Pac jun2013 de

June 2013 | $10

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Kelly Sheppard, Factory Director, Rexdale Plant, Unilever Canada Inc.

spreadIng the Joy production and packaging prowess ensure smooth sailing forward for unilever’s spreads and dressings factory

Publication mail agreement #40069240.

Story on page 12

oh yes you can!  Page 19

In thIs Issue: FILLING & CAPPING • PACKAGING FOR FReshNess eshNess • AutOmAte A now Ate

The products I need when I need them

Exactly

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The Drive & Control Company

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Ink Jet. Laser. Thermal Transfer. Labelers. Track & Trace. Supplies. Parts & Service.

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SHIFTING THE BURDEN

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Kelly Sheppard,

Spreading the News By George Guidoni

Factory Director, Rexdale Plant, Unilever Canada Inc.

Unilever Canada’s spreads and dressings factory in west-end Toronto is a compelling showcase of responsible manufacturing, high-level packaging competence, and unrivaled marketing excellence for two of the country’s bestselling national food brands.

Cover photography by Cole Garside.

SPREADING THE JOY Production and packagin forward for Unilever g prowess ensure smooth sailing ’s spreads and dressing s factory Story on page 12

IN THIS ISSUE: FILLING

DEPARTMENTS & COLUMNS 3 4-6 7 8 10 36 38 39 40

JUNE 2013 • CANADIAN PACKAGING

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DISCLAIMER: This publication is for informational purposes only. The content and “expert” advice presented are not intended as a substitute for informed professional engineering advice. You should not act on information contained in this publication without seeking specific advice from qualified engineering professionals. 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, republish, distribute, store and archive such unsolicited submissions in whole or in part in any form or medium whatsoever, without compensation of any sort.

turers and retailers who share a common cause in relation to the government-run stewardship programs that are becoming more numerous and more expensive all the time.

“We really need to have standardization of product definitions, compliance, timing, regimen and all the administrative issues about how you calculate your fees, how you remit them, to whom you remit them, and so on,” Coyne articulates.

“Because it now all takes place on province-byprovince basis, there is no standardization and hence no ability to get any sort of scale and efficiency,” he explains, resulting in an endless spiral of rising program costs and continued push by provincial governments to levy punishing EPR (extended producer responsibility) levies on businesses.

As a business-driven organization, “We would be able to provide a more efficient service, with more scale, more efficiency for the steward, one window of visibility into the system—not multiple windows—to improve their administrative costs of the system and to provide more value,” Coyne asserts, explaining that simply writing out a cheque to cover whatever EPR rates the government comes up with is just papering over the cracks of a system desperately in need of a fundamental overhaul.

“The industry wants to act in a financiallyresponsible way,” he says, “and we believe that if we control our destiny, we can do that in the best interest of our consumers, the citizens, and therefore in the best interest of our business stakeholders.

“If it’s somebody else simply telling us what cheque they want us to write, the likelihood is that without the control of that cheque I’ll be paying too much money. But If I am thoroughly engaged and involved, I will want to run it as efficiently as possible—resulting in a much better likelihood of reducing costs and increasing the value of the collected materials.

“The alternative is, ‘We (government) keep it, we run it, and you pay for it,’ which is much more of a taxation system than it is a stewardship system.”

No more taxes—let’s give it a try!

agreement #40069240.

JUNE 2013

VOLUME 66, NO. 6

he issues of packaging waste diversion is often like the weather, with everyone talking about it and no one actually doing much.

But unlike the weather, packaging waste diversion is something where many people, and businesses, can make a profound difference indeed—given the right tools and motivation.

But that’s not going to happen soon enough, or effectively enough, until the government lets go of its tight reins on the country’s waste collection and recycling infrastructure and gives industry an honest opportunity to prove its mettle in this space, according to Unilever Canada Inc.’s vice-president of legal and external affairs John Coyne.

With sound understanding and profound appreciation of environmental causes belying his polished, all-business, suit-and-tie appearance, Coyne is also the chair of a new cross-industry organization that aims to bring a long-needed sense of structure and predictability to what is now largely a patchwork of widely diverse municipal and provincial recycling programs that often give brand-owners and retailers fits or red tape rage and frustration.

Called Canadian Stewardship Services Alliance Inc. (CSSA), the new group counts Unilever, Loblaws, Walmart, Procter & Gamble, Metro and Coca-Cola among its founding Canadian members—providing it with the kind of combined marketplace clout that no provincial government, of whatever political persuasion, should be dismissing out of hand.

“All of these companies are pretty big environmental stewards who have contributed a substantial portion of what goes into the Blue Box programs in the provinces of Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and British Columbia, who now all have completely different programs that we are looking to harmonize,” Coyne told Canadian Packaging in a recent interview at the company’s downtown Toronto headquarters.

“This is a collaboration between major manufac-

UPFRONT By George Guidoni NEWSPACK Packaging news round-up.

FIRST GLANCE New packaging technologies.

ECO-PACK NOW All about environmental sustainability. imPACt A monthly insight from PAC-The Packaging Association.

PEOPLE Packaging career moves.

ANNOUNCEMENTS Company and industry updates.

EVENTS Upcoming industry functions.

CHECKOUT By Rachel Horvath Joe Public speaks out on packaging hits and misses.

OH YES YOU CAN! & CAPPING • PACKAGING FOR FRESHNESS •

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AUTOMATE NOW

FEATURES 20

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WHEY OF THE CHEESE By Andrew Joseph Local Toronto cheesemaker scales the heights of international stardom with authentic products and solid packaging know-how.

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SUCCESS CAN HAPPEN By Andrew Joseph Versatile packaging line integrator helps ensure a smooth canning line startup for a popular Montreal microbrewer.

SMOKED OUT OF WATER By Andrew Joseph High-end vacuum-packing technology helps Toronto fish processor ride the wave to success in the retail marketplace.

THE CASE IN POINT Ontario case-packing systems manufacturer leverages RFID technology to marry brains with brawn in its machine design.

WWW.CANADIANPACKAGING.COM • 3

NEWSPACK

NABOB TO MAINTAIN WINNING MOMENTUM WITH A TRULY BOLD PRODUCT LAUNCH Taste is often a subjective quality when it comes to food and drink, but there is nothing wrong with getting an endorsement from one of the world’s most respected authorities on the subject— especially as a prelude to an upcoming national market launch.

Which is exactly what the Vancouverheadquartered Nabob Coffee Company pulled off recently by picking up the prestigious Superior Taste Award of the International Taste and Quality Institute (ITQI) for the company’s BOLD Midnight Eclipse brand.

Judged by a panel of beverage experts representing some of Europe’s most renowned culinary institutions—such as the Maîtres Cuisiniers of Belgium and France—the new BOLD blend scored two out of three stars in a competition often likened to the Michelin Guide of Food and Drink, whereby the products are blind-tested and evaluated based on their aroma, f lavor, appearance and after-taste.

Calling the BOLD Midnight Eclipse a “remarkable brew,” the judging panel noted that it was truly exceptional for a product not yet launched in the marketplace to reach such a high score—considering that many brands take years perfecting their product before entering the ITQI competition.

“There is an art to roasting the perfect BOLD coffee, and with our new blends we wanted to marry the subtle f lavors, cocoa, citrus, and smoky

caramel that really bring the coffee to life in the cup,” says Nabob’s roast master Jenn Castro.

“Our new BOLD blends are all about bringing out the very best in each bean of coffee we roast,” adds Castro.

Set for a nationwide launch this fall, the BOLD coffee range also includes the new BOLD Gastown Grind Blend, named after Vancouver’s historic Gastown district, and the Full City Dark variety.

“The new Gastown Grind blend is a bold brew full of nutty and caramelly f lavors roasted to perfection,” Castro explains, “while the Full City Dark is a rich roast that cannot contain its smoky, full-bodied f lavor that is velvety smooth.

“It is our darkest roast yet.”

In addition to the three new BOLD roast f lavors, Nabob is also launching a trio of singleorigin Whole Bean coffees—100% Colombian, Costa Rica and Guatemala f lavors–for Canadian coffee-lovers who prefer to grind their coffee fresh at home, to experience the unique f lavors of each country of origin.

Supported by a multiplatform marketing campaign with the tagline ‘New Beans. New Coffee.

New Nabob,’ all of the new coffee products are packaged in 350- or 400-gram, four-ply polyfoil bags designed by the Oakville, Ont.-based package design specialists Pigeon Branding + Design (see picture) and engineered for optimal product freshness and shelf-life.

According to Nabob, which started out in Vancouver’s Gastown district back in 1896, more than 60 percent of all its coffee beans come from sustainable, fair-traded coffee plantations certified by the international Rainforest Alliance, which last year awarded the 2012 Sustainable StandardSetter Award to Nabob for sourcing sustainable coffee for its products.

In addition, Nabob has recently partnered up with leading packaging ‘upcycling’ company TerraCycle Inc. in a packaging waste diversion program for the collection of all used Nabob coffee packaging across Canada—to be remanufactured into new useful consumer products such as garbage cans, tote bins and planters.

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NEWSPACK

PACKAGING REDESIGN MAKES EVERY DAY A VERY ‘GOOD HAIR DAY’

ONLINE SHOPPING BRINGS BEER TO YOUR DOORSTEP

Having some cold premium suds delivered to one’s doorstep has long been nothing but a wistful dream for Toronto-area beer-lovers, but an innovative new partnership between Steam Whistle Brewing and online retailer Grocery Gateway is making that dream a reality just in time for the coming summer season.

As of the beginning of June, customers placing their order through Grocery Gateway—operated by the Longo’s supermarket chain—have been able to select 12-packs of bottles, six-packs of cans or single tallboy cans of the premium Steam Whistle Pilsner brand brewed at Steam Whistle’s historic John St. Roundhouse building near the city’s lakefront.

“Grocery Gateway is committed to the expansion of its offerings that are available through our online ordering service,” says Grocery Gateway’s

Professional beauty products naturally demand beautiful, professional-looking packaging to achieve maximum customer appeal and brand loyalty, which is exactly what rigid-plastic packaging product group TricorBraun recently helped Vancouver-based hair-care specialists AG Hair achieve with a redesign of six of its containers.

According to TricorBraun, the package redesign involved identifying stock packaging that would create the appearance of exclusive, custom-designed containers, which was achieved with the launch of a family of elegantlyfrosted white bottles, jars and tubes with a soft-touch finish that is silkscreened with sage-green and darkgray embellishments. (See Picture) The new packaging has been wellreceived at professional hair salons across North America, according to AG Hair, which earlier this year launched a new foundation committed to educating women living in sub-Saharan Africa.

Using proceed from sales of the company’s new Keratin Repair line of products—formulated to restore hair’s core strength, improve elasticity, and reduce breakage in chemically-straightened, colored hair—the program has already raised more then $750,000, built four new schools, and educated more than 11,300 young women, according to the company.

For TricorBraun, the biggest challenge in designing new packaging for AG Hair was achieving a uniform appearance so that each package appeared to have come from a single factory— using the same substrate and a uniform method of applying the decoration.

In fact, the project involved five different packaging manufacturers, employing five different substrates to produce a total of 42 different combinations of closures, pumps bottles, jars and tubes.

To achieve a pearlized appearance for its containers, AG converted to co-extruded bottles and tubes from a monolayer construction, introducing new packaging substrates like HDPE (high-density polyethylene), MDPE (mediumdensity polyethylene) PP (polyproFOR MORE INFORMATION CIRCLE 106 pylene), PS (polystyrenes) and PET (polyethylene terephthtalate).

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general manager Stephen Tallevi, citing growing popularity of the Corks Beer and Wine Bar stores operating at Longo’s locations throughout southwestern Ontario.

“We chose Steam Whistle to be a new brand offering because of their local heritage, superior quality and commitment to excellence in customer service,” says Tallevi.

Adds Steam Whistle Brewing co-founder Greg Taylor: “Our brewery motto is to ‘Do one thing really, really well’, and our focus is exclusively on brewing our celebrated craft Pilsner brand.

“We are very excited to work with Grocery Gateway to best serve our shared customers.”

NEWSPACK

COLOR-CHANGING INKS UNLEASH A FUN SOCIAL MEDIA FRENZY DOWN UNDER

Despite being a fairly new packaging technique among the world’s CPG (consumer packaged goods) producers, the color-changing thermochromatic inks developed by the Colorado Springs, Colo.-based Chromatic Technologies Inc. (CTI) are helping a growing number of progressive global brand-owners to turn their otherwise ordinary packaging into effective communication vehicles for building consumer engagement and brand loyalty.

And it’s happening in places as far as Australia, where leading soft-drink producer Coca Cola Australia recently used the technology in a novel Funstigator marketing campaign for its popular Fanta brand of carbonated beverages.

During the two-month campaign, speciallyFabbri_2013Feb_MeatPkgAd_GroundBeef_CP_Layout 1 2/8/13 11:13 AM marked bottles of Fanta beverages in Australia

the Funstigator challenges, as well as send them to their friends and to scan characters from packs, simultaneously earning points in the contest while competing for a range of prizes.

Supported across multiple touch points—including cinema, mobile and digital media—the specially marked Fanta bottles used different activation temperatures for the thermochromatic inks, based on whether the bottle was sold in the refrigerator section or the ambient shelf.

On the refrigerated bottles, the blue thermochromatic inks would clear out as the beverage is consumed. When the product is pulled from the refrigerator at 8°C (46°F), the inks were fully colored, hiding the message behind.

On the f lip side, the bottles sold at room temperature were utilizing thermochromatic ink set to be fully colored at 29°C (84°F), and relying on the heat of the consumers’ hands to clear and reveal the message.

Having the ability to set specific temperatures for the two retail settings gave each Fanta fan the chance to participate in the promotion regardless of how they buy the product, according to Coca Cola.

“Our Fanta brand is all about bringing more fun to people’s lives,” explains Delia Maloney, f lavors marketing director at Coca-Cola South Pacif ic.

“We were excited that innovation of thermal inks allowed us to put our packs at the heart of our ‘Unbottle the Fun’ campaign this summer,” N O T H I N G S AY S says Maloney.

“From fridge or ambient, the thermal inks revealed different Funstigator challenges that invited our teen audience to add a little fun to their day-to-day.

