Contract Packaging November/December 2021 by PMMIMediaGroup

T H E O F F I C I A L P U B L I C AT I O N F O R T H E C O N T R A C T PA C K A G I N G A S S O C I AT I O N

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Two Paws Up for Co-Packed Pet Food Brands, pet owners, and pets embrace small batch-processed and sustainably packaged premium, wet pet food from co-packer NaturPak Pet. p. 6

4 Supply chain challenges impact capacity considerations 5 Two startups each awarded 0.5 million closures 10 Massive X-ray/

checkweighing system inspects dry pet food

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Contents VOLUME 17, ISSUE 3

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021

EDITORIAL Anne Marie Mohan EDITOR

mohan@packworld.com

ART Dave Bacho CREATIVE DIRECTOR Kathy Travis ART DIRECTOR

AUDIENCE & TECHNOLOGY Elizabeth Kachoris SENIOR DIRECTOR, DIGITAL AND DATA Jen Krepelka DIRECTOR, WEBSITES & UX/UI Lauren Sanz SENIOR DATA ANALYST

ADVERTISING Wendy Sawtell VICE PRESIDENT, SALES • wsawtell@pmmimediagroup.com Ron Levinson, SALES MANAGER • rlevinson@contractpackagingmag.com Lara Krieger PRODUCTION MANAGER • lkrieger@pmmimediagroup.com Kelly Greeby SENIOR DIRECTOR, CLIENT SUCCESS & MEDIA OPERATIONS Alicia Pettigrew SENIOR MANAGER, PRODUCT & REVENUE STRATEGY

PMMI MEDIA GROUP Joseph Angel PRESIDENT, PUBLISHER David Newcorn EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT Sharon Taylor DIRECTOR, MARKETING Amber Miller SENIOR MARKETING MANAGER Bea Greany BRAND OPERATIONS MANAGER Janet Fabiano FINANCIAL SERVICES MANAGER Lloyd Ferguson FOUNDING PARTNER

6 Pet Food Co-packer is First with Retort Cartons

One of the engineers who developed Tetra Pak’s retort carton platform, Pawel Marciniak, co-founder of NaturPak Pet, builds his co-pack/co-man business for premium pet food on the technology— with considerable success.

10 X-ray System for Pet Food Handles 25-kg Bags

Private-label pet-food packager meets its core value of quality through the use high-speed inspection systems, including its latest purchase, a 20-ft-long X-ray/checkweighing machine.

PMMI MEDIA GROUP 401 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 1700, Chicago, IL 60611 PHONE 312/222-1010, FAX 312/222-1310 • CIRCULATION FAX 312/222-1310 E-MAIL info@packworld.com • WEB www.packworld.com

DEPARTMENTS

PMMI The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies

2 Forefront 3 CPA President’s Letter 4 Brand Owner Insight 5 Industry News 12 CPA News 13 Membership Directory 16 Products 17 Resource Guide 29 Ad Index

12930 Woodgate Dr., Suite 200, Herndon, VA 20170 PHONE 571/612-3200 • FAX 703/243-8556 • WEB www.pmmi.org

Contract Packaging magazine is published for the Contract Packaging Association. For information on association membership, contact Paige Jarvi, 571/287-6818, pjarvi@contractpackaging.org, or visit www.contractpackaging.org.

EDITORIAL CONTACT Have a question or an idea for an article? Contact Anne Marie Mohan, Editor, 312/961-9904. Contract Packaging magazine prefers to receive press releases by e-mail. Send to mohan@packworld.com. PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40064408

Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to Express Messenger International, P.O. Box 25058, London Brc, Ontario, Canada N6C 6A8

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Forefront

Pet Food Co-Packers are In-Demand ANNE MARIE MOHAN, Editor According to a 2020 report from PMMI Business Intelligence on pet food market dynamics, the Humanization of Pet Food (HPF), whereby pet owners are seeking healthier products with more ethically sourced ingredients, such as those seen in human food, along with expectations of sustainability in both the food and packaging, means pet food co-packers are in the catbird seat. For large pet food companies, employing co-packers to produce and package new products minimizes their investment risk, while offering speed to market. For small to medium-size companies, co-packers

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offer a cost-effective method of increasing production capacity, while providing premium products. And let’s not forget the startups: for them, co-pack/co-mans oftentimes can provide the full range of services—from recipe formulation, to manufacturing, to packaging. Notes the report, “Co-packers represent a strategic point-of-entry to serve large brand owners and increase notoriety among smaller and growing brand owners.” And there’s business to be had. In 2019, the market was estimated at $94.6 billion and forecast to grow 5% per year through 2024. PMMI reports that North America is the largest regional market, at 39%, with a slightly lower CAGR of 4.5%. In this issue, we profile two co-manufacturers of pet food, NaturPak Pet of

Janesville, Wis. (p.6), and U.K.-based GA Pet Food Partners (p.10), both of which have developed processing technologies to provide the freshest products made from premium ingredients. In NaturPak’s case, it has built its business on innovation in packaging, offering retort carton technology, which it reports offers a surfeit of sustainability advantages. We hope that within these profiles, you find inspiration for your own busines— whether pet food or another market—that will help lead you to the same success these pioneering companies are experiencing. CP

mohan@packworld.com

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President’s Letter

‘ENGAGE’ in CPA in 2022 BY ROB REINDERS, CPA President We have crossed an important threshold: We have completed three in-person events, and the results were extremely positive. It was great to return to a new normal and gather once again with peers in our industry. The first events we were able to exhibit at and attend were SNAXPO, Natural Products Expo East, and PACK EXPO Las Vegas, and many of you showed up. Yes, masks were the norm, but attendees didn’t let that bother them. There were a lot of good conversations, the energy level was high, and a lot of pent-up demand was released. CPA booth staff logged over 400 visits between the three booths. A big thank you to all who helped staff the booths and to those of you who visited with us. At PACK EXPO Las Vegas, Carl Melville and Ron Puvak conducted two presentations that included information on trends from the “2021 CPA State of the Industry Report” as well as data from CPA’s RFQ tool. These presentations highlighted the industry’s high growth rate—10.2% CAGR over the last five years—a few significant trends, and how sustainability has really taken hold after several years of effort. The presentations also explored the types of packaging formats, products, and regional activities startup and emerging brands are looking for from CP/CMs, based on RFQ data. The new CPA industry report is a benchmark study on the state of the CP/CM industry. It includes sections on: • Defining the food/CPG industry by scope and revenue • Industry CAGR 2020-2025 by sector • Industry consolidation trends • Customer views on the changing marketplace • Current labor market and widening talent gap • Demographics on size, company age, locations, and revenue • Sustainability trends and much more! As an exclusive member benefit, each CPA member can access the Executive Summary at no cost and the final report at a discounted rate. Data from the report will be featured in several presentations and events over the next few months; check out the CPA website, www.contractpackaging.org, for more information. Our focus right now is on CPA’s newly reformatted annual event. It is now called ENGAGE, The Contract Packaging and Manufacturing Experience. Taking place March 1-3, 2022, in Clearwater, Fla., this improved event will be the largest networking experience for the CP/CM industry, its customers, and suppliers. This is where the industry will meet! ENGAGE participants will include some of the world’s most innovative and successful CP/CMs, brands, and suppliers. Professionals in attendance will include owners, CEOs, presidents, and

senior managers. The 2022 in-person meeting will be held at the Hilton Clearwater Beach Resort and Spa. More than 200 people are expected to attend. Plan to join us for the full meeting, where you can connect with existing partners and network with new prospects. Registration is now open. Following are highlights from the working agenda: • Strong CPG/brand panel discussion on the utilization of external manufacturing relationships, relating to the new normal • Global economic trends offered by Euromonitor • Workforce, labor, and new regulation updates, followed by a panel discussion • State of the industry update with bonus data not included in the CPA report • Where is merger and acquisition marketing going? • Future outlook of packaging and trends • Cybersecurity and its impact on the industry CPA’s ENGAGE event is where the industry meets and collaborates on the newest, most innovative products. Countless networking and exhibition opportunities await. Be sure to save the date today! We look forward to being able to interact with members and the entire CP/CM industry once again. Next year, CPA will participate in four major trade shows with a few smaller shows/conferences. These events give us a chance to promote the industry and our members. No matter the show, our CPA Sourcing Center is always a busy location. Look for us at: • Natural Products Expo West: March 8-12, Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim, Calif. • PACK EXPO East: March 21-23, Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia • Natural Products Expo East: Sept. 23-25, Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia. • PACK EXPO International: October 23-26, McCormick Place, Chicago Once again, it has been a privilege to be leading such a prestigious and dynamic association. As both the president and a long-term member of the organization, I see a very bright future filled with huge opportunities for CPA. Please consider this my personal invitation to you to meet with me at our ENGAGE event. As a close-knit organization, we always manage to have a great time when we get together! CP

Rob Reinders is President of Performance Packaging of Nevada, https://pplv.com/.

