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Javier San Juan, President & CEO, L’Oréal Canada
CODE OF CONDUCT
L’Oréal Canada embraces laser coding as a vital part of its larger sustainable manufacturing strategy Story on page 13
UNDER THE HOOD Page 24
IN THIS ISSUE: STRETCHWRAPPING • LABELING • SAFETY & SANITATION
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Can’t see the forest for all the trees? As the leaders in recycling for over 60 years, Atlantic Packaging is in the business of saving forests. Annually we save over 14,000,000 trees from being cut down to produce paper products.
Sustainable Packaging for a Sustainable Future
Happy Day, Earth!
By utilizing the latest technology and world class processes in our 100% recycled paper mills, we save enough energy to power 100,000 homes for a full year, divert 3 million cubic yards of waste going to landfill, use 4.2 billion less gallons water and help to remove 1.2 million tons of carbon from the atmosphere. By purchasing your products from us, you not only demonstrate your personal commitment to our environment and to sustainable packaging practices, but also show that you care.
At Atlantic Packaging every day is Earth Day! Service Driven!TM “Responsive to your needs” Atlantic Packaging Products Ltd. Corrugated Division Scarborough-Progress Ave., Scarborough-Midwest Ave., Brampton, Mississauga and Ingersoll 416-298-8101 • 1-800-268-5620 • www.atlantic.ca Add Ink (Atlantic Decorated & Display) Toronto 416-421-3636 • www.addink.ca
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Mitchel-Lincoln Packaging Ltd. Montreal and Drummondville 514-332-3480 • 1-800-361-5727 • www.ml-group.com
UPFRONT
BACK IN FROM THE COLD
APRIL 2011
VOLUME 64, NO. 4 SENIOR PUBLISHER Stephen Dean • (416) 764-1497 stephen.dean@packaging.rogers.com EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Lisa Wichmann • (416) 764-1491 lisa.wichmann@rci.rogers.com EDITOR George Guidoni • (416) 764-1505 george.guidoni@packaging.rogers.com FEATURES EDITOR Andrew Joseph • (416) 764-1529 andrew.joseph@packaging.rogers.com ART DIRECTOR Stewart Thomas • (416) 764-1547 ADVERTISING SALES Munira Khan • (416) 764-1507 munira.khan@packaging.rogers.com PRODUCTION MANAGER Natalie Chyrsky • (416) 764-1686 natalie.chyrsky@rci.rogers.com CIRCULATION MANAGER Celia Ramnarine • (416) 932-5071 rogers@cstonecanada.com ROGERS PUBLISHING LIMITED Brian Segal, President & CEO ROGERS BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL PUBLISHING John Milne, Senior Vice-President Paul Williams, Vice-President, Financial Publishing, Brand Extensions & Online Services Keith Fulford, Director of Audience Development (416) 764-3878 • keith.fulford@rci.rogers.com Tim Dimopoulos, Executive Publisher, Industrial Group. (416) 764-1499 • tim.dimopoulos@rci.rogers.com CORPORATE SALES Sandra Parente, General Manager, Corporate Sales (416) 764-3818 • sandra.parente@rci.rogers.com WEB David Carmichael, General Manager, Online Operations (416) 764-3820 • david.carmichael@rci.rogers.com RESEARCH Tricia Benn, Senior Director, Rogers Connect Market Research (416) 764-3856 • tricia.benn@rci.rogers.com EVENTS Stephen T. Dempsey, General Manager, Conferences & Events (416) 764-1635 • steve.dempsey@mtg.rogers.com HOW TO REACH US: Canadian Packaging, established 1947, is published monthly by Rogers Publishing Ltd., a division of Rogers Media Inc. One Mount Pleasant Road, Toronto, ON M4Y 2Y5, Tel: (416) 764-2000 EDITORIAL AND ADVERTISING OFFICES: One Mount Pleasant Road, Toronto, ON M4Y 2Y5, Tel: (416) 764-2000; Fax (416) 764-1755. ADVERTISING BRANCH OFFICES: 1200, avenue McGill College, Bureau 800, Montréal Québec H3B 4G7, Tel: (514) 845-5141; Suite 900 - 1130 West Pender Street Vancouver, BC V6E 4A4, Tel: (604) 683-8254.
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veryone wants a place they can call home, and for the recessionravaged converting industry, the inaugural ICE USA exhibition earlier this month in Orlando, Fla., provided a much-needed reassurance that it still matters. Matters enough, in fact, to warrant a dedicated, highly focused international trade show and conference that, based on the three-day event’s positive glow and feedback, provides a compelling testament to the industry’s remarkable resilience in the face of prolonged economic adversity. Drawing over 250 exhibitors to the spanking new North Concourse building of the Orange County Convention Center, the North American edition of the International Converting Exposition (ICE) was in many ways a giant leap of faith for its organizers, U.K.-based MackBrook Exhibitions, betting that the converting industry still had enough life left in it to support an ambitious new venture first conceived at the height of the recent Great Recession. For the lion’s share of the North American package converting sector, the last few years have been cruel to the extreme, as their big-time CPG (consumer packaged goods) customers dramatically cut back their investment in new converting machinery and processes as part of their own cost-slashing measures—leaving many converting machinery and materials suppliers either barely clinging to life or simply vanishing out in the cold. But for those companies that have managed to pull through, the lively Orlando show—drawing visitors from nearly 30 countries—served up a heartwarming mix of multiple solid sales leads that you just cannot get from little regional tabletop exhibits or by piggybacking onto a larger mutisegmented exhibition such as PACK EXPO, to use an example. “I do not recall getting as many good sales leads from an entire show as I did just in the first few opening hours of ICE USA,” said beaming Bob Pasquale, president of the New Jersey-based web converting, processing and handling equipment manufacturer
COVER STORY
SUBSCRIBER SERVICES: To subscribe, renew your subscription or to change your address or information, please visit us at www.rogersb2bmedia.com/cpac SUBSCRIPTION PRICE PER YEAR (INCLUDING ANNUAL BUYERS’ GUIDE): Canada $72.10 per year, Outside Canada $106.00 US per year, Single Copy Canada $10.00. Canadian Packaging is published 11 times per year except for occasional combined, expanded or premium issues, which count as two subscription issues. Contents copyright © 2006 by Rogers Publishing Limited, may not be reprinted without permission. Canadian Packaging accepts no responsibility or liability for claims made for any product or service reported or advertised in this issue. Canadian Packaging receives unsolicited materials, (including letters to the editor, press releases, promotional items and images) from time to time. Canadian Packaging, its affiliates and assignees may use, reproduce, publish, re-publish, distribute, store and archive such unsolicited submissions in whole or in part in any form or medium whatsoever, without compensation of any sort.
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From Hair to Eternity By George Guidoni
Canada’s leading hair-care products manufacturer and distributor leverages pioneering R&D, a world-class manufacturing and packaging skillset, and progressive environmental practices to reinforce its runaway leadership credentials.
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UPFRONT By George Guidoni NEWSPACK Packaging news round-up from across Canada. FIRST GLANCE New technologies for packaging applications. ECO-PACK NOW All about environmental sustainability. imPACt A monthly insight from PAC-The Packaging Association. EVENTS Upcoming industry functions. ANNOUNCEMENTS CHECKOUT By Yoko Asada Joe Public speaks out on packaging hits and misses. NEXT ISSUE: PACKEX Toronto show preview, Packaging for Freshness, Automate Now
Code of ConduCt
l’oréal réal Canada embrace s laser coding part of its larger sustainable manufac as a vital Story on page 13 turing strategy
under the hood in this issue: Stretchwra
DEPARTMENTS & COLUMNS
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APRIL 2011 • CANADIAN PACKAGING
April 2011 | $10
Cover photography by Pierre Longtin
PRINTED IN CANADA PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40070230, ISSN 0008-4654 CIRCULATION INQUIRIES: Cornerstone Publishing Services (416) 932-5071 We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund (CPF) for our publishing activities. Canadian Packaging is indexed in the Canadian Magazine Index by Micromedia Limited. Back copies are available in microform from Macromedia Ltd., 158 Pearl St., Toronto, ON M5H 1L3
New Era Converting Machinery Inc. Like many of its industry counterparts, New Era has had a tough go of it in the last couple of years, Pasquale confided, but with the U.S. dollar recently currently at near record-low levels, the company’s exporting business has suddenly began to soar far beyond his wildest expectations. “I may be in a minority in this country to be saying this, but I really could not be happier about a low U.S. dollar,” Pasquale told Canadian Packaging during a rare break in the action at the company’s expansive show display. “We are now getting orders and inquiries from all over the world, countries that wouldn’t even cross my mind a just little while ago, and the low dollar is absolutely a key factor, no doubt about it. “So in some ways, the new business we’ll be getting from being at this show is really like an icing on the cake, but it’s about time,” he reflected. It may yet well be premature to declare the converting sector as being completely out of the woods, but ICE USA has certainly hit all the right notes by not only generating a positive back-to-business vibe, but also by displaying a broad range of newgeneration technologies for value-added paper, plastic and foil converting applications, while attracting some notable industry newcomers clearly excited by new business opportunities offered in the regalvanized converting marketplace. From the likes of the Ann Arbor, Mich.-based Advanced Photonix, Inc. (API), whose pioneering Terrahertz thickness measurement technology has been used to detect surface defects on space shuttles and high-tech military aircraft, to German machine vision specialists ISRA, a common presence on automobile assembly lines all over the world, the implicit promise of anticipated growth in the converting business is arguably the strongest indicator of a better, brighter near-term future for what only recently seemed like a sunset industry in a terminal freefall. Given that fate and fortune always have a way of favoring the brave, there is plenty to feel good about in the brave new that is now unfolding for the North American package converters.
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pping LabeLing automate utomate Now
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FIRST IMPRESSIONS By Andrew Joseph Toronto-based label converter expands its production capabilities through continuous capital investment and progressive manufacturing practices. FOR PEAT’S SAKE By Andrew Joseph An innovative stretchwrapping system helps horticultural products manufacturer keep its volume growth on the fast track. MAIN OFFENDERS By Bill Melville How to keep your packaging operations safe and sound from unwelcome pest intruders.
WWW.CANADIANPACKAGING.COM • 5
NEWSPACK
LIGHTWEIGHT BOTTLES TAKE FLIGHT WITH AIRLINES As airlines around the world look for new ways to reduce fuel consumption and cut their carbon emissions, Laval, Que.-based wine-and-beer distributor Société de Vin Internationale Ltée is hoping that its recently-launched one-liter plastic PET (polyethylene terephthalate) wine bottles will take flight in industry circles after its successful debut aboard charter flights operated by Air Transat of Montreal. Manufactured by Amcor Rigid Plastics, the new PET barrier containers—used for the company’s popular Costabella, Viejos Robles, Massaria and Bergerie du Loup wine brands— weigh a mere 54 grams, which is slightly less than one-eighth of the 450-gram weight of the one-liter glass bottles they are designed to replace, with its special barrier coating technology ensuring similar shelf-life properties for the wines. “We introduced the concept and Air Transat quickly came on board because of a vital need to reduce weight on their aircraft and, consequently, reduce their fuel costs,” says Société de Vin Internationale executive Aldo Geloso. “The new packaging not only meets the airline’s sustainability needs, but offers a glass-like option with no breakage and a similar shelf-life,” says Geloso, adding the
airline has received very positive feedback from its passengers, prompting it to adopt the lightweight PET bottles for full-service use. “At the end of the day, it’s still the same high-quality wine product that is now easy to transport and very convenient for the consumer,” Geloso states. The new bottles incorporate proprietary Plasmax silicon-oxide (SiOx) barrier coating technology— developed by German-based KHS Plasmax GmbH—to seal the container from the inside to protect the contents from oxidation, according to Amcor. The transparent, ultra-thin, FDA-compliant material is also well-suited to resist cracking, abrasion and delamination, and it is said to be easily removed during the recycling process to avoid contaminating the recycling stream. “This is an important development because it expands the market potential for barrier PET wine containers,” says Amcor Rigid Plastics sales manager Kerry Drewry. “We expect continued growth for barrier PET bottles in a range of sizes for wine,” she says, adding the company is working closely with other wineries who are seeking alternative packaging for sustainability benefits, as well as targeting other markets for oxygen-sensitive products.
INSPIRED PACKAGING ADDS SPICE TO HOME COOKING Recreating fancy restaurant dishes at home is no easy trick, but a new line of pre-measured spice mixes launched last month by McCormick Canada can help turn even the most culinary-challenged home chefs into instant kitchen superstars, according to Canada’s leading spice producer. Offered in six distinctive recipes, the new Club House Recipe Inspirations line of spices are packaged in clear plastic blister-packs—designed by the Toronto-based Novellus Graphics—featuring six separate clear-plastic compartments holding one of six different spices used to prepare one of several mouthwatering dishes, including Rosemary Roasted Chicken and Potatoes, Mexican Lasagna, Garlic Lime Chicken Fajitas, Pasta Primavera, Cran-Apple and Sage Pork Chop and Asian Sesame Salmon.
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Now retailing in the spice aisles of major grocery stores across Canada, each of the six blisterpacks comes with a collectible, detailed recipe card providing easy-to-follow cooking instructions and Nutrition Facts information—printed by Cadmus Specialty Packaging of Charlotte, N.C.—which are easily pulled off by consumer from the perforated back panel to reveal a colorful picture of the finished dish and to release the six individual foillidded plastic squares from their slots in the paperboard cutout windows. Measuring between eight and 13 grams of spices in total, depending on the recipe, each Recipe
Inspirations pack contains at least one lesser-known spice such as toasted sesame seeds, cumin, dill weed, etc., and at least one of the 10 so-called ‘Super Spices’ that are rich in antioxidants and phytonutrients such as carotenoids, f lavonoids and other phenolics, according to McCormick Canada’s executive Chef Michael Cloutier.