“Also featured was the thermal ink ‘reveal’ of these challenges on the packs in our TV commercial, which drove our consumers to download Fabbri Automatic Stretch Wrappers produce highly the Funstigator app and continue to attractive packages that make your products look play with their friends. fresh and “just packed”. Fabbri Stretch Wrappers use “Interaction was key for this camstretch film to package fresh meat products in preformed paign and thermal inks made it trays to provide an in-store wrapped appearance. They employ possible on-pack,” Maloney states, four-way stretch technology to produce tight, over-the-flange, adding that the film labels used in wrinkle-free packages with securely sealed bottoms and a the promotion were supplied to Coca superb case presentation.

Cola Australia by Labelmakers And here’s something you might find even more attractive: Fabbri Stretch Wrappers can help increase your profitability.

Group Pty Ltd., of Somerton, Fabbri packaging is produced using low-cost packaging materials. And when you factor in its Best in Class low cost of Victoria, Australia. ownership, the Fabbri Stretch Wrapper is your most economical and affordable packaging solution.

Adds CTI’s manager of straCompact and robust servo-driven Fabbri packaging machines are built for speed, versatility and the highest levels of tegic sales initiatives Melanie productivity. Fabbri Stretch Wrappers can handle a wide range of tray sizes with no changeovers, producing up to 62 packs per Edwards: “It’s exciting to extend our minute. All models feature a user-friendly full-size control panel for easy operation and maintenance. Test the Fabbri at our interactive inks to the Coca-Cola Reiser Customer Center and see for yourself how it can improve your packaging. Contact Reiser today. team in Australia, after much work with the company worldwide.

“We were happy that CTI’s thermochromatic inks provided an innovative solution for the promotional Funstigator campaign involving not one, but two levels of temperature activations.” revealed an invitation to consumers— through temperature changes on the label—to join in an interactive campaign offering valuable prizes. As the labels on the Fanta Orange bottles changed color, consumers were invited to perform a selected Funstigator task such as “High-five someone wearing orange,” “Pretend you’re a ninja” or “Do the robot.”

To support the campaign, the brand developed a Fanta Funstigator gaming application, available on the Fanta Australia Facebook page, and as a smartphone app from the Apple App Store Page 1 or Google Play.

Consumers were able to use the app to take on

F R E S H like FABB R I PAC KAG ING

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Reiser Canada 1549 Yorkton Court #4, Burlington, ON L7P 5B7 • (905) 631-6611 Reiser 725 Dedham Street, Canton, MA 02021 • (781) 821-1290 www.reiser.com/fabbrimeat 2013

Leading the food industry in processing and packaging solutions.

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JUNE 2013

FIRST GLANCE SEAL THE DEAL

BETTER DISPLAY

The EZTAPE sealing systems from Eagle Packaging Machinery—offered in the CS12 and CS-12H semi-automatic models and fully-automatic CSA12 that does not require the operator to manually fold all f laps prior to the case entering the tape sealer—are equipped with a tool-less tape head to provide operators with quick and easy removal of tape cartridges to maintain accurate and consistent sealing process.

Designed to provide industrial end-users with top-notch interactive display capabilities, the updated CP2xxx and CP3xxx Control Panel and Panel PC series from Beckoff Automation LLC incorporate a modern operating concept with multi-touch technology and a contemporary, elegant design, according to the company. Available in various display sizes and formats, and fully-protected with robust aluminum and stainless-steel panels, the redesigned Control Panel and Panel PC series facilitates intuitive, multi-finger touchscreen interfacing similar to smartphones and tablet devices, including zooming, scrolling, object turning, f licks, etc.

Eagle Packaging Machinery

401

BUILT FOR SPEED Designed for low friction, low power consumption, long service life and reduced TCO (total cost of ownership) performance, the new X65 conveyor platform developed by FlexLink is claimed to offer twice the strength of conventional conveyor systems, according to the company, along with extremely high conveying speeds of up to 120 meters per minute in transferring products weighing less than one kilogram. Generating low noise levels, the new conveyor platform employs far less drives and transfers than conventional coveyors for low maintenance requirements.

FlexLink Group

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along a vibrating pan into a weigh bucket below, releasing it from a funnel into a container or a bag upon reaching desired weight. Operating in automatic or semi-automatic mode, the scale can reach speeds up to 15 cycles per minute.

WeighPack Systems Inc.

407

PET PROJECT

Designed for producing high-quality PET (polyethylene terephthalate) containers for dairy products and edible oils, the new SBL (Serac Blow Linear) blowmolding machine from the Serac Group can produce bottles in volume capacities of up to five liters at speeds ranging from 2,400 to 12,000 containers per Beckoff Automation LLC 406 hour, according to the company, with the system’s patented bottle THE ECONOMY OF SCALE transfer system enabling to transform the bottle’s The AutoWeigher linear scale sequential motion (linear blower) into continuous from WeighPack Systems motion (rotary filler). Designed specifically to help Inc.—offered in the AW-1 companies optimize their energy consumption model for weighing items requirements, the system’s pre-form heating is perfrom 0.5-ounce to 2.5 formed at low temperature and distributed evenly AW-9 pounds and the throughout the process with the use of ref lective version for items ranpanels and independently-adjustable lamps. The ging from one ounce to Lösungsstark, Canadian Packaging, 133 newx 203 blowmolder can be05/13 fully integrated with the mm, CC-en46-AZ071 10 pounds—allows the company’s Combox filler-capper for a seamless product to be fed autoPET bottling process. matically from the hopper Serac Group 408

GOING THE DISTANCE Designed for long-distance measurement or position detection of granules, f luids and powders, the new range of ultrasonic sensors from Balluff Inc. can measure fill levels, heights and sag without making contact as well as count and monitor the presence of objects. The highly versatile sensors operate independently of color and surface finish, and are not affected by transparent objects that generate strong ref lections. Constructed to remain unaffected by dust, dirt and steam, the new sensor offer detection ranges from 20-mm to eight meters, according to Balluff, making them a very good choice for critical applications in bottling, packaging, pharmaceutical, conveying and many other demanding industrial environments.

Balluff Canada Inc.

Creating value with powerful solutions

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MAKING IT STICK 3M Company is continuing to expand its line of Scotch Recycled Corrugate Tape with the addition of the 3072 industrial packaging tape. Engineered specifically for use with recycled corrugated boxes that yare more difficult to seal because of shorter, f latter fibers, this super-sticky tape will stick to most packaging material in use today, according to the company, and it can be applied by hand for low-volume packaging or company’s 3M-Matic Case Sealer for high-throughput environments.

3M Canada Company

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SMALL ADVANTAGES Cognex Corporation’s new Advantage 100 vision system and the AE2 Advantage engine are designed for integration into original equipment manufacturer (OEM) devices and equipment, especially for packaging, clinical diagnostic, printing and medical-device equipment requiring superior quality control and track-and-trace capabilities. Featuring extremely compact design, the enclosed Advantage 100 vision system comes with customizable optics, lighting and Ethernet communications suitable for integration into large automated clinical diagnostic systems.

Cognex Corporation

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ECO-PACK NOW

TAKING THE RIGHT BABY STEPS TO HELP RECYCLING GROW ACROSS CANADA Celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, the Huggies brands of disposable diapers from Kimberly-Clark Corporation is hardly a baby in the world of consumer personal-care products, but there is plenty for Canadian moms to cheer with the launch of a new, firstever nationwide program for the collection of used plastic diaper packaging.

Under the Diaper Packaging Brigade program, administered with the renowned ‘upcycling’ services provider TerraCycle, Inc. of Trenton, N.J., parents, schools and day-care centers can recycle their diaper packaging instead of sending it to landfill, while earning some muchneeded funding for schools or charities by collecting and returning the used plastic wraps.

For each plastic diaper packaging returned through the Diaper Packaging Brigade, Huggies and TerraCycle will each donate two cents, which can be put toward specific charity gifts or converted to cash and paid to a non-profit organization of the collector’s choice.

“We are thrilled to be diverting diaper packaging

waste in partnership with Huggies,” says Nina Purewal, general manager of TerraCycle Canada in Toronto.

“It’s wonderful to work with brands that take ownership over sustainable practices and give their consumers the opportunity to make a difference,” says Purewal, adding that the program is free and all the shipping costs are paid for by the two program sponsors.

All the collected packaging will eventually be ‘upcycled’ into various eco-friendly plastic products such as plastic benches, watering cans, and many other useful products (see picture), with the full list of different types of discarded packaging accepted by TerraCycle posted online at www.terracycle.ca

SHROOM-BASED PACKAGING IS OFF TO EUROPE

Picking mushrooms in the wild is a time-honored European family pastime that may soon experience something of a collective urban renaissance for a whole new set of reasons.

Launched just under a year ago to wide acclaim in North America, the patented Mushroom Packaging— developed by the Green Island, N.Y.-based Ecovative Design and licensed by the Sealed Air Corporation—is now on its way across the Atlantic, thanks to a new agreement between the two partners to accelerate production and commercialization of this innovative, renewable protective packaging material across Europe.

Made from different types of agricultural byproducts combined with mycelium, or mushroom roots, to produce home-compostable protective packaging, the breakthrough technology has shown to have great potential in the eco-savvy European markets, according to Ecovative’s chief executive Eben Bayer.

“The agreement builds upon our groundbreaking relationship with Sealed Air and continues the overall momentum for providing an innovative and effective alternative to petrochemical-based packaging on a much larger scale,” Bayer states. “We are confident that we can extend this momentum into the European marketplace.”

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JUNE 2013

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A Tribute to our PAC Members

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COVER STORY

START SPREADING THE NEWS Landmark Toronto margarine plant a showcase of Unilever’s strategic drive to double its global business by deploying more sustainable, planet-friendly means and ends

Rexdale factory director Kelly Sheppard stands in front of a plant wall covered with billboard-sized decorative panels displaying the key goals and principles outlined in the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan initiative that promises significant reductions in the company’s environmental footprint, while also helping Unilever double the size of its global business and improve the well-being of one billion consumers worldwide.

who began his professional food industry career with the soft-drink giant PepsiCo. Naturally, says Sheppard, the importance of the plant’s contribution to Unilever’s $1.2-billion annual business in Canada—also comprising production facilities in Montreal (tea) and Ontariobased plants in Simcoe (ice-cream) and Bramalea (dry-goods marketed under the Knorr brand of soup mixes, sauces and side-dishes)—is well understood and revered among all of the plant’s 127 hourly and 34 salaried office staff.

“We are all very proud to have the opportunity to care for Unilever’s two f lagship brands,” says Sheppard, “but at the same time we are also greatly humbled by this responsibility.

“Hellmann’s Mayonnaise is a truly unique brand that is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year,” he says, “and it is our reponsibility to ensure that the brand is still prospering for the next 100 years.

“So while we take a lot of pride in that role, it comes along with the responsibility of ensuring that we remain as competitive as we can to pass along that opportunity to future generations,” says Sheppard, pointing out that the annual production of Hellmann’s has risen from 33,000 metric tonnes in 2010 to about 40,000 tonnes today.

Room to Grow

BY GEORGE GUIDONI, EDITOR PHOTOS BT COLE GARSIDE

F

or most food manufacturing plants, producing a bestselling national brand is ordinarily as good as it gets in today’s highly competitive and hotly contested CPG (consumer packaged goods) marketplace. But the Unilever Canada Inc. production facility in the western Toronto suburb of Rexdale is not your ordinary food plant.

Owned and operated by leading multinational CPG global powerhouse Unilever N.V. since 1961, the 100,000 square-foot factory has long earned its bread-and-butter as one of the country’s largest margarine processing operations, with its flagship Becel brand of margarine a long-time runaway bestseller in its product category throughout most of Canada.

But while such marketplace success and prominence is a worthy accomplishment all in its own right, it is even more remarkable when considering that the country’s bestselling brand of mayonnaise, Hellmann’s, has also been produced in steadily increasing volumes under the same roof since the 2010.

Acquired as part of Unilever’s buyout of Best Foods in 2000, shifting the Hellmann’s dressing

12 • WWW.CANADIANPACKAGING.COM

business to Rexdale has had a profound impact on the spread factory’s day-to-day business and strategic importance.

According to the Rexdale factory director Kelly Sheppard, who joined Unilever Canada about 11 years ago, moving and accommodating the three production and packaging lines from their former Quebec location to Rexdale was a challenging proposition on many levels, but one that ultimately allowed the company to demonstrate its impressive skillset of world-class manufacturing and supply chain excellence.

“The’s no question that it was a very difficult undertaking,” Sheppard told the Canadian Packaging magazine in a recent interview, “whereby we had to relay out all our existing Becel lines, compressing them into one side of the building, in order to make space on the other side for the three new lines coming in.

“It took about a year for us to complete, from start to finish, in 2010, but we managed to get it done without any physical expansion of the building itself,” says Sheppard, a University of Waterloo engineering graduate and holder of an MBA degree from the University of Calgary

“It is very much a growing business,” says Sheppard, adding that moving the Hellmann’s production to Rexdale, which also produces 50,000 metric tonnes of Becel and other margarine brands per year, has been well justified in terms of enabling the plant to take advantage of new economies of scale and other manufacturing synergies.

“This is a very strategic factory for Unilever in the Canadian context, with our primary role of servicing the Canadian retail and foodservice business from coast to coast with our spread (margarine) and dressing (mayonnaise) products,” he explains.

“Although these are two different products, a lot of the feedstocks that they use are quite similar.

“With Becel being 80-percent vegetable oil in terms of product content, and Hellmann’s over 70 per cent, while the processes to make them may differ, they do share a lot of the same supply chain characteristics, so there are definitely some synergies in having the two businesses under the same roof,” he relates.

“An additional benefit is that the two products have opposite seasonalities,” Sheppard points out. “For Hellmann’s, the seasonal demand peak runs through the summer months—with the picnics, outdoor eating, sandwiches and salads, etc.,

CANADIAN PACKAGING • JUNE 2013

COVER STORY The Rexdale plant produces a total of 118 different SKUs (stock-keeping units), with Polytainers supplying the plastic tubs and Berry Plastics the lidding for packaging the 37 different spread products like the plant’s enduringly popular flagship Becel margarine brand.

whereas with spreads the seasonal demand begins to peak heading into the winter months, when there’s more baking indoors taking place around Thanksgiving, Christmas and those other festive occasions and holidays.