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Brand Owner Insight

Got Capacity? Managing Today’s Supply Chain Volatility ROBBY MARTIN Contributing Editor In my previous columns, we’ve discussed what makes a successful partnership between co-man/co-packs and their customers. This month, I had intended to write about capacity. I never imagined by the time of this column we’d be facing such a volatile and uncertain environment. So, though I still want to discuss capacity here, let’s first recap some of today’s realities as a prelude. The supply chain disruptions that began at the end of Q1 of 2020 have extended into and beyond some of the most critical lockdown periods that COVID thrust upon us. Moreover, the responses by individuals and even companies to recent increases, or spikes, in COVID cases, remain even more mixed, if not muted, versus the responses put in place in 2020. Maybe more recent responses are due to an improved assessment of risk. Maybe they’re due to a better understanding of the virus and the remedies or treatments involved. Personally, I believe at least some of the more limited response is because individuals and companies have simply learned much about how to cope in the more recent phases of the pandemic. However, even with an overall improving personal and local backdrop, with so many linkages across the globe, the worldwide supply chain continues to mostly push and pull against itself in the areas of supply, transportation, pricing, scarcity, and many others. And, we don’t have space or time to even get started on cost inflation! I’m poorly qualified, and I won’t waste your time with facts on this topic as you can find

plenty of material written about what’s going on and what to expect. Instead, I’d like to focus on how we talk about this with our CP/CM partners, especially when we are all experiencing many of the same issues as those mentioned above. For the purposes of this column, we’ll wrap this into another area of importance in a CP/CM partnership arrangement. Of course, I’m talking about capacity. Just as with some of the other areas we’ve addressed in this space, capacity has many factors in play in CP/CM arrangements. The demand expected by a client is one of the earliest questions asked in an inquiry into capabilities and project fit. While this is often to help a CP/CM decide the value of a potential project, it’s also crucial to developing common expectations as an agreement comes together and a partnership is formed. Now, as a CP/CM provider, you may think you want all the volume someone is willing to give you. But, if there ever was a “careful what you wish for” moment, this could be it! In these volatile times, your own assessment of what you can handle is subject to certain criteria and context that is likely not entirely stable. This makes your appetite for business volume difficult to manage if you’re not careful and honest in your self-assessments. Meanwhile, brand owners and other customers of CP/CM companies have plenty of their own issues to address when determining the size of an opportunity and how realistic they are being. This is nothing new to the current volatility of today’s environment, but it has become even more important that “size-of-prize” estimates for an opportunity are well grounded. In fact, scenario planning, “what-if” ideating, and even contingency

discussions may never have been more important than they are right now. I say all this to emphasize one primary point: Honest, realistic, and fair thinking must be applied to new business opportunities by both partners more right now than ever before. There is a phrase that comes to mind that says, “Hold onto things of importance loosely.” If you can grasp the meaning of that phrase, the idea that the most important things need to be allowed to find their most appropriate level of place in the space of a business partnership or project engagement, then you can make room for both parties to identify and work together to manage the complexity and volatility of today’s environment. One further note to consider: Capacity availability for manufacturing is always a topic of discussion. But, I would advise that you make sure you understand how your project affects other critical aspects of a potential partner’s business “balance” or portfolio. Knowing when a good arrangement could become a troublesome arrangement—for either of you—is a key to long-term success. For instance, I once had a CP/CM share with me that if we reached a certain size, he would have concerns about his own portfolio “balance.” However, in telling me this, he also shared that he knew others who could take on the excess, and that he would help us go there and get the product up and running! Now, I don’t know about your thinking, but that seemed like a true element of someone wanting to partner. Perhaps a partnering mentality has never been more important than right, now, hmmm? CP Robby Martin is Engineering Specialist for Bush Brothers & Company.

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Industry News

Two Brands Awarded 0.5 Million Closures Each For the third year in a row, Silgan Closures has awarded two lucky startups with a bounty of caps—up to 500,000 stock closures, to be exact—in its 2021 Free Closures for Year Contest. The contest first launched in 2019 as a way to promote Silgan’s stock closure program while giving fledgling brands a hand-up with their ventures. Along with the closures, the winners also receive consumer insights on their products from Datassential Scores. The first winner is PRO.J, a functional beverage that combines protein with orange juice. PRO.J was developed by Dr. Nathan Feldman and Daniel Schapiro, founders EB Performance, along with partner Steve Rittmanic, as a premium beverage hybrid that integrates the best qualities of traditional protein/meal replacement, bottled orange juice, and natural refreshment drinks. Scheduled to launch in early in 2022 in select Florida retailers as well as on Amazon and on the brand’s website, PRO.J is packaged in a shelf-stable, 16-oz PET hot-fill bottle from Amcor. Topping the bottle is a Silgan 38 VSI hot-fill closure. Research from Datassential Scores on the brand indicates that PRO.J is unique enough to really differentiate itself. According to the report, millennials and foodies gave it a high purchase intent score. The second winner is VUE Vitamin Tea, created by Mike Luehrsen, Gordie Gronkowski, and Riley Didion. The partners’ goal in formulating VUE was to create the healthiest, cleanest beverage in the marketplace, packaged in the best container for the environment,

Ready to Ship Liquid Filling Equipment and tied to a foundation that gives back to the community. VUE Vitamin Teas are packed with antioxidants and are combined with specific vitamins and minerals to boost mental clarity and overall health. The product is hot-fill processed to maintain ingredient integrity and is packaged in a 59-dia, 20-oz Pacific Round aluminum bottle from Trivium, chosen by the VUE team because of its recyclability and reusability. Silgan, the only company in North America to manufacture closures for these containers, will supply VUE’s signature multicolor, confettiprint caps, which represent the different shapes, sizes, and colors of their target market. The cap style is Silgan’s 38 TZS aluminum ROPP closure. VUE is currently sold in four-packs at Boston area retailers and on the brand’s website. Datassential Scores reports that VUE was rated as a top performer for draw, showing stronger purchase intent with men, millennials, families with kids, and foodies. Silgan is accepting entries until March 31, 2022 for its 2022 FCFY contest. Visit https://freeclosuresforayear.com to “throw your cap in the ring.” CP

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Packager Profile

Pet Food Co-packer is First with Retort Cartons One of the engineers who developed Tetra Pak’s retort carton platform, Pawel Marciniak, co-founder of NaturPak Pet, has built his co-pack/co-man business for premium pet food on the technology—with considerable success. NaturPak offers all five of the available Tetra Pak retort carton sizes; a 100-mL size will be joining the lineup next year.

ANNE MARIE MOHAN, Editor

awel Marciniak is one of Tetra Pak’s biggest fans. He’s such a fan, in fact, that he and his wife, Iwona, built two extremely successful co-packing businesses based around the company’s Tetra Recart® retort carton technology. It’s really no surprise though—Marciniak was not only an employee of Tetra Pak from 1992 to 2006, but he was also one of the engineers responsible for developing and implementing the Tetra Recart platform as an alternative to cans for wet, shelf-stable foods. “After I was with Tetra Pak in the U.S for six years working on this new processing and packaging platform, my wife and I fell in love with it, so we decided to invest all our money in building the platform,” says Marciniak. “And the idea was very, very simple—to educate smaller brand owners and also retail stores on the technology and help them start using it for new products.” In 2007, the Marciniaks launched IPM Foods, in Beloit, Wis., to co-manufacture soups, gravies, and sauces for human consumption using the Tetra Recart system. It wasn’t long though before the company

started experimenting with wet pet food. Says Marciniak, early on he saw the need in the U.S. market for less processed pet food. “Less processed means let’s not take the water out of the product because it’s easy for transportation and for storage,” he says. “Let’s retain the same nutritional value as from the beginning.” Recognizing the opportunity to provide brand owners and retailers with premium and super-premium wet dog and cat food—in sustainable packaging no less—the Marciniaks started up their second business, NaturPak Pet, in 2020. The new company is located in Janesville, Wis., not far from IPM, which relocated to that city in 2017. Fulfilling Marciniak’s predictions, demand for NaturPak’s services has been exceptional. Currently producing 80 million units of pet food annually, the company plans on adding an additional 40 million units of capacity in 2022, with a potential additional capacity of 80 million in the facility— all of which is powered by the Tetra Recart platform. The Tetra Pak R2 carton filling machine was chosen for its speed of 6,000 packs/ hr, which allows for efficient, small-batch product processing.