“These spices possess health-promoting properties that go beyond just being great antioxidants,” says Cloutier. “With the new Club House Recipe Inspirations, consumers get to experiment with new herbs and spices that they may not have readily available at home—providing a low-risk opportunity to get more familiar with new spices that can take homeprepared meals to the next level,” Cloutier explains. “All the other ingredients, such as proteins and vegetables needed for the recipes, are clearly listed on the back of the package for easy shopping and preparation, and because the recipe cards are collectible, they can be easily used again and again.” Says Cloutier: “These menu-inspired meals are easy for every cook to prepare, whether they are inexperienced or an expert, and especially under time pressure after getting home from work. “All of these recipes provide healthful f lavors and spices, with distinctive combinations for a memorable food experience, and are designed to be on the table from start to finish in under 60 minutes.”
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CANADIAN PACKAGING • APRIL 2011
NEWSPACK
WEST COAST WATER-BOTTLER SET TO MAKE WAVES WITH BIODEGRADABLE BOTTLES Few consumer products are harder to differentiate from one another these days in terms of taste, texture and appearance than bottled water, but that’s hardly enough to discourage the folks at redleaf Water in Chilliwack, B.C., from trying their best. Marketing itself as a leading Canadian producer of “ultra-premium” bottled water—drawn from a local naturally-renewable artesian aquifer—the three-year-old company takes great pride in its one-of-a-kind, proprietary UV purification and bottling process that enables its water to retain high oxygen contents and high pH levels of 8.3, which it claims to provide increased alertness, hydration, stamina and other assorted health benefits. And while most large commercial water-bottlers typically use up to six liters of water to produce one liter of finished bottled product, according to redleaf Water, the high-efficiency bottling process utilized at the company’s state-of-the-art, 75,000-square-foot bottling facility in Chilliwack keeps the bottling ratio at 1:1 at all times to virtually eliminate water waste. Driven by a self-styled corporate vision of “making the world a better place, one sip at a time,” redleaf Water has recently increased its distribution across Canada with the launch of stylish 500-ml and oneliter bottles of its flagship brand at select Shoppers Drug Mart stores across Canada earlier this year and in parts of northwest U.S.—using innovative new biodegradable and recyclable plastic PET (polyethylene terephthalate) containers pioneered by ENSO
Plastics in Menzo, Az. According to redleaf ’s chief operating officer Dave Hillis, the new Bio Bottle containers are the only truly biodegradable bottles that will biodegrade naturally in aerobic and anaerobic (landfill) conditions, while remaining fully-recyclable through most conventional recycling streams. “Our company’s Bio Bottles are a step in the right direction to further reduce the impact empty water bottles have on the environment,” says Hillis, noting that an estimated 74 per cent of all recyclable water bottles still end up clogging landfills, polluting the oceans, or are simply discarded in the environment, where they can take up to 500 years to decompose. “When we started the company, we made a commitment to aggressively seek alternatives to reduce our impact on the environment, while still providing customers with superior drinking water,” Hillis states. “We still have work to do, but redleaf ’s Bio Bottles represent an important step forward in our ongoing mission to provide premium Canadian water in guilt-free bottles.” ENSO Plastics president and founder
Danny Clark says it took his company three years to perfect a PET bottle that is both recyclable and biodegradable, and while the main findings of his research remain highly classified, the results have recently been validated in the U.S. by Northeast Laboratories, a testing facility certified by the FDA (U.S. Food & Drug Administration), EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and the DoD (Department of Defense). Says Clark: “Our bottle is designed to be placed into the existing recycle streams, but if placed into a landfill or other natural environments, depending on the natures microbial activity, these bottles will disappear within one to 15 years, as opposed to 500 years for normal PET bottles. “Simply put, these bottles disappear the same way that all other organic materials do,” sasys Clark, explaining that the proprietary biodegradable additive used in Bio Bottles bonds to the PET materials hydrostatically, rather than chemically, which enables PET to retain all its key physical properties such as tensile strength, permeation, melt f low, intrinsic viscosity, etc., unaltered.
What’s luck got to do with it? Don’t leave your coding and marking needs to chance. Harlund is ready to help and able to provide a number of different lines. Hitachi Continuous Ink Jet Printers provide the best price point value with the lowest cost of ownership in the industry. This is not by chance.
FoxJet, renowned for its high resolution case coding systems, offers a wide variety of marking equipment for the industrial marketplace.
Hitachi features; • A unique fluid management system allowing for extremely low fluid consumption • Auto Printhead cleaning resulting in maximum uptime productivity • Extended Warranties. Longest in the Industry. • Hitachi’s many Industry firsts in total system design and build resulting in environmentally friendly features
Lower your total cost of ownership with FoxJet’s reliable printing solutions offering low maintenance and increased uptime. FoxJet Features; • High Resolution case coding equipment with the best warranty available – three years with ink agreement. • Easy to use Windows-based InkJet Controllers. • Valve, Impulse, and Thermal Printhead Technologies.
Begin saving today, contact Harlund and let us show you how you can benefit from Hitachi’s superior technologies.
To lower your costs of Case Coding, contact Harlund and your luck can change in achieving marked savings!
Over the past 30 years Harlund has gained extensive and valuable experience is all aspects of product coding and identification. Quality of product, reliability and a quick return on investment is our focus. We will meet your needs and wants, eliminate your concerns, solve your problems, and meet or exceed your expectations. If you have a product that needs to be coded, labeled, or identified then you need to talk to us! Call us today, Coders and Labelers are not commodities. Don’t leave it to chance! Let us help you.
1.877.HARLUND (427.5863) www.harlund.com sales@harlund.com Vancouver • Edmonton • Montreal • Toronto PackEx Toronto Booth #1430 FOR MORE INFORMATION CIRCLE
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FIRST GLANCE
LINING THINGS UP Recently installed at a U.S.-based L’Oréal production facility by Capmatic Ltd., the state-of-theart EKLIPS Monoblock line—designed to package 1,200-ml bottles of Fructis Products hair-care solu-
READY FOR RFID Claimed to be the world’s first on-demand color RFID (radio frequency identification) label printer, the RX900 system from Primera Technology, Inc. incorporates Intermec’s reader/encoding module to provide a cost-effective means of applying RFID technology in the printing, encoding, verification and dispensing of multiple labels one at a time, while supporting all the popular linear and 2D (two-dimensional) barcode symbologies. Featuring printer drivers for Windows XP/Vista/7, along with Primera’s NiceLabel SE software and a starter version of Seagull Scientific’s BarTender label design/RFID software, the RX900 printer allows users to add color coding, high-resolution color graphics and even photo-quality images to RFID labels and tags as they’re being printed, according to the company, covering a broad range of applications such as file folder tracking in medical, government and insurance environments; data tape tracking for indexing by color, barcodes and RFID; generating pharmaceutical labels; producing oversized ID badges; and enhancing ID wristbands with full-color, high-resolution photos of patients and patrons. Primera Technology, Inc.
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CASE IN POINT The new range of FreshCase vacuum packaging from the Curwood division of Bemis Company, Inc. has been engineered to provide case-ready meats with superior f lavor, higher quality, extended shelf-life and the fresh red color preferred by most consumers, according to the company, ensuring a shelf-life of more than 30 days for whole muscle beef and extending typical retail display life up to
tions at rates of up to 80 bottle per minute—is integrated with Capmatic’s speciallydesigned PucketSortStar bottle unscrambler for handling and feeding odd-shaped plastic bottles directly into the EKLIPS Monoblock machine, comprising a high-performance, continuous motion filler-capper combination. According to Capmatic, 28 days—compared to the conventional three to five days for tray overwraps— to enable significant costsavings from reduced markdowns, spoilage, waste and manual repackaging. Compared to conventional MAP (modified-atmosphere packaging) formats, the FreshCase vacuum packages use up 75 per cent less packaging materials— achieving considerable savings by not having to use costly MAP gases, soaker pads, oxygen absorbers and master packs—while also dramatically increasing the amount of product that can be transported to customers by truck. Developed specifically for fresh beef products, the new FreshCase materials are available for many formats, including forming and non-forming films, vacuum-skin packaging, trays and semi-rigid films, with an optional EZ Peel opening feature providing an extra measure of consumer convenience. Curwood (div. of Bemis Company)
CLEAR THINKING The new range of AGILITY NX clear polypropylene (PP) resins from leading plastics producer The Dow Chemical Company—developed jointly with specialty chemicals supplier Milliken & Company—combines Dow’s breakthrough polymer design and production capabilities for random copolymer PP resins with Milliken’s innovative Millad NX 8000 clarifying agent—making these resins exceptionally well-suited for clear, injectionmolded food and consumer storage containers, thinwall retail food packaging, and other demanding
FORWARD THINKING Our eco-friendly bottles are contributing towards a greener tomorrow • • • • • • •
We specialize in PET plastic, one of the highest recyclable plastic resins Make your brand environmentally friendly, choose from our various Post-Consumer-Resin options Choose from hundreds of in-stock glass bottles, plastic bottles and closures Or design your own creative custom bottle/closure State-of-the-art PET manufacturing plant Design and development consulting team Your One Stop Packaging Partner Discover our value added benefits at
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the filling station utilizes high-precision Mass Meter filling technology to execute high-accuracy fills of up to ±0.2 per cent for the for shampoo and conditioner products handled by the line, whose innovative CIP (cleaning-in-place) and /or SIP (sterilizing-inplace) capabilities employ current and counter-current f low to ensure perfect cleanliness and sanitation of the complete filling station, without having to shut the machine down. The line’s capping station consists of multiple servo-driven capping heads that can be used with press-on cap, screwcap, cap orientation and other methods—enhanced by the use of a vision camera system to automatically ensure that each and every cap is in the correct position, as well as confirming and attaining the appropriate pre-set torque for optimal line efficiency. Capmatic Ltd.
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consumer goods applications. According to Dow, the AGILITY NX resins offer packaging converters the opportunity to run equipment at lower processing temperatures, thereby reducing energy use, while also processing faster and releasing from molds with greater ease—allowing converters to achieve cycle-time reductions by up to 10 per cent or more. With growing consumer demand for clear containers and packaging, the AGILITY NX resins are claimed to offer an noticeable improvement in processing efficiencies and aesthetic benefits, while enabling improved design freedom for lighterweight, thin-wall configurations that combine an excellent balance of stiffness and toughness with superior taste and odor response. The Dow Chemical Company
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FINISHING STRETCH Now available in stainless-steel and freezer versions, the Robopac Rotoplat line of stretchwrapping machines from Butler Staple Company—distributed in Canada by Jean Cartier Packaging—is distinguished by the exceptionally high quality of the construction materials and high technical standards for all the mechanical and electronic components to enable highly efficient and high-performance end-of-line packaging operations in most demanding industrial environments, according to the company, to handle loads of up to 2,000 kilograms. Equipped with a new turntable base featuring front and rear forklift portability for optimal operational f lexibility, the stretchwrappers utilize a diamond pattern on the plate—spinning on heavy-duty casters with sealed bearings—to ensure better grip for any load and to avoid slippage during the wrapping cycle, with the machine’s reliable chain and sprocket system facilitating consistent and reliable turntable performance during rotation. Made of cold-folded steel, the machine’s mast boasts a tubular inner structure in order to ensure maximum rigidity and resistance to any torsion or strain, while the upgraded control panel now features a Stop Cycle pushbutton control and includes buttons for turntable rotation speed, pre-stretch ratio, upward/downward film carriage speed, force-to-load control, upward and downward bottom and top wraps, and a photoeye sensing delay.
WE CARE ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY
Jean Cartier Packaging
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CANADIAN PACKAGING • APRIL 2011
ECO-PACK NOW
PEPSI DEVELOPS A GREENER PET BOTTLE Soft-drink powerhouse PepsiCo, Inc. says it has completed the development of the world’s first plastic PET (polyethylene terephthlate) beverage bottle made entirely form plant-based, fullyrenewable resources, including various agricultural byproducts such as orange and potato peels and oat hulls, as well as bio-based raw materials like switch grass, pine bark and corn husks. Claimed to be 100-precent recyclable, Pepsi’s new “green” bottle combines advanced biological and chemical processes to create a molecular structure that is identical to petroleum-based PET to create a bottle that looks, feels and protects its product identically to the conventional PET beverage containers, according to the company, which plans to begin pilot production in 2012 before moving directly to full-scale commercialization. “This breakthrough innovation is a transformational development for PepsiCo and the beverage industry, and a direct result of our commitment
to research and development,” says Indra Nooyi, chief executive officer of the Purchase, N.Y.headquartered PepsiCo. “PepsiCo is in a unique position, as one of the world’s largest food-and-beverage businesses, to ultimately source agricultural byproducts from our foods business to manufacture a more environmentally-preferable bottle for our beverages business—a sustainable business model that we believe brings to life the essence of Performance with Purpose,” Nooyi adds. According to Conrad Mackerron, senior program director at the San Francisco, Ca.-based corporate social responsibility foundation As You Sow, “We applaud PepsiCo’s innovative packaging design. By reducing reliance on petroleum-based materials and using its own agricultural scraps as feedstock for new bottles, this advancement should deliver a double win for the environment and PepsiCo.”
BIOPLASTIC TUBE A REAL CLEAN BREAKTHROUGH Brushing you teeth has just gotten to be whole lot cleaner for the environment with recent introduction of the world’s first truly biodegradable toothpaste tubes by leading Swedish tubemaker Tectubes AB, which are currently used to package Prabhupada’s brand of all-natural toothpaste developed by Allveggie in Emmaboda, Sweden. Made from a blend of the specialty customized biolpoymers formulated by German bioplastics developer FKuR Kunststoff GmbH,, the injectionmolded, extruded tubes are being used -certified, to package the Free Trade-certified, f luoride- and glycerine-free toothpaste— a mixture of baking soda, hemp oil, stevia, thyme, eucalyptus, spearmint and other all-natural substances—originally developed in the early 1990s. ”It is important for us to emphasize our ecological awareness and send a signal,” says Allveggie’s Swedish manager Stefan Lundbladh. “By using bioplastics we can fulfil our wish to have an overall environmentally friendly solution,” says Lundbladh, pointing out that every single ingredient contained in the toothpaste is fully biodegradable.