“As a result, there are considerable scale benefits in terms of our labor and manpower requirements—with a lot less ups-and-downs in staffing levels and less disruption in the process overall,” says Sheppard, saying the Rexdale plant nowadays operates a steady three-shift, five-days-a-week schedule throughout most of the year.

“While there are some time periods that are slower than others,” he acknowledges, “for the most part it’s relatively f lat, whereby we normally just digest the seasonal peaks with some overtime work, and the lows with the vacation time—with no layoffs or hiring sprees necessary.”

Sheppard says that while the Rexdale plant ranks as “mid-sized” player among the 250-plus factories operated by Unilever worldwide in terms of throughput and capacity, the combined marketing clout of the Hellmann’s and Becel brands produced there gives it an especially important role in the implementation of the parent company’s sweeping Unilever Sustainable Living Plan initiative launched in 2011.

Personally spearheaded by Unilever’s chief executive officer Paul Polman—dubbed ‘Captain

Corrugated blanks from Atlantic Packaging Products fed into the high-performance Sabel model bottom-load case-packer from Massman Automation Designs, LLC.

JUNE 2013 • CANADIAN PACKAGING

Planet’ in a recent Harvard Business Review magazine article—the multipronged action plan essentially aims to help Unilever double the size of its global business by 2020, while keeping its environmental footprint at current levels and improving the lives and well-being of one billion consumers in some of the world’s poorest countries.

Top Billing Having successfully integrated the Hellmann’s dressing business into a plant already running close to full capacity to produce popular spreads, the Rexdale plant offers a compelling example of how Unilever plans to achieve its ambitious and far-reaching goals, according to Unilever Canada’s vice-president of legal and external affairs John Coyne.

“Having a factory that’s producing two top brands in the categories in which they compete is a really good thing for the factory and for our business overall,” says Coyne. “The Hellmann’s product is the ‘Number One’ brand in this country by a good margin, while Becel has long been the Number One margarine brand here as well.

“It’s about producing a high-quality product that offers good value to consumers,” Coyne says, “which Hellmann’s and Becel have done it for an extended period of time: these are not brands that just showed up yesterday.

“We have worked on the Becel story for over

30 years in this country, working the Heart & Stroke Foundation to provide consumers with a heart-healthy alternative to other products such as butter,” says Coyne, a 21-year Unilever Canada veteran and a dedicated loyal consumer of both brands produced at Rexdale.

“Is Becel healthier than butter? I personally believe that it is, and as a company I believe that we thereby satisfy both an ethical and a business obligation to present appropriate products to the consuming public.

“It’s the same thing with Hellmann’s, which is all about the ‘real food’ movement, natural ingredients, and all those other things that resonate well with the consumers.

“It’s a product that in fact rewards consumers who really understand what they are consuming with more natural ingredients,” Coyne says.

Sheppard agrees: “Hellmann’s is really a very simple product that uses only natural Canadiangrown ingredients, such as eggs from Burnbrae Farms just outside of Belleville in Ontario, canola oil from the Prairies, and other natural ingredients that help us make a rich-history, high-quality product that has all the ‘good-for-you’ fats in it for maintaining a good all-around diet.

“Fat is actually is an essential part of a healthy and balanced diet and a very important part of good nutrition,” he states. “You want to have the good fats, the polyunsaturated and the monounsaturated fatty acids, which are all derived in the vegetable, canola and sunf lower oils that go into our products.

“The bad fats are the saturated fats and transfatty acids, which products like butter have in large quantities.”

Sheppard points to the Becel brand’s high market penetration in Europe as validation of its universal appeal and impressive brand loyalty among the increasingly health-conscious and better-informed global consumer public, adding that Canadian regulations requiring for products labeled as margarine to have minimal 80-percent real oil content provide Canadian consumers with an extra level of product quality and integrity.

This earnest dedication to product quality and purity is played out every day on the Rexdale plant’s nine busy production and packaging lines—six for Becel and three for Hellmann’s—that produce a com-

The newly-installed, fully-automatic Invex case-packer from Douglas Machine is designed to provide optimal secondary packaging flexibility for the busy Rexdale facility processing a broad range of product sizes and many different packaging formats, including innovative retail-ready packaging displays for the plant’s retail customers.

WWW.CANADIANPACKAGING.COM • 13

COVER STORY

Unilever Canada’s vice-president of legal affairs John Coyne at the company’s downtown Toronto headquarters.

bined total of 118 different SKUs for the Canadian retail market, accounting for about 85 per cent of the plant’s output, and foodservice operators serviced by the company’s Food Solutions business unit.

“Because of the complexity of the portfolio of products that comes out of this factory, we actually have very different technologies at work from one line to another,” says Sheppard.

“On the dressings side alone, comprising 71 different SKUs, we have one jar line producing 445ml, 710-ml, 890-m, 1.42-liter and 1.8-liter jars right next to the squeeze-bottle line with a lot of shrinksleeve labeling going on, which is running next to a ‘f lex’ line that will do pails, totes, drums, bags-in-boxes and other bulk formats for foodservice customers.

“It takes a lot of very different line technologies and capabilities to produce this product in 39 different formulations and 32 packaging formats, ranging from half-, one-, 1.5-, two-, three- and four-pound tubs to twin-packs of baking sticks, single-use portion cups and 25-pound pails.”

“Naturally, we have to run a very highly automated plant at Rexdale in order to put out 90,000 metric

tonnes of product per year with 161 people,” says Sheppard, complimenting the plant’s highly-dedicated and engaged hourly workforce, represented

by Local 647 of the international Teamsters union, for helping it meet its highly demanding production, quality and sustainability goals on a consistent basis.

“Our philosophy is to pay well in order to attract a talented employee base that is able to thrive in a highly-automated packaging and processing environment, and we support that through a variety of training activities, including TPM (total productive maintenance), facilitator courses, safety and quality training, equipment-specific or technique-specific training provided by our vendors, and various other activities to enable our employees to perform to the best of their abilities.

“Having this sort of partnership is absolutely paramount to being successful and remaining competitive in today’s world: that old ‘us versus them’ mentality is history,” he asserts.

Similarly, the Rexdale plant also applies this partnership-centered approach to the way it does business with suppliers of its packaging materials and machinery, according to Sheppard, with line flexibility being one of the operation’s most-prized attributes.

“This Unilever factory is somewhat unique in a sense that most of the lines here are quite different from one another,” he explains.

“Usually we tend to set up a factory with very similar lines, technologies and suppliers in order to get the critical mass scale, but this plant has to be a highly flexible operation to meet the unique needs of each of our customers,” says Sheppard, adding the dressings lines usually run at about 200 jars per minute, with the spreads lines at about 120 containers per minute.

“We don’t necessarily have the highest-throughput technology,” he allows, “but it is not the goal of this factory to be the fastest.

“Our aim is to be f lexible and nimble enough to respond to the rapidly-changing consumer and customer needs,” says Sheppard, citing the plant’s expertise at producing effective retail-ready packaging “packouts” that help retail stores staff to stack their shelves at a fraction of the time compared to traditional methods.

“We aim to grow our business by serving our

A MESA model hotmelt adhesive applicator from Nordson uses food-grade adhesives to form durable corrugated carrier shipping cases.

A Videojet 3320 laser coder generates permanent lines of product code and lot information on the back of product labels applied onto Hellmann’s plastic jars and bottles.

Hellmann’s squeeze-bottles lining up on Hartness accumulation conveyors (left), while the continuous-motion Ryson spiral conveyor transports loaded cases towards the palletizer.

14 • WWW.CANADIANPACKAGING.COM

CANADIAN PACKAGING • JUNE 2013

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COVER STORY customers and responding to their needs by lowering their operational costs, through joint effort like the retail-ready packouts, and by ensuring high quality for the consumers so that they are all repeat and loyal long-term consumers.

“That is the real source of competitiveness for the company,” says Sheppard, citing some big-ticket purchases of new state-of-the-art packaging equipment at the Rexdale plant over the last couple of years.

This includes recent installation of two fullyautomated, high-performance case-packing stations manufactured by the Douglas Machine Corp. of Alexandria, Minn.; a fully-automatic palletizer manufactured by Columbia Machine Inc. of Vancouver, Wash.; and a newly-commissioned high-speed labeler from the renowned German food-and-beverage processing and packaging equipment manufacturer Krones AG. “We always want to buy what we think in the most high-quality, most competitive capabil-

ities on the market, and this new Krones labeler is exactly that kind of a machine,” Sheppard enthuses.

“This is also true of the new Douglas case-packers that we installed, one each, on the Hellmann’s jar line and squeeze-bottle line to enable us to make retail-ready packouts for our retail customers, which in turn helps them improve the productivity of their employees as they set the shelves,” he points out.

“It was an investment made by us to stay competitive by helping customers choose us over competing brands because it makes them more pro-

Up-close views of Invex case-packers loading jars of Hellmann’s mayonnaise into corrugated carrier cases assembled with food-grade hotmelt adhesives (inset) supplied

by Technical Adhesives Limited of Brampton, Ont.

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COVER STORY ductive,” says Sheppard, complimenting the plant’s packaging supplier base for its close collaboration with Unilever on a broad range of packaging process improvement and sustainability initiatives.

“We take a lot of pride in what we do, and so we work quite closely and collaboratively with all of our vendors,” Sheppard states. “We have key strategic partnerships via our ‘Partner to Win’ program with each of our packaging suppliers and vendors, and we have open and transparent dialogue for active sharing of any issues that may arise or any opportunities to improve—be it quality, costs, service or speed.

“We often bring their operators to work with our operators at our plant to exchange ideas on how any coming variation in the supply of whatever component or material affects our operations here, and offer creative insights on how we can all be cost-competitive in doing so.”

With polypropylene tubs, HDPE (high-density polyethylene) lidding and PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic jars accounting for the bulk of packaging components used at the Rexdale plant, Sheppard says the plant has had considerable success with the lightweighting and material-reduction for some of its more popular packages.

“We often find that sustainability and competitiveness are one and the same, whereby taking some material out of you container in a way that does not compromise your quality helps make the plant more competitive from a cost standpoint,” Sheppard explains.

“That money can then be reinvested in our brands, our equipment, our customers, or passed along to the consumer.”

simple solutions that are not that costly, and yet can have a big impact on both reducing your footprint and improving your performance—thereby helping your business to become more competitive as well.”

According to Coyne, retaining that competiThe Rexdale plant has recently installed a fully-automatic palletizer from Columbia Machine to optimize the plant’s end-of-line packaging performance.

Filled margarine tubs emerge from the SIG HAMBA model BK 8004/M filler at about 120 containers per minute.

Noting that package lightweighting alone is not going to be sufficient to help Unilever meet the ambitious carbon-footprint reduction mandated in the Sustainable Living Plan, Sheppard points out that the Rexdale plant has achieved significant reductions in its GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions, water usage and energy consumption requirements over the last couple of years.

Significant enough, he proudly notes, to have just received two highlycoveted awards from GE (General Electric)—incluiding Return on Environemnt Award and Proof not Promises Award—celebrating progressive and responsible manufacturing practices.

“We have done a comprehensive compressed-air reduction program, and the same thing with steam and electricity,” Sheppard relates.

“There are often a lot of improvements to be had via implementing FOR MORE INFORMATION CIRCLE

JUNE 2013

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COVER STORY

Left: A shrinksleeve labeler from PDC International Corp. is used to label squeeze-bottles of Hellmann’s mayonnaise at speeds of up to 200 bottles per minute.

Above: Packaging technician Almira Martinez perfoms a spot inspection to ensure optimal quality assurance.

tive mindset and vigilance will be paramountly important in coming years as the Anglo-Dutchowned parent company, recording sales of nearly 52 billion euros last years, works on doubling the size of its business by 2020.

“For us, sustainability is not something that you just bolt onto your business,” Coyne states. “It has to be a strategic imperative, a strategic underpinning which affects and impacts every piece of the business: from agricultural sourcing to the way in which we package our products; to the way in which we innovate with new products; and to how we dispose of the waste and the package at the end-of-life.

“To be effective in that space, we have to conduct the right kind of analysis and reporting, so we have engaged in very extensive LCA (life-cycle analysis) evaluation for all of our products, which captures much of what a product is all about and teaches us what things we need to measure, along with that entire continuum from sustainable sourcing all the way through to the consumer’s use of the product.”

Coyne says that in addition to achieving “zerowaste-to-landfill” certification for all of its Canadian plants, Unilever also powers its Rexdale plant exclusively by purchasing renewable “green energy” credits from Bullfrog Power in order to minimize its footprint.

“We need to lead by example in our factories when it comes to things like water, waste and power by demonstrating to people why they should be looking at us as guide-posts, if you will, for how they can improve themselves,” he says.

“Our water and electrical power consumption are down, along with our carbon-dioxide emissions, and all of our North American manufacturing plants are now ‘zero-waste-to-landfill’ operations,” he says. “We have made tremendous

progress in a short period of time.

“We’re also beginning to address how we talk to our consumers in this space: we are starting to work that Bullfrog logo into our packaging to talk to our consumers about what green electricity means to us and what it will mean to them.

“It’s all about adding a communication vehicle that is deigned to help change consumer behavior,” Coyne explains. “There is a lot of noise out there about green electricity and green energy, but a lot of it is just noise.

ing to the consumers.”

Says Coyne: “I think there is a perception out there that consumers don’t want to take green steps but I believe that they do, except there are two things holding them back.

“One is knowledge—they don’t know what step to take—and there’s also the economic side, but I believe that leading companies have an obligation to equip consumers with that knowledge.

“Moreover, I don’t think that consumers must pay a massive premium to go green: it is our obligation to figure out how we can be smarter as a business on order to present a responsible option that doesn’t have to cost a lot of money.

“I certainly I do not think for a second that we have exhausted or reached the limits of our ingenuity in this space,” Coyne stresses, citing Unilever’s impressive fourth-place ranking in this year’s authoritative international The Gartner Supply Chain 25 for 2013 list, just behind Apple, McDonald’s and Amazon.

“The challenges we are facing moving forward are huge planetary challenges, with serious economic, environmental and social implications the likes of which we have never seen before,” Coyne asserts.