Retort cartons a sustainable alternative to cans Tetra Pak is known for its aseptic food processing and carton packaging systems. With the Tetra Recart, Tetra Pak developed a carton and packaging system that could handle wet foods traditionally packaged in cans that require in-pack retort cooking and sterilization. To withstand the high temperatures—from 212°F to 266°F—and wet conditions used in the retort process, Tetra Pak reengineered the carton structure with a unique paperboard material with special sizing and new polypropylene-based polymer grades. The Tetra Recart was introduced with the tagline, “Canned food—two centuries smarter.” What makes the retort carton “smarter,” according to data from Tetra Pak is the range of sustainability and marketing benefits versus cans—and versus glass jars and pouches. While sustainability proponents may focus on the carton’s lower recycling rate versus the can, according to Tetra Pak, when analyzed across its lifecycle, the multilayer carton offers a footprint that is 81% lower than those of steel cans and glass jars. Enumerating the Tetra Recart carton’s sustainability benefits, Tetra Pak relates that the package is made from 70% renewable material, sourced from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified sources,

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NEW

Packager Profile

DESIGN

FASTER DELIVERY TIME

Pawel Marciniak, co-founder and President of NaturPak Pet, with family pet, Coco

resulting in a carbon footprint that is five-times lower than cans. The Tetra Recart package also weighs approximately 60% less (for a 400-g pack) than a can. Because of its light weight and rectangular shape, six- to 10-times more empty retort cartons can fit on a single truck versus cans. Similarly, with filled cartons, 10% to 20% more units can fit on a truck for outbound distribution. These factors result in reduced transportation costs and fewer resulting carbon emissions. Its recycling story is fairly impressive as well: According to the Carton Council, as of 2019, nearly 61% (71 million) of households in the U.S. had access to carton recycling across 49 states. And, while the recycling rate for cans may be higher, Marciniak says the process of recycling cans not only requires a larger amount of energy and results in greater carbon emissions, “but it is also a very unhealthy process.” The Tetra Recart offers functional benefits too. For brand owners, the carton’s rectangular shape means it takes up 30% less shelf space, allowing CPGs to gain more retail space. In addition, its flat surface offers a larger area in which to communicate marketing messages. For consumers, the package presents no sharp edges, and its laser-perforated, easy-open feature allows it to be opened without a can opener.

Marciniak also believes the carton eliminates the metallic taste and smell imparted to products packaged in cans. “That could be a very subjective observation, I don’t have scientific evidence to prove this,” he says. “But definitely, the perception at the consumer level is [the product is] fresher from the box.”

NaturPak hits the ground running A greenfield plant, the NaturPak facility spans 180,000 sq ft, with additional land available to expand. The company employs from 50 to 60 people, with a goal to grow to 100 employees by the end of 2022. Its customers and those interested in NaturPak’s services include “everyone throughout the market,” including startups, retailers, and multinationals, Marciniak says. One of the biggest differentiators between NaturPak and other pet food comans/co-packs, explains Marciniak, is the way it manufactures the pet food through a small-batch process that enables it to create specific textures and flavors for different pet preferences. By mixing the highest-quality meats, vegetables, and supplements in small-batch kettles designed in-house, NaturPak is able to produce pet foods that are as appealing in appearance as they are in taste, with whole ingredients—for example, beans, blueberries, or meat—visible in the final product.

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Packager Profile

NaturPak operates six Surdry retort chambers— three for each line—that cook and sterilize the pet food products in-pack.

To keep control of the small-batch process and maximize equipment efficiency during filling, NaturPak opted for Tetra Pak’s lower-capacity retort filling machine, the Tetra Pak® R2, at 6,000 packs/ hr, rather than the higher-speed, 24,000pack/hr R1. “We chose this from the point of view of control over the delivery—to be able to create smaller batches and control the ingredients,” explains Marciniak. “It also allows our clients to be more diversified in different flavors with a smaller minimum, so they can test the market response for certain flavor profiles.” He adds that a minimum run can be as low as 35,000 units, but the company’s “sustainable range for production is 75,000 units.” NaturPak offers the full gamut of Tetra Recart cartons sizes, which includes the 200-mL Mini carton, and the 340-, 390-, 440-, and 500-mL Midi carton sizes. In 2022, Tetra Pak will be launching a new size, a petite, 100-mL carton to compete with the 3.5-oz cans used for cat food. NaturPak plans to add this size to its offerings once the carton becomes available.

Two complete packaging lines Each one of the Tetra Pak R2 filling machines heads up its own complete packaging line with inspection systems, retort chambers, and secondary packaging equipment. Both of the R2 machines run all of the carton sizes. Changeover takes just minutes between the Midi sizes, as they all offer the same base dimension, with different heights. The 200-mL size has a different base, so changeover to that size can take from four to six hours. Each R2 is fed by three small-batch kettles, with each one holding 1,000 lb of product. Tetra Pak supplies the converted carton blanks, which are supplied flat and are opened, filled, and sealed within the machine. The R2 offers three filling options: a packet filler, which can fill the carton with a single ingredient, a piston filler (two filling heads) for the main ingredient, and a filler that can top off a product with broth. Before exiting the machine, the cartons are sealed through a combination of heat and pressure. The cartons then travel on a conveyor through a Mettler-Toledo in-line check-

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weigher that ensures the correct amount of product is contained within the package and then through a Tetra Pak-supplied inkjet printer that prints the best-by date, batch number, and lot code on the top of the carton. It next travels through a Novus X-ray system from JBT Corp. that inspects for foreign objects within the product. Every 15 minutes, an operator on the line pulls a product and performs a quality check. The next step is in-pack cooking and sterilization via the retort process. For this, the cartons continue their journey on the conveyor until they reach an automated basket loading system from Jorgensen Engineering A/S, supplied by Tetra Pak. The system loads the cartons into the retort basket by rows, with each basket, or rack, holding 1,300 cartons. Once the basket is full, it’s manually rolled to the infeed of the retort system. Each packaging line feeds three retort chambers from Surdry, each of which holds 7,700 cartons. Products are held in the retort chamber for a specific time period at a particular temperature, depending on the requirements of the recipe. Once the product is properly cooked and sterilized, the racks are then manually rolled to another Jorgensen system that unloads the cartons in the same manner as they were loaded. From there, the cartons are conveyed in single file to a Tetra Pak Cardboard Packer, which Marciniak says was chosen for its flexibility. NaturPak can provide customers with trays and wraparound cases in formats that range from six-packs all the way to 28 units/case. A DT Industries Kalish Packaging Systems shrink bundler wraps multipack trays, which are then conveyed through a shrink tunnel. For the final step, finished trays and cases are palletized using either an in-house designed palletizer or one supplied by Tetra Pak (depending on the packaging line), and pallets are then stretch-wrapped. Marciniak shares that NaturPak is awaiting the installation of a new robotic palletizing system from Fanuc. Before being released for distribution, finished products are held by NaturPak for two weeks, at which time a third-party lab tests the product to ensure there are no “microbial survivors.” N OV E M B E R / D EC EMB ER 2 0 2 1 C P

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Recart platform has given me a huge advantage in understanding the technology and moving in the right direction. So, in recent years, my focus is more on the ingredients and final product, because the packaging is perfect!” CP

NaturPak is bullish on the future of its premium and super-premium wet pet food business. Before the year is out, it plans to add another Tetra Pak R2, at a cost of $6 million, and is planning to add more lines in 2022. Says Marciniak, “Working for the Tetra

