Technology

Non-alcohol aperitif brand Dho -s has positioned itself as a healthy beverage and a high-quality cocktail ingredient.

Botanical elixir brand Three Spirit looks and feels premium through its focus on process and provenance.

itself on being low in calories, made from the “purest and cleanest ingredients,” and formulated without harmful toxins and pesticides. Its success seems to be a combination of this health focus and the brand’s positioning as a high-quality cocktail-making ingredient worthy of any at-home bar.

The winners in the low/no alcohol sector are those working actively to transform their image. Rather than offering a beer variant that’s “the same, just without the alcohol,” these brands are carving out an autonomous identity for their products, emphasizing the quality ingredients that make them unique and elevating them beyond their low/no alcohol status. Much of this innovation comes from independent brands. Take Three Spirit, a brand that looks and feels premium through its focus on process and provenance. Drawing on the natural and sometimes verging on the magical, the brand mark itself uses a minimalist nature symbol, which conveys a sense of health and wellness, along with callouts like “botanical alchemy” to celebrate, in their words, “what goes into a drink rather than what is taken out.” The three main callouts are “non-alcoholic,” “cruelty-free,” and “vegan,” while much is made of the ingredients’ health properties, giving the brand an edge over alcoholic liquids.

It’s not just spirits making a splash either. A craft low/no alcohol beer sector has emerged with producers exclusively making these products. Big Drop Brewing is an example of a brand that has done incredibly well, winning multiple awards. Its focus is on creating “awardwinning craft beer” that “just so happens to be alcoholfree,” positioning quality not alcoholic content as its primary selling point. Big Drop’s Paradiso Citra IPA comes in a can designed with a green, leafy jungle pattern and a bold, bright lemon drop. Callouts include a 2021 World Beer Awards accolade, adding credibility to the product’s popularity amongst beer aficionados.

The low/no-alcohol market is clearly on the up, but it still has plenty of room to grow. Winners in the market are likely to be those who break misconceptions over taste and reframe how people view low/no-alcohol products. The message is not about making sacrifices, missing out, or settling for something; it’s about making lifestyle choices that increase health, happiness, and wellbeing, without compromising on taste or quality. Through creative branding, packaging, and marketing and careful pricing, brands can carve out a presence in the sector for their products to shine. We’ll raise a glass to that! PW

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Packaging for Big Drop’s Paradiso Citra IPA places the focus on quality, not the alcoholic content, of the non-alcohol craft beer.

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Companies

Volpak will partner with Aranow to expand its Enflex portfolio in the pharmaceutical and healthcare sector as well as with Cariba to strengthen their combined technological portfolios and packaging solutions. ProMach acquired Reepack, which will help ProMach continue expansion in the food packaging space and solidify its status as a single-source supplier for protein-packaging automation. The FPA 2022 Student Flexible Packaging Design Challenge’s first and second place winners were teams of students from the University of Wisconsin – Stout under the direction of Gary Borges, lecturer. There was also one honorable mention awarded.

Green Bay Packaging acquired Interstate Packaging Corp. Berlin Packaging acquired Andler Packaging Group. Dow will collaborate with Mura Technology and Valoregen to accelerate mechanical and advanced recycling solutions. Fanuc America expanded its West Campus in Auburn Hills, Mich., to accommodate automation demand. It also opened Fanuc Mexico, a new headquarters in Aguascalientes, Mexico. Eastey relocated its manufacturing operation to a larger facility in Big Lake, Minn. Nobelus acquired AccuFilm. To enhance customer support, Schubert North America is expanding its North American headquarters in Charlotte, N.C., which will include sales, engineering, service, final assembly, and a customer training center.

People

SOMIC Packaging promoted Philipp Lenz to Technical Service Coordinator and hired Stacy Schmeiser as Western Regional Sales Manager. N’Gai Merrill, Triangle COO, was selected as Crain’s Notable Executive of Color in Manufacturing. Jeffrey Prosinski was appointed to Michelman Board of Directors. Paul Ferrandino was named Senior Vice President of Sales for nVenia.

Petros Diamantides was appointed COO – Emerging Markets for Duravant. Michael Odom was appointed Chief Executive Officer for Pacteon Group. Lisa Solomon was promoted to Senior Vice President – Corporate Accounts for Motion Industries.

Chad Walker was named Senior Vice President and General Counsel for Duravant.

TricorBraun named Scott Beamer Chief Financial Officer and appointed Declan McCarthy President, TricorBraun Europe.

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