“Knowledge and economics are huge triggers to consumer behavior, but once consumers have those tools in their hands, I believe they actually will make the right choices,” he concludes.

“I think that our healthy dissatisfaction with the status quo is precisely the right recipe for keeping us competitive in the long term.”

— Kelly Sheppard, Factory Director, Rexdale Plant, Unilever Canada Inc. “What consumers really need is some real clarity on what they can do to change their own environmental posture in their community, and we believe that we have a role to help them in that discussion.

“Our consumers are consumers, but they are also citizens,” Coyne argues. “So when I get a consumer to reward me with a purchase, I should be rewarding that consumer not only with a good product at a good price, but also help them figure out how by purchasing that product they can address their own obligations in their community.

“Whether it’s about shorter showers because of the changes we made to our shampoo, changing the way you cook your food to use less energy, or to switch to our cold-water detergents ... it all contributes to a broader dialogue with consumers as citizens,” he says.

“And I think that’s a very respectful way of talk-

“It’s the old principle of always trust the voter, trust the citizen, trust the consumer ... because a lot of the time, the customer really is always right.”

Adds Sheppard: “The world is a very competitive marketplace, and those who just aim to stand still are not very likely to be competitive into the future.

“That’s why we’re always looking for ways to improve on our safety, quality, competitiveness and productivity, with the aim of growing this operation.

“So while we take a lot of pride in our factory, we don’t allow an ego to slip in to think that we are good enough,” Sheppard sums up.

“Frankly there are a lot of areas where we know we can improve and we will continue to do so.

I think that our healthy dissatisfaction with the status quo is precisely the right recipe for keeping us competitive in the long term.”

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18 • WWW.CANADIANPACKAGING.COM

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FILLING & CAPPING

Jean St-Martin, Vice-President of Sales, Storcan Ltd.

SUCCESS CAN HAPPEN Montreal integrator’s ‘Can Do’ attitude helping popular microbrewer achieve faster production times and a consistently high-quality upscale beer

ANDREW JOSEPH, FEATURES EDITOR PHOTOS BY PIERRE LONGTIN

W

hen comparing the initial success of Montreal-based McAuslan Brewing with the stellar market growth it has achieved over its 25-year history, one could say it pales … like a St-Ambroise Pale Ale. Although founder Peter McAuslan actually began home-brewing his own beer back in the late 1970s, it wasn’t until the mid 1980s when he seriously began to think he would like to operate his own brewery.

In 1987, he turned that dream into a reality and quit his job as secretary general of the Montrealbased Dawson College, spending the next year organizing financing, leasing building space, gathering equipment and, most importantly, building a five-man team that would help turn his dreams into a successful reality. McAuslan’s wife, Ellen Bounsall, also quit her job as registrar with the school in order to help out.

Even though she wasn’t much of a beer drinker initially, she did occasionally enjoy her husband’s home-brews, finding the intrigue of the family owning a brewery compelling.

While McAuslan Brewing may be best-known for its award-winning Pale Ale, it also produces a diverse palette of flavors that has garnered international attention and acclaim.

20 • WWW.CANADIANPACKAGING.COM

Despite acquiring a brewery and all the essential equipment to get started, McAuslan and Bounsall were still seeking perfection in their beer recipe— finally discovering it in 1989 with creation of their St-Ambroise Pale Ale brand.

Since then, the British-style ale has been going from strength to strength in the intensely competitive Quebec beer market.

According to the company, St-Ambroise Pale Ale became a hit not only due to its distinctive hops f lavor, but also thanks to its clear, bold red color that immediately set it apart from the competition.

By the end of 1990, the company saw its sales rise

The McAuslan Brewing plant’s recently-installed new Master Can Tronic model RS 20/4 filler and seamer from CFT Packaging USA can reach speeds up to 170 cans per minute.

CANADIAN PACKAGING • JUNE 2013

FILLING & CAPPING by a staggering 306 per cent—promptly positioning McAuslan Brewing to become the province’s largest microbrewery by volume.

Not one to sit back on his laurels, McAuslan and his team soon began to expand their line-up of beers that has clearly resonated with the tastebuds of an appreciative and thirsty customer base.

By 1992, the brewery expanded its production capacity to 20,000 hectoliters (the equivalent to 250,000 24-bottle cases of beer), and in 1995 it added a new filler and bright beer tanks to expand its capacity to 26,000 hectoliters.

That initial success laid foundations for a cheerful workplace environment for 65 employees at the lively, fast-paced Montreal plant, nowadays producing 90,000 hectoliters of beer annually.

Over the years, McAuslan was greatly aided and abetted by his brewmaster wife in proceeding to launch many new and different beers with interesting f lavors, but above all catering to the discerning beer-lovers across Canada, the U.S., Australia, Belgium and Switzerland.

Along with the seven beers McAuslan Brewing produces on year-round basis—St-Ambroise Pale Ale, St-Ambroise Oatmeal Stout (platinum winner at the 1994 World Beer Championships), St-Ambroise Apricot Wheat Ale, St-Ambroise India Pale Ale, St-Ambroise Cream Ale (draft only), Griffon Extra Pale Ale and Griffon Red Ale—it also produces six seasonal beers.

Consisting of the St-Ambroise Scotch Ale, St-Ambroise Maple, St-Ambroise Raspberry,

The new depalletizing system designed, manufactured and installed by Storcan specifically for McAuslan Brewing is a semi-automatic unit that lifts palletized empty cans one level at a time, so that workers can physically sweep the cans from the pallet onto an accumulation table leading to the filling line.

For the first time in 2013, Loma Systems and Lock Inspection, two of the world’s leading inspection companies, are formally announcing they have joined forces. With over 100 years of combined experience in metal detection, checkweighing and x-ray inspection systems, both companies have successfully partnered with the world’s largest food, pharmaceutical and packaging companies, located in over 100 countries, to comply with product safety standards, weight legislation and retailer codes of conduct.

“The integration of Loma and Lock creates a next-generation food and pharmaceutical company with global reach,” said Laura Studwell, North American Marketing Manager for both companies. “Together, our companies will embrace the future of inspection through innovation and world-class service to deliver unmatched technology and experiences for production companies worldwide.”

“This is truly a merger of visions and a perfect fit for both companies,” said Mark D’Onofrio, President of Lock. “We are integrating an innovative leader in the food inspection industry with a powerhouse in the pharmaceutical inspection industry.” D’Onofrio continues, “By joining Loma and Lock, we are creating one of the most diverse, technically advanced and service focused inspection companies in the world. And we intend to keep making our businesses better and better.”

You can expect to see a new, simplified product lineup as the companies continue to integrate. The new lineup will boast metal detection systems for both wet and dry environments as the companies move forward with both the IQ3 and the Insight product lines. The new X4 technology will take the forefront of x-ray inspection with higher sensitivity rates and improved image processing quality. The LCW series of checkweighers will also take the forefront as the premier offering for checkweighing systems.

USA

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Customers will now have access to direct field service in Canada through Loma. Loma has been providing direct service and support to the Canadian marketplace for over 35 years and is now able to provide local service and support for all Lock inspection products as well.

www.loma.com | www.lockinspection.com FOR MORE INFORMATION CIRCLE

1118

FILLING & CAPPING Installed in 1996, this high-performance Krones bottle filler still forms the backbone of production capabilities for the busy McAuslan Brewing plant in Montreal that nowadays produces about 90,000 hectoliters of highquality beer products annually.

28545 E Conestoga_7.875x10.75.qxt_28545 2013-03-22 3:21 PM Page 1

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business partner.”

Arnold Drung, President, Conestoga Meat Packers, Breslau, Ont.

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St-Ambroise Pumpkin Ale, St-Ambroise Vintage Ale and St-Ambroise Russian Imperial Stout brands, these seasonal varieties all sell out virtually as quickly as they are brewed, according to the company.

“The beer business in Quebec is very price-driven, as in the less expensive the better, but that is not the McAuslan way,” McAuslan Brewing director of marketing Margo Pollock told Canadian Packaging magazine during a recent interview.

“We have successfully positioned ourselves as a high-end beer, and it’s a business plan that has worked well for us from Day One.” According to Pollock, the company’s success in creating great new beers lies in its unique ability to marry high-quality ingredients with a boundless passion for the craft of brewing.

“We think that just like our customers, our beers should have their own distinctive character and personality,” she explains.

This customercentric mindset recently helped McAuslan Brewing take home the Gold medal from the Canadian Brewing Awards for its St-Ambroise Maple, with its Griffon Red brand also named Best Red Ale

by Protegez-Vous, Quebec’s consumer report magazine.

To date, the brewery has garnered fans around the world, as evidenced by the fact its beers have captured almost 70 industry awards—with combined haul of 12 medals from international competitions including a platinum and several golds.

Close-up view of high-precision Festo pneumatic components incorporated inside the Krones filler for optimal filling accuracy.

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119

McAuslan decided to sell his company this past April to Les Brasseurs RJ, another successful Montrealbased microbrewer who wisely decided not to mess with a good thing by allowing McAuslan Brewing to keep going about its business the only way it know how—with a large dash of innovation and integrity.

“Back in the early days, McAuslan Brewing was the first microbrewery to sell its beer in bottles,” points out Pollock, noting that back in 1995 the company was also the first Canadian brewery to have its own Internet website.

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JUNE 2013

FILLING & CAPPING The McAuslan Brewing facility in Montreal uses Storcanmanufactured and installed conveyors on its bottle-filling and the new can-filling lines.

Partnering up with Moosehead Breweries, Canada’s fourth-largest beermaker based in New Brunswick, introduced McAuslan to the world of co-packing for mass-produced beer brands— developing another key competency that was considerably strengthened with a subsequent copacking partnership that Moosehead struck with the famed Danish beermaker Carlsberg.

“We must have done a really good job of it, because our batches were consistently ranked in the Top Four during Carlsberg global headquarters’ monthly quality review of its beers brewed around the world,” states McAuslan’s current brewmaster David Brophy.

While Brophy agrees that innovation and hard work are the mother of necessity, he also points to the plethora of highquality brewing and production line equipment that have made the tricky job of brewing a product on a consistent basis a much smoother proposition for him.

This includes the Krones filler that McAuslan purchased in January of 1996, which immediately generated a hefty increase in production line bottling speeds and achieved extended shelf-life for the bottled beer.

More recently, the brewery developed and maintained a healthy business relationship with Storcan Ltd., Montreal-based integrator who not only sold and installed production line conveyors to the brewery, but also recently supplied a brand new filler for plant’s brand new canning line.

Founded in 1976, Storcan is considered a leader in the bottling industry throughout Canada and the U.S. With three expansions, continuous acquisition of automated machinery, and formation of an inhouse engineering department, the company has developed a renowned expertise in many areas of the manufacturing industry.

“As strange as it sounds, Storcan’s involvement with McAuslan begins with me when I worked over at Krones,” relates Storcan vice-president of sales Jean St-Martin, who joined Storcan 15 years ago.

McAuslan’s first Storcan purchase was a full conveyor system for a new bottling line, and since that worked out well, anytime the brewery requires advice or new equipment, Storcan is one of the first to get the call, St-Martin relates.

According to St-Martin, the new CFT Packaging USA model Master Can Model 20/4 filler can run at a top speed of 170 cans per minute, which includes filling and seaming the lid onto the can.

“The seamer and filler are all part of the same CFT filler,” notes St-Martin.

“It really provides a high-quality seam

JUNE 2013

23

FOR MORE INFORMATION CIRCLE

120

FILLING & CAPPING

Brewery employee Raphael Villarrdel works the easy-to-use Allen-Bradley PanelView Plus 1000 terminal controlling the operation of the brewer’s new canning line.

on the can, which provides McAuslan excellent quality assurance.

“I know that CFT is the only manufacturer in the world that builds both the filler and seamer inhouse, which helps provide the Master Can with a very compact design,” he adds.

According to Storcan, the Master Can is a rotary filler-seamer monoblock that relies on counterpressure filling technology to fill metal or aluminium cans with volumes ranging from 100-ml to 660-ml.

Main features of the Master Can include: • Centralized decompression recovery system;

McAuslan Brewing brewmaster David Brophy.

Storcan built and installed a smooth-running line of conveyor systems for transporting filled cases of beer to the plant’s palletizing area.

• Filling valves complete with separate air return system from cans; • Low-oxygen pick-up to avoid beer oxidation; • CO2 f luxing to reduce air presence, foam formation and oxidation; • Automatic height adjustment of the tank; • Linking with CFT seamers equipped with bubblebreaker and CO2 injection before can seaming; • External valve washing system.

“These value-added features of the filler also help us maintain oxygen pick-up to a minimum, ensuring consistent product quality,” says McAuslan’s bottling line manager Celine Maranger. “It is a key factor in a beer’s shelf-life.”

St-Martin candidly explains that Storcan only began work on the McAuslan can line project after detailed discussions with the brewery to ensure that both parties were on the same page, and that the beer producer was definitely getting the best bang for its buck.

“We supplied all of the conveyors for this new can line, as well as their new semi-automatic depalletizing system,” he relates.

St-Martin says that Storcan always works with the latest and most advanced computer technology for design and engineering, using the Allen-Bradley series HMI (human-machine interface) and PLCs (programmable logic controllers) manufactured by Rockwell Automation.

St-Martin says that although the McAuslan project was almost as simple as having them pick and

choose items from a catalogue, there is still a certain amount of customization required from time to time, citing the brewery’s new depalletizing system that empties new cans onto the production line for cleaning and then filling.

“We had two criteria from McAuslan Brewing: make the depalletizing system as efficient as possible for their particular set-up; and keep the costs down,” explains St-Martin.

“So we did that by creating a specific semi-automatic system just for them.”

Storcan devised the new depalletizing system as a semi-automatic unit employing a mechanical lift that raises a pallet filled with empty cans to the depalletizing station one level at a time. Once raised, a brewery employee simply sweeps the cans en masse onto the accumulation table and activates the depalletizer mechanically to move up—revealing another layer of cans.

Although well-known for its integration skills, Storcan is also one of the leading manufacturer of conveyor systems in North America for the foodand-beverage industries.

After being depalletized, the cans move in a single-file along the conveyors—powered by SEWEurodrive motors—before twisting down into a rinse gravity system for a thorough rinse.