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Packager Profile

X-ray System for Pet Food Handles 25-kg Bags Private-label pet-food packager meets its core value of quality through the use high-speed inspection systems, including its latest purchase, a 20-ft-long X-ray/checkweighing machine. ANNE MARIE MOHAN, Editor

private-label manufacturer of dry pet food in Leyland in Lancashire, England, GA Pet Food Partners embraces the core values of quality, integrity, and innovation. The culmination of these values, GA explains, is its Freshtrusion™ technology, which it says enables it to incorporate higher levels of fresh meat into its recipes than provided by any other manufacturer. Handling 700 different recipes in 2,500 different packaging formats, GA’s need for flexibility in its packaging process is immense. Recently the company replaced five manual filling lines with two fully automated ones, one of which will feature the largest-ever X-ray machine offered by U.K. supplier Sapphire Inspection Systems. More than six meters long (approximately 20 ft), the custom-engineered system will handle bags of pet-food kibble weighing from 5 to 25 kg and measuring up to one meter (3.3 ft) in length lying flat, at a rate of 800 bags/hr. At presstime, the giant machine is scheduled to be delivered in December and should be fully up and running— along with the rest of the line—by February 2022. That’s according to Dr. Andy Kettle, Managing Director, GA Pet Food Partners, who shares that the massive machine will join eight other Sapphire X-ray systems at the plant. Says Dr. Kettle, “Sapphire has the expertise to create bespoke [custom] solutions for us that fully integrate with

The G40 X-ray machine is part of a small-pack line that handles bag sizes from 1 to 4 kg.

our own systems to provide a high level of process control, and in turn, reassurance for our own customers about the quality of every bag of their products.” The most-recently installed Sapphire X-ray system, the G40, is for a small-pack line installed in 2020 that replaces two manual filling lines and handles bag sizes from 1 to 4 kg. According to Dr. Kettle, GA selected the G40 due to the machine’s flexibility in handling a range of pack sizes, as well as the option to integrate the machine with the company’s Enterprise Resource Planning system. Flexibility and ERP-compatibility were also requirements for the large, custom X-ray machine, which Sapphire named the G40 XL. Other requirements included speeds to 14 bags/min, 24 hours/day, seven days/week; the ability to detect stainless, ferrous, and non-ferrous metals down to 2 mm and glass down to 4 mm; and a stainless steel construction for longevity and ease of maintenance. Adds Dr. Kettle, “We had a fairly tight space in which to accommodate the machine. We also wanted the ability to checkweigh bags and collect rejects, which significantly added to the overall length.” One of the biggest challenges of creating an X-ray machine large enough to handle a 25-kg bag, Dr. Kettle explains, is the sheer physical size of the machine. “It had to be designed and built in a modular fashion so it can be installed using a gantry within the factory. With a machine of this size, ensuring its safe use required careful consider-

ation. We had to control the size of doors and access panels, for example, to ensure it was still ergonomic to use. “The physical handling of the rejects was another challenge, given the size of the bags. Our solution was to design a new reject mechanism with the ability to either convey good product directly to the outfeed or safely divert contaminated product to a contaminated collection bin and underweight product to a weight collection bin. The new reject mechanism must operate rapidly, due to the speed of the line, but still reject large, heavy product sacks to the bins without damage.” From Sapphire’s perspective, the challenges of inspecting bags of this weight, length, and width (the largest bag from GA measures 520 mm) relate to the accuracy and reliability of the machine design. With X-ray machines, the greater the dimensions of the product, the smaller the proportionate difference in the contaminant size. “As a result of this, we always try to design systems where we can image the pack through its smallest dimension,” explains Sapphire CEO Richard Parmee. In designing its largest X-ray machine ever, Sapphire adopted an approach of carefully examining the orientation of the X-ray beam to determine the optimum geometry. “Additionally,” says Parmee, “the radiographic hardware design, settings, scan rate, and product separation will all contribute to creating a low-noise image, which will provide the best opportunity for our algorithms to deliver accuracy.” CP

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Association News

Industry Enjoys In-Person Events Registration is Open for ENGAGE CPA’s annual event is now called “ENGAGE” – The Contract Packaging and Manufacturing Experience! Registration is now open for the event, which is scheduled for March 1-3, 2022, at the Hilton Clearwater Beach Resort and Spa in Clearwater Beach, Fla. This is the largest networking opportunity for the CP/CM industry, its customers, and suppliers. Take advantage of early-bird pricing and save $200 on your registration fee. Over 200 people are expected to attend the in-person meeting. Participating in the event will allow you to connect with existing partners and network with potential prospects. Working agenda topics include Economic Impacts - Trends and Insights; CPG Panel Discussion; Workforce, Labor and Regulations Panel Discussion; State of the Industry Trends; and Cyber Security. Learn more at www.contractpackaging.org/engage.

2021 CPA Show Updates SNAXPO 2021 was a success—with 50 leads looking to do business with CP/CMs—and a great place for the CPA to get resettled into the trade show world after the 18-month pause caused by the pandemic. The CPA also attended Natural Products Expo East (NPEE) in Philadelphia. CPA was very pleased with the attendance and energy from exhibitors and attendees alike. Approximately 130 leads looking to do business with CP/CMs were collected, and the membership and their capabilities were fully promoted and displayed. In September, CPA was at PACK EXPO Las Vegas (PELV) for the biggest packaging and processing show of the year. The turnout was amazing, and it truly felt like the industry was eager to get together again. Leads are still being calculated, but they are estimated to be well over 200. The CPA Sourcing Center filled five towers with member’s products, displaying their offerings and capabilities, and the Meet & Greet event was a booming success with well over the predicted number of attendees. Another big thank you to our Meet & Greet as well as our Annual Sponsors.

State of the Industry Report Now Available This expanded, comprehensive 180-page report, now in its sixth edition, combines over 150 online executive interviews, plus quantitative and qualitative primary and secondary research to produce a more detailed view of the CP/CM industry—its opportunities, headwinds, and evolving future. The full report covers topics that include defining the food/CPG industry by scope and revenue; industry CAGR 2021-2025 by sector; post-pandemic trends; the continued expansion of private equity;

industry consolidation trends; customer views on the changing marketplace; the current labor market and widening talent gap; demographics on size, company age, locations, and revenue; enterprise technology implementations and penetration rates; offshore and Mexico-based competition; and sustainability trends. Want to learn more before investing in the full report? You can order the Executive Summary for a high-level overview of the report findings. If you then decide to order the full report, the cost of the summary will be credited toward your purchase. CPA members receive the Executive Summary for free and can purchase the full report at a 50% discount. For more information, visit www.contractpackagingreport.com.

CPA Bolsters Value Through Partnerships Over the past couple of years, CPA, the Association for Contract Packagers and Manufacturers, has been fostering relationships with companies that can offer unique information and services useful to those working in the CP/CM industry. Blaige & Company Consultation: Thomas Blaige is offering his expertise in M&A exclusively to CPA members. Each CPA member company receives a complimentary one-hour session with Blaige, who has over 30 years of transaction experience in CP/CM M&A. CPA and Nulogy University: CPA’s recent partnership with Nulogy, a leading provider of agile supply chain solutions, grants CPA members complimentary access to the educational resources of Nulogy University, a proprietary online training platform for CP/CM businesses. PTIS Consultation: Each CPA member company receives a complimentary half-hour session with a PTIS principal who can help you understand your packaging material, container, packaging systems, and sustainability needs to support current and new customer requirements. Learn more at www.contractpackaging.org/ value-programs. CP

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Advertisers in this issue are in bold face Associate members in this issue New members in this issue Ë

Membership Directory

For in-depth searches on individual members’ capabilities, visit www.contractpackaging.org Ë360 Co-Pack Corporation

Bolke-Miller Company www.bolkemiller.com Michael Miller (847) 693-7231

Delkor Systems, Inc.

ËA1 Creative Packaging

Bonded Pac LLC www.bondedpac.com Jon Hayward (704) 517-0286

Desiccare, Inc. www.desiccare.com Shannon Omlor (702) 405-4260

Aaron Kendell Packaging

CCB Packaging www.ccbpackaging.com Brad Canfield (319) 378-0114

ËDo-It Corporation

Challenge Unlimited, Inc www.adadvancedoutsource solutions.com Clint Biever (618) 463-1236

DOLCE AMORE www.dolceamoreny.com Marcello Arpaia (917) 681-1438

www.360copack.com Ron Crews (837)-489-2085

www.a1creativepackaging.com Adam Wiese (262)-495-2151 Equipment www.aekpack.com KC Christensen (630) 238-2660

Aaron Thomas Company, Inc. www.packaging.com Aaron Bacon (714) 894-4468

ADCO Manufacturing www.adcomfg.com Mike Alagna (888) 608-5946

Chippewa Packaging www.chippewapackaging.com Michael Steele (507) 931-5510

ËAlchemy Nutra Inc.