“Using bioresins for such an application was a real challenge for us, because we needed to have compatibility between the different parts, and match them together with good conversion properties,” relates Johan Barkentin, project leader at Tectubes, which manufactures about 300 million plastic packaging tubes per year at factories in Sweden and North America. ”By using FKuR’s expertise and range of sustainable bioplastics we were able to reach a very satisfactory solution,” says Barkentin, complimenting the new tubes for “excellent mechanical properties.” Adds FKuR’s Scandinavian sales rep Bjarne Högström: “This development shows the versatility of biopolymers and how far biopolymers have progressed with respect to processability and final characteristics.” Founded in 2003 in Willich, Germany, FKuR produces and markets three main proprietary brands of technical bioplastics derived from renewable resources, including Bio-Flex (polylactic acid compound), Biograde (cellulose ester compound) and Fibrolon (natural fiber reinforced polymers).
BOXED WINE MAKING A BIG SPLASH IN THE U.S.
Breaking with tradition is not a decision to be taken lightly in the time-honored wine industry, but using paper packaging instead of glass is merely staying true to its roots for the Napa, Ca.-based winemaker Bota Box,, which has just rolled out its new, vintage-dated varietals—including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Grigio —across the U.S. in and Chardonnay—across 500-ml Tetra Pak aseptic cartons. Operating as part of the renowned family-owned California vintner DFV Wines, Bota Box was founded 2003 as a niche producer of wine packaged in large-sized, threeliter bag-in-box packages—containing the equivalent of four 750-ml bottles—made from 100-recyclable, unbleached, post-consumer fiberboard printed with soy-based inks. Offered in eight popular varietals—also including Riesling, Malbec, Shiraz and Old Vine Zinfandel—the three-liter cartons incorporate proprietary FlexTap bag-and-tap technology that enables the wine to stay fresh for up to 45 days after opening, according to the company’s senior brand manager John Garaventa, helping establish the brand as a true “green choice” among California wine-lovers. “We take great care in making sure our wines are packaged in environmentally-friendly packaging, and in doing so, have received an overwhelming response from our customers,” says John Garaventa. “We knew it was time to push the envelope by bringing something fresh and innovative to quality- and eco-conscious wine enthusiasts. “For us, Bota Tetra Paks are a home run: quality wine, sustainable packaging, and convenient size.” Garaventa says using Tetra Pak cartons instead of glass will provide about 75-percent reduction in GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions and generate 50 per cent less landfill waste. “In addition to having a lighter carbon footprint, Bota Tetra Paks fall in sync with the active modern lifestyle,” adds Garaventa. “The versatile containers are shatterproof, portable and practical with a resealable twist-off cap—making Bota the perfect wine choice for ski trips, backpacking, camping and outdoor entertainment.”
NEW HONEY PACKAGING HITS THE GREEN SWEET-SPOT With packaging sustainability still evolving from being merely a catchy buzzword to a widely embraced ideal, the concept is clearly catching on in the time-tested beekeeping industry, with French-based honey producer Famille Michaud Apiculteurs recently generating a lot of buzz with its new lightweight, recycled plastic packaging that will dramatically cut the apiary’s overall environmental footprint in coming months. Jointly developed by the Austrian-based Greiner Packaging International and French plastics processor Roskoplast S.A., the new containers—weighing only 28 grams each—are produced from locally-sourced, reshredded loose
APRIL 2011 • CANADIAN PACKAGING
leftover foil cuttings, normally just discarded as waste, that are processed into sturdy, food-grade PET (polyethylene terephthalate) foils with at least 90-percent recycled content. (See Images) Prior to turning to recycled PET, the honey producer used packaging produced from raw materials shipped in from as far as Asia, which contributed to a significant environmental footprint for the Michaud Apiculteurs products. But with the three companies being located literally within 15 kilometers of each other, the estimated sustainability gains enabled by the new, locally-produced recycled packaging were impressive enough to earn each enterprise a second prize in
the national Prix Entreprises & Environment 2010 awards competition of the French Environment and Energy Management Agency. Some of the more notable specific sustainability gains, as calculated by French engineering consultants APESA, include: • Seventy-percent reduction in annual CO2 emissions, approximately 65 tons; • Eighty-percent reduction in oil consumption to manufacture the packaging; • Sixty-seven percent cut in electricity consumption and a 27-percent reduction in water usage.
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ACCESS THE GLOBAL PACKAGING NETWORK ACCESS THE GLOBAL PACKAGING NETWORK
Adding value to PACKEX Toronto
PAC presents an all-star lineup of conferences June 21, 2011 5 PM to 10 PM
June 22, 2011 8:30 AM to 4 PM
Celebrate with industry leaders
Walmart Sustainable Packaging Conference V
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Excellence in Innovation, Leadership in Design, Caché of Winning The success of the PAC – The Packaging Association competitions is largely due to the caché and historical importance of this event. Get your entry in now and come and join over 500 industry professionals celebrate the winners at our black tie PAC Leadership Awards Gala, June 21, 2011. Walmart Canada will also present their fourth Sustainable Packaging Award. Your company may join these previous proud recipients - Unilever, Arthur’s Juices and Henkel of this prestigious award. Download your entry forms now at: www.pac.ca/index.php/pac/competition Important dates • April 18, 2011, Sustainable Packaging Competition (on-line submissions only), final entry deadline • May 4, 2011, National Packaging Competition, final entry deadline Awards on display • June 21, 2011, Toronto, PAC Leadership Awards Gala, Toronto Congress Centre held in conjunction with: • June 21-23, 2011, PACKEX Toronto • September 26-28, 2011, ‘Best of Show winners’ at PACKEXPO Las Vegas 2011. June 21, 2011, 1 PM to 2:30 PM Expanding your Exports: Doing Business outside of the United States • EDC economist and market rep to speak about the economy in China, India, and Brazil. • Canadian success story • EDC products and services overview.
June 23, 2011, 9 AM to 10:30 AM Global Food Safety Initiative and PACsecure Packaging Scheme • This session is targeted at those companies with a keen interest in leading global HACCPbased packaging for food safety initiatives including packaging converters, CPG’ers and Retailers. Featuring: • Introduction of GFSI – the Global Food Safety Initiative, including goals, activities, current GFSI Status, processes and participants. • PACsecure, the only packaging standard in the world designed specifically for packaging converters, by packaging converters, brand owners and government agencies – learn about the standards, approved consultants and third party auditors, and certified companies.
Taking sustainability deeper into an organization - Learn more about: • Walmart Sustainability Commitment • Embedding Sustainability in Organization Culture • Driving Sustainability in Consumer Goods • Sustainability Consortium • Global Packaging Project
• The Seven Sins of Greenwashing • Material Optimization throughout the Lifecycle • Bioplastics, Life Cycle Implications • Retail Ready Packaging
Agenda Executive Strategic Forum: 8:30 AM - 12 NOON • David Cheesewright, President & CEO, Walmart Canada • Dr Stephanie Bertels, Network for Business Stability • Scott McDougall, President, TerraChoice • Kelly Scott, University of Arkansas Tactical Implementation Seminars: 1 PM - 4 PM • Material Optimization throughout the Lifecycle • Bioplastics…Lifecycle Implications • Retail Ready Packaging Update
PACsecure – HACCP-Based Food Packaging Safety Standards - The Latest Recipients Specifically designed for packaging manufacturers by food processors, package converters and the CFIA
For more information contact Lisa Abraham at 416.646.4640, labraham@pac.ca OR Lindsey Ogle at logle@pac.ca, 416.646.4641 or visit www.pac.ca
10 • WWW.CANADIANPACKAGING.COM
CANADIAN PACKAGING • APRIL 2011
AUTOMATIC TRAY SEALERS HYGENIC - RELIABLE & HIGHLY EFFICIENT With the new Multivac automatic in-line tray sealers, we have combined our industry-leading hygienic design, machine reliability and easy to use control system to offer simple packaging solutions. Our driving design principles focus on resource conservation and production efďŹ ciency with abilities to change tray sizes within 10 minutes. These innovative machines deliver optimal packaging results with air, MAP, skin (VSP), SkinFOIL, foil, FreshSAFE, slicepack and Mirabella applications. In addition, their ground-breaking intuitive user interface makes them simple to operate and to change tools. Our automatic tray sealers are ideally suited for a wide range of applications including: food, medical products, consumer and industrial goods.
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www.multivac.com 107
Cardboard
scares bugs IT ALSO SCARES WOOD • Corrupal shipping pallets ensure your exportations are free of bugs and meet the latest American and international phytosanitary regulations. They make the administrative process easier and reduce quarantine costs. • CorruPallets are made of 70% recycled cardboard and are biodegradable and recyclable. Can the same be said for the millions of wood pallets dumped in landfills? • With no nails or splinters and up to 80% lighter than their equivalent in wood, they can be safely handled by just one employee while helping you save money on shipping. • CorruPallets can be custom-made to your specifications. For wood pallets, it’s not the case. Same old, same old.
COME AND MEET US • June 7 to 9, at THE EAST PACK SHOW in New York. • June 21 to 23, at THE PACKEX in Toronto. 1-877-638-4222 (Canada) 1-888-856-2222 (U.S.) CORRUPAL.COM
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Javier San Juan, President and CEO, L’Oréal Canada
HAIR TO THE THRONE Leading hair-care products manufacturer combines world-class manufacturing prowess with progressive sustainability practices to cement its marketplace prominence
BY GEORGE GUIDONI, EDITOR PHOTOS BY PIERRE LONGTIN
B
eauty may well be in the eyes of the beholder, as the age-old wisdom suggests, but most beholders will agree that a healthy and wellgroomed head of hair is an essential part of that allimportant, eye-pleasing, long-lasting first impression for men and women alike the world over. Essential enough, in fact, to support a multibillion-dollar global hair-care industry led by some of the world’s most innovative, technologically pioneering, leading-edge manufacturing enterprises such as the globally-operating beauty products powerhouse L’Oréal Group. Headquartered in the Paris suburb of Clichy,
Hauts-de-Seine, France, the world’s largest cosmetics and beauty company is in many ways a model example for multinational conglomerates across a broad range of global industries—enjoying virtually unrivaled brand recognition, envious market share and penetration, far-f lung geographic reach, and a staggering portfolio of category-leading products that routinely enables the forward-thinking company, founded in 1907 by a young French chemist Eugène Schueller, to generate annual revenues of over $25 billion. And while the company has reaped rich marketplace rewards over the decades from research-driven product diversification—successfully expanding into the lucrative cosmetics, skin-care, perfumes and sun protection segments of the global H&B (healthProfessional hair-coloring products made and packaged at the Saint-Laurent facility feature detailed, crisp and permanent text and other graphics generated on both the tubes and outside folding cartons by the Canlase laser product marking systems manufactured in Canada by North American Laser Systems Inc.
APRIL 2011 • CANADIAN PACKAGING
and-beauty) marketplace—hair products remain very much at the core of a global business colossus that operates 42 manufacturing plants throughout the world, employing over 66,000 people. Operating out of Montreal since 1968, the L’Oréal Canada subsidiary provides a mirror-like ref lection of its parent company’s long-sustained growth in the world’s hair-care industry, in which its founder played a vital pioneering role more than 100 years ago by formulating a breakthrough, long-lasting hair dye formula, which he proceeded to manufacture and sell to Parisian hairdressers under the Auréole brand name.
Starting Out Originally started up in Hamilton, Ont., in 1958, L’Oréal’s Canadian operations have blossomed over time to become one of its most rewarding offshore ventures—today commanding a leading 25-percent share of the Canadian beauty market and employing over 1,200 Canadians across the country. This includes over 900 people in the province of Quebec—employed at the company’s Montrealarea manufacturing plant and distribution center, the stylish Canadian headquarters in downtown Montreal, and out-in-the-field sales force. Having been expanded, modernized and upgraded 10 times since its startup 43 years ago, the L’Oréal Canada manufacturing plant in the city’s SaintLaurent suburb is today a veritable showcase of cutting-edge product innovation and worldclass manufacturing and packaging capabilities— empowered with global manufacturing mandates for a broad range of professional products used by hair salons and licensed hairdressers in 39 countries around the world. Continues on page 14
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COVER STORY
The Allen-Bradley range of user-friendly, touchscreen operator panels manufactured by Rockwell Automation (above) are a common sight throughout the highlyautomated Saint-Laurent manufacturing facility, including this PanelView 1000 model terminal used to control and operate Cermex case-packing equipment.
A Kuka robot inside a fully-enclosed, automated depalletizing workcell supplied by Mecano Industrie Inc. unloading rows of empty plastic containers and placing them onto the conveyor belt to be transferred to the filling station.
well,” says San Juan, citing L’Oréal Canada’s annual sales of over $800 million that rank that company as one of Canada’s top ten corporations. Adds San Juan: “I think that Canadian consumers are very well-educated and open-minded in large part because of the multinational diversity in the Canadian culture, and such diversity is really part of the DNA for a company like L’Oréal. “Our manufacturing plant alone employs people of 17 different nationalities, speaking a lot of different languages,” states San Juan, “and I feel such diversity plays an important role in how wellreceived L’Oréal products have been by Canadian consumers in the marketplace.” Turning out approximately 2,200 SKU (stockkeeping units) in over 150 different packaging formats ranging from tubes to pouches and sachets, the Saint-Laurent plant is considered to be one of the most productive L’Oréal production facilities worldwide, according to vice-president of industry Jean-Victor Pycke, exporting about 95 per cent of its output, including the all-important U.S. market.