Exiting the rinser, the cans continue along a Storcan conveyance system and enter the closed Master Can filler and seamer, before continuing their journey to a pasteurization system.

After the cans are packed into cases via a Consolidated Technologies case-packer, with paperboard supplied by a couple of companies including Rock-Tenn, they are hand-stacked onto a pallet and readied for transport to the various beer dispensing outlets.

“We have enjoyed our long-standing relationship with Jean and Storcan,” states Marenger. “Their machinery expertise has helped us to brew a consistently high-quality product that our customers really seem to love with a passion.”

For More Information:

An SEW-Eurodrive motor keeps the can line humming as it moves empty cans down a spiral pathway into a rinsing unit.

24 • WWW.CANADIANPACKAGING.COM

Storcan Ltd. Krones Machinery Company Ltd. CFT Packaging USA Rockwell Automation SEW-Eurodrive Co. of Canada Ltd. Consolidated Technologies Rock-Tenn Company

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CANADIAN PACKAGING • JUNE 2013

STICK IT!

Cheers to all, and have a great summer!

Sincerely, Your Friends At Technical Adhesives Technical Adhesives Limited 3035 Jarrow Ave. Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L4X 2C6 Tel: 905.625.1284 Fax: 905.625.6841

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PACKAGING FOR FRESHNESS

International Cheese’s quality assurance technician Iryna Smolinska places freshly-made 500-gram blocks of ricotta cheese into the film trays formed on the Multivac R 105 horizontal vacuum-pack machine.

WHEY OF THE CHEESE

Top-notch metal detection system gives Toronto-cheese manufacturer reason to smile ANDREW JOSEPH, FEATURES EDITOR PHOTOS BY COLE GARSIDE

W

ith over 20 million metric tonnes produced globally in 2011 alone, according to the United Nations’ FAO (Food & Agriculture Organization), cheese is easily one of the world’s most popular agricultural products, with an average of 3.3 kilograms of cheese being produced annually for every single living person on Earth.

A milk-based product, cheese is produced from the coagulation of milk gathered from cows, goats, sheep and buffalo, and has been produced and eaten by appreciative consumers since a best-guess 8000 BC when sheep were first domesticated, though definitive proof of cheese manufacturing in 5500 BC was found in what is now Poland.

While the International Dairy Federation officially recognizes some 500 or so varieties, there are literally hundreds more, all classified by such criteria as ageing length, texture, method of manufacture, fat content, animal milk used, country or region of origin, etc.

As for public consumption—raw or cooked— it’s a cornucopia of textures, scents and tastes that intrigues gourmands and cheese manufacturers around the world.

Not surprisingly, Canada is considered to be

26 • WWW.CANADIANPACKAGING.COM

one of the top cheese-producing countries in the world. Not only did the country produce some 408,520 metric tonnes of cheese in 2011, the average Canadian gobbled up some 12.3 kilograms of cheese per year.

It’s just that type of consumption that has International Cheese Inc. chomping at the proverbial bit, helping do its part to supply the Canadian consuming public with its high-quality cheese products.

Home Digs Situated in a residential area of the northwest part of Toronto, International Cheese employs 30 plant workers, and another 17 drivers, sales and administrative personnel at a compact 6,000-square-foot facility crafting over 32 different varieties of cheese.

“We do it all here,” International Cheese quality assurance technician Iryna Smolinska told Canadian Packaging magazine during a recent visit to the facility. “Not only do we make the cheese, we cool it, age it, and package it all under one roof.”

Founded in 1963, the privately-owned 50-yearold company is not just your average small, wellkept neighborhood secret. Au contraire, the company enjoys a fair bit of national renown—even more so thanks to its recent win at the 2013 Canadian Cheese Grand Prix competition, winning the top prize for its Bocconcini and Provolone Pignata cheeses.

Seemingly blended into its residential neighborhood surroundings, International Cheese doesn’t really look on the outside like it sells its cheeses to anyone but the locals.

Upon entering the narrow cheese shop and catching a whiff of all the cheese on the shelves and hanging above them, the casual visitor only realizes there is more to this business when peeking past the curtain and encountering a hum of pace and intense activity that seems to belie its size.

It’s like walking into a cheese version of Willy Wonka’s factory, with the breathtaking aroma of freshly-made cheese f looding the senses.

Although International Cheese produces privatelabel cheeses for more than a few major national grocery chains, including Longo’s, the cheesemaker is perhaps better known in the industry, and by consumers from as far east as Quebec to the western reaches of B.C., by its own f lagship Santa Lucia brand, retailing through the CostCo and Loblaws chains.

“Along with our manufacturing facility, we also have a store out front, where six-days-a-week we have a line-up of people—and not always just locals—who are searching out our awesome award-winning ricotta cheese,” says Smolinska.

“More often than not, we quickly sell out of our one-kilogram tubs of still-warm-in-the-tub ricotta, immersed in its own whey.

CANADIAN PACKAGING • JUNE 2013

PACKAGING FOR FRESHNESS “It’s just that fresh,” notes Smolinska, adding that the store also sells complementary fare such as dry pasta and various ethnic cuisine dishes.

Despite its moniker, International Cheese is not a manufacturer of cheeses from all over the world, Smolinska explains. Instead, the comapny’s expertise is focused on making a wide selection of Italian, Portuguese and Mexican soft and semihard cheeses, but no hard stuff, please.

“We make our ricotta fresh, six-days-a-week, and those who want the best soft ricotta begin lining up outside our door early,” relates Smolinska.

According to Smolinska, many people expect that the best cheeses are aged at length, “but our ricotta is an unripened cheese, so when it comes to the best f lavor, the fresher it is, the better.”

In addition to ricotta, Smolinska notes that International Cheese also produces its fair share of mozzarella, buffalo mozzarella, different types of bocconcini, caciocavallo, scamorza, passitti, burrata, burrini, ranchero, provolone, romanello, Oaxaca, and the goat cheeses varieties of brie, ranchero and ricotta cheeses.

With Smolinska’s job revolving around assuring that the cheeses are made well and in a safe manner, the company’s packaging equipment is a key ingredient in the production process, she confides.

Manufactured by Jokey Plastics, 125-gram tubs filled with creamy buffalo mozzarella cheese safely pass through a Loma Systems IQ3 metal detection unit at International Cheese facility in Toronto.

“It is ultimately the knowledge that we are producing a better and safer product that makes us feel good.”

Iryna Smolinska, Quality Assurance Technician, International Cheese Inc. Employing an R 105 horizontal vacuum-pack system manufactured by Multivac, Smolinska says she likes the machine’s ability to provide an automatic, economic film package that “also offers a hygienic quality our customers may not know about, but appreciate nonetheless.”

Although the R 105 is capable of performing both vacuum-pack and MAP (modified atmosphere packaging) formats, Smolinska says that the company for now prefers to just use the vacuumpack technique for its cheeses, where applicable.

“We hand-place cheese, like a 500-gram block of

our freshly-made ricotta, into the bottom film tray, and presto: we get a tight maximum vacuum and a perfectly-shaped seal around the cheese, while still creating a visually-appealing package.”

Smolinska also credits the durable, pre-printed film supplied by Cryovac, a division of Sealed Air Corporation for helping form that perfect pack.

“And with space being at such a premium here, the R 105 fits like a glove thanks to its compact footprint,” she says, citing the R 105’s length of three meters.

Capable of running eight cycles per minute, Smolinska says the best thing about the vacuumpack machine is what you don’t see.

“When we were shopping around looking for a new packing machine, we knew we didn’t just want one that was just fast—we wanted one that could provide us with a high level of hygiene,” she relates. “Customer safety is very important to us.”

According to Multivac, the R 105 was initially developed to provide a cost-effective, smallersized version of its larger thermoforming machines.

Naturally, it was important to the machine manufacturer to not sacrifice quality, let alone hygiene, in the diminutive new design.

“The R 105 features an ideal design that avoids edges or corners,” says Smolinska, running a finger over the smooth contours of the machine to illustrate the point.

International Cheese utilizes pre-printed film supplied by Cryovac, a division of Sealed Air Corp., for the bottom and top web on its Multivac R 105 vacuum-packing machine to achieve a superior seal with good visual appeal.

JUNE 2013 • CANADIAN PACKAGING

WWW.CANADIANPACKAGING.COM • 27

PACKAGING FOR FRESHNESS

One of two Loma IQ3 metal detection units helping International Cheese maintain its consistent high level of food safety assurance as part of its HACCP certification and up-coming BRC global standards for food safety.

Smooth Sailing “With smooth, rounded surfaces we know that when we clean it, no water or residual dirt can collect on it, ensuring there is no breeding ground for harmful bacteria on it,” she says also mentioning the R 105’s easy-to-open frame, ensuring cleaning is better affected.

Another key benefit of the R 105 system is the thoughtful optimization of the machine’s interior, including the chain guide and chain design, lifting mechanisms and mechanical elements, motors and valves, and even cabling.

All things that have made it easier for customers like International Cheese to clean their machines, Smolinska agrees.

“Food safety is always important to International Cheese,” Smolinska proclaims, noting that the company is already HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points)-certified, and is currently in the process of achieving its BRC Global Standards certification.

She says that the company initially became involved in HACCP to fulfill its obligation to its largest customers CostCo and Loblaws, who both require the same of all its suppliers as part of their own stringent food safety and quality standards.

As International Cheese was developing its HACCP program, it learned from other customers that many were also looking at the BRC certification.

International Cheese quality assurance technician Iryna Smolinska is all smiles in the company’s front shop showcasing some of the great cheese products processed and packed at the northwest Toronto facility.

“Since that seemed to be the way our customers were going, International Cheese proactively began its due diligence by examining its own existing food inspection systems,” reveals Smolinska.

Metal Mettle “Although we had some capable metal detection units from another company in place on three of our lines, we felt that the control panels on them weren’t as user-friendly as we needed and, to top it off, it was hard for us to retrieve data from those units,” says Smolinska.

“And getting that data is very much a required part of our HACCP program.”

That shortcoming was effectively addressed with the installation of a pair of IQ3 metal detection ROBOTIC END EFFECTORS

Robotic Tool Changers increase flexibility and productivity.

Superior Fail-Safe—springless design maintains lock position in event of air pressure loss

International Cheese employees carefully ladle freshlymade, still-steaming hot ricotta cheese into injectionmilded plastic tubs manfactured by IPL Inc.

units, manufactured by leading product inspection equipment manufacturer Loma Systems.

Integrated into the cheesemaker’s production lines, the high-performance metal detectors help International Cheese achieve its food safety goals, better meet its customers’ code of practise, and has helped it move forward in relation to achieving the BRC certification, according to Smolinska.

“They also help us ensure we are providing our customers a safe product, while helping us minimize costly labor waste,” she relates.

Smolinska explains that thanks to the IQ3’s variable frequency technology, workers no longer have to manually adjust the system each time there is a product changeover.

According to Loma, the variable frequency technology utilized in the IQ3 metal detection unit provides greater f lexibility to the operator by analyzing the whole product, including such parameters as temperature, moisture and packaging material.

It then reviews a broad range of frequencies and selects the optimum food safety choice within seconds.

Standard with the machine is its automatic product “learn” system, which automatically calibrates and learns the characteristics

Specially Tapered Cam—second taper produces high locking strength Locking Balls—Low-friction locking balls extend the life of the unit Lock Ring—Wide footprint of lock ring creates high moment capacity in locking mechanism

• Increase the flexibility of your robots by adding the ability to use more than one end-effector in an application.

• Production line tooling changed in seconds for maximum flexibility.

• Change tools in seconds for maintenance and repair.

• Increase operator safety by changing tools automatically.

• Million-cycle tested for reliability.

• Food-handling models available.

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www.ati-ia.com/cpc 919.772.0115

Moore Packaging supplies the corrugated cases utilized by International Cheese to transport product to Canadian retail customers between Quebec and British Columbia.

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JUNE 2013

PACK EXPO’s SMB FastTrack Program to Help Small- and Medium-sized Manufacturers Discover Innovation Quickly and Efficiently The global economy relies heavily on small- and mediumsized businesses (SMBs), which have been at the forefront of innovation over the last century — thanks to their relentless focus on streamlining operations, minimizing costs and delivering profitable products.

These are the same attributes at the foundation of the SMB FastTrack program at PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2013 (Sept. 23-25; Las Vegas Convention Center). The new initiative is designed specifically to connect SMBs with the processing and packaging innovations and resources necessary for quick, efficient growth.

“Small- and medium-sized businesses account for 46 percent of private-sector output in the U.S. economy alone. Multiply that out on a global scale, and their impact is undeniable,” says Charles D. Yuska, president and CEO of PMMI, the owner and producer of PACK EXPO Las Vegas. “Creating a special program that makes it easier for SMBs to source innovation, build their networks and advance their operations is a natural step in the evolution of the PACK EXPO shows.”

Three-kilogram plastic tubs supplied by IPL Inc. contain still-warm balls of Italian bocconcini cheese freshlyformed from a large mass of cheese moved through a form-shaping extruder.

Despite some automation, the International Cheese plant relies on manual labor, with live workers hand-sealing Santa Lucia brand of buffalo mozzarella in tubs supplied

by Jokey Plastics.

and settings for up to 100 different products.

“Because our changeover time is quicker thanks to the memory system on the Loma, our downtime is lessened,” explains Smolinska.

“Less downtime is more uptime. It means we are able to pack a fresher product, and that means a lot to us.”

International Cheese uses different packaging techniques for its many products, tending to be fairly labor-intensive when it comes to packing its bocconcini balls or buffalo cheese, for example, into plastic tubs.

For its three-kilo and 1.5-kg tubs of bocconcini, International Cheese utilizes packaging supplied

by IPL Inc., a Saint-Damien, Que.-based producer of injection-molded plastic products.

For some of the smaller tubs—125-gram and 250gram sizes—the cheesemaker uses the services of Jokey Plastics North America Inc., Goderich, Ont. manufacturer of plastic packaging tubs and pails.

Other equipment and suppliers used by International Cheese include a water-proof IWQ platform scale from Ishida Co., Ltd. and corrugated boxes converted by the Toronto-based Moore Packaging Corporation, used to to pack the finished tubs.

