U. of Florida students win PMMI contest

PMMI awarded the top prize in the fourth annual Student Packaging Solutions Contest to the team from the University of Florida.

Winners of the PMMI Student Packaging Solutions Contest.
Winners of the PMMI Student Packaging Solutions Contest.

Students Gaby Cruz, Colleen Delaney, Michael Grandinetti and Alex Tipton, with their advisor, Dr. Bruce Welt, accepted the accolade during a special segment of the Packaging Hall of Fame Reception and Induction Ceremony last night. Team members will share $4,000 in scholarship funds. Second place, presented to The University of Wisconsin – Stout, was $2,000 in scholarships; and the team from Cal Poly State University received third place, $1,000 in scholarship funds.

Marc Ostertag, CEO of contest sponsor B&R Industrial Automation, announced the winning team and runners up during the Packaging Hall of Fame Reception & Induction Ceremony. “We challenged this year’s teams to present proposals for a food-safety friendly weighing, bagging and case-packing solution for a fictional snack food manufacturer. I would like to applaud each team that participated,” said Ostertag. The other participating schools were Purdue University at Calumet; Rutgers University; San Jose State University; and Conestoga College.

“The judges had their job cut out for them. The students’ proposals were excellent, and choosing between them took most of the day,” Ostertag adds. “We’d like to thank them for their efforts.”

Scholarship funds are provided by PMMI's Education & Training Foundation. The Education & Training Foundation is funded through events including the biennial Golf Tournament at PACK EXPO Las Vegas and annual Packaging Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony & Reception.

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