A close-up view of the end-of-arm tooling on the IRB 120 model robot from ABB gently manipulating filled bottles of product to place them precisely in their proper spots on the fast-moving conveying line directly below.
Quality First
HAIR TO THE THRONE Continued from page 13
Employing about 250 unionized staff on a busy three-shift, five-days-a-week schedule, the highlyautomated, 322,000-square-foot facility houses a total of 27 high-performance packaging lines and 22 manufacturing/processing skids to turn out over 150 million individual packaged products a year, according to L’Oréal Canada president and chief executive officer Javier San Juan, making it not only a vitally important supply chain link in the company’s global business, but also a well-respected example of worldclass manufacturing efficiency, top-notch product quality, benchmark packaging and distribution excellence, and admirable commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR). “L’Oréal Canada has always believed that lasting business success is built on a genuine sense of responsibility to the community at large, and on strong ethical standards which guide our growth,”
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asserts Spanish-born San Juan—a life-long, globetrotting H&B business veteran who joined L’Oréal Canada in 1998 after a succession of senior management postings around L’Oréal’s global empire, including Russia, Romania, Thailand, Argentina and Uruguay, among others. For all his exotic world travel, San Juan says he has developed a heartfelt fondness and affinity for Canada since his arrival, taking special personal pride in the fact that his third daughter was born in Canada a few years back. “Personally I think that Canada is an exotic country in itself,” San Juan told Canadian Packaging in a recent interview. “It is such a richly complex society, combining so many different nationalities, that I realized very early on that it would be a very refreshing challenge for me here, both professionally and personally. “It is always a challenge, of course, for any European company to come to North America and take on some of the U.S.-based mega-competitors on their home turf, but I think we are doing quite
With near-perfect product quality levels in excess of 99.9 per cent, the plant has little trouble securing new manufacturing mandates from its parent company, relates Pycke, citing the 2007 facility expansion and capital equipment investment necessitated by receiving a world mandate for production of the SoftSheen• Carson product line—adding to other bestselling professional brands, produced in liquid and/or cream formulations, such as L’Oréal Professionnel, Matrix, Redken and Garnier. “The Saint-Laurent plant is continuously upgrading and expanding in order to meet with the many different mandates it receives,” says Pycke. “Just recently, we were asked to ramp up production to begin manufacturing L’Oréal’s INOA solution, which is the first ammonia-free professional hair-coloring product on the market,” says Pycke, relating how extra production demands prompted installation of an IRB 120 series packaging robot from ABB to work within a custom-designed, explosion-proof tube filler because of alcohol content in the product’s formulation. Due to the volatile nature of the hair-coloring products, workplace safety and sanitation are paramount priorities, Pycke explains, which in turn requires the multi-certified plant to continually invest in automation technologies, such as robots, to minimize manual product handling.
CANADIAN PACKAGING • APRIL 2011
COVER STORY
A Model 250 labelingapplicating system from ID Technology makes quick work of attaching barcoded product labels onto the sides of passing corrugated boxes making way to the end-of-line packaging area.
“It has to be a very highly-automated facility,” states Pycke, pointing out that most of the packaging lines are usually staffed by just one operator—mostly monitoring that all of the automated, computerized production and packaging systems are running as they should. Boasting top-level triple international certification with ISO 9001 quality management systems, ISO 14001 environmental management and OSHAS 18001 workplace safety registrations, the Saint-Laurent plant enjoys a solid safety record and good labor relations with its workforce, represented by the Teamsters union. “First and foremost, we need to ensure the safety of our employees,” states Pycke, “because having a very active and engaged workforce allows us to achieve our targets. “The employees’ active participation in working groups ensures that our EH&S (safety, hygiene and environment), quality and productivity targets are consistently met,” relates Pycke, citing numerous awards received by the plant over the years “for exemplary performance” from the L’Oréal Group in the internal annual evaluation of its plants, administrative sites and distribution centres worldwide. “The cosmetics industry is a very fast-paced and competitive industry,” he remarks, “so having a dedicated, highly-skilled and engaged workforce is key to our success, as well as being able to produce innovative, high-quality products that meet the needs of our customers and consumers worldwide.” Adds San Juan: “We have been using a very innovative approach to ensure safe handling of loads, which has led to a significant improvement in the factory’s job-related injury rates. “We had managers of all levels trained to provide on-the-spot, one-on-one coaching in safety, which combined with simple but powerful riskreduction tools has dramatically raised the awareness of safety issues among employees—resulting in very high safety standards,” he points out. To retain its edge in human resources, the company uses progressive hiring practices and provides attractive incentives to draw the best and
Installed at the Saint-Laurent manufacturing facility in April of 2010 to accommodate additional production volumes for the recently-launched INOA line of ammonia-free permanent hair-coloring solutions, this ABB model IRB 120 robot was integrated into a fully-automated, explosionproof workcell by the Montreal-based packaging equipment turnkey systems specialists PharmaCos Machinery Inc. to work in tandem with a Kalix cartoner system by utilizing an Allen-Bradley programmable logic controller (PLC).
A model Imaje 4040 inkjet case-coding system from Markem-Imaje applying large-character text, logos and barcodes to loaded corrugated shipping boxes making their way to the palletizing station just up ahead.
Continues on page 16
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COVER STORY use local suppliers for our packaging materials and machinery requirements, what is most important to us at the end of the day is the quality of their products.” Pycke says the plant boasts a diverse selection of top-quality, high-performance packaging equipment such as fillers, labelers, cartoners, unscramblers, automated palletizers, shrinkwappers and casepackers, singling out L’Oréal Canada’s director of procurement and development David Ohayon industrial robotics sup(left) and vice-president of industry Jean-Victor Pycke pose in front of plier ABB Canada, posters providing progress updates on the company’s Réduction à la source packaging systems inteinhouse waste diversion program, recently awarded formal recognition by the grator Pharmacos Quebec government’s Recyc-Quebec agency that oversees all recycling and Machinery Inc., and waste reduction activities in the province. product coding systems developer North HAIR TO THE THRONE American Laser Systems Inc. as some of the Continued from page 15 plant’s foremost “long-standing partners” in Canada. the brightest, points out San Juan, across all of its Also located in Saint-Laurent, the company’s Canadian operations. 250-employee distribution center is a high-through“In Canada we continuously recruit dynamic put, high-tech 322,000-square-foot facility operattalent for some of the most exciting careers in ing on a two-shift, five-day-week schedule to ship the beauty industry,” says Juan, pointing out the L’Oréal Canada’s complete brand portfolio to more company’s deep commitments to strong R&D than 8,000 points-of-sale across Canada—including (research-and-development) activities, on which all major drug-store chains and other retailers—with it spends about four percent of its annual turnover. f lawless on-time delivery, according to the DC’s “We openly encourage individuality and riskvice-president of operations Pierre Massicotte. taking, appreciate creativity and innovation, and Big Boost offer an environment of ongoing learning and perOriginally started up in 2001, the “beautiful sonal growth because it is essential for us to remain and ultra-modern building” can easily boost its a highly-innovative manufacturer in what is a throughput capacity to accommodate seasonal fiercely competitive business.” peaks in the summer to handle extra volume of Adds Pycke: “Working for L’Oréal is considered to sun-care products, Massicotte relates, as well as for be a very prestigious career choice in the Montreal special holidays like Christmas and Mother’s Day. area: the company has a very good reputation for “Everything involved in L’Oréal Canada’s supply both its work environment and for strong bonds chain management of all of our brands is housed with the local community. under one roof at this DC,” says Massicotte, citing “Our employees take a lot of pride in their jobs,” an extensive list of popular consumer brands such he states, “wherever they work in the company.” as L’Oréal Paris, Garnier, Maybelline New York, This certainly applies to the Saint-Laurent plant’s Ombrelle, Lancôme, Biotherm, Giorgio Armani, “very important packaging department,” relates Ralph Lauren, Kiehl’s Since 1851, Victor & Rolf, Pycke, which employs about 100 people to execute Laboratoires Vichy, La Roche-Posay Laboratoire packaging-related functions at the facility, including Pharmaceutique, The Body Shop, Yves Saintline operators, line mechanics and forklift drivers. Laurent Beauté, Roger & Gallet, Stella McCartney “Due to the nature of our products we do have a and Ermenegildo Zegna. lot of special packaging requirements, such as exploAlso responsible for shipping all the online orders sion-proof fillers,” says Pycke, “and while we try to
for North America received through its website for the Biotherm skin-care products and Shu Uemura cosmetics lines, the DC facility expedited over 500,000 orders in 2010, according to Massicotte, representing more than 100 million product units. “The distribution center is continuously upgrading its equipment and systems in order to better meet its needs,” Massicotte relates, citing recent installations of mobile ‘shoppeur’ carts equipped with barcodereading ‘pickers,’ as well as the installation of pallet f low and span tracks in the racks to maximize the stocking space vertically in each location. “We also completely redesigned the ‘pedestrian aisle’ in order to ensure the safest possible environment for the employees—most of the aisle has physical protection that separates the flux of motorized equipment and the pedestrian (on foot) staff,” he adds. Like with the manufacturing plant, the relentless focus on quality provides an essential competitive imperative for the DC, says Massicotte, citing picking accuracy rates of over 99.95 per cent. “Our people are well-trained in all aspects of quality control and assurance, and we supply them with all the tools that they need to keep up our quality standards and meet all our picking, shipping and delivery targets,” says Massicotte, adding the DC operates robust WMS (warehouse management system) and other enterprise management software from SAP to make the operation run like clockwork. As one of Montreal’s biggest and most high-profile industrial employers, L’Oréal Canada takes its community relations very seriously. “We are deeply committed to positioning L’Oréal Canada amongst the most exemplary Canadian corporations of the 21st century in the field of sustainable development,” San Juan asserts. “And by constant product innovation, improved efficacy, and by following the highest standards of product safety and responsible advertising, we are determined to make L’Oréal Canada a leader in corporate consumer responsibility,” he states, citing proactive communal efforts of the L’Oréal Corporate Foundation as one of many examples of the company’s model corporate citizenship. Formed in 2007, the foundation actively pursues three main noble causes, San Juan relates, including: • Promoting scientific research and the role of women in science through the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science program; • Helping people feeling vulnerable because of a change in their appearance to regain their selfesteem and self-confidence through the Look Good, Feel Better program; • Facilitating access to education through the Continues on page 18
Some of the leading-edge automated packaging equipment operating at the Saint-Laurent plant includes (from left) the Pegasus series end-load cartoning machine from 3S Packaging Technology; a machine vision-based product inspection and quality assurance system from Optel Vision; and a Cartopac horizontal cartoning machine from the IWKA Group.
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CANADIAN PACKAGING • APRIL 2011
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Close-up views of one of a couple of dozen made-in-Canada Canlase laser-coding product marking systems supplied to the Saint-Laurent plant by North American Laser Systems to accommodate the operation’s switch to laser technologies from inkjet coders. HAIR TO THE THRONE Continued from page 16
Hairdressers against Aids program. “Also, in 2009 L’Oréal Canada launched an innovative program to fight high-school drop out rates,” San Juan relates. “We implemented a theater program in a school located in an underprivileged section of Montreal with the goal of encouraging students to stay in school by actively engaging them in all aspects of the play: acting, set design, accessories, etc. “We have had terrific response.” Adds Pycke: “The L’Oréal Canada manufacturing plant and distribution center are an integral part of the Saint-Laurent community and are actively involved in several programs organized by the borough, such as incentives for employee car-pooling and ‘vélo-boulot (bike-to-work) programs, and the tree-planting project for the borough of Saint-Laurent’s industrial and commercial park—with the aim of reducing the amount of greenhouse gas emissions in the borough generated by the industrial park.” Reducing the company’s manufacturing carbon footprint is an ongoing corporate priority and objective of “great importance” for L’Oréal Canada, according San Juan. “We are committed to implementing an environmentally-responsible approach in managing our operations and always aim for excellence in executing it,” he states, listing three core waste reduction targets to be achieved by the Saint-Laurent plant and DC facility by 2015, compared to 2005 levels: • Reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50 per cent; • Reducing its water use per unit of finished product by 50 per cent; • Reducing the waste generated per unit of finished product by 50 per cent. “This approach plays a key role at every step of the production chain and testifies to L’Oréal Canada’s determination to respond to growing consumer expectations,” says San Juan, proudly citing the company’s recent inclusion on the prestigious World’s 100 Most Sustainable Corporations list of the Corporate Knights Magazine, along with the Top 50 Socially Responsible Corporations by the Canada’s leading national weekly publication Maclean’s of Rogers Media. “Values such as integrity, responsibility and respect for people and the environment have been a key part of L’Oréal’s DNA since the early days,” stresses San Juan, “and it is very gratifying to see our commitment to sustainable growth bringing us recognition as one of the world’s most sustainable businesses.
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“We are fully committed to the development, production, distribution and sale of innovative, highquality products in an ethical manner by minimizing our impact on the environment and guaranteeing the safety of our employees and consumers.” Naturally, using more sustainable packaging products and practices plays a vital role in the company’s greater sustainability vision, San Juan relates. “We have many examples of ongoing ‘green’ improvements when it comes to our packaging— from printing instructions directly on the packaging, rather than inserting a leaf let inside the box, to using laser labelers on the packaging instead of printing labels, to maximizing the space used in the delivery trucks in order to save on transport costs and CO2 emissions,” San Juan confides. “We have also been working very closely with our component and raw material suppliers to reduce the packaging where possible—either by going to larger formats, such as big bags, or by eliminating the packaging all together, by doing things like stacking filled bottles directly onto a palet,” he expands.