While Smolinska agrees that International Cheese certainly is currently not as automated as it could be, she says there are other considerations at work beyond the mere financial constraints.

Human Factor “It’s true that we are hampered by limited space, so adding more automation isn’t a prime concern, but International Cheese also really likes the human aspect of its cheese manufacturing process,” she explains.

“It’s just a more traditional way of doing business.

“But we have automated where possible,” she asserts.

“When we have automated, we have achieved savings of time and money.

“But really, it is ultimately the knowledge that we are producing a better and safer product that makes us feel good.”

As for further industry laurels and acclaims, Smolinska says the company is happy to take all good things in stride.

“As we keep winning more awards and garnering more media attention, well…, up until now, we were mainly a good local secret.

“But with prestigious recognition coming our way, we’re happy that everyone will know we make the freshest, tastiest and possibly the safest cheese in Canada,” she concludes.

For More Information:

Neatly tucked away from the high-traffic area around the Multivac R 105 packing machine, a special vacuum holds excess plastic film neatly trimmed away from the packs of sealed cheese products.

JUNE 2013 • CANADIAN PACKAGING

Multivac Canada Cryovac (Div. of Sealed Air Corporation) Loma Systems IPL Inc. Jokey Plastics North America Inc. Ishida Co., Ltd. Moore Packaging Corporation

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There is no fee to participate in the SMB FastTrack program. To qualify, participants must register for PACK EXPO Las Vegas before August 26 and work for an industrial or consumer packaged goods company with annual revenues between $50 million and $500 million.

Pre-show registration costs $30 per person (but goes up to $60 after Sept. 9).

All SMB FastTrack program participants will receive: • The SMB FastTrack Sourcing Index – This special guide to PACK EXPO Las Vegas includes an official list of SMB FastTrack exhibitors, the suppliers that have committed to providing special financing, discounts or support for SMBs. The Sourcing Index will also provide a map of the show floor, a list of restaurants on-site and other information that will help participants navigate the show.

• The Fas tTrack Navigator – An additional planning tool, within the SMB FastTrack Sourcing Index, that allows participating attendees to build a path to visit the “mustsee” features for small- and medium-sized businesses..

• The SMB FastTrack Networking Center – a dedicated area for the SMB FastTrack that provides attendees a place to rest, recharge, meet with exhibitors and industry peers, and find solutions using a PACK EXPO product locator kiosk — all without ever leaving the show floor.

• Acces s to special on-floor education. More details about education will be announced in the coming weeks.

C-level executives (e.g., president, vice president, owner, managing director, CEO, CFO, COO) from SMBs will qualify for the SMB FastTrack Platinum program. In addition to the benefits outlined above, they’ll receive: • Acces s to a Personal Equipment & Technology Sourcing Service. With this service, participants receive personalized guidance to exhibitors they should visit at the show based on the technologies they need or the challenges they are looking to solve.

• U nlimited use of the SMB FastTrack Platinum Lounge during the show. This designated space off the show floor will be equipped with the tools busy executives need to be productive, including meeting rooms that can be reserved, opportunities to network with SMB peers, coffee and lunch service, charging stations for laptops and phones and use of computers and printers.

• Free adv ance registration show. Qualifying attendees must register by August 26 using a promotional code provided by PMMI. On-site registration will cost $60 per person.

• A pre-s how package of PMMI’s most recent market and trends studies, which are typically only available for purchase to non-member companies.

To learn more about the SMB FastTrack program, visit www.packexpo.com/fasttrack. Register for PACK EXPO Las Vegas now at www.packexpo.com and take advantage of discounted rates.

We look forward to seeing you in Las Vegas!

FOR MORE INFORMATION CIRCLE 123

Nobody moves product like...

...just ask our customers Margo Pollock, Director of Marketing Céline Marenger, Bottling Line Manager — McAuslan Brewing

Our prOducts

Our services

ContaCt: C Ct:

n Turn-key Projects n Mat Top Table & Top Conveyors n Air Conveyors n Modular Conveyors n Roller and Belt Conveyors n Pallet Conveyors / Turntables n Dividers and Combiners n Spiral Elevators / Lowerators n Ionized Air / Water Rinser n Accumulation Tables n Innovative Products

At Storcan we accompany our clients through each step of their project. From design to delivery and after-sales service, we are involved, dedicated and indispensable.

Jean St-Martin, VP Sales for your next line assessment. office: 450-698-2158 Cell: 514-609-6708

n Engineering and Design n Controls and Integration n Turn-key Projects n After-sales Service

conveyors • packaging equipment • integration and installation FOR MORE INFORMATION CIRCLE 124

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PACKAGING FOR FRESHNESS

SMOKED OUT OF WATER

Desire to produce innovative packaging for smoked fish leads to purchase of new horizontal packing machine

ANDREW JOSEPH, FEATURES EDITOR PHOTOS BY COLE GARSIDE

C

alling oneself an epicurean—a culturallyrefined person who takes great pleasure in fine food and drink—can make it a lot to live up to.

Fortunately for the aptly named Central-Epicure Food Products Ltd., situated in an attractive 40,000-square-foot facility in the north part of Toronto, confident self-assurance has never been in short supply for one of Canada’s largest producers of packaged smoked fish for markets throughout the country, with strong focus on Quebec and Ontario.

Starting out as Central Smoked Fish back in 1952, the processor smoked and distributed a wide variety of fish products in the general Toronto area for many years, steadily building up its skillset and customer base.

After Harry Nadler purchased the business in 1974, he started to build up the company’s name in the industry—eventually deciding to change the name to Central-Epicure in 1997 to better ref lect the range and quality of its products.

“During our long history, we have merged with or purchased a few other fish plants, and have incorporated their unique products, staff and expertise in with our own,” Central-Epicure vice-president of sales and marketing Michael Nadler told Canadian Packaging magazine during a recent visit to the busy facility oozing with tantalizing smoky f lavors.

Son of company president and chief executive officer Harry, and the brother of Daniel, vice-president of production of Central-Epicure, Michael Nadler aptly personifies the company’s confident mindset.

JUNE 2013 • CANADIAN PACKAGING

“Here in Canada, we are one of the few facilities that have continued to focus on both hot and cold smoked fish providing a product catalogue that serves a wide range of customers,” he says.

Nadler explains that the company prefers to utilize a simple maple wood chip in its smoking process, so as to not impart any overly-heavy f lavoring onto the already naturally tasty products.

While trout, mackerel and whitefish are just a few of the more popular species Central-Epicure smokes and distributes, it also processes sockeye and other Pacific salmons; Arctic char; sea bass; black cod; carp; chub; ciscoes; dace fish; halibut; herring; lake, steelhead, rainbow trout; and omul.

Plenty of Fish Within this vast repertoire, cold-smoked Atlantic salmon is by far Central-Epicure’s bestselling fish, whose wekly output of 25,000 pounds accounts for two-thirds of the total 35,000 pounds for all of the fish processed by the company’s 60 employees per week.

When speaking about sustainability, Nadler explains: “We are MSC (Marine Stewardship

Central Epicure Food Products Ltd., Vice-President of Sales and Marketing, Michael Nadler

Council)-certified, and we make the best-suitable available choices we can when sourcing our products.

“We have already begun purchasing BAP (Best Aquaculture Practices)-farmed fish, and we plan to be 100-percent BAP-sourced by the end of 2013.”

Nadler says that while Central-Epicure is very customer-focused, product safety always comes first. Hence not only has it been a Canadian federally-registered seafood facility with a recognized HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) plant for many years, it was indeed one of the first fish plants in Canada to embrace the principles of HACCP and QMP (Quality Management Program).

The company is also active within the Fish and Seafood Association of Canada, the Fisheries Council of Canada, and via its appointment to the Technical Sub-Committee of SIPAC (Seafood Continues on page 33

A new Reiser RE15 vacuumpack machine is CentralEpicure’s key to inceased production of frozen smoked salmon products for the retail segment.

WWW.CANADIANPACKAGING.COM • 31

Advertorial

Corrugated is

first ChoiCe for food safety

Periodic reports of E. coli, salmonella and listeria in food make news because they can cause serious illness and death. Recent reports, including the horsemeat scandal in Europe, have raised warning flags about what we are consuming. The bottom line is that Canadians want to know their food is safe. Their trust is wavering.

One way to build trust is to have high standards and maintain them in the field, during transportation and in retail environments. Packaging and handling play a significant role in maintaining product integrity and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has specific rules for packaging meat, poultry, fruit and vegetables.

For example, fish must be packed in new, clean, sound containers. Containers for fresh fruits and vegetables must not be stained, soiled, warped, broken or otherwise damaged as to affect the shipping quality.

of-mind. Some retailers mandate the use of one kind of shipping container over the other, while some allow the farmer to choose. The two most prevalent options are the corrugated box and reusable plastic containers (retrippers).

In short, the regulations prohibit selling food from a package that could contain substances harmful to people.

Corrugate has a long history of safe use in the food industry, across a wide range of applications. The industry has been around for over a century and is continuously updating its food safety standards and procedures. While mostly made of recycled content, corrugated paperboard is always new and is manufactured into finished containers using high temperatures that eliminates bacteria.

Canadian growers and farmers have wholehearted respect for these regulations. They are committed to producing and distributing the safest food possible, from the farm to our tables.

As such, packaging and shipping is always top-

The most widely used and trusted option is the corrugated box. Growers have voiced concerns over the sanitary standards of retrippers, as they have to come from the USA and periodically arrive at Canadian farms soiled. This raises questions about the quality of the cleaning process.

Certifications acquired by corrugated industry members include American Institute of Baking (AIB) and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP). HACCP is a systematic preventive approach recommended by the United Nations to find, correct, and prevent hazards throughout the production process. Corrugated manufacturers are also subject to strict third party and customer audits.

Preventive measures undertaken by the corrugated industry ensure accountability at the source.

The objective of the farmer, the packaging industry, and the retailer is to provide the safest food possible and corrugated products are the best way to arrive at their destination. For more information about the corrugated industry, visit www.cccabox.org. To learn more about the CFIA and food packaging regulations, visit www.inspection.gc.ca

www.cccabox.org FOR MORE INFORMATION CIRCLE 125

PACKAGING FOR FRESHNESS Along with private-label production for Sobeys and Walmart, Central Epicure introduced a new 10-pack of its frozen smoked salmon for sale at Costco, sparking the introduction of an innovative portion-control box for the retail segment.

Save Space and Increase Throughput.

SMOKED OUT OF WATER Continued from page 31

Inspection Policy Advisory Committee), it has also been helping format federal fisheries legislation for more than 20 years.

“We are also Gold-rated by the GFTC (Guelph Food Technology Centre),” Nadker notes.

In addition, the plant is also certified as a Kosher producer, and is scheduled to receive GFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative) status in August of 2013.

“We strongly believe in the sanctity of food safety as one of our first priorities,” notes Nadler, adding that “laboratory testing of our fish products, plant environment, and production personnel are performed on a regular basis throughout the day to ensure our products are not only tasty, but are perfectly safe to consume.

“As part of our safety initiatives, we ‘fog’ our plant nightly with a disinfecting spray that kills mold, mildew and bacteria—ensuring that our employees begin each workday with a sterile work environment,” he relates.

Central-Epicure produces about 80 per cent of its smoked fish under its own flagship brand label, which can be found most recently at Costco, while 20 per cent of the business is for private-label brands, for such leading retailers like Sobey’s and Walmart.

“We tend to focus on the smaller packages aimed at the consumer who uses smoked salmon for their everyday consumption, although we also supply hotels, convention centers and foodservice outlets,” says Nadler, adding the company also sells directly to notable upscale Toronto eateries like United Baker’s Dairy Restaurant, Caplansky’s Deli, Bagel World and Kiva’s, to name just a few.

Says Nadler: “These deli shops all use our smoked salmon because their customers are smoked salmon connoisseurs, and only the best will do for this crowd.”

It wasn’t until 2004 when Central-Epicure began to increase its focus on packaging development with the intoduction of its Fresh-Never-Frozen

smoked salmon-product to grocery stores.

Nadler says the company selected a cardboard-type sleeve to use over the vacuum-bagged fish, rather than the then-common plastic printed pouch or bag, because it wanted to get more vibrant colors on the packaging to attract attention of the consumer.

As well, Nadler points out it was necessary to add a small window on the back of the first paperboard sleeve so that the consumer not only caught the eyegrabbing graphics of the fish, but could also see the size of the portion of the actual product they were purchasing.

Smoking Hot “The growth in sales on our smoked salmon at the grocery stores has been nothing short of phenomenal,” says Nadler.

“In fact, only three months ago we launched a freshly-designed sleeve that also seems to be a big hit with not only our buyers, but with the consumers as well.”

Nadler says he is particularily proud of the special paperboard box the company retails in 52 Costco stores, where they are selling incredibly well.

Dubbed the ‘Lox Box’ by Nadler, who originally conceived the idea, the attractive multipack was designed by the Toronto-based Walden Design in conjunction with marketing consultant Natalie Kaplan.

Each box holds 10 sealed frozen 75-gram packs of sliced smoked salmon—each enough for two servings—and features a simple opening/closing system that allows the consumer to simply pull away a perforated portion on the lid of the box and insert the remaining tab into the appropriate slot— thereby creating an easy-access portal to remove a sealed pack of fish to thaw and eat as required.

“It’s a convenient way for a family to enjoy our smoked salmon product in ready-made portioncontrolled packs every day.

“You only defrostVisit the amount youPACKEX need,” explains us at Nadler. “You just grab, thaw and enjoy.” in Toronto - Booth 1363 The design of the box allows for a billboard effect,

Like to minimize the cost of ownership? Ryson can help. Our Spiral Conveyors need less floor space than conventional conveyors and are faster and more reliable than any elevator or lift. All our products are designed for low maintenance and long life and our proprietary modular construction makes future reconfiguring cost effective.

Quality and service come first at Ryson. We are the number one spiral manufacturer in the USA. For application assistance or more information, give us a call or visit www.ryson.com.

Continues on page 34 The Reiser RE15 quickly vacuum-packs 75-gram packs of frozen smoked salmon, depositing them into trays supplied by Lewis System Transport.