Clysar LLC

Allegiance Staffing

CMG Plastics

APAK Packaging LLC www.apak-pkg.com Jorge Revelo (847) 566-9595

Coregistics www.coregistics.com Eric Wilhelm (678) 453-5900

Asiapack Ltd www.asiapack.com Valentin Janson (852) 2735-1163

Credmade www.credmade.com Rahul Pasarnikar (312) 931-5367

Assemblers Inc. www.assemblers.com Joel Rosenbacher (773) 378-3000

ËCrest Foods

Assemblies Unlimited, Inc. www.assemblies.com Randy Shaw (877) 273-6259

CRI, Inc. www.crind.org David Lemanski (715) 559-0015

Associated Packaging, Inc. www.associatedpackagingpro.com Lynn Jacob (248) 855-0106

Crystal Packaging Inc www.crystalpackaging.com Dillon Vincenti (303) 865-7102

Assured Edge Solutions www.aes-roc.com Daniel Rao (585) 545-4372

CTI Packaging & Fulfillment www.ctipack.com Jerry Thompson (847) 968-4855

BCI Packaging www.bcipackaging.com Jaclyn Norono-Rodriguez (636) 978-4300

ËCulinary Focus

www.alchemynutra.com Justin Conger (702)-512-3085 www.allegiancestaffing.com Tom Landry (281) 355-9222

Berlin Packaging

www.berlinpackaging.com Rick Brandt (312) 876-9200 Big Easy Blends www.bigeasyblends.com Sal LaMartina (504) 467-1606 Birchwood Contract Manufacturing www.birchwoodcontract.com Shawn Nahan (952) 937-7959

Bluegrass Packaging Industries, Inc. www.bluegrasspackaging.com Ellen Waddle (502) 425-6442

www.clysar.com Joan Current (563) 259-3265 www.cmgplastics.com Jens Duerr (908) 310-3735

www.crestfoods.com Gaven Meiners (815) 453-7411

& The Spice Guild www.culinary-focus.com Katherine Shaw (334)-799-5380 Cup Pac Packaging, Inc. www.cuppac.com Jodi James (815) 624-7060 CWS Contract Packaging www.cwspackaging.com Justin Parker (607) 206-8695 DAMRON Packaging & Logistics Group www.damronplg.com Tony Cort (773) 826-6000

ËDeEnterprises

www.deenterprises.com Peter DeSantis (708)-345-8088

www.delkorsystems.com Dan Altman (651) 348-6714

www.www.do-it.com John Deschaine (269) 637-1121

Dominion Liquid Technologies www.dltdelivers.com Charlie Cain (513) 272-2824

Domino Amjet

www.domino-printingcom Nikki Johnson (800) 244-2501 Econo-Pak www.econo-pak.com PJ Wiebel (570) 296-0350 EMCO Chemical Packaging www.emcochem.com Randy Schwab (847) 767-2201 Emerald 66 Enterprises LLC www.emerald-66.com Charles Colon (405) 303-6008

ePac Flexible Packaging www.epacflexibles.com Noral Greenstein Biondi (844) 373-0136 Exact Packaging Inc. www.exactpack.com Brian Lansing (217) 214-6049

Exel wng Inc.

www.exelpackaging.com Christopher Sommers (949) 395-8378 FasPac Packaging, LP www.faspacllc.com Matt Davis (972) 831-8300 First Choice Packaging Solutions www.firstchoicepackaging.com Paul Tomick (866) 700-7225 Foxconn Technology Group www.foxconn.com Rolf Henn (804) 328-5267

Frain Group

www.frain.com Chris Frain (630) 889-5732

Frazier & Son

www.frazierandson.com Jillian Kniffen (936) 494-4040

Fresh Food Factor- Creative Concepts & Packaging www.freshfoodfactor.org/ co-packing Jason Burt (504) 522-3063

GH Guenther Huettlin Manufacturing Inc. www.ghmanufacturing.com Kim Egan (613) 961-8860

LB Processors, LLC www.privatelabelcopacking.com Caleb Binford (615) 746-8485

Gilchrist & Soames www.gilchristsoames.com Amber Mosher (317) 250-6204

www.liquiformgroup.com Ed Seidl (248) 219-7787

GreenSeed Contract Packaging www.greenseedcp.com Brad Meridith (630) 761-8544 Herbco International, Inc. www.herbcointl.com Taras Remeniuk (262) 620-3500 Herkimer Industries www.herkimerindustries.com Scott Riffle (315) 225-2385

High Performance Packaging www.HP-Packaging.com. Ron Crews (847)-489-2085 Higley Industries www.higleyinc.com Lance Hummel (616) 902-2969

ËLiquiForm Group, LLC

Liquipak Corporation www.liquipak.com Robert Smith (989) 463-5510 Mahani Enterprises LLC www.shrinkfilm.com Peter Quercia (973) 665-8333 Manna Foods, LLC www.mannafoods.us Matt Hetrick (717) 675-2262 Maple Mountain Co-Packers www.mmcp.co Rob LeBaron (801) 960-3387

Massman Automation Designs, LLC. www.massmanllc.com Mark Suchy (320) 554-3611

Hood Container Corporation www.hoodcontainer.com Parick Broderick (502) 515-3900

Matrix Packaging Machinery

IBR Packaging LLC www.ibrpackaging.com Dave Christensen (888) 829-6509

Matt Pak Inc. www.mattpak.com Jeff Graham (847) 451-4018

Influence Manufacturing www.influancehaircare.com Robin Simpson (336) 348- 1565

Maverick Packaging, Inc. www.maverickpackaginginc.com DeAnn Devenney (574) 264-2891

Inland Packaging

www.inlandpackaging.com Kimberly Young (608) 787- 5800

Mid-Continent Packaging, Inc. www.midcontinentpkg.com Steven Epstein (580) 234-5200

Integrated Re-Pack & Logistics www.integratedrepack.com Dennis Monday (540) 421-9585

Minimus Products LLC www.minimusproducts.biz Paul Shrater (805) 376-6352

Keller Logistics Group www.kellerlogistics.com Bryan Keller (419) 785-3219

ËMiracle CS Industries

Kleen Concepts www.kleen-concepts.com Grant Russell (480) 515-5576

Morrison Container

Komplete Packaging Service www.kpak.com M. Kamal (214) 252-8105

ËKO-Pack Inc.

www.kopack.us Payton LaCivita (480) 702-1134

Lako Tool

www.matrixpm.com Marc Wolf (262) 268-8300

www.miraclecsindustries.com Marcus Clark-Scott (585)-300-5527

Handling Solutions www.morrison-chs.com Dustin Lee (708) 756-6660 Mother Trail, LLC. www.mothertrail.com Matt Simonds (505) 221-6281 MSI Express www.msiexpress.com Charles Weinberg (219) 764-1521

& Manufacturing, Inc. www.lakotool.com John Bialecki (302) 218-1499

MSW Packaging www.mswpackaging.com Chris Nutley (812) 537-2331

Landaal Packaging Systems www.landaal.com Steve Landaal (800) 616-6619

Multi-Pack Solutions www.multipacksolutions.com Keith Wyatt (864) 603-5159

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Membership Directory Namar Foods www.namar.com Deborah Mitchell (562) 531-2744

PacMoore Products, Inc. www.pacmoore.com Taylor Moore (513) 400-6022

Printpack

Roberts PolyPro Inc.

SourceAmerica www.sourceamerica.org David Brent (571) 421-8716

Nature's Distribution www.naturesdistribution.com Jeff Saller (801) 899-2007

Paket Corporation. www.paketcorp.com Mark O'Malley (773) 221-7300

Priority Plastics, Inc.

Robopac USA

South Atlantic Packaging www.southatlanticpackaging.com Patrick Grantham (336) 774-3122

Nercon Conveyor Systems www.nerconconveyors.com Debbie Hoff (844) 293-2814

Pak Technologies, Inc. www.paktech.com David Greif (414) 406-4733

ËPristex Solutions

Ronchi America, LLC.