Shuttle Service “Moreover, the increased use of shuttle packaging allows us to reuse the same packaging up to 30 times when delivering products to the customer sites,” San Juan remarks, “which in turns reduces our transportable waste. “We are very proud of the fact that most of the production lines at our DC facility are now wastefree because we can now reuse the suppliers’ boxes and protective foam to fill our own orders. “As an industry leader we constantly look for ways to partner and share best practices with our stakeholders,” he adds. “We participate in numerous important industry groups and associations such as GS1 Canada, with its goal of bringing together manufacturers, retailers and other partners in a collective effort to develop industry standards in the area of sustainable packaging.” According to San Juan and Pycke, switching the product marking and coding operations at the plant several years ago from inkjet printers to laser-based product marking technologies—these days supplied exclusively by the Mississauga, Ont.-based North American Laser Systems Inc.—has played a significant role in reducing the SaintLaurent facility’s packaging footprint, while also delivering higher print quality, operational savings and much lower maintenance requirements. “This was a very profound positive change for our operations,” Pycke remarks, praising the reli-
ability and ease-of-operation of the Canlase laser coders employed throughout the facility to permanently mark and code not only the aluminum and plastic tubes inside the automated filling stations, but also to mark up the secondary packaging, primarily folding cartons, with all the essential product data further down the line. “Not only have we achieved significant costsavings by eliminating the use of certain packaging materials such as labels,” he says, “we are eliminating a lot of ink and other consumables that could otherwise end up in landfills or out in the environment. “We are very happy and comfortable with using laser coders in our operations,” he says, “and we are glad this is one of those key technologies for our business that we can obtain from a Canadian supplier.” That’s naturally music to the ears of North American Laser Systems general manager Greg Griffin, who estimates to have supplied 24 Canlase coders to the Saint-Laurent plant over the last several years. “They usually buy a couple of systems a year from us as their production requirements grow,” says Griffin, saying each Canlase system shipped to L’Oréal is entirely custom-assembled and tested in Mississauga to full specs before it is installed inline at the plant. “We do sell some off-the-shelf products, but for majority of our industrial clients our customdesign capabilities are almost as important as the systems’ reliability and quality,” says Griffin, also citing the likes of Colgate-Palmolive, General Motors and Magna as some of his company’s more illustrious blue-chip clients. “The thing that makes laser coders so reliable, compared to inkjet technology, is the fact that there are so few moving parts,” he states. “You only have two mirrors and the carbon laser itself, so the machine maintenance requirements are virtually nonexistent,” he says, adding that the Canlase coding systems are outfitted with all the required HEPA filters and vacuum-packed fume extractors to capture all emissions right at the source. “They have been a very good supplier partner for us to work with,” states Pycke, agreeing that the laser-based product marking method provides for far superior, virtually defect-free print quality than anything that inkjet systems could rival, especially when working with such hard-to-mark packaging as aluminum tubes. Other important sustainability initiatives carried out in recent years by L’Oréal Canada include impressive energy conservation and water use Continues on page 20
CANADIAN PACKAGING • APRIL 2011
“It starts with an idea… That idea becomes a highly-efficient, state-of-the-art production line” — Roman Strozynski, President
OUR SERVICES Engineering Line Audit Layout Integration FAT/SAT Plant Relocation Process RFID Installation on Site (Piping & Wiring) Robotics Integration Vision System Integration Printing System Integration Equipment Refurbishing/ Environmental Soutions
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PARTS $1 Million + Inventory MACHINES Access to all brands - New & Used CONVEYORS Full consultation, design & integration
From concept to Turnkey Production Lines PharmaCos Machinery 2400 rue Guénette, St-Laurent, QC H4R 2H2 Tél: (514) 339-5400 Fax: (514) 339-5441 www.pcmachinery.com FOR MORE INFORMATION CIRCLE
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Accuracy. Speed. Precision.
Custom-designed automated unscramblers integrated by PharmaCos Machinery are used to begin the transfer of empty plastic jars and containers, supplied in bulk by Berry Plastics Corporation, to the plant’s packaging lines via bucket elevators.
A high-accuracy Mettler-Toledo Hi-Speed checkweigher is used to ensure precise product fills. Heavy-duty SEW-Eurodrive motors power conveyor belts transporting corrugated shipping boxes to the palletizing area.
Sales Laser Marking is rapidly replacing older product marking methods. A key factor in the widespread adoption of laser marking is the direct increase of data needed to be marked on products to ensure proper tracking and traceability. A variety of laser technologies are used to mark different types of material for medical, aerospace, automotive and packaging products. The product information may be in the form of human readable alphanumeric, barcodes or even data matrix codes. Today flexible automation along with improved environmental profile and a low cost of ownership add to the benefits for use of laser technology.
Service Service only? Let our trained technicians ensure optimum productivity with minimal downtime, fast response and preventive maintenance programs. We service a wide variety of lasers including CO2 and YAG.
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2650 Meadowvale Boulevard, Units 6&7 Mississauga ON, Canada L5N 6M5 Telephone 905-542-3350 | Fax 905-542-9732 www.northamericanlasers.com www.sales@northamericanlasers.com FOR MORE INFORMATION CIRCLE
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HAIR TO THE THRONE Continued from page 18
reductions through heat recovery, lighting systems upgrades and other like-minded, well-executed process improvements. “We are committed to reducing our environmental impact and resource use through ‘absolute reductions,’ as we call it,” San Juan states. “Where this is not practicable, we always aim for greater eco-efficiency and use of environmentally friendly approaches. “The specific measures can include simple things like modernizing the lighting in our distribution center and manufacturing plant,” he expands. “To date, we have changed over 1,200 high-pressure sodium fixtures and replaced them with more efficient fluorescent ones, while automating both HVAC (heating, ventilation and air-conditioning) systems. “This specific initiative alone resulted in a 26-percent decrease in electricity use at the DC and a fivepercent reduction for the manufacturing plant. “In addition, we all now enjoy the ergonomic benefits that came with this change,” he ref lects. “Fluorescent lighting is much closer in terms of color to natural light and as a result, the work environment is more pleasant than before, and the employees are feeling less tired by the end of the day.” In a similar vein, the DC facility has also achieved significant cuts in the consumption of natural gas used to heat the building. “The entire ventilation system there was recently reviewed, centralized and enhanced with various new types of controls, including a building pressure probe to ensure constant positive pressure across the site, humidity probes and CO2 detection probes,” relates San Juan. “The idea was to optimize, or rather minimize, the entry of fresh air into the building, which needs to be heated in the winter. “We estimate we have realized a 35-percent reduction in CO2 emissions with this project,” states San Juan, adding the DC is currently completing an installation of an entire solar-panel wall to heat warehouse spaces throughout the building. “We have also implemented measures to recover the heat from our wastewater in order to warm up
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the warehouse,” he notes. “This has reduced our natural gas consumption at the plant by 20 per cent in 2010, while eliminated over 500 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually. As for the company’s recycling and waste diversion efforts, San Juan says he takes great personal pride in Ici on Recycle – level 3 certification awarded to the plant in 2009 and the DC building in 2011— the highest recognition of environmental excellence bestowed by the provincial Recyc-Quebec agency—along with Recyc-Quebec’s Special Mention honors for the plant’s inhouse Réduction à la source project this past February. All in all, San Juan says he expects the next few years to be “very exciting” for L’Oréal Canada, its customers, and the consumer public at large. “I am very proud that Canada, with its relatively small population of 33 million, ranks as one of the top ten markets for L’Oreal worldwide,” he states. “We are the Number One cosmetics company in Canada, with our 25 brands competing in all the beauty industry channels—from the mass market to the luxury market, to the dermatologist-recommended brands found in drugstores, to spa specialty brands, to products used and sold in beauty salons across the country. “It is an impressive achievement to be shared by all our employees,” he adds, “and you can be sure that high-quality, sustainable packaging will continue to remain of upmost importance to us. “We feel that packaging can in fact be used to guide consumers in their eco-friendly gestures,” he points out, singling out product disposal instructions such as, ‘Do not rinse out this bottle before throwing it in the recycling bin: it will waste water,’ messaging on the packages, “as well as a vital tool for growing our brand loyalty in Canada even further. “Our packaging is generally the first and last point of contact that the consumer has with our brands,” San Juan concludes, “which makes it an integral part of our marketing mix and a key driver in helping us forge stronger links with Canadian consumers well into the future.”
For More Information: North American Laser Systems Inc. ABB Canada PharmaCos Machinery Inc. KUKA Robotics Canada, Ltd. Rockwell Automation Canada, Inc. Cermex Inc. Markem-Imaje Inc. 3S Packaging Technology Optel Vision IWKA Group SEW-Eurodrive Co. of Canada Ltd. Berry Plastics Corporation Mettler-Toledo Inc. Mécano Industrie Inc.
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CANADIAN PACKAGING • APRIL 2011
LABELING
FIRST IMPRESSIONS New hybrid press off to rave reviews and accolades at Metro Label
Installed in February 2011 at Metro Label’s Toronto facility, the Alprinta V format-variable web offset press, manufactured by Muller Martini, has already enabled the plant to save production line time and costs.
est-quality label products for our customer base,” Lal explains. “But, we also wanted to ensure we looked after our community and the environment,” Lal told Canadian Packaging on a recent visit to the stylish facility in east-end Toronto. Designed with an abundance of natural light openings, the building utilizes low-wattage lighting in the administration offices and manufacturing plant, which are automatically controlled by motion sensors that shut off when the area is empty. In addition, the manufacturing facility uses a central heat recovery system that captures exhaust from all printing presses which it filters and reuses to heat the building.
Sandeep Lal President, Metro Label Group Inc.
Heat of the Moment
BY ANDREW JOSEPH, FEATURES EDITOR PHOTOS BY SANDRA STRANGEMORE
T
rying to become a leader in the vast North American market for product labels can be a sticky business at times, but that’s just how the Toronto-based Metro Label Group Inc. likes it. “When my father founded this company in 1974 he knew he wanted to build long-term relationships with his customers, employees and suppliers,” says Sandeep Lal, president of the Metro Label Group Inc. “And while it hasn’t always been easy, we’ve stuck by our principles and supported our customers, and I think that’s why we’ve become one of the largest producers of pressure-sensitive labels in Canada.” Over the years, Metro Label has grown quickly and smartly, establishing facilities in Napa Valley, Ca., Vancouver and Toronto to manufacture a
APRIL 2011 • CANADIAN PACKAGING
broad range of pressure-sensitive, glue-applied, inmold, continuous and shrinksleeve labels. Boasting a veritable ‘Who’s Who’ of customers in the North American retail sector like Estée Lauder, Nestlé Waters North America, President’s Choice & Exact brands from Loblaw Companies and Life Brand of Shoppers Drug Mart, Metro Label also does very substantial work for the distilled spirits and wine companies throughout Canada, the U.S., Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. Employing about 130 people, the 132,000-squarefoot LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)-Certified (green building certification system) Toronto-facility fortifies Lal’s above-board way of doing business, while still keeping a sharp eye on the bottom line. “When we built this plant in 2005, we wanted to create a safe environment for our employees which would also allow us to grow and create the high-
Moreover, all of the ceiling tiles and drywall are made from recycled fibers, Lal relates, while all the system furniture utilizes wood made from wheat stalk. “When we constructed this plant, not only did we want to have an eco-friendly manufacturing facility, we wanted to ensure we would have room to grow our business,” explains Lal. To grow that business, Lal decided early on not to pigeon-hole his company by doing only one type of printing process, aiming to be not just a jack-ofall-trades, but a master of them all. Accordingly, the diversified label manufacturer Continues on page 22
The 29-inch Alprinta V combination press features two print stations for flexo, six for litho and one for both.
WWW.CANADIANPACKAGING.COM • 21
LABELING FIRST IMPRESSIONS Continued from page 21
A Metro Label employee examinines a recently installed slitter-rewinder manufactured by Deacro Industries.
One of two 13-inch flexographic Mark Andy XP5000 presses purchased by Metro Label in 2010.
uses a variety of processes to produce its wares: f lexographic, gravure, waterless offset, conventional offset, digital offset, digital inkjet and even silkscreening. States Lal: “There’s not a printing process out there that we don’t utilize.” Most recently, the company made a significant capital investment with a 29-inch Alprinta V press manufactured by the Muller Martini Corporation, headquartered in Zofingen, Switzerland. “We wanted to acquire a press that was built for performance, reliability and speed; a press which would have all of the automation to enable us to be efficient and cost effective for our clients,” mentions Lal. Delivered to the Toronto facility in December of 2010, the Alprinta V was installed and tested extensively by the Concord, Ont.-based Muller Martini Canada staff.
