Industry watch

COMPANIES

Baldor Electric Co. acquired Poulies Maska, Inc., Ste.-Claire, Quebec, Canada, a designer, manufacturer, and marketer of mechanical power transmission components.

Mettler-Toledo Safeline expanded the Product Test Lab in its Tampa, FL, headquarters.

Beckhoff Automation opened a new office in Fond du Lac, WI, which will serve as a regional center for Beckhoff customer training and direct sales and application support.

BluePrint Automation added a 25,000 sq ft addition that houses shipping/receiving, electrical panel, and production assembly departments.

PMI-Arpac LLC, a subsidiary of Arpac L.P., acquired certain assets of Packaging Machines Intl., Inc.

Service Industries, LLC entered into a distributor relationship with Mario A. Cricca, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

CardPak®, Inc. and Winterborne, Inc. created a partnership agreement to bring sustainable packaging products and services to the clamshell and blister packaging markets.

Unifoil Corp. purchased advanced sheeting technology from Maxson Automatic Machinery Co.

Minnesota Automation Products will be listed in trade publications, directory listings, and trade shows under its corporate name, Graphic Packaging Intl., Inc.

Domino Printing Sciences Plc. bought German ink-jet printer maker Alternative Printing Services GmbH; Nutec Systems, Inc., is the North American distributor of APS products.

ACHIEVEMENTS

Alcan Packaging selected its Neenah (WI) Technical Center to receive its Gold 2008 Bonsai award. Alcan holds an annual competition that recognizes outstanding efforts in environment, health, and safety within the organization.

Inc. named Serpa Packaging Solutions to its list of the 5,000 fastest- growing private companies in the country.

PEOPLE

Randy Spahr was hired as executive vice president for Goodman Packaging Equipment.

The Paperboard Packaging Council named Ben Markens president and chief staff officer.

Jeff Murak was promoted to vice president, marketing and sales for Oliver Medical.

InkSure Technologies appointed Philip Getter chairman of the board of directors and Yaron Meerfeld acting CEO.

Stacey Crosio joined Crosio & Associates as sales associate.

Chuck Schott was named central region vice president of manufacturing, Container Div., for Smurfit-Stone Container Corp.