RockTenn and DS Smith announce licensing agreement

RockTenn, integrated manufacturers of corrugated and consumer packaging and recycling solutions, and DS Smith Plc, international supplier of recycled packaging for consumer goods, have entered into a strategic alliance, executing a licensing agreement that gives RockTenn the exclusive rights to manufacture and distribute proprietary corrugated packaging designs and to distribute innovative packaging equipment in the US.

At the center of the alliance is new Meta Corrugated Packaging Systems technology, which produces a wide range of two-piece Shelf Ready Packages that enable multinational package goods companies to meet the varied requirements of US retailers. Unique predictive software and stacking devices also optimize and reduce packaging weight and minimize environmental impact.

“The RockTenn team is tenaciously focused on delivering industry-leading innovation in packaging solutions for our customers,” says RockTenn’s Corrugated Packaging President, James Porter. “This exciting technology brings new opportunities to reduce the total cost of packaging and to improve print options to better sell our customer’s products and do so in a more sustainable fashion.”

“This alliance with RockTenn brings the advantages and value of our patented technology to a wider audience, and allows us better to serve our global customers,” said DS Smith CEO, Miles Roberts. “The extension of our licensee network to the U.S. market, combined with our extensive European corrugated manufacturing footprint, means we now have one of the world’s broadest capabilities for the creation of innovative corrugated packaging propositions.”

RockTenn’s Automated Packaging System business unit is a previous licensee of the DS Smith’s Otor mandrel forming technology. The new agreement encompasses the next generation of Otor technology, including the exclusive right to packaging designs and to high-speed mandrel forming equipment distribution.

Special Report: Track & Trace
Discover new tools to approach the supply chain that allow you to leverage your data, see real-time visibility, and forecast future sales. You’ll also learn about KH Hive, an in-house digital demand planning tool that Kraft Heinz created to help the company realize its goals, forecasting sales expectation down to the SKU level, location level, and daily level.
Read More
Special Report: Track & Trace
Rethinking Packaging Robotics to Prioritize Flexibility
In this eBook, you’ll learn how to guard against the traps that CPGs sometimes inadvertently set for themselves when implementing robotics that lead to automation “brittleness.”
Read More
Rethinking Packaging Robotics to Prioritize Flexibility