Full Supply Says Lal: “We wanted to deal with a supplier that had an excellent reputation, had local service and support and was financially strong, and the people at Muller Martini were excellent to work with,” notes Lal. “And thanks to the training they provided to my staff, it has been very easy for us to utilize,” he adds. “Simply put, it’s a fantastic machine.” Renowned for its operational f lexibility, the Alprinta V hybrid press has nine print stations, including two for f lexo, six for litho, and one that can be either f lexo or litho, as required. The Alprinta V continuosly formatvariable web offset press was just what Metro Label needed, Lal says, providing the plant with an easy-to-use press that not only produces the high-quality labels expected by customers, but also facilitating notable time and cost savings that it is able to pass along to the customer. “We chose to work with the Alprinta V so we could accommodate large runs of pressure-sensitive labels and midsized to large-runs of f lexible packaging and shrinksleeves,” explains Lal. “Also, we like how the f lexo stations on it allow us to lay down more opaque whites on clear films, and metallic colors, which look more brilliant when printed f lexographically. “The Alprinta V is also impressive in the ease with which we can make alterations to the printing size,” he notes. “The only thing that needs to be physically changed are the plate cylinder and the blanket cylinder, which is done without any tools and we don’t have to break the web.” The changeable size parts are actually
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CANADIAN PACKAGING • APRIL 2011
LABELING light in weight and are easy to handle, he adds, surface, rather than having it actually absorbed into tion which our business was built on, and it’s one while matching the strength of its far heavier, oldthe substrate, facilitating a very high quality output; I am only too happy to continue with well into fashioned counterparts. • Inspection machines for the slitters manufacthe future.” According to Muller Martini, a few minutes is all tured by the Mississauga-Ont.-based Scantech For More Information: it takes to change the press over to a new size. Automation Inc., which utilize the 100-percent Able to work with a wide range of printable subdefect detection systems from Advanced Vision Metro Label Group 440 strates like paper, film, self-adhesive label stock and Technology (AVT) Ltd.; Muller Martini Canada 441 composite materials, the f lexibility of the Alprinta • Die-cutting line that cuts rolls into singles for Mark Andy, Inc. 442 V was a key factor in Metro Label’s purchase deciInmold and glue-applied labels from the German MPS America LLC 443 sion, according to Lal. manufacturer, Schober GmbH; Sanjo Corporation 444 “But what really sold me was its ability to save us • A slitter-rewinder from the Mississauga, Ont.Kamori Chambon USA 445 time, which is money,” Lal offers. based Deacro Industries Ltd., a well-respected Hewlett-Packard (Canada) Co. 446 “In fact, we have already noticed an average of 25 designer and manufacturer of quality high-perScantech Automation Inc. 447 per cent more uptime with this press, which means formance slitting and rewinding machines; Advanced Vision Technology (AVT) Ltd. 448 we can produce more labels faster without having • Inks for the Muller Martini Alprinta V are supSchober USA, Inc. 449 to sacrifice quality.” plied by Sun Chemical Limited, while the Flint Deacro Industries Ltd. 450 Lal says his Alprinta V press was purchased with a Group handles all other presses. Sun Chemical Limited 451 laminator unit as well as a rotary die-cutter. “For us, it’s all about earning our client’s trust day 1 SupervacSeals_Small_CP_J:Layout 1 5/14/09 7:05 PM Page Flint Group 452 The Butt-splicer and Turret rewinder supplied by after day,” sums up Lal. “It’s a rock-solid foundaMartini allows the press to run nonstop thanks to automated roll changeovers, allowing the press to run at close to its maxmum speed of 1,200 feet per minute. With many existing customers Heat and already sold on the virtues of Muller pressure IF YOUR FIRST SEAL Martini equipment, Lal already has from above and below many customers wanting to exploit the DOESN’T DO THE JOB, create two Alprinta V for themselves. superior Despite Lal’s newfound appreciation seals. for the Muller Martini press, he does not want to give the impression that he has other presses that are inferior. “Quite the contrary, we ensure we What do bad seals really cost? Rework. Returns. Food have the best press for the best job,” safety problems. Lost customers. Supervac automatic belt he states. vacuum chamber packaging machines feature a Double Metro Label makes extensive use Biactive high-pressure sealing system that provides two of narrow-web f lexographic presses superior seals to every bag, virtually eliminating leakers manufactured by Mark Andy, Inc. of and the problems they cause. St. Louis, MO., recently purchasing a Superior seals are just the start. Supervac machines reduce labor costs while increasing productivity. Their pair of 13-inch Mark Andy XP5000 ergonomic design allows a single operator to load, style presses, one a 10-color and the other and run the packages. Supervac’s exclusive Expansion an 11-color press. Cushion reduces evacuation times by up to 30%, pushing the operator to keep up with the machine and resulting in more In addition, the company operpackages at the end of the day. Their small footprint allows the Supervac to fit into tight areas where other machines cannot. ates a number of presses from the Its low cost of ownership and stainless steel construction make Supervac the smart choice. Dutch equipment manufacturer MPS Systems B.V. “The maximum number of f lexo print stations we have on our presses is 12, and we can combine f lexo and screen printing with hot-stamping and embossing in a single pass,” states Lal. The waterless offset presses utilized by Metro Label are manufactured by Sanjo Corporation, a Japanese company that first developed and introduced UV (ultraviolet) waterless web offset technology to the label converting market. Supervac GK501B “These presses can print up to 12 colors, but in combination with offset, screen, f lexo, hot-stamping and embossing, it can print up to 14 colors in a single pass,” says Lal, adding that Metro Label also operates a gravure press made by Komori Chambon SAS, based in Orleans, France. Other key label converting equipment at Metro Label in Toronto includes: • Hewlett-Packard’s Indigo digital offset press, which applies the ink in a Supervac GK169B very thin smooth layer onto the substrate
then try a machine
WITH TWO.
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1549 Yorkton Court, Unit #4, Burlington, Ontario L7P 5B7 Telephone (905) 631-6611 • www.reiser.com
Leading the food industry in processing and packaging solutions.
STRETCHWRAPPING
FOR PEAT’S SAKE! Made-in-Canada hooder stretchwrapping system ensures perfect product protection for New Brunswick peat harvester BY ANDREW JOSEPH, FEATURES EDITOR PHOTOS BY STUDIO FOTOGÉNIK
G
etting your hands dirty naturally goes with the territory for anyone in the business of harvesting and packaging fertilizers, plant growing mixes and other such horticultural products. But its a fair trade-off for companies like the Seba Beach, Alta.-based Sun Gro Horticulture Canada Ltd., which has been really cleaning up in the North American markets over the last several years—impressively growing into the continent’ largest producer of horticultural-grade peat moss, along with blossoming into the biggest distributor of peat- and bark-based growing mixes and a leading supplier of water-soluble and controlled-release fertilizers for the consumer and commercial markets. Harvesting peat moss from peat bogs across Canada, Sun Gro’s growing range of well-received, high-quality products—used primarily by professional greenhouses, nurseries, specialty crop growers, landscapers, and golf course operators—are today produced at over 20 production facilities located strategically throughout Canada and the U.S. A sampling of different sizes of Sun Gro’s peat moss products packaged at the company’s Lameque plant.
Employing over 1,000 people at its multiple locations, the company generated revenues of $225 million in 2010, having had processed just over 10 million bales of peat moss products for the nine months ending September 30, 2010, according to Rene Duguay, general manager of Sun Gro’s eastern Canada region situated in Lameque, New Brunswick. “Our products are developed by professional horticulturists and produced under the industries highest standards company-wide,” Duguay told Canadian Packaging in a recent interview, attributing much of the company’s enviable marketplace position directly to the high quality of its products, as well as a well-executed series of strategic acquisitions that “helped Sun Gro become a verticallyintegrated producer of value-added growing mixes with a very wide North American market. Founded in 1929 in Vancouver under the Western Peat Company Ltd. corporate banner, the company gradually established its presence throughout
24 • WWW.CANADIANPACKAGING.COM
British Columbia, before expanding eastward into central Canada. After being acquired by Hines Horticulture, Inc. in 1993, which in turn was subsequently purchased by the Chicago-based private equity firm Madison Dearborn Partners Lameque production manager Andre Fafrad (left) and Rene Duguay, general II, L.P. in 1995, the manager of Sun Gro Horticulture’s eastern Canada region, pose in front of company commenced a pallet loads of peat moss product protected by a clear plastic film hood. strong marketing push to raise its industry profile “But despite Canada having so many acres by targeting n the higher-margin professional growof peat, harvesting only takes place on less than ers market, Duguay relates. 40,000 acres,” adds Duguay, noting that Sun Gro The strategic shift paid off handsomely, according has about 65,000 acres of the peat bogs under a to Duguay, with significant growth in the privatelong-term lease agreement. label market, which helped fuel a string of strategic “And with most of North America’s workable acquisitions of Strong-Lite Products Corp. and peat bogs containing sphagnum located in Canada, Pigeon Hill Peat in New Brunswick; Normiska Sun Gro is in a very enviable marketplace position,” Peat in Ontario; Tourbiere Omer Belanger in point out Duguay. “In fact, Canada produces more Quebec; Sun Up Horticulture and Kellogg than 98 per cent of the sphagnum peat moss used Rich Grow in California; and Florida Potting in the U.S.” Soils in Florida and Georgia. With the U.S. market accounting for about 65 Product Growth per cent of the company’s sales and Canada for The acquisitions enabled Sun Gro to vastly expand another 20 per cent, the company has a fairly short its product portfolio, says Duguay, citing the comwindow of opportunity during the year to fill its pany’s Sunshine, Sunshine Pro, Sunshine Rediorders, according to Duguay, who explains that earth; Lakeland; Metro Mix; Nutricote; TechniCote; even though the peat moss harvesting season runs TechniGro; Black Gold; Nature’s, Sun-Coir, between April and October, weather conditions SunTrace, SunTrace Max and; Sunshine SunTower typically limit the actual harvesting activity to brands as some of its bestselling product lines. Duguay explains that most of Sun-Gro’s products are soil-less mixtures of peat moss—with sphagnum peat moss being the high quality variety preferred by horticulturists—while other main ingredients comprising bark and coir, a coconut husk fiber. Says Duguay: “Because peat moss is only grown in northern climes—it’s harvested as the decomposition of organic matter in bogs—Canada is one of the world’s largest such suppliers, accounting for 25 per cent of the A Premier Tech LH-400 Series Stretch Hooder world’s peat, which covapplies a film hood to a pallet load of peat moss ers covering more than packaged at Sun Gro Horticulture’s Lameque facility. 270 million acres. Sun Gro has about 65,000 acres of the peat bogs under lease.
CANADIAN PACKAGING • APRIL 2011
STRETCHWRAPPING
The Lameque facility employs a Premier Tech model AP-400L automatic palletizer to load massive bags of peat moss onto a pallet.
Awaiting delivery to customers, palletized loads of Sun Gro peat moss each have an extra layer of hooded film applied by a Premier Tech Stretch Hooder to provide an extra barrier of protection against inclement weather.
about 50 to 60 days per year. The harvesting of peat moss begins with the draining of water in the harvested area to harrow the bog and accelerating the drying process, Duguay explains. Once the surface has dried to about 45-percent moisture content, the peat is harvested with vacuums—with a typical vacuum harvester capable over covering about 100 acres in a day—and the gathered peat is transported to its assigned processing facility. “At the Lameque facility, the primary professional grade peat product we harvest and package is our Sunshine brand in compressed bags of 3.8. 5.5, 55 and 110 cubic feet , as well as various sizes of loose-fill product,” says Duguay, stressing the importance of having reliable, high-quality packaging equipment in place to pack the products just right for its customers. According to Duguay, this definitely applies to the This definitely applies to the Lameque plant’s Sloothweg open mouth-bagger and the two automatic, four-station VP-400-SE compression balers—supplied by Premier Tech Industrial Equipment Group of Rivière-du-Loup, Que.— used to produce 3.8- and 5.5-cubic-foot com-
pressed packaged bales of peat moss mixture. Featuring an operator-friendly, automatic bag feeder, equipped with a low-maintenance bag sealer and double-indexing bag magazine for continuous feeding, the rugged constructed VP-400-SE uses powerful hydraulics and compression chambers to load the Sunshine brand of peat moss into the plastic bags supplied either by Balcan Plastics Ltd. of St-Leonard, Que., or Salerno, Inc. of Châteauguay, Que. After filling, the bags are passed by a MarkemImaje 2620 print-and apply-labeling system, which tags each bag with a pressure-sensitive label featuring lot code data and other pertinent product information, and moved move along a conveyor system to be loaded onto pallets by a low-maintenance Premier Tech AP-400L high-level automatic bag palletizer. Also supplied by Premier Tech, the low-maintenance palletizer—all its movements coordinated via an innovative electrical design to ensure a f luid movement control and smooth low-noise, lowpower operation—proceeds to stack the bags onto a pallet in a pre-selected layering pattern.
Final Destination
“But even after the bags are packaged and palletized, we’re not done protecting the product just yet,” says Duguay, explaining the plant’s recent installation of a towering, heavy-duty stretchwrap hooder—the LH-400 Series Stretch Hooder model—also designed and manufactured by Premier Tech. Utilizing high-strength plastic film supplied by Balcan, the LH-400 moves quickly from the top of the pallet downward to wrap the entire pallet of Sun Gro bags with a sheathe-like covering in order to protect the loads stored outside from, Duguay relates, as well as to provide an additional level of product protection during the transport and delivery to the end-use customer. “Essentially, a tube of plastic is stretched over the pallet—from top to bottom—with a sealing process on the top to complete the wrap,” says Duguay. “It is a very fast machine that has been doing a fantastic job for us.” Because all the main movements of the LH-400 Stretch Hooder are controlled electrically, there is no need for any hydraulic maintenAs a bale of Sunshine brand peat moss moves along ance such as oil chana conveyor line, a Markem-Imaje 2620 print-andges, air bleeding or leak apply labeling system attaches a pressure-sensitive repairs, which Duguay label to the side of passing package. says is an important factor for Sun Gro’s
APRIL 2011 • CANADIAN PACKAGING
requirements to keep the packaged peat moss product as clean as possible for the end-users. The fact that the LH-400 Stretch Hooder is, according to Premier Tech, entirely designed, engineered, manufactured and serviced in North America by a Canadian-based economy was a nice bonus factor for Duguay. “For sure the close proximity of Premier Tech to Sun Gro was a mitigating factor in our selection, as well as having people there who can easily converse with us in French,” Duguay states. “But most importantly, this hooder is an easyto-use, rugged piece of equipment with very lowmaintenance requirements and all the long-term reliability we sought for working in what can be a harsh production environment in our facility— plus it was available at a great price.” Duguay says he also appreciates the quick-andeasy film roll changeovers that don’t slow down the production line, as well as the standard addition of safety fences that are fitted with interlocking doors for maximum employee safety. Other key features of the hooder include: • pallet transportation height from as low as 20 inches; • programmable logic controller (PLC) with userfriendly operator interface for easy troubleshooting and error-code reading; • quick installation with minimal on-site wiring and assembling. Although the harvesting of peat moss is a very closed industry, competition is still fierce among the participants, Duguay states, which is why Sun Gro doesn’t mind purchasing highly technical items to not only make the packaging of its products run smoother, but also to make the package look better. “Sun Gro has always been about being dedicated to the customer’s needs through producing a firstclass product with a very high standard of quality,” says Duguay. “And that is something that we want to convey via our product’s packaging as well. “The bags we have manufactured for us by our suppliers are fantastic, and it is only proper that we ensure they look that way when arriving at our customer’s locale. “It’s why we have looked towards Premier Tech to help give us that edge. The extra level of protection the LH-40 Stretch Hooder provides for the bags not only keeps rain from over-saturating our product, but it also provides an additional level of product protection while helping ensure the pallet loads sit securely in transport,” he sums up. “Our product and equipment suppliers are helping take us to the next level.”