JUNE 2013 • CANADIAN PACKAGING

300 Newsome Drive • Yorktown, VA 23692 Phone: (757) 898 -1530 • Fax: (757) 898 -1580 VERTICAL CONVEYING SOLUTIONS

WWW.CANADIANPACKAGING.COM • 33 FOR MORE INFORMATION CIRCLE 126

PACKAGING FOR FRESHNESS

Brightly-colored fillets of fresh Pacific salmon are smoked in one of five ovens using maple wood chips for flavor enhancement at the Central-Epicure facility in Toronto.

SMOKED OUT OF WATER Continued from page 33

whereby each box is only a modest 6x9-inch, it generates the overall effect of a 24 x9-inch posterboard.

“When you walk by, you can’t help but notice the package and thus, our smoked salmon,” he enthuses.

Nadler estimates the vast majority of all the smoked salmon sold in Canada is sold frozen, and says he recently purchased a brand new Reiser horizontal Repak RE15 form-fill-seal packaging machine to increase the company’s frozen salmon output capacity.

“I actually bought the Reiser to help us with our launch of products for Walmart, Sobeys and Costco in 2012,” admits Nadler, “but it has been a great overall addition to our production lines.”

The Repak RE15 is considered to be a small member of the whole Reiser machine family, but size aside, it is built to the same exacting standards as it larger brethren: with the same die-lift technology, superior frame design, and easy-to-use operator interface.

A Central-Epicure worker carefully fills the company’s new 10-pack ‘Lox Box’ of smoked salmon desitined for retail shelves at Costco.

After the fresh salmon arrives at the plant, it is lightly-coated in a dry brine of salt-and-sugar to draw out moisture and to add texture, and allowed to dry for about 24 hours.

After drying, the brine is rinsed off the salmon, which is then placed into one of five smokers for an 18-hour cycle during which it is smoked-dried, and smoked again repeatedly, depending on the size of the filleted fish.

The fish is then cooled, skinned, trimmed of any excess fat to look perfect, and then placed through either a Branik Smart Tech Inc. SL 400 or ASA 400 slicer to produce thin, clean, delicately-sliced

34 • WWW.CANADIANPACKAGING.COM

A Central-Epicure worker hand-places carefully-weighed 75-gram portions of smoked salmon onto the bottom film running on the RE15 vacuum-packing machine from by Reiser.

pieces of fish via two blades reciprocating back and forth, so as to not tear the f lesh of the salmon.

“The machine is designed to know where the beginning and end of each fillet is, so that it can change the angle of its cut and slow down its slicing movement to get an optimum yield,” explains Nadler.

After slicing, line workers use their individual scales to measure out 75-gram portions of smoked salmon, and place it onto a gold foil-lined paperboard tray, which actually helps prevent the natural fish oils from spreading.

From there, the trays of fish are hand-placed into the RE15 to have a tight, safe vacuum seal generated around it. The Repak RE15 utilizes a rapid forming method that maximizes distribution of film into critical areas like corners.

“It works very quickly,” says Nadler. “We run it at a rate of 10 cycles or 20 packages per minute.”

materials provided by Total Pac and Design.

“Packaging is a huge issue for us,” states Nadler.

“We make a great-tasting smoked salmon, but you can’t taste it until you buy it1, since it looks pretty much like anyone else’s product until you get it into your mouth.

“That’s why we have been focusing our attention on images and packaging for a long time,” Nadler relates.

Standard Fare Other notable standard features on the Repak include the special four-point lifting systems on the forming and sealing dies, which create lots of closing pressure to ensure increased seal integrity and improved package reliability.

Along with vacuum-packing, the RE15 can actually produce MAP (modified atmosphere packaging) packs from f lexible and semi-rigid materials, as well as Vacuum Skin Packages (VSPs), and packages with formed top webs.

“I really like the fact that my Reiser, like all the Repaks, is constructed out of stainless steel and has rounded edges, which makes it very easy for my sanitation crew to clean,” mentions Nadler.

Also providing easy access for maintenance, Nadler says the operator touchscreen is very easy to understand and use.

“So when we are in a rush, which is always, product changeover can be achieved in about four minutes.”

For Central-Epicure, the Reiser machine has been nothing short of amazing, according to Nadler.

“From the moment they came in to set it up, they taught us how to do everything,” says Nadler.

“Seriously, I’ve been giving out the Reiser name to everyone.”

Other packaging equipment and supplies utilized

by Central-Epicure include: • A Reiser Dixie Union brand Dixiepak 50E vacuum-packing machine; • Plastic films supplied by Packall Packaging and Custom CO-EX Technologies; • Plastic trays from Lewis Systems Transport; • Corrugated cartons made by Kruger, Norampac and RockTenn; • Pressure-sensitive labels and other packaging

Kruger supplies corrugated master shipping cartons to Central-Epicure for transport of its packaged fish products to customers across Canada.

“And while our products are for the most part more expensive than the competition, we are confident that people prefer quality and will keep coming back for it.

“And that is why we depend on our packaging to help people choose ours in the first place,” he states.

Although Nadler notes that Central-Epicure’s greatest competition comes worldwide from companies operating out of China, Norway and Chile, he is quite confident of his own product’s growth potential.

“We’ve been successful in the Canadian marketplace for one simple reason: We make the besttasting product on the market.

“We make a full-f lavored smoked salmon for the people who truly love smoked salmon,” Nadler sums up. It’s a simple recipe for success that has worked very well for us so far.”

For More Information: Reiser (Canada) Ltd. Branik Smart Tech Inc. Walden Design Custom CO-EX Technologies Inc. Packall Packaging Inc. Lewis Systems Transport Kruger Inc. Norampac (Div. of Cascades Inc.) Rock-Tenn Company Total Pac And Design Inc.

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CANADIAN PACKAGING • JUNE 2013

AUTOMATE NOW

THE CASE IN POINT Case-packing systems manufacturer uses RFID technologies to make machines more intelligent

C

hange is inevitable in any industry. So too, alas, are human errors. But with some clever and skillful application of advanced manufacturing technology, a venerable Canadian packaging machinery manufacturer has developed a system capable of handling both eventualities with minimal fuss and process disruption.

Founded in 1962 in Hamilton, Ont., Edson Packaging Machinery Ltd. has long been renowned in packaging equipment circles for manufacturing robust, high-performance caseand tray-packaging systems for a long list of customers in the food-and-beverage, pharmaceutical, consumer goods and tissue converting industries requiring high-speed horizontal case-packing, material handling, and top-load robotic solutions.

Enjoying successful, long-standing relationships with its customer base, in 2012 Edson became one of the newest members of the Pro Mach Inc. group of companies, headquartered in Loveland, Ohio, which is one of North America’s largest suppliers of integrated packaging products and solutions for food, beverage, household goods, pharmaceutical, and other diverse consumer and industrial companies.

Among many impressive capabilities and other attributes of Edson Packaging that initially attracted Pro Mach’s interest in the company in the first place, the company’s unerring ability to tailor-design its machinery to specific customer needs was one of its most-prized competencies.

This prowess was aptly displayed during a recent development of its newest line of case-packers, where the general design considerations were driven by the customers’ insistence on error-free part changeover.

According to Edson, that customer was requiring more size changes per shift in its own operations, which at the time used to take 30 minutes or more

to accommodate a single changeover.

Moreover, the changeovers had to be f lawless, as any mistakes occurring during the changeover would inevitably result in unplanned downtime that would ripple all the way back to the customer’s converting process downstream.

Tackling these challenges head on, Edson rose up to the task with the development of new, highly innovative Servo Adjust and Inteletul systems, according to Edson Packaging’s vice-president of technology Jeff Werner.

Balluff’s RFID tag installed in pusher plate being read by the control system.

Balluff I/O-Link Master is the heart of the machine’s RFID system.

“With these technologies, our customers are able to reduce their changeover time from 30 minutes down to five minutes, while eliminating potential human errors,” says Werner, explaining that this dramatic improvement was largely enabled with the use of the Inteletul tool tracking system developed in-house by Edson.

As Werner explains it, the Inteletul system incorporates patented RFID (radio frequency identification) writers/readers from Balluff Inc. to track and manage change parts—thereby providing an error-free method to identify the tools and components needed for the proper set-up.

Edson Packaging’s new case-packing machine operating with the tool management software (inset).

Werner relates that Edson has been successfully using Balluff ’s basic discrete RFID systems in its machines for several years already, but the company’s customers were increasingly asking for more complete information on their tools, such as meaningful descriptions, recipe information, and tool management data.

By having this level of information, customers can share tools between machines, automatically identify recipes, and incorporate a new level of predictive maintenance.

As a trusted long-time supplier of high-quality RFID systems, Balluff was able to help Edson achieve its goals by moving from a discrete RFIDbased system to an Ethernet/IP-based RFID system utilizing Balluff ’s distributed modular architecture.

The foundation of this expandable architecture is built around the open industrial standard I/OLink, which effectively enabled Edson to connect its seven RFID read/write stations to only two Ethernet/IP nodes.

“Moving from discrete to Ethernet/IP saves time and money on wiring costs and reduces I/O point count, while providing additional system level diagnostics,” states Werner.

“With this Inteletul technology, the customer no longer needs extensive training for their machine changeover, since the system automatically takes care of the consistency of the machine set-up and operation,” Werner remarks.

“Moreover, proper maintenance regimen is also assured by using tool management data that includes information such as manufacture date, usage levels, and preventative maintenance schedules—all of which is stored directly on the tool,” Werner concludes.

“With the help of Balluff ’s advanced RFID and I/O-Link technology, Edson is poised to keep up with the rapidly-changing market demands in the packaging industry.”

For More Information: The machine’s servo-adjustable pusher plate being swapped out during the part changeover.

JUNE 2013 • CANADIAN PACKAGING

Servo Adjust and Inteletul systems deployed on Edson’s intelligent case-packing machine.

Edson Packaging Machinery Ltd. Balluff Canada Inc. Pro Mach Inc.

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WWW.CANADIANPACKAGING.COM • 35

PEOPLE  HayssenSandiacre, a Barry-Wehmiller Companies, Inc. subsidiary specializing in horizontal and vertical form-fill-seal (F/F/S) packaging machinery, has appointed Scott Kennington as director of operations at its central manufacturing facility in Duncan, S.C.  Eriez, Erie, Pa.-based manufacturer of industrial, vibratory, inspection and f lotation technologies, has appointed Andrew Goldner as senior manager for exports.

Goldner

 Anchor Packaging, St. Louis, Mo.-headquartered manufacturer of foodservice, restaurant and supermarket takeout packaging products, has appointed Marilyn Stapleton as director of corporate advertising and public relations.

Fraatz

Berardi

 Italian pharmaceutical, food and generaluse packaging machinery group MG2 has appointed three Leonardi new executives at its MG America Inc. subsidiary in Fairfield, N.J., including business development manager Randy Fraatz; regional sales manager Michele Leonardi; and field service engineer Andrea Berardi.

 Cambridge, U.K.headquatered inkjet printing systems manufacturer Inca Digital Printers has appointed John Mills as chief executive oficer.  Cincinnati, Ohio- Mills headquartered plastics processing machinery group Milacron LLC has appointed Ron Krisanda as chief operating officer.

Schneider Electric Canada Appoints Linda Cleroux as Chief Financial Officer

 FleetwoodGoldcoWyard, Inc., Romeoville, Ill.-headquartered Barry-Wehmiller Companies, Inc. subsidiary specializing in integrated automated packaging and processing solutions, has appointed Neal McConnellogue as president.  FLO Components Ltd., Mississauga, Ont.-based supplier of automatic lubrication systems and components. has appointed Greg Pottruff (below left) as territory sales manager for southwestern Ontario, operating from London; and Dave Secord as territory sales manager for eastern Ontario, Pottruff & Secord based in Ottawa.  Kuhne Group, Sankt Augustin, Germanybased manufacturer of plastics processing lines and systems, has appointed Adolfo Edgar as vice-president of blown film systems, responsible for leading the company’s North American sales activities out of an office in Edgar Mississauga, Ont.  Pawcatuck, Conn.-based plastics extrusion and converting systems manufacturer DavisStandard, LLC has appointed Frank Orsini as vice-president of extrusion coating systems.

Orsini

 Rigid plastic packaging products manufacturer TricorBraun of St. Louis, Mo., has appointed Mark O’Bryan as executive vicepresident of operations.  Chicago-headquartered branding and marketing services O’Bryan group Schawk, Inc. has appointed Richard McDonald as senior vice-president of business development for the CPG (consumer packaged goods) practice.

MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO, April 30, 2013 — Schneider Electric Canada has appointed Linda Cleroux as Chief Financial Officer. In her new role Linda will be responsible for financial planning, forecasting, investment analysis, performance advisement, operational excellence and risk management for Schneider Electric Canada.

Linda will be a key member of Schneider Electric Canada’s leadership team and will oversee strategic development, drive efficiency and optimization across the enterprise, evaluate and recommend directions on investments and collaborate at a regional and global level to engage resources and champion support for Canada.

Linda has more than 20 years of experience in the finance industry. Most recently she worked at Newalta, one of Canada’s largest waste management and environmental services companies. Prior to that she worked at Pennzoil-Quaker State Canada/ Royal Dutch Shell.

Linda is a Certified General Accountant and holds a Masters of Business Administration degree from the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario. She is fluent in both English and French.

About Schneider Electric

FOR MORE INFORMATION CIRCLE 127

As a global specialist in energy management with operations in more than 100 countries, Schneider Electric offers integrated solutions across multiple market segments, including leadership positions in energy and infrastructure, industrial processes, building automation, and data centres/networks, as well as a broad presence in residential applications. Focused on making energy safe, reliable, and efficient, the company’s 110,000 plus employees achieved sales of more than $26 billion in 2010, through an active commitment to help individuals and organisations “Make the most of their energy. www.schneider-electric.com/ca FOR MORE INFORMATION CIRCLE 128

ADVANCING

processing+packaging

Find the inspiration to advance your business at the largest processing and packaging trade show in the world this year.

PACK EXPO Las Vegas is your only chance to access the newest processing and packaging technologies, all in one place.

No matter what your industry — food, beverage, pharmaceutical or another — if it can advance your business, it’s here at PACK EXPO. You should be, too.

