Flexibles

A wedge up on the competition

Cheesy packaging is not necessarily a bad thing. Just ask Jan Berger, president of Chicago-based Turtle Island, Inc., marketer of Just for Joy(TM) cheese-based gourmet soups.

September 30, 1995

Industries: Page 899

Beverage

Price hikes pinch beer margins

Brewers are taking it on the chin as much as anyone when it comes to rising packaging costs, forcing them, and wholesalers, to find new ways to reduce operating and production costs and increase volumes and prices.

September 30, 1995

Blisters/clamshells/thermoforming materials

Souprising changes

When Atlanta, GA-based restaurant chain Lettuce Souprise You switched from a paperboard carton to a polystyrene clamshell for its carry-out muffins, it also changed from a 6- or 12-count package down to a 4-count package.

September 30, 1995

Beverage

General Mills is Leader of the Year

The Packaging Education Forum has named General Mills, Inc., its 1995 Packaging Leader of the Year. The Minneapolis-based firm is ranked second worldwide in the cereal market and is well known for brands that include Betty Crocker, Gold Medal, Wheaties and Yoplait.

September 30, 1995

Controls & Machine Components

PMMI to explore packaging trends, solutions

The Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute's (Arlington, VA) second Packaging Productivity Forum, Nov. 6 to 8 at the Westin O'Hare, Rosemont, IL, will unveil the results of the 1995 Packaging Productivity Trends Indicator survey.

September 30, 1995

Containers

Tabletop foam-in-place

The Pro Packer is a new tabletop, foam-in-place package system from Insta-Foam (Joliet, IL). It can operate with the company's VPM20 or 900ic foam-in-place packaging systems, as well as other brands on the market.

August 31, 1995

Containers

Can end remover

The Wizard® portable dechimers from Wizard Drum Tool (Wau-kesha, WI) remove top and bottom metal chimes from empty drums to allow fiber drum to lay flat for re-cycling at a later time.

August 31, 1995

Controls & Machine Components

Coffee can with valve device

Sonoco (Hartsville, SC) has developed a new composite canister that allows coffee beans hot off the grinder to be packaged. This innovative opening feature incorporates a one-way pressure-release valve that allows CO2 to escape, eliminating the need for standard vacuum packaging.

August 31, 1995

Converting equipment

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. OSHA

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration continues to levy big fines on companies. But it also has begun to show new interest in cooperating with industry.

August 31, 1995

Conveying & accumulation

Keeping dirt clean

Bags of premium nursery soils don't sell well when they're dirty or faded. Bandini Fertilizer moves to automatic wrapping of pallet loads with a cover to keep bags-and company image-clean.

August 31, 1995

Conveying & accumulation

Making steel beverage cans in South Africa

This South African can-making operation uses an automated palletizing system and other high-speed equipment to turn out 600 million steel beverage cans a year.

August 31, 1995

Converting equipment

Brach's bags a winner with nine-color candy graphics

A 10-station gravure press lets Morrill Press print in nine colors, then laminate that structure to a sealant layer in-line on a single pass for Brach & Brock Confections' chocolate-covered raisins.

August 31, 1995

Additives, coatings & inks

Part 2How purchasing copes with higher prices (sidebar)

Purchasers skewer vendors with increasing prices

August 31, 1995