For More Information: Premier Tech Industrial Equipment Group Balcan Plastics Ltd. Markem-Imaje Inc.
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SAFETY
MAIN OFFENDERS
A guide to fuller understanding of pests threatening your packaging operations BY BILL MELVILLE
W
hen it comes to survival of the species, food, water and shelter are three common threads for mankind and pests alike. But sharing them, willingly or not, is a terrifying thought—not only for food packaging operations but for every self-respecting packaging and production plant out there. If left unchecked, pests like rodents, insects or birds would not mind spending their entire lives inside your packaging plant—especially if it supplies the vast food-and-beverage sector. For the packaging products producers, such pests are a particularly damning concern, as it only takes one pest making its way inside, or leaving a visible trace on a packaging product to do virtually irreparable harm to your company’s hard-earned reputation. As damaging as that may be, the real health risks posed by pest infestation to both employees and consumers pose an even greater threat to a company’s viability and longevity. For most typical pests, manufacturing and packaging facilities provide a highly tempting target for residence—offering warmth, protection from outside elements and predators and, for the more industrious types, enough food and water to ensure sufficient sustenance to keep themselves alive and propagating. Driven by very strong survival instincts, pests will inevitably find a way of getting inside your industrial facility given the slightest opportunity to do so, be it by breaking in through already-present cracks in the facility’s physical structure; via the landscaping set-up; or simply by living in and around your plant’s garbage bins and containers. To safeguard your operations from being victimized by this omnipresent threat, it is important to retain the services of a reputable pest management professional or services provider, as well as to familiarize yourself with some of the most common pests and the potential damage they can cause.
RODENTS One of the most common pests encountered by packaging facilities are rodents. Rodents are mammals, characterized by a pair of incisor teeth in the upper and lower jaw that grow throughout the creature’s life, and can only be kept in check by gnawing. Contrary to popular belief, rodents are not necessarily a seasonal pest problem. While it is true that a rodent is more likely to seek out shelter when the
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Securing the services of professoional pest control specialists is a key part of a proactive approach to dealing with potential pest infestation outbreaks.
weather begins to cool down, it is involved in the search for food sources on a year-round basis, making your plant susceptible at any given time of the year. Most pest management professionals will unanimously acknowledge that the exterior of your building should be the first line of defense against these pests because the best way to create a deterrent is by managing the problem from the outside first—thereby preventing their entry into the building to begin with. In addition to carrying diseases such as Hantavirus and Salmonella, rodents can also easily contaminate packaged food products with their hair, urine and fecal matter. In addition to health implications, rodents can cause substantial damage to the facility infrastructure. Because rodents can sometimes mistake wires for tree roots, for example, their constant gnawing has potential to spark an electrical fire. Being nocturnal creatures, rodents can be very difficult to spot during the day, but they do leave enough visible evidence in their wake to enable you to determine their presence—provided you know what you’re looking for. • Droppings. A strong indicator of a mouse infestation are visible rodent droppings, most measuring about the size of a grain of rice. The softer the dropping, the stronger the indication of recent infestation activity. • Gnaw marks. Because rodents are always gnawing at something, you should look for small holes along the base of your walls, or behind machinery and equipment that appears to be chewed or gnawed. • Rub markings. Because rodents feel protected when they crawl along a wall, it is important to look for any greasy markings low on the walls, which indicate that a rodent is regularly traveling down the same path. There are three main commonly-used strategies
for addressing the rodent problem, including: • Keep garbage dumpsters covered and at a safe distance from your building. If rodents are going to get into your trash, it’s best to have them doing so as far away as possible from your facility. It is a good idea to clean and rotate dumpsters on a regular basis to disturb any pests in residence, as well as requesting regular trash pickup in order to keep the garbage, and its resulting odors, from sitting around for too long. • Trim all the vegetation around you plant so that it is kept at bay at least one meter away from your facility, thus removing many possible hiding areas in close proximity to the building. Also consider installing a 75-centimeter-wide gravel strip around the perimeter of your building as a means to create another open area—thereby leaving the rodents exposed. • Inspect the exterior of your building for any holes or cracks—sealing these openings with a proper weather resistant-sealant—and consider installing copper-mesh fencing to prevent rodents from gnawing their way through.
BIRDS While the species does not immediately jump to mind as a pest, certain types of birds—specifically pigeons, sparrows and starlings—can easily infest and damage you facility structures. Because packaging facilities may not have stringent door controls found at many food-processing plants, open entryways such as loading docks can provide easy access for birds to enter inside to roost and nest. Not only can hardened bird droppings do potential damage to your operating machinery, along with nesting materials they can often carry unacceptable levels of bacteria, fungal agents and
CANADIAN PACKAGING • APRIL 2011
ectoparasites that may cause serious illnesses like Encephalitis, Meningitis or Salmonella. Fortunately, there are available solutions for addressing the bird infestation problem without resorting to the use of poisons or toxic chemicals, which will often do more harm than good. In order to facilitate a safe and humane removal of birds in a way that will not compromise your facility or community bylaws, your pest management services provider should be well-versed in all local regulations governing the ethical treatment of birds. Being one of the most common pest birds, pigeons typically tend to gather together in large flocks— looking for places like ledges to congregate and leaving messy droppings in their wake. Commonly found in urban areas, pigeons are associated with more than 50 different diseases. Being able to eat just about anything remotely edible, these small quick birds are extremely adaptable and territorial—banding together in large groups in order to force other types of birds out of their established territory.
For their part, sparrows are extremely prolific breeders—meaning that their numbers can multiply exponentially once they’ve established a foothold at your operation. Like pigeons, starlings also tend to gather in large numbers and force out other avian species—making home in the building’s nooks and crannies. Unbothered by noise and lights, they will also eat just about anything, and with an average of 20 offsprings a year, their sheer numbers can quickly become overwhelming. Like rodents, birds can manifest their presence in several visible ways: • Socializing and Loafing. Birds tend to congregate in what is called a “loaf,” in one particular spot or area, with rooftops, building siding and light fixtures being some of their most preferred shelter destinations. Any relocation or removal of nesting birds should be performed by a fully-licensed professional with all the required proper protective equipment and associated training. • Sleeping and Roosting. Birds tend to roost on f lat surfaces, which is why they are often found on roof ledges or beams. Unlike loafing birds, roosting birds aren’t easily discouraged from taking shelter at your plant. • Breeding and Nesting. Because birds build nests on your property to raise their young, removing breeding birds becomes very difficult without removing or destroying their nests. As with rodents, prevention is far more preferable to the cure, and some of the more effective preventative measures include: • Using physical repellants to target loafing or roosting birds—including bird spikes or tacky gels—as well as scare devices such as electronic noisemakers to frighten the birds away. • Installing netting around HVAC (heating, ventilating and air-conditioning) systems and other such areas to create strategic zones of exclusion—thus keeping breeding birds from building their nests there. • Sealing holes in your building’s exterior to prevent small birds from making your building’s facade their new home is especially important when dealing with starlings, which can squeeze themselves in openings as small as one-inchdiameter.
INSECTS
Keeping an updated record of facility inspections is an important part of effective pest control programs.
APRIL 2011 • CANADIAN PACKAGING
It is important to be aware of the broad variety of insect pests trying to make their way into packaging facilities. Also known as ‘paper pests,’ insects such as psocids (booklice), firebrats and silverfish are typically found in damp, warm conditions similar to a typical facility or warehouse environment. With their voracious appetites, these paper pests can feast indefinitely on paper and boxboard packaging, as well
Photos courtesy of Orkin Canada
SAFETY
as the adhesives used to hold the paper-based packaging together—resulting in significant unforeseen costs and product damage. Eating paperboard of corrugated packaging—or food—can be an expensive scenario for any company involved in food packaging, as it may require throwing out a lot of product. While psocids have not been identified as a known disease-carrier per se, there is some anecdotal evidence linking their presence to asthma attacks in humans, while their endless appetite for grains and glue adhesives can be a nightmare for any serious quality assurance process. For their part, firebrats and silverfish prefer hot and humid conditions. As nocturnal insects, these paper pests prefer to hide during the day in small cracks and crevices, making them hard to spot, and they are more than willing to travel far distances for food. Once they discover a new food source, they will stay put until it runs out, if undetected. Dealing with paper pests effectively requires thorough, regular inspection of high-humidity areas, such as storage closets and boiler rooms, and around space heaters or operating equipment— looking for the distinct yellow stains left by firebrats and silverfish as their calling cards. The best way to prevent their unwelcome presence requires proactive implementation of several key preventive practices: • Cleaning up spills immediately after they occur, while regularily checking storage closets, employee areas and bathrooms for any excess moisture; • Eliminating all other water sources—such as leaking HVAC units, broken pipes or standing water—outside the facility; • Storing wood pallets in dry areas and discarding any damp or damaged pallets that are prone to molding; • As much as possible, lowering and keeping your plant’s humidity levels at less than 50 per cent at all times. Understanding their industry inside out is an essential prerequisite for all successful packaging professionals, and that includes understanding the pest infestation problem, which can literally strike at any time for seemingly no apparent reason. Getting your staff on-board with regular facility inspections and monitoring is an important step in this quest, along with working closely with your fully-accredited professional pest control services provider to implement an effective action plan. Bill Melville is quality assurance director for Orkin PCO Services in Mississauga, Ont.
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EVENTS
Fastest in the world IRB 460 palletizing robot April 27
Mississauga, Ont.: Cutting through the Greenwash III, the third annual seminar that separates fact from fiction by the Paper & Paperboard Packaging Environmental Council (PPEC). At Mississauga Convention Centre. Contact PPEC’s Shirley Price at (905) 458-1247; or via email sprice@ppecpaper.com; or go to: www.ppec-paper.com
May 10-11 Toronto: Supply Chain Canada, conference and trade show by the Supply Chain & Logistics Association Canada (SCL) and the Canadian Industrial Transportation Association (CITA). At the International Centre. Contact Newcom Business Media Inc. at (905) 695-0123, ext. 203; or go to: www.supplychaincanada.com
May 11-13 Toronto: SIAL Canada 2011, international food industry exhibition by Expo Canada France. Jointly held with the SET Canada 2011 national food equipment show. Both tradeshow events at the Metro Convention Centre. To register, go to: www.sialcanada.com
May 12-18 Düsseldorf, Germany: interpack 2011, international processing and packaging technologies exhibition by Messe Düsseldorf. In Canada, contact Messe Düsseldorf Canada at (416) 598-1524; or via email: messeduesseldorf@germanchamber.ca; or go to: www.interpack.com
June 7-9
www.abb.com/robotics www.youtube.com/abbrobotics
ANNOUNCEMENTS Kingsey Falls, Que.-headquartered paper products group Cascades Inc. has reached a definitive agreement to sell off its foodservice packaging subsidiary Dopaco Inc. to Reynolds Group Holdings Limited of Auckland, New Zealand, for about US$400 million in cash, which it plans to use to pay down its debt. Under the terms of the deal—expected to be concluded by the end of April 2011 pending regulatory approvals, Cascades will continue to supply Dopaco with boxboard through a five-year supply agreement. “While we have always considered our ownership in Dopaco to be a good investment, I am pleased to announce this transaction, which unlocks significant value for our shareholders,” says Cascades president and chief executive Alain Lemaire. “In fact, this divestiture is part of our overall strategy to gain more financial f lexibility and streamline our portfolio of assets to pursue the development of our core tissue, packaging and recovery operations, which is why the net proceeds will be used to reduce debt. Headquartered in Exton, Pa., Dopaco currently operates four manufacturing facilities in the U.S. and two in Ontario—including the Dopaco Canada Inc. plant in Brampton—to convert about 165,000 tonnes of boxboard annually into food trays, drinking cups, takeout boxes and other types of foodservice packaging used in the quick-service restaurant industry.
New York City: EastPack, PLASTEC East, Atlantic Design & Manufacturing Show, ATX (Automation Technology Expo) East, MD&M (Medical Design & Manufacturing) Florida and Green Manufacturing Expo, by Canon Communications LLC. All at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. Contact Canon at (310) 9969427; or go to: www.canontradeshows.com/biz
June 21-23 Toronto: PACKEX Toronto, national packaging technologies exhibition by Canon Communication LLC. Concurrently with the Plast-ex national plastics technologies exhibition, ATX (Automation Technology Expo) Canada, Design & Manufacturing Canada, PTX/ PBS (Process Technology/Power Bulk Solids) Canada and Green Manufacturing Expo Canada. All at the Toronto Congress Centre. Contact Canon’s Jim Beretta at (289) 971-0534; via email jim. beretta@cancom.com; or go to: www.packextoronto.com
ABB Inc., Robotics 201 Westcreek Blvd., Brampton, ON 905-460-3000 © Copyright 2011 ABB
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Intelligrated Announces New Canadian Sales Account Manager Intelligrated, a leading North Americanowned automated material handling solutions provider, announces the recent appointment of Ryan Judge to the position of sales account manager for Intelligrated Canada Limited. Based out of the company’s Mississauga, Ontario operation, Judge will work closely with Intelligrated clients in the distribution and fulfillment markets and oversee system sales, from initial project generation through system execution and implementation. Judge reports to Steve McElweenie, vice president and general manager of Intelligrated Canada Limited. “Intelligrated is a world-class organization that has enjoyed success by always keeping our clients top-of-mind,” said McElweenie. “Ryan’s dedication and level of client service will enhance Intelligrated’s support of our customer base in Canada.” Judge received his B.A. degree from the University of Guelph and brings experience in sales, account management and marketing. Judge also has a strong background in the material handling industry, previously working with companies such as Liftow, Ltd., where he worked as territory manager.