Spec Enterprise www.specenterprise.com Dale Jenks (480) 828-2976

New Caney Beverage www.ncbeverage.com Jorge Ulloa (210) 216-3777

PCI, Inc, www.pcistl.com William Davis (314) 872-9333

Protech Nutra, Inc. www.protechnutra.com Manuel Nunez (312) 246-1838

Novalent Limited www.novalent.com Cameron Harris 336-375-7555

Peoria Production Shop www.peoriapros.com Dan Laturno (309) 683-0700

Pure and Gentle Inc. www.pureandgentlesoap.com Andrew Hsueh (281) 733-7525

NP Food Service Sales, LLC www.npfss.com (630) 443-1770

Performance Packaging of Nevada, LLC www.pplv.co Robert Reinders (702) 240-3457

Quality Packaging / Pro Pac www.qualpac.com Dawna Whitner (972) 988-3888

Nulogy Corporation www.nulogy.com Sultana Naimi (416) 204-0427

Plastic Packaging

Technologies, LLC www.plaspack.com Andrea Ringgenberg (913) 287-9420

Pac Contract Services www.pac.com Michael Treb (513) 292-3551

PMI Kyoto

www.pmikyoto.com Branko Vukotic (847) 437-1427

Pack'n Fresh, LLC www.packnfresh.com Tariq Usmani (888) 703-7374

Polypack, Inc.

Packaging Group Corp. www.packaginggroupcorp.com Elliott Weller (847) 924-6538

www.polypack.com Brian McCann (727) 578-5000

www.printpack.com Scott Mitchell (678) 758-6364 www.priorityplastics.com Steve Eglostein (336) 549-1563 www.pristex.com Gabriel Velasquez (901)-460-7525

Quality Packaging Specialists International www.qpsiusa.com Ryan VanWight (609) 239-0503

ËREO Processing Inc

www.reoprocessing.com Greg Fraiser (937) 545-8521 RGA Enterprises, Inc. www.rgaenterprises.com Glenn Howell (704) 398-0487

www.robertspolypro.com Roy Tetreault (704) 588-1794 www.robopacusa.com Derek Jones (678) 473-7896

www.ronchipackaging.com ronchi-america.com Tim Wilson (404) 990-1997 RRP Packaging www.rrp-mfg.com Jeff Freiburger (419) 666-6119 Ruspak Contract Packaging Services www.ruspak.com Paul Mierzwa (315) 946-9777

Scholle IPN

www.scholle.com Ryan Balock (708) 836-3641 Select Brands, LLC. www.select-brands.net Tuffer Weidner (417) 863-0404 Sigma Services Corporation www.sigmasvs.com Liz Nesbit (847) 388-3040 Sigma Services Corporation www.sigmasvs.com Liz Nesbit

Sterling Contract Packaging, Inc. www.sterlingcpi.com Michael Collins (770) 638-8211 Steuart Custom Manufacturing www.minn-pack.com Ben Steuart (507) 272-8715

ËSyntron Material Handling www.syntronmh.com Sheena Woodruff (662)-869-5711 Tadbik

www.tadbik.com Karen Frisch (908) 377-0913

Taylor Prime Labels & Packaging Group www.taylor.com Bridget Bregel (855) 833-4143

The Lab, LLC. www.thelabmn.com Adam Smith (763) 703-4522

Did you know? Do-It Corporation is a Walmart Authorized merchandising display strip supplier. We provide: • Display Strips • Printed Labels • S-Hooks • Strip Loading Services • Kit Preparation All components comply with Walmart requirements.

www.hangtab.com

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Don’t forget hang tabs!

11/15/21 8:56 AM

The Lion Brewery www.lionbrewery.com/contractbrewing Andrew Van Blargan (814) 935-1355

World Contract Packaging www.worldcontractpack.com Barb Tillery (815) 624-6501

Zacros America, Inc.

The Platinum Packaging Group www.platinumpkggroup.com Nick Lowe (562) 630-6700

Xela Pack www.xelapack.com Anthony Gentile (734) 944-1300

The Raymond Hadley Corp. www.raymondhadley.com Elliot Dutra (607) 725-4567

Xpress 360 Inc. www.xpress-360.com Larry Simpson (317) 291-2100

ZoRoCo Packaging Inc. www.ZoRoCoPackaging.com Jeff Floyd (208) 475-1864

www.zacrosamerica.com Zacros Customer Service (800) 890-1183

TNA North America Inc. www.tnasolutions.com Shayne De La Force (972) 462-6500

Triangle Package Machinery Co. www.trianglepackage.com Ralph Hernandez (773) 889-0220

Tripack LLC

www.tripak.net Matt Linz (513) 255-1958 Trividia Manufacturing Solutions www.trividiams.com (603) 788-4952

YOUR INDEPENDENT SINGLE SOURCE FOR

Troystar Food Packaging www.tsfoodpackaging.com Justin Spiegelhoff (262) 763-9434 Turbo Pack, LLC. www.turbopackllc.com Nick Gubser (800) 431-3455

NUTRACEUTICAL PACKAGING LINES

U.S. Packaging LLC www.uspackagingllc.com Rick Geiger (262) 510-8576 US Natural Group www.usnaturalgroup.com Hakan Johanson (727) 424-6677

Collaborate • Design • Implement • Validate

Valk Industries, Inc. www.valkindustries.com Dale Waddle (423) 638-1284 Valley Food Systems www.valleyfoods.com Jeff Valley (800) 228-4053 VARC, Inc. www.varcinc.com Eric Filter (608) 637-3994

Viking Masek

www.vikingmasek.com Danielle Ohl (920) 564-5342

Visstun

www.visstuncups.com Paula Piano (800) 401-2910

ËVolk Pack, LLC.

www.volkboxes.com Derek Volk (207)-282-6151 Wannemacher Tool Logistics www.wanntl.com Andy Wannemacher (419) 225-9060 WePackItAll www.wepackitall.com Vanessa Jimenez (626) 301-9214

Equipment • Pre-Configured Solutions • Custom Integrations

We Pack Logistics, LP www.wepack.com Brandon Hoog (888) 993-7225 Western Innovations, Inc. www.westerninnovationsinc.com Jerry Jernigan (303) 307-4500

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NUTRA-PACK.COM

(267) 203-8351 10/30/21 6:42 AM

New Products

All-Paper Blister Pack

Cannabis Filling System  High-speed cannabis jar filling system features a tare gross weighing system to ensure accurate filling and weighing of flower or ground cannabis  Provides accuracy of 0.01 g for fill sizes from 3.5 to 7 g  Sanitary funnel and conveyor system enables hygienic filling with quick changeover; stainlesssteel frame and open base allow for easy cleaning Spee-Dee Packaging Machinery, Inc., www.spee-dee.com

 New all-paper blister pack uses paperboard blister and card from Rohrer, printed using an offset press and receiving an aqueous heat-seal coating  Blister designed to run on existing Starview FAB (Fully Automated Blister) Series machines with the addition of auxiliary feeder Rohrer Corp., www.rohrer.com Starview Packaging Machinery Inc., www.starview.net

Package Personalization System  New Package Personalization System (PPS) is designed to drastically reduce SKUs with late-stage personalization and branding, using one carton to package multiple products  Can handle products of varying sizes, shapes, and substrates  Includes feeder/registration, labeler, inkjet printer, inspect/reject station, and delivery conveyor Buskro, https://buskro.com/

Single-Dose Sachet Equipment  The AlphaFlex print, form, fill, and seal machine produces V-Shapes’ single-dose sachet  Dosing and delivery system features synchronized printing on both sides of the sachet, powered by Memjet’s DuraFlex® thermal inkjet printhead technology  Enables full-color, in-line printing at 1600 dpi V-Shapes, www.v-shapes.com

Corrugated Bottle Carrier  The ECOGRIP is a corrugated alternative to shrink-wrap film for four-, six-, or eight-count multipacks of bottles ranging in size from 330 mL to 1.5 L  Recyclable, biodegradable carrier makes multipacks easy to transport, handle, and store  Corrugated board can be customized through a variety of print technologies Blue Box Partners, www.blueboxpartners.eu

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Arrowhead Systems, Inc. 124 N Columbus Street Phone: 844-686-5589 Email: inquiry@arrowheadsystems.com www.arrowheadsystems.com The companies of Arrowhead Systems (Busse/SJI Corporation, Arrowhead Conveyor Corporation and A&B Engineering Services) are leaders in providing equipment and service solutions to the packaging industry. Customers trust our over 75-year history of providing quality and innovation to the food, beverage, personal care, household products, and pharmaceutical markets. Busse/SJI, the inventor of the original bulk palletizer and depalletizer, continues to lead the industry in automation and material handling equipment. In addition to the Busse/SJI machines, they manufacture Priority One equipment-simple, yet sophisticated low-level depalletizers, high and low-level case palletizers, and multi-line case palletizing systems. Arrowhead Conveyor offers a complete selection of customized and standard conveyor systems, including the NeXtconveyor wash down and sanitary product line. A&B Engineering Services sends experienced field service engineers around the world to assist customers with Arrowhead Systems equipment, as well as other major brands. Services include new equipment start-ups, legacy equipment upgrades, programming and line controls integration and technical support.