Start by visiting www.packexpo.com

Produced by:

Register today! www.packexpo.com FOR MORE INFORMATION CIRCLE 129

9576_PMMI_2013_GEN_ad_NP.indd 1

5/22/13 6:33 PM

ANNOUNCEMENTS

THE NEW HIGH SPEED X65 CONVEYOR SYSTEM The new generation X65 conveyor helps you lower your Total Cost of Ownership – at the same time as you increase your capacity and flexibility towards new products and processes.

Installation and ramp-up is quick and straightforward, while operation is more energy-efficient and requires less maintenance than today’s standard.

What’s more, the X65 conveyor is far quieter even at high speeds.

Contact us, to find out exactly what this new value will mean to you and your business, at info.ca@flexlink.com or give us a call at +905-639-6878.

flexlink.com

 Industrial automation components and devices supplier Beckhoff Automation LLC has completed the move of its North American corporate headquarters to a new 44,500-square-foot facility in Savage, Minn., a suburb in the Minneapolis area. Said to be made with the distinct Minnesotasourced limestone of the same variety used in the Minnesota Twins major league baseball team’s Target Field home stadium, the new building has more than tripled the space of the company’s previous HQ, while also accommodating a new on-site industrial PC repair center. Operating as North American subsidiary of the prominent German automation products manufacturer Beckhoff Automation GmbH, which posted over US$530 million in worldwide revenues for 2012, the company has enjoyed annual growth rates of over 20 per cent since entering the North American market in 1999. “Having joined the company in 2002, I have witnessed growth from a small, ambitious and young automation subsidiary into a US$50-million regional business,” says Beckhoff Automation president Graham Harris.

“By building our own ultra-modern facility in Savage, we have set the stage to grow Beckhoff ’s North American operations even further.” Tel. (952) 890-0000.  Afa Dispensing Group (Afa) has been awarded the prestigious Dispensing Innovation Award at the recently-held Aerosol & Dispensing Forum 2013 exhibition and conference in Paris, France, for the Dutch company’s new Flairosol trigger-spray dispenser.

Developed for Holland’s leading plantcare products manufacturer Pokon Naturado BV, the airless spray package consists of a double-layered plastic bottle and a trigger-operated,

CTM Labeling Systems of Salem, Ohio announces the appointment of VisuaScan Systems as Canadian agent.

CTM sets the standard in manufacturing a full range of labeling and print and apply label applicating systems supported by an extensive service network.

VisuaScan Inc., headquartered in Montreal, is a leader in product identification, barcoding and labeling solutions. The company has recently launced its VisuaPlus Managed Services program that allows customers to optimize the functionality and security of mobile communications networks.

VisuaScan Inc. 9066 Pascal-Gagnon, Montreal (Quebec) H1P 2X4 TollFree: (877) 322-2725 | Tel.: (514) 322-2725 Fax: (514) 327-0612 | E-mail: sales@visuascan.com Website: www.visuascan.com

FOR MORE INFORMATION CIRCLE 130

FOR MORE INFORMATION CIRCLE 131

nonpressurized, propellant-free dispenser delivering a consistent, fine, mist-like spray. Providing 360-degree spraying, the ergonomic curved design ensures a comfortable fit and attractive look-andfeel, while reusable dispensers and refill bottles also provide key environmental advantages. “We were enthusiastic about Flairosol from the outset and saw it as a ‘must-have’ solution for our customers,” says Pokon’s marketing manager Ben Scheer.

“The Flairosol dispensing system creates a modern and pleasing user experience—spraying very small droplets over a wide area of the plant with the power normally associated with an aerosol.”

Kentucky governor Steve Beshear (left) poses alongside Balluff Inc. president Kent Howard.

 Industrial sensors supplier Balluff Inc. has officially broken ground on the company’s new U.S. headquarters in Florence, Ky., at a recent inauguration ceremony attended by Kentucky’s governor Steve Beshear. Expected to be completed in March of 2014, the new 48,000-square-foot building will house the company’s customer support, training, and sales and marketing activities, according to Balluff, which expects to add 60 to 100 jobs locally and nationwide over the next five years. “Balluff is working hard to help keep jobs in America by offering our customers technology and expertise to increase their productivity, improve their quality, and reduce their total cost of ownership—helping to make U.S. manufacturing the most productive in the world,” says Balluff Inc. president Kent Howard. Operating as a subsidiary of Balluff GmbH—Neuhausen, Germany-based manufacturer of a wide range of inductive, photoelectric, vision, capacitive and magnetic sensors, as well as linear position transducers, RFID systems, and networking products—Balluff, Inc. employs about 150 people at its current operation in Independence, Ky., originally started up in 1983. “We are proud to have the company’s U.S. headquarters in Kentucky, and especially happy to see the company continue to expand by adding 24 new jobs and investing US$6 million in the local economy,” says Beshear.

38

JUNE 2013

VibeAd_CanPack_Layout 1 5/10/13 2:29 PM Page 1

EVENTS

Versatile Available

Aug. 28-31

Compact Electromagnetic Vibratory Feeders for EVERY Challenge!

Bangkok, Thailand: Pack Print International 2013, packaging and printing exhibition for Asia by Messe Düsseldorf GmbH. Contact Messe Düsseldorf North America at (312) 7815180; or go to: www.mdna.com

• Small A & C Model Feeders Energy efficient electromagnetic drives providing precise flow of dry granular products

• High Speed Feeders Rapid On/Off cycling of light, bulky materials for packaging applications

• High Deflection Feeders

Sept. 8-12 Chicago: PRINT 13, exhibition and conference by the Graphic Arts Show Company (GASC), jointly with the CPP (Converting & Package Printing) EXPO by H.A. Bruno, LLC. Both at the McCormick Place. Contact H.A. Bruno at (201) 8811632; or GASC at (703) 264-7200.

Eriez XPRESS stocks 33 models with a wide range of tray sizes available for shipment in 5-days through the Feeders Fast program.

Visit Eriez.com for details.

See the difference…

“Eriez Feeders”

Call 888.300.3743 or visit Eriez.com

Sept. 16-20

FRee PRODuCT INFORMATION For further information on either advertisements or editorial in this issue, please circle the appropriate numbers below.

Once you’ve filled out your contact information, fax this form back to us at: 416.510.5140

Sept. 23-25 Nürnberg, Germany: Active & Intelligent Packaging Congress & Exhibition, by Active & Intelligent Packaging Industry Association (AIPIA). At Messe Nürnberg.

To register, go to: www.aip-worldcongress.org

Sept. 23-25 Las Vegas, Nev.: PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2013, international packaging technologies exhibition by PMMI. At Las Vegas Convention Center. Contact PMMI at (703) 243-8555; or go to: www.packexpo.com

Sept. 24-27 Brussels, Belgium: Labelexpo Europe 2013, biennial labeling materials and technologies exhibition by FINAT. To register, go to: www.labelexpo.com

Sept. 25-26 New York City: MakeUp in New York 2013, beauty products exhibition and conference. At Center548. To register, go to: www.makeup-in-newyork.com

Sept. 30 - Oct. 3 Mississauga, Ont.: CMTS (Canadian Manufacturing Technologies Show) 2013, by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME). At The International Centre. Contact SME cutomer service at 1 (888) 322-7333;.

Schedule Your Demo!

FOR MORE INFORMATION CIRCLE 132

Munich, Germany: drinktec 2013, the world fair for beverage and liquid food technologies by Messe München GmbH. At the New Munich Trade Fair Center.

To register, go to: www.drinktec.com

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Oct. 16-23 Düsseldorf, Germany: K 2013, international trade fair for the world’s plastics and rubber industries by Messe Düsseldorf Gmbh. Contact Messe Düsseldorf North America at (312) 781-5180; or go to: www.messe-duesseldorf.com

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Oct. 23-25 Monaco: Luxe Pack Monaco, luxury goods packaging exhibition by IDICE Monaco.

At Grimaldi Forum. To register, go to: www.luxepack.com

JUNE 2013

Handles difficult hard-to-feed materials including fine powders, leafy, and sticky products

39

What is the primary business at your location?

Which of the following do you plan on purchasing within the next 12 months?  Advesives  Checkweigher  Machine Vision  Adhesive Applicator  Colour Label Printer  Metal Detector  Bar Code Equipment  Conveyors  Modified Atmosphere  Capper  Filler Packaging Machinery  Cartoners  Ink Jet Equipment  Palletizer  Case Packer  Intermediate Bulk Containers  Pallets  Case Sealer  Labeler  PLC’s, Sensors, Controls Approximate number of employees?

Is this company a:  Package User  Custom Packager  Package Maker  Supplier

 Print & Apply Label Applicator  RFID Equipment  Robotics  Scales & Weighing Equipment  Shipping Containers  Shrink Film  Shrink Wrapper

 Strapping Equipment  Stretch Wrapper  Stretchwrap Film  Shipping Containers  Tape  Vacuum Packaging JuNe 2013

CHECKOUT RACHEL HORVATH

WHITE PACKAGING PICKS UP ON DECOR TRENDS

B

eing an avid reader of home design magazines, I have observed the all-white trend in decorating gather steam for several years now. The fresh palette, clean lines, and light-filled space of an all-white room seem an appropriate antidote to the hectic lives most modern consumers lead outside our homes. The same seems to be holding true for consumer packaging, with many brand-owners taking their cue from what works in design and translating it into fresh, modern, all-white packaging to attract the stylish shoppers. Nowhere is this trend more evident than with Avene’s sun-care product line, distributed by Pierre Fabre Dermo-Cosmetique Canada out of St. Bruno, Que., as vividly demonstrated with the brand’s new Haute Protection Tinted compact SPF 50 sunscreen. By taking the traditional sunscreen—usually a lotion or a spray—and repackaging it into a palm-sized compact that mimics a traditional make-up powder container, the company has created an ultra-light plastic compact to travel with you just about anywhere in a purse or beach bag, with a built-in mirror and cleverly-hidden sponge applicator facilitating easy application in any setting. As a bonus, the all-white, gently rounded container with a modern shape and minimalist typeface will also look at home on the counter of any stylish, all-white bathroom.

This calm design ethos is echoed in Revlon Inc.’s Nearly Naked pressed powder compact, whose ultranarrow, rectangular shape is a bold departure from the round, black packaging of the more traditional on-trend make-up lines. One f lip of the secure closure lid reveals a surprisingly large built-in mirror

and an applicator pad located directly beneath the powder. The container’s compact dimensions ensure that the applicator is never stored directly on top of the powder, which is a nice hygienic value-added feature, while the ‘peak-a-boo’ window on the exterior allows one to always see how much of the product remains.

Not to leave men out of the loop, Vichy Homme has come out with a line of skin-care products for men that elegantly combine stylish form with practical function. Made in France and distributed here by Vichy Canada Montreal, the allwhite plastic tube of the After-Shave Balm instantly stands out with its attractive, distinct red square ‘Laboratoires Homme’ logo and charcoal font. The broad width and shallow depth of this 75-ml tube create a sense of substantial heft when holding it in the hand, while being narrow enough to store in even the most cluttered medicine cabinets. The lightweight, secure snap closure of the tube makes it perfectly safe for travel, while the inverted lid design keeps the product close to the applicator— enabling guys to squeeze out every last drop.

Packaging innovations for toothpaste are few and far between these days, so I was intrigued when I saw the new Sensodyne Proname toothpaste from GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare Inc. Rather than use the traditional f lexible plastic tube for the reformulated toothpaste that has been transformed into a foaming gel, à la shaving cream, the new metal aerosol can gets all kinds of style points,

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX

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40 • WWW.CANADIANPACKAGING.COM

R.S. No. 122 103 127 109 101 125 113 117, 131 111 112 132 119 130 105 106 116 108 118 114 115 110 104 123,129 107 126 120, 128 133 124 121 134 102

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX Page ATI Industrial Automation 28 Atlantic Packaging Products Ltd. 2 Balluff 36 Beckhoff 8 Bosch Rexroth Canada IFC Canadian Corrugated and 32 Containerboard Association Columbia Machine, Inc. 16 CTM Labeling Systems 21, 38 Domino Printing Solutions 11 Douglas Machine 15 Eriez Manufacturing Co. 39 Farm Credit Canada 22 Flexlink 38 Harlund Industries Ltd. 4 Intelligrated 5 Jokey Plastics North America Inc. 19 Krones Machinery Inc 7 Loma Systems 21 Massman Automation Designs, LLC 16 Multivac Canada 17 Nordson Canada 9 PDC International 4 PMMI Packaging Machinery 29, 37 Manufacturers Institute Robert Reiser & Co. Inc 6 Ryson International 33 Schneider Electric 23, 36 SEW-Eurodrive Co. of Canada 41 Storcan 30 Technical Adhesives Ltd. 25 Unisource Canada Inc. 42 VideoJet Technologies Canada 1

with its soothing blue-green font and grey bubbles illustrating the ‘iso-active’ gentle-whitening gel formulation inside. The clean, rounded lines of the white plastic lid nicely disguise the spray nozzle underneath, which unfortunately lets the product down somewhat by being too sensitive to touch—often dispensing more ‘tooth gel’ than needed—while also requiring a wiping after use for leftover residue build-up. It’s a little more work than I normally want from my toothpaste, but looking as nice and refreshing as it does on the shelf, many kudos to Sensodyne for thinking outside the proverbial box.

For every trend, there is a countertrend—and big bold colors are a perfect cure for those who find allwhite boring and sedate. And ever since Pantone recently heralded Emerald as the color of the year for 2013, I’ve seen a lot of consumer packages jumping on the bandwagon of this up-to-the minute hue—as epitomized by Ralph Lauren’s new Big Bold Pony Collection of deodorizing body sprays.

Anything but subtle, Scent 3 is packaged in an ofthe-moment emerald green metal canister, with the signature pony motif in contrasting bright orange, to create a ‘can’t-miss-it’ product on the shelves. For all its boldness, Scent 3 keeps the packaging fresh and modern by sticking to a trio of complimentary colors—emerald, orange and navy—and using a top-mounted spray nozzle that mimics a traditional sunscreen spray. As a break from all that white, this body spray adds a welcome hit of prepster joie de vivre.

Rachel Horvath is the vice-president of television production at Lone Eagle Entertainment Ltd., currently working on third season of the hit show You Gotta Eat Here! for the Food Network Canada.

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CANADIAN PACKAGING • JUNE 2013

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