CPK - January - February 2018

AT THE SHOWTIME SUGAR SHACK

Maple syrup producer hits the packaging sweetspot with high-speed flowwrapping machinery

Story on page 12

MANUAL Pages 19-98

CONNECTING THE DOTS

Packaging for the 21st Century

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DRIVE & CONTROL PROFILE

Pedigree Ovens expands business with Veronica cartoner

Pedigree Ovens (www.thepoundbakery.com, Harvard, IL) is a contract manufacturer in the niche market of high-end dog treats. Baking and packaging products for 60 brands, Pedigree produces an array of treats packaged in cartons of varying sizes and configurations. To do so, it’s critical that its packaging systems be flexible enough to handle high throughput, short turnaround times and fast changeovers between jobs.

The company recently decided to invest in cartoning technology to improve productivity and increase capacity. It chose the compact Veronica Vertical Cartoner from Ultra Packaging, Inc. (www.ultrapackaging.com, Bensenville, IL), which operates with a complete Bosch Rexroth control and drives solution.

OPERATING AT MAXIMUM CAPACITY

The market for specialty pet treats is competitive, with

retail shelf space at a premium. Manufacturers need to find ways to stand out from the competition, and eyecatching packaging is an important and successful technique.

While some of Pedigree’s clients use conventional folded top cartons, others request a gable-top closure for improved shelf appeal. In addition, Pedigree supports multiple package dimensions, ranging from 4 to 10.5 inches high, 3 to 9 inches wide and .75 to 3.5 inches deep. With approximately 60 clients—each with multiple treat types or flavors and up to five packaging variations—Pedigree’s success depends on its ability to meet all client requests. Until recently, the company used a manual cartoning process to fulfil customers’ needs. Once treats were bagged, a conveyor brought the filled bags to manual stations where they were inserted into erected boxes. The boxes were then manually sealed with glue guns. “When we were smaller, we were able to do everything manually,” said Kurt Stricker, owner of Pedigree Ovens. “But when we started getting larger requests, only to turn them down because we didn’t have the cartoning, we knew it was time to expand our limited capacity.”

AUTOMATING THE CARTONING PROCESS

Eager to boost throughput and enable expansion without adding significantly to costs, Pedigree researched several machines and selected Ultra Packaging’s Veronica cartoner. The Veronica is a user-friendly seven-axis cartoner that erects cartons from flat paperboard blanks and efficiently transports, closes and glues the cartons.

It is engineered to be a cost-effective solution for growing companies that need fast changeovers and flexibility; key to the Veronica’s versatility is its advanced control and drives platform from Bosch Rexroth.

“Rexroth components help make the Veronica as powerful and as versatile as it is,” said Bob Stockus, owner of Ultra Packaging. “With Rexroth’s components, the Veronica is userfriendly and can be adapted for each user’s needs, while staying within a budget.”

The Veronica uses the IndraMotion XLC motion logic controller, Bosch Rexroth’s premiere platform for motion, robotic, logic and hydraulic control applications, that is programmed according to the PLCopen standard IEC 61131-3. For the Veronica, it provides synchronized motion control on each axis as well as logic programming and features a wide range of open interfaces, including Sercos III, PROFINET and EtherNet/IP.

Rexroth’s IndraDrive Mi cabinet-free drive/motor system drives each axis. With drive electronics integrated into the motor housing, servo units can be housed on the

RIGHT:Multiple Rexroth IndraDrive Mi cabinet-free drive/motor units drive all the major axes on the machine, including this portion of the machine which closes the carton top, shown here closing a conventional carton.

machine itself; this helps make the Veronica a very compact and modular machine that can be easily fit into tight factory workspaces.

The integrated motors and drives offer additional benefits like reduced space and cooling requirements in the control cabinet. This system also reduces the machine’s component cost; a single cable for power and communication runs from the power supply, and each IndraDrive Mi is daisy-chained to the next for significantly reduced cabling.

“Rexroth’s control and drives platform gave us the flexibility we needed,” Stricker said. “It was critical for our dual fold capabilities.”

VERONICA FACILITATES EXPANSION

The Pedigree application is the first that uses the Veronica for gable-fold closures, but the cartoner proved extremely well-suited for the job. Once the pet treats are bagged, they are transported to the cartoner via a conveyor controlled with the same IndraMotion XLC used for the Veronica. The conveyor lifts the products about six feet to reach the Veronica.

The Veronica’s first step is to erect each carton and seal the bottom. The product is inserted at a manual production station, and the Veronica then seals the filled box. For conventional closures, this is the same process as sealing the bottom: The Veronica kicks a flap into place, applies glue and kicks the second flap into place.

Gable-top closures require an additional step. After

the carton is erected, the bottom sealed and the product inserted, the Veronica must create gussets on the sides. The machine has a mechanism that moves up and down on either side of the box to push the sides in. Then the machine applies the glue and folds the flap over the top to create a gable-top closure resembling a milk carton.

The changeovers between conventional and gable folds can be done quickly, thanks to a special sub-assembly Ultra Packaging added to the Veronica for Pedigree. All the components necessary for each type of fold are grouped together on one plate so the machine operator can change them all at once.

“Rexroth’s control and drives platform provided essential programming capabilities,” Stockus said.“Because the Rexroth IndraDrive Mi drive platform is extremely accurate regarding the timing of the drives’ position, we were able to accomplish this and keep the changeover times to a minimum.”

For Pedigree, this was an important benefit of the Veronica. While most manufacturers would have two separate systems in place to handle two different folds, Pedigree can do everything with just one machine.With greater capacity for changeovers, the company now does up to three a day and 10 to 12 per week, enabling faster turnaround times and greater flexibility.

Overall, the automated cartoning process is five to seven times faster, creating significant improvements in throughput. Five to six people working together