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Do-It Corporation 1201 Blue Star Hwy P.O. Box 592 South Haven, MI 49090 Phone: 269-637-112 Email: sales@do-it.com www.do-it.com For almost 50 years Do-It Corporation has been designing and making hang tabs for the packaging and merchandising display industries. Do-It also manufacturers merchandising display strips, printed hang tabs, carry handles, on-product instantly redeemable coupons (IRCs), shelf wobblers, and promotional bottle neck hang tabs. All Do-It products are designed to get your products noticed in the retail environment and increase sales. Do-It Corporation is a certified Walmart Impulse Strip Supplier. Do-It Hang Tabs can be provided in clear plastic or can be printed. All products can be produced in several plastic and adhesive choices, depending on the performance requirement and customer preference. Do-It Products are safe and FDA approved for non-food contact.

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Glue Dots® International N117 W18711 Fulton Drive Germantown, WI 53022 Phone: 888.688.7131 Email: info@gluedots.com www.gluedots.com Glue Dots Deliver Safe and Instant Bonding for Contract Packagers Glue Dots® Pressure Sensitive Adhesives (PSAs) deliver instant, consistent and reliable results without heat, mess or waste. With an extensive library of adhesive formulas, we offer the most extensive combination of adhesive patterns, profiles and tack levels in the industry. Our state-of-the-art equipment combined with our industry knowledge guarantee simple, versatile and convenient solutions for contract packaging applications. Glue Dots adhesives are ready-to-use right out of the box and are designed to deliver clean and precise results. Contract packagers can use Glue Dots for: • • • • •

Product Orientation Sample/Card Attachment Reseal and Repack Onsert Attachment Product Protection

Glue Dots equipment and applicators are as reliable and versatile as our adhesives. Contract packagers have three options for increasing productivity: • Automated equipment like the SD-900™ easily integrates into your production process. It’s perfect for higher-volume operations where speed and accuracy are critical. • Semi-automated applicators like the EconoDot® are ideal for highvolume projects in tight spaces. They deliver fast, easy start-up with minimal maintenance and training required. • Manual applicators like the Dot Shot® Pro are lightweight, easy-to-use and are 2.5 times faster than double-sided foam tape.

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11/15/21 4:42 PM

Heat and Control, Inc. 21121 Cabot Boulevard, Hayward, CA 94545 Phone: 510 259 0500 Email: info@heatandcontrol.com www.heatandcontrol.com Heat and Control®, a world-leading equipment manufacturer, offers the latest technology and the highest quality equipment for processing, coating and seasoning, conveying, weighing, packaging, inspection, and controls/ information systems. Established in 1950, our brands include FastBack® (horizontal motion conveyors and on-machine seasoning), Mastermatic (fryers), and Spray Dynamics® (coating and seasoning application systems), and we partner with other global manufacturing leaders, including Ishida (weighing packaging and inspection) and CEIA® (metal detection). Food Processing–Choose from our vast range of integrated processing solutions including fryers, oil management, ovens, and coating systems. Seasoning Application–Our comprehensive range of seasoning solutions for on-machine or process area deliver top performance, efficiency, application accuracy, and flavor. Conveying and Product Handling– We provide a wide variety of conveying and product handling systems to move product through the line as efficiently as possible. Weighing/Combination Scales– Since 1893, Ishida has revolutionized the industry with the ultra-precise computer combination weigher (CCW). Packaging–From tray and container filling to fully automated and integrated Ishida snack food packaging systems, we provide end-of-line solutions. Inspection and Quality Assurance–Protect your consumer and your equipment with detection technology, including Ishida x-ray machines and checkweighers and CEIA metal detection equipment.

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11/4/21 4:00 PM

McKernan Packaging Clearing House P.O. Box 7281, Reno, NV 89510 Phone: 775-356-6111 Email: Sales@McKernan.com www.McKernan.com For over 60 years, McKernan has offered the industry’s highest quality packaging and the lowest minimums, all at a discounted rate. McKernan began by buying and selling surplus packaging (Best Value). Add a complete line of Wholesale Packaging, allowing McKernan to offer a diverse inventory with millions of packaging components. These components are in stock and ready to ship and most orders ship in less than 48 hours. Search our extensive online inventory at McKernan.com or call 775-356-6111 or 1-800-787-7587. BEST VALUE McKernan’s Best Value line contains top quality, unbranded packaging components at discounted prices. Our buyers excel at negotiating the best deals, and we are able to pass on these extra savings to you. With new shipments arriving daily, there is always something new to find in our Best Value line. However, you may need to move fast as these deals sell out quickly. SURPLUS SPECIALISTS McKernan PRECYCLING®, or pre-consumer recycling, buys unused, unbranded excess/surplus inventory, such as bottles, jars, closures and more. Plus, we pay the freight to move it out of your warehouses. This program gives companies a profitable alternative to clearing their excess packaging. For more information, call McKernan, visit WeBuyPackaging.com or email Surplus@ McKernan.com. THE MCKERNAN EXPERIENCE: Whether you are buying or selling packaging, when you call McKernan, you will speak with a real person. Call 1-800-787-7587 or 775-356-6111 and the friendly staff at the front desk will connect you with a knowledgeable sales representative or surplus specialist for further assistance.

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11/4/21 5:57 AM

Morrison Container Handling 335 W. 194th Street Glenwood, IL 60425 Phone: 708-756-6660 Email: info@morrison-chs.com www.morrison-chs.com For over 50 years, we have helped our customers succeed with innovative, flexible, and responsive container handling solutions designed to increase their efficiency. At Morrison, being customer centric allows for true partnership and provides the best solutions for your needs including: Timing Screws – Custom timing screws that precisely fit containers for positive control provide unparalleled line efficiency. As the largest manufacturer of timing screws in North America, we use our design experience and innovations for our customers’ benefit. Quick Change Parts - Toolless, quick change parts for precision handling of containers, which can be organized on customizable rolling storage carts to save space, keep changeover time to a minimum. Timing Screw Drive Units - For new or existing applications, timing screw drive units produce dependable, repeatable performance for metering, indexing, and counting to decrease downtime. Denesters - Automated denesters accurately separate stacked items resulting in reduced labor costs. Custom Designed Machines - Custom solutions and applications remedy pain points on lines for our customers. Choose from can openers, rotary orientors, rinsers, or a custom designed solution for your needs. Morrison’s legendary Support Built In® provides customers peace of mind as we are a long-term partner who can stand with you and support your solutions.

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11/16/21 9:48 AM

Nercon Conveyor Systems 600 S. Commercial St | Neenah, WI | 54956 Phone: 844-293-2814 Email: sanklam@nercon.com www.nerconconveyors.com Need to move a product up or down, side-to-side, accumulate, rotate, or turn it? Maybe need a quick changeover system or to maximize space on a production floor. Nercon is a conveyor systems manufacturer, providing solutions to the food, beverage, health, beauty, and pharmaceutical packaging industries since 1976. Our ProCore® brand serves a unique purpose in the Nercon conveyor product line. Developed by highly skilled engineers over countless hours of analysis and testing, ProCore® conveyors skip the costly start-up of a custom process and begin with a core of proven equipment making projects more cost-effective and turnaround time faster. The ProCore® conveyor family maximizes performance and minimizes downtime. Conveyor designs range from MatTop, belt and TableTop, moving a variety of packaging. Built to maximize productivity, HydroCore® is Nercon’s sanitary and washdown conveyor systems designed to withstand rigorous sanitation practices and daily hygienic procedures. HydroCore’s® hygienic designs disassemble, washdown, sanitize, and reassemble easily. Our uniquely innovative sanitary design is known for its versatility and durability, adding value across all product operations. As an industry leader in conveyor systems and equipment, we are proud of the advanced technology and unparalleled quality our customers can count on. Contact us at (844) 293-2814 or www.nerconconveyors.com to partner on your next project.

