Supplier news: International agreements

Jefferson Smurfit Corp. (Dublin, Ireland) and Stone Container Corp. (Chicago, IL) have signed a definitive merger agreement to create one of the world's largest manufacturers of paperboard and paper-based packaging products.

May 31st, 1998

The merged company will be called Smurfit-Stone Container Corp. and will have annual sales exceeding $8 billion, based on 1997 results. Corporate headquarters will be in Chicago.

Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation

Jefferson Smurfit Corp.

Stone Container Corp

Using a proprietary printing process called Econoflex, custom box manufacturer Packlane is now supplying Spruce with shippers printed with fine lines and artwork on 100% recycled and recyclable corrugated material.

Flexo-Quality Print on Recycled Board Spruces up CBD Shipper

Spruce CBD uses a new print technology that prints fine lines and artwork on 100% recycled corrugated, without the time and cost associated with flexo printing, for its e-commerce shippers.

How Amcor Prepared as Regions Reopen during COVID-19

OEM COVID-19 #12 - Readiness Tips as Regions Reopen

Vice president of safety shares the global policies that have helped Amcor's 35,000-plus employees return to work as safely as possible.

Opinion: As COVID-19 Precipitates Big Consumer Shift, Omnichannel Adapts

In the wake of COVID-19, expect a new landscape to emerge that reveals a shift in the balance between the channels that constitute 'omnichannel.' An as-of-yet unknown portion of the increased reliance on e-comm is likely to be permanent.

Trade Show News Network and Trade Show Executive each place biennial event among top trade shows in 2019.

PACK EXPO Las Vegas and Healthcare Packaging EXPO Rakes in Industry Acclaim

Trade Show News Network and Trade Show Executive each place biennial event among top trade shows in 2019.

Pallets make up largest segment of transport packaging followed by a variety of totes, crates, containers and boxes.

Reusable Packaging State of the Industry 2020

With increased interest in sustainability, brands and their supply chain partners are taking a holistic view of greener processes, products, packages and distribution practices. Reusable transport packaging industry expects growth.

For those consumers going the e-commerce route, there is a $20 shipping fee for orders under $150. In addition, the tote used to deliver and return product comes with a $15 deposit fee.

Loop to Launch E-Comm Platform Nationwide

Loop products in returnable packaging are scheduled for launch nationwide this month, while retail partners in the U.S., France, and Japan plan to offer Loop in their stores later this year.

Packaging Carries Heavy Load for E-Comm Brand Extension

E-commerce retailer Truman’s optimizes packaging to serve the sometimes competing purposes of securing product, making a good first impression, and staying sustainable.

Monolayer Label Shrinks Dasani’s Footprint

Dasani replaced a multilayer label with a thinner, monolayer film made from BOPP, resulting in increased sustainability, enhanced operational efficiency, and cost savings opportunities.

The advanced Interroll conveyor system at Cookplus is entirely managed by software developed by Teknokom.

Automated Material Flow System for E-comm Center

A fully automated and remotely monitored material flow system is part of a modern, 6,000-square-meter distribution center of Cookplus in Hadimköy near Istanbul, Turkey.

Electronic position indicators simplify size changeovers. The status LEDs light up green when the actual and target values match precisely.

Position Indicators Speed Changeover

Three packaging machines handling powdered milk formula rely on monitored size changeover using electronic position indicators with IO-Link interface.

Jorge Izquierdo breaks down the present state of the industry, with a positive eye towards a post COVID-19 world.

OEM COVID-19 #11 - State of the Packaging & Processing Industry

PMMI's Jorge Izquierdo predicts promising times ahead for packaging and processing despite current COVID-19 climate

The wearable Kinexon SafeTag warns the user, audibly and visually, when the physical distance with another employee has been compromised.

Technology Steps Forward for Social Distancing

As more manufacturers are allowed to resume production amid the COVID-19 pandemic, keeping their workers distanced will be key to keeping them healthy. Here are some innovations to help achieve that.

Film unwind on the new stretch wrapping system at Badoit.

Multipacking Optimized

Top quality natural mineral water and an exclusive bottle design are the trademarks of the Badoit brand, and now their multipacks are also consistently first class.

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Sustainability in Secondary Packaging Lines

Secondary packaging lines need greater precision when handling materials with variances in content and weight, according to a new report by PMMI Business Intelligence.

Now the packs use an abrupt, well-delineated break from the white at the top to the color at the bottom with no gradient, just the two contrasting colors.

Bumble Bee Tuna Package Redesign Retires Mascot, Focuses on Flavor

Bumble Bee Tuna’s iconic brand got a modern design update last month. Notably, the longstanding cartoon bumble bee mascot, Horatio, is no longer part of the design architecture.

Pyraser Landbrauerei has recently invested in a KHS Innofill Glass DRS glass bottle filler.

New Filler for Beer

Pyraser Landbrauerei, founded in 1868 in the Franconia region of Germany, recently invested in a KHS Innofill Glass DRS filler.

