” said Simon Twilley, managing director of PackTV. “That’s why we have launched PackTV. Also video is a great way to hear not only what industry experts say, but also how they say it.”
To watch, visit the PackTV website or e-mail info@PackTV.co.uk to receive weekly “10 of the Best” updates.

Canidae Pet Food to redesign grain-free product packaging

Canidae Pet Foods will redesign the packaging for its grain-free line of petfood in the first quarter of 2011 to better reflect the quality of the company's products and its position in the marketplace, according to Canidae.
As part of the new packaging, Canidae will change the name of two of its dog food products: the Grain Free All Life Stages formula will become Grain Free Pure Elements and the Grain Free Salmon formula will become Grain Free Pure Sea. The ingredients and the products themselves will remain unchanged. Following the initial distribution of new packaging for the Grain Free Pure Elements and Grain Free Pure Sea dry formulas for dogs, the company will introduce new packaging for its grain-free canned formulations as well as both the dry and canned versions of its Felidae Grain Free formulas for cats.
"As the leading brand exclusive to the independent pet food retailer, we continue to innovate and grow," said Jim Mantych, director of marketing for Canidae. "Part of this growth is an expansion of our product lines. It is important for us to differentiate these lines to help customers choose what's best for their dog or cat. The grain-free repackaging will allow us to better communicate with pet owners that in fact Canidae now offers three distinct lines of natural and holistic pet food. This includes our renowned line of meat-based diets formulated with a hand-picked selection of diversified carbohydrates, our recently announced single grain solution featuring rice, fresh chicken and 29% total protein, and finally our repackaged grain-free diets."

DuPont accepting entries for packaging innovation awards

DuPont Packaging announced it will begin accepting entries in the 23rd DuPont Awards for Packaging Innovation.
Packaging designers, retailers and manufacturers may all enter their new product packaging developments in the competition at no cost. Entries will be evaluated by a jury panel for excellence in packaging innovation, sustainability and cost/waste reduction. Entry forms and guidelines are available online. The deadline for entries is Feb. 28, 2011 and winners will be announced in the spring of 2011.
“The industry is facing many challenges to address cost and waste reduction as well as sustainability demands while responding to consumers’ needs for greater convenience. Innovation is key to these new packaging approaches and we aim to recognize innovative solutions from around the world that address local needs,” said Shanna Moore, global director of sustainability at DuPont Packaging.

Zuke’s goes green

Zuke’s announced it is helping protect the environment by using eco-friendly petfood packages, alternative energies for its offices and offering eco-incentives to its employees.