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11/1/21 8:53 AM

ProSys Servo Filling Systems 422 E. Fountain Rd. Webb City, MO 64870 Phone: 417-673-5551 Email: info@prosysfill.com www.prosysfill.com ProSys is a premier manufacturer of manual, semiautomatic, and fully automatic equipment for filling Cartridges, Squeeze Tubes, Syringes and Rigid Containers. A global supplier of filling equipment since 1985 with U.S. sales, manufacturing and customer service facilities located in Southwest Missouri. GLOBAL INSTALLS • Pharmaceutical • Cosmetic • Chemical • Adhesive • Sealant • Grease • Food FEATURES & BENEFITS • Fill Accuracy +/- 0.5% by Volume • Turnkey & Custom Designs • Air-Free Filling • Vertical Bottom Up Filling • Color Mix Solutions • Drum & Pail Presses • SERVO Solutions • Explosion Proof Controls (Class 1 Division 1&2, ATEX 0&1)

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11/1/21 8:41 AM

Simplex Filler Company 640 Airpark Rd #A, Napa, CA 94558 Phone: 707.265.6801 Email: Simplex@simplexfiller.com www.simplexfiller.com For over fifty years Simplex Filler has been designing and manufacturing filling equipment to handle liquid products from water thin to highly viscous for our clients worldwide. With only six product contact parts, our in-line Volumetric Piston Fillers combine speed and accuracy with quick change-over and cleaning to meet the ever-increasing demand in the industry for quality control and reduced downtime. We specialize in building customer specific machines, without the extra expense of numerous change-parts or long set up time, which are required on most rotary machines. Our machines are heavy-duty, quality-built, production machines made to operate around the clock for years. Simplex offers machines from our table-top, semi-automatic, single-head piston fillers to fully automatic, twelve-head, in-line piston fillers. Our machines are designed around the customer’s containers and products to provide a machine that will be capable of meeting all of their requirements for a liquid filling machine. If you are just starting out or expanding your current production needs, we can help determine which machine is right for your business. Visit our website at www.simplexfiller.com, send us an email at simplex@ simplexfiller.com or give us a call at 707-265-6801.

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11/6/21 6:10 AM

Specialty Equipment 1221 Adkins, Houston, TX 77055 Phone: (833) 467-3432 Email: info@specialtyequipment.com www.specialtyequipment.com Since 1969, Specialty Equipment Corporation has positioned itself as the lead manufacturer of American-made packaging systems. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, we have built our reputation on manufacturing high-end packaging machinery and material handling systems including. Liquid fillers for Pails, Drums, and Totes Drum and Pallet Conveyors Palletizers Solids Fillers for Pails, Drums, and Super Sacks IIoT software Over our 50 years in business, we have developed a full product line of automatic and semi-automatic liquid filling machines and conveyors for industries like; agriculture, chemical, cleaners, coatings, flavors, food, food additives, lubricants, and sealant manufacturers. The products we fill and convey include; drums, pails, bins, totes, pallets, and rubber bales, a customized product We continue to provide high-quality packaging systems to fortune 500 companies and have developed an intuitive software to improve the filling operations for companies of all sizes. Are you interested in learning more? Contact us now.

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11/9/21 9:05 AM

Sterling Contract Packaging, Inc. 1875 Moore-Duncan Highway Moore, SC 29369 Phone: 864-587-5511 Email: mcollins@sterlingcpi.com www.sterlingcpi.com Sterling Contract Packaging is one of the largest contract packaging facilities in the Southeast, specializing in high speed packaging. Founded in 1996, Sterling Contract Packaging maintains a diverse offering of automated packaging capabilities with extensive management experience in consumer sales and retail distribution. Uniquely capable of providing complete project management, Sterling Contract Packaging is involved beginning with package engineering through final package distribution. Our packaging services are tailored to the specific requirements of your products and applications to provide reliable and cost-effective packaging solutions that support your business goals. Additional benefits are realized by the complete control of the inventory process including international sourcing, procurement, transportation, and warehouse management.

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11/16/21 9:55 AM

Taisei Lamick USA, Inc. 2416 Estes Ave Elk Grove Village, IL 60007 Phone: 847.258.3283 Email: info@lamick.biz www.taiseilamick.com Taisei Lamick USA, established in 2011 provides high speed equipment and materials to produce quality liquid pouches. Our advantage maximizes performance and profit for customers by creating a one stop solution for VFFS machinery and flexible film. Revolutionary machine flexibility opens up new opportunity to your production planning and future business potential. Taisei Lamick Products Dangan machine : Extremely flexible high-speed liquid pouch machine Dangan film : Specifically optimized for maximum performance on the Dangan machine Locations Dangan demo room, sales, service and support offices. • Chicago Head Office 2416 Estes Avenue, Elk Grove Village, IL 60007 • Los Angeles Branch 20775 S. Western Avenue, #103, Torrance, CA 90501 • NJ Branch 145 Industrial Avenue, # N & O, Little Ferry, NJ 07463 Demos for potential customers: Free testing of your products at our one of 3 Dangan Demo Rooms WWW.taiseilamick.com info@lamick.biz 847-258-3283

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Ad Index

COMPANY/WEBSITE PAGE 17

ARROWHEAD SYSTEMS INC, www.arrowheadsystems.com DO-IT CORPORATION www.do-it.com

14, 18 19

GLUE DOTS INTERNATIONAL www.gluedots.com HEAT AND CONTROL, INC. www.heatandcontrol.com

9, 20

MCKEMAN PACKAGING CLEARNING HOUSE www.mckernan.com

COMPANY/WEBSITE PAGE MORRISON CONTAINER HANDLING SOLUTIONS www.morrison-chs.com NERCON CONVEYOR SYSTEMS www.nerconconveyors.com NUTRA-PACK SYSTEMS www.nutra-pack.com

22, IBC

COMPANY/WEBSITE PAGE 11, 25

SIMPLEX FILLER www.simplexfiller.com

7, 23

SPAN TECH LLC www.spantechconveyors.com

IFC

SPECIALITY EQUIPMENT www.specialtyequipment.com

5, 25

STERLING CONTRACT PACKAGING www.sterlingcpi.com

11, 27

TAISEI LAMICK USA, INC. www. www.taiseilamick..com

2, 28

PROSYS INNOVATIVE PACKAGING EQUIPMENT CO. www.prosysfill.com

8, 24

RONDO-PAK, LLC www.Rondo-Pak.com

OBC

Contract Packaging is a supplement to Packaging World® (ISSN # 1073-7367, a registered trademark of PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies. Packaging World® is published monthly by PMMI with its publishing office, PMMI Media Group, located at 401 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 300, Chicago, IL 60611; 312.222.1010; Fax: 312.222.1310. Periodicals postage paid at Chicago, IL, and additional mailing offices. Copyright 2018 by PMMI. All rights reserved. Materials in this publication must not be reproduced in any form without written permission of the publisher. Applications for a free subscription may be made online at www.packworld.com/subscribe. Paid subscription rates per year are $200 in the U.S., $285 Canada and Mexico by surface mail; $475 Europe, $715 Far East and Australia by air mail. Single copy price in U.S. is $20. To subscribe or manage your subscription to Packaging World, visit Packworld. com/subscribe. Free digital edition available to qualified individuals outside the United States. POSTMASTER; Send address changes to Packaging World®, 401 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 300, Chicago, IL 60611-3789. PRINTED IN USA by Quad Graphics. The opinions expressed in articles are those of the authors and not necessarily those of PMMI. Comments, questions and letters to the editor are welcome and can be sent to: editors@packworld.com. Mailing List: We make a portion of our mailing list available to reputable firms. If you would prefer that we don’t include your name, please write us at the Chicago, IL address.

Create efficiencies by partnering with Morrison. Simple & quick solutions that improve flexibilty, reduce labor needs and handle your containers efficiently. Call us today to start improving your packaging line with our expertise in container handling.

Timing Screws Change Parts Auto Adjust Rails® Custom Solutions

info@morrison-chs.com 708-756-6660 www.morrison-chs.com

INNOVATIVE CONTAINER HANDLING EXPERT DESIGN | SUPPORT BUILT IN® contract pack nov 2021 V7.indd 1 1221_AdIndex.indd 1

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Process Discipline. Creative Vision. One Smart Provider. IDEATION & DESIGN • PRINTING & CONSTRUCTION • FULFILLMENT & MAILING For over 35 years, contract packaging providers have come to put their trust in CGS for their printing and fulfillment needs. • From collateral to kitting, we transform your ideas into reality • Affordable solutions designed around your customer’s specific print needs • cGMP compliant with deep experience in pharma and CPG • Unequalled speed to market with flawless execution CGS 1200 Ferry Avenue, Camden, NJ 08104

contemporarygs.com

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10/26/21 11:43 PM AM 3/9/21 12:43

Contract Packaging November/December 2021

Articles inside

Membership Directory

CPA President’s Letter

Resource Guide

Brand Owner Insight

CPA News

Products

Forefront