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Schneider Electric appoints Olivier Cousseau Director, Industry Marketing TORONTO, ONTARIO – March 22, 2011- Schneider Electric Canada announces the appointment of Olivier Cousseau as Director, Industry Marketing. Supported by a dedicated team of application experts, Olivier will manage industry offer and segment marketing strategy. “During his 20+ years at Schneider Electric of industrial segment experience in sales, marketing and services, Olivier has provided strong technical expertise and leadership”, says John Whibbs, Vice President, Industry Business, Schneider Electric Canada. Most recently, Mr. Cousseau led Schneider Electric’s Industrial OEM Segment group in delivering leading edge solutions to machine builders across Canada. Mr. Cousseau holds an Electronic Engineering degree from La Baronnerie in France. He also holds a Marketing degree from ISSEC in Paris.
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Aseptic packaging technologies group Tetra Pak has officially broken ground on a new, stateof-the-art packaging materials production facility in Chakan, India, to meet the fast-growing demand for carton-packaged dairy beverages and fruit-based drinks in India, South and Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Estimated to cost about $135 million, the new facility will have initial annual production capacity of 8.5 billion packages—including the company’s popular Tetra Brik Aseptic, Tetra Fino Aseptic and Tetra Classic Aseptic cartons—with the potential of increasing its production output to produce up to 16 billion beverage cartons per year. “We are committed to supporting our customers to meet growing consumer demand in these regions and all over the world,” says Tetra Pak’s executive vice-president of supply chain operations Alejandro Anavi. “In addition to the convenience of packed dairy beverages and fruit-based drinks, more people are becoming aware of the nutritional benefits of aseptically processed and packaged milk,” says Anavi, noting that this investment follows Tetra Pak’s recent increases in production capacity at its operations in China, Pakistan, Russia and Brazil. The new plant will be located nearby Tetra Pak’s existing $30-million facility operating in the city of Pune, which is nearing full production capacity after 14 years of operation.
CANADIAN PACKAGING • APRIL 2011
FrEE PrODUCT INFOrMATION FrEE PrODUCT INFOrMATION
PEOPLE Kingsey Falls, Que.-headquartered paper packaging and tissue products group Cascades Inc. has appointed Mario Plourde as chief operating officer. Industrial controls and power distribution products supplier Schneider Electric Canada, Torontobased subsidiary of Cousseau the French industrial automation and power management group Schneider Electric, has appointed Olivier Cousseau as director of industry marketing. Mold-Masters Limited, Georgetown, Ont.-based manufacturer of hot runner technologies for the plastics injection molding industry, has appointed William Barker as chief executive officer. Intelligrated, Cincinnati, Ohioheadquartered supplier of automated end-of-line packaging and material Judge handling equipment, has appointed Ryan Judge as sales account manager for the company’s Intelligrated Canada Limited susidiary, to be based in Mississauga, Ont.; and Kevin O’Reilly as sales engineer for the company’s eastern regional operation in Somerset, N.J. Industrial chemicals and plastic resins manufacturer Nova Chemicals, Calgary, Alta.-headquartered subsidiary of the International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) of the emirate of Abu Dhabi, has appointed Chris Bezaire as senior vice-president for polyethylene, John Hotz as vicepresident of corporate strategy, and John Siegrist as vice-president of sales. Milwaukee, Wis.headquartered automated manufacturing systems and controls supplier Rockwell Automation, Inc. Moret has appointed Blake as senior Moret vice-president of the Control Products and Solutions (CP&S) segment, and Frank Kulaszewicz as senior vice-president of Kulaszewicz the Architecture and Software (A&S) segment. Harper Corporation of America, Charlotte, N.C.-based supplier of anilox rolls for package printing and converting applications, has appointed Lee Kluttz as vice-president of manufacturing operations.
APRIL 2011 • CANADIAN PACKAGING
For further information on either advertisements or editorial For further information on either advertisements or editorial in this issue, please circle the appropriate numbers below. in this issue, please circle the appropriate numbers below. Once you’ve filled out your contact information, Once you’ve filled out your contact information, fax form this form at: 416.764.1755 fax this backback to ustoat:us416.764.1755
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IMPOrTANT: Please complete the following questions What is the primary business at your location? of the business following at doyour you plan on purchasing within the next 12 months? What is Which the primary location? Advesives Checkweigher Print & Apply Label Applicator Which ofthe following do you plan on purchasing within the next 12 months? Machine Vision Adhesive Applicator Checkweigher Colour Label Printer Metal Detector &RFID Advesives Machine Vision Print ApplyEquipment Label Applicator Bar Code Equipment Colour Label Conveyors Detector Modified Atmosphere Robotics Adhesive Applicator Printer Metal RFIDEquipment Capper Filler Packaging Machinery Scales & Weighing Equipment Bar Code Equipment Conveyors Modified Atmosphere Robotics Palletizer Shipping Containers Cartoners Capper Filler Ink Jet Equipment Packaging Machinery Scales & Weighing Equipment Case Packer Equipment Intermediate Bulk Containers Palletizer Pallets Shrink Film Cartoners Ink Jet Containers Shipping Case Sealer Labeler PLC’s, Sensors, Controls Shrink Shrink Case Packer Intermediate Bulk Containers Pallets Film Wrapper number of employees? PLC’s, Sensors, Controls CaseApproximate Sealer Labeler Shrink Wrapper Is thisnumber company a: Package User Custom Packager Package Maker Supplier Approximate of employees? Is this company a: Package User Custom Packager Package Maker Supplier
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ADVERTISERS’ INDEX
For more information on Classified Advertising please contact: 416-764-1497
• Labeling Tech Combo Front/Back/Top & 4-Panel • Complete Nail Polish Filling & Pack Line • RBS L-Bar Sealers EM & ACT 179 Tunnels • New & Used Net Weigh/Fillers (customizable) • New & Used 3’-16’ Stainless Steel Conveyors • New & Used 30”-60” S/S Turn Tables
• Rectangular Wrap Around Labeler UT2-SE • Sollas Auto Cellophane Overwrapper 17-100 • Various Visual Pak 6 Stn Blister Heat Sealers • Skin Packaging Machine, Model TB390 • 3M-Matic Top & Bottom Case Sealer 77R • Image Ink Jet Coders 1000 S8 & Jaime S8-C2
R.S. No. 123 101 102 103 122 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 118 124 112 119 120 121
ADVERTISERS’ INDEX ABB Robotics Atlantic Packaging Products Ltd. CombiScale Inc. Corrupal Eagle Packaging Machinery Flexlink Systems Inc. Harlund Industries Ltd. Intelligrated Multivac Inc. North American Laser Systems Inc. PharmaCos Machinery Inc. Premier Tech Systems Robert Reiser & Co Inc. Salbro Bottle Inc. Schneider Electric SEW Eurodrive Co. of Canda TricorBraun Tsubaki of Canada Ltd. Videojet Technologies Canada Ltd.
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SPRING FORTH WITH EYE-CANDY PACKAGING
I
t may have been a long time in coming, but one look out the window will tell you that spring has finally arrived. The signs of renewal are displayed everywhere in the blossoming f lowers, the budding trees, and large groups of people who have crawled out of their winter cocoons to stretch their legs and discover a world reborn. One thing that always strikes me about this time of year is how our sense of smell seems to be reborn as well. Truly, our olfactory sense holds an incredible power over how we feel at any time of the day. It can tantalize us with sweet smells, alert us to a culinary catastrophe, or evoke powerful memories from the past. That’s why I believe that a truly complete package should always try to convey the ability to engage our sense of smell on some level—be it literally or figuratively. I think many people will agree that few things smell better than freshlylaundered bed sheets. For years, fabric softeners like Fleecy from Colgate-Palmolive Canada Inc. have staked their very image and reputation on rewarding consumers with this extraordinary scent. On a personal level, the blue, white and pink color palette used by the company on the package instantly evokes the popular Japanese pastime of sitting down and enjoying fresh air under cherry blossom trees, with a clearblue sky arcing majestically overhead. If my sheets smell even half as well as the packaging makes them look like they will, I may never leave my bed again. I also like the Fleecy brand’s recent upgrade to a new 25-load, 850-ml squarish container whose smaller footprint naturally allows me to store even more cleaning products in my space-challenged kitchen cupboard. While any noticeable packaging change is a leap of faith to some extent, even for well-established brands, this is one packaging upgrade that seems to have sweet success written all over it.
Fresh breath is one area of personal hygiene with no room for compromise or cheating in this corner, so I was quite excited to see the newlyreformulated and repackaged Scope Outlast brand of mouthwash from Procter & Gamble Inc. (P&G) hit the store-shelves in recent weeks. Not only does the product loudly proclaim that the new “lasting” formula will help keep my breath fresh up to five times longer than before, the spectacular new, decanter-like 750-ml plastic bottle is a real breath of fresh air in a product category that has grown a little old in the tooth lately in terms of true packaging innovation and f lair.
30 • WWW.CANADIANPACKAGING.COM
Exuding real panache that makes it look like something that naturally belongs in Jennifer Aniston’s medicinal cabinet, this high-end mouthwash is not only pure eye-candy, but also a compelling example of the virtues of incremental improvement, thanks to a cleverly-designed lid accented with three points on the end that prop the cup up when stood up on its end—acting like a pedestal of sorts for the minty mixture—to make this high-end mouthwash really feel worth every extra penny.
Maybe it’s a little case of paranoia or extreme selfconsciousness, but I’m a strong believer in a multilayered plan of attack when it comes to halitosis, which is I will rarely allow myself to get caught out in the public without a pack of chewing gum, my trusted sidearm. While it’s true that any old gum will work in the time of need, I have recently developed a real fondness for the new Trident Layers packs from Cadbury Adams. Like many other gum producers in recent years, the company has gradually moved away from the paper-based soft-packs—today offering its newer products in the rigid, foldout paperboard cartons, with the strategically-positioned wraparound f lap at the back panel allowing consumers easy access to the product, while keeping its contents admirably safe and secure. Even if the pack did manage to unravel in one of the deeper regions of my purse, I won’t find any sticks of gum straying too far from they should be—thanks to the thoughtful use of small dabs of food-grade adhesive that keeps each piece securely in its proper place. The Trident Layers pack also effectively sets itself apart from other competing products through its eye-pleasing color scheme. Whereas dark and solemn package graphics seem to be the ongoing trend in the gum sections at the stores these days, this tidy slider-pack utilizes a simple white background to show off some adorably cute layered fruit graphics—strawberry chunks on top and bottom with a slice of orange sandwiched in the middle— to relate the product’s story.
Many people trying Japanese sake for the first time are largely unmoved by the experience—finding little f lavor or smell to either commend or condemn the exercise—but for those of us taught all the different subtleties of this rice-based alcohol, truly savoring sake is much more than simply knocking back an off beat-tasting shooter. However, there is vary little subtlety or nuance to be found on the 180-ml boxes of Komedakeno Yasashii omoiyari—literally translating as “compassion made by rice”—from Japan’s Koyama Honke Shuzou Co. While there is something to be said for the foresight of attaching a straw for
the benefit of consumers not having a sake cup on hand when they want to take a nip, this “sake in a juice-box” package is considerably let down by f lat, uninspired and lackluster packaging graphics, just when a little more creative f lair is exactly what was required to make this package a little less “square,” as it were.
Conversely, the new 500-ml aluminum cans of Sapporo Premium Beer from Sapporo Brewing Company, filled at the Sleeman Breweries Ltd. beermaking plant in Guelph, Ont., offer a glimpse of the best that modern Japanese package design has to offer—raising the whole canned “beverage experience” to a whole new level with its silkysmooth feel, an embossed golden star in the middle of the brand’s logo, and a crisp line of Japanese katakana lettering down the side, which simply says “Premium Beer.” Kompie (that’s “Cheers!” in Japanese) to Sapporo Brewing for keeping its creative juices in fine shape to create such a premiumlooking example of instantly memorable package design that resonates with beer-lovers everywhere.
The creative minds of novelty products distributor Donkey Products Gmbh & Co. of Hamburg, Germany, sure know the way to stir up a little fun and excitement at your next tea party. Paying a playful tribute to some of the world’s most notorious dead rock and pop stars—including Elvis Presley, Bob Marley and Michael Jackson—the company’s rather provocative Sex, Tea & Rock’n Roll set of five novelty tea bags features cleverly caricaturized music idol icons come stapled to standard tea-bags, replacing the traditional pieces of string with something that is far more likely to kickstart a conversation among tea-sipping friends. As the graphics on the front of the outer packaging show, the arms of each icon latch on to the rim of your teacup— as if to hang out with you as you suck back the ambrosial beverage. Just be warned: if the Jimi Hendrix tea-bag starts emitting a mysterious Purple Haze of some sort, just play it safe and steer clear of it! Yoko Asada is a freelance writer and translator living in Toronto.
CANADIAN PACKAGING • APRIL 2011
Photos by Yoko Asada
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