Nestlé is piloting reusable and refillable dispensers for pet food and soluble coffee products as part of its efforts to reduce single-use packaging.

Nestlé Pilots Reusable and Refillable Dispensers in Switzerland

Nestlé pilots digitally-integrated refillable dispensers for its Purina pet food and Nescafé soluble coffee products to reduce single-use packaging and food waste.

Packaging Post-Pandemic

Nobody can measure with any real accuracy what impact Covid-19 will have on packaging. But what packaging professional wouldn’t value a glimpse into how things might look post-pandemic, especially if that glimpse comes from an experienced veteran?

Looking Ahead to New Packaging Material Innovation

Packaging engineers and product developers must work together to create new sustainable initiatives in packaging material innovation.

Along with a new focus on function, Ethan’s has changed the color of each bottle to reflect the shots’ unique flavors and primary ingredients.

Function-Focused Rebrand for Wellness Shots

Organic energy shot company Ethan’s redesigns the labels for its 2-oz shots to clearly convey the occasion of use for each as well as emphasize the flavor and ingredient profiles.

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Sun-Maid Raisins 10-oz bag AFTER the redesign

Little Red Box Gets First Redesign in Decades

A brand refresh for Sun-Maid’s raisin and other whole-fruit products includes changes that aim to appeal to millennial shoppers looking for healthy snacks for their families.

Like almost all of Spacestation’s beverage output as a copacker, the company’s own Flybeverage brands—Nectr and Uncle Arnie’s—use a shrink sleeve labeling system that is flexible enough for a variety of different combinations of bottle dimensions/heights, substrates, container transparency levels, and closure styles.

Shrink Sleeve Fits Fine for Cannabis Seltzer & Soda Line

With varied SKUs for CM/CP business, plus a quickly growing in-house brand of its own, this cannabis-infused beverage producer found that shrink sleeve labeling is the right solution for just about any and all form factors, whether glass, PET, or cans.

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Economic Outlook: 2020 and Beyond

Discussing the current economic outlook amidst a “double black swan event,” Alex Chausovsky of ITR Economics presented “Guidance in an Uncertain Economy” last week as part of PMMI’s Executive Leadership Conference.

BIC North America will be producing 2,000 medical-grade face shields per day at its factory in Milford, Conn.

BIC Uses Plastic Packaging Materials to Produce PPE

Global CPG BIC gears up to produce 2,000 medical-grade face shields per day at its Connecticut facility, using plastic packaging materials and scrap plastic from its lighter products.

Direct digital printing on aluminum cans is what made this slogan-and-rainbow campaign possible.

Direct Digital Print Brings AR Experience to Beverage Cans

By printing a QR code on the side of aluminum beverage cans, this Canadian firm and three partnering beverage producers are lifting spirits in this time of pandemic.

The slim, e-com shipper comprises a hinged tray fitted with movable inner trays that securely hold the bottle and product literature.

Smart Supplement Shipper is Letterbox-Friendly, Sustainable

Brain health company Heights launches its D2C supplement product in a unique bottle and shipper made from bio-based materials that together measure less than one inch deep.

This robot picks freshly printed cans six at a time from the vacuum conveyor discharge and places them on the infeed conveyor of the curing oven.

Breakthrough in Direct Digital Can Printing

Tonejet’s electrostatic drop-on-demand can printing technology has taken some time to mature since it first burst onto the scene. That makes this SoluCan installation awfully interesting.

Just like in this iceberg image, hidden operating costs can sink you. Total cost of ownership enables gathering better data and understanding for better informed decisions.

It’s All About the Cost, Not the Price

Just like all change management, total cost of ownership is a journey that has transformational results when successfully implemented.

Boombox-Inspired Shippers Reinforce ‘Soda with Soul’ Proposition

With the COVID-19 lockdown, U.K. craft soda company Dalston’s unveils new shippers for its growing online sales that pay homage to its music roots, while introducing new consumers to the brands’ values and personality.

Machine Efficiency and the Impacts of Sustainable Packaging

Many primary packaging lines are no longer dedicated to a single product as SKUs increase, impacting line efficiency. Sustainable material changes may also create challenges.

The highly compact XTS has a circumferential track length of 22 m and uses a total of 40 independent movers. The L’Oréal Group produces high-quality skin care products, mascaras, and foundation makeup for its Division Luxe.

L’Oréal Replaces 5 Machines with One Smart System

Facing SKU proliferation and shorter runs, the L’Oreal Group replaced an outdated system with a new track-based system of movers that brings fast changeover and high output.

Abe Eshkenazi, CEO of the Association for Supply Chain Management

Supply Chains Race to Match Shifting COVID-19 Consumer Behavior

Abe Eshkenazi, CEO of the Association for Supply Chain Management, discusses what retailers can expect in terms of changing consumer behavior—namely a shift away from commercial/foodservice, and toward e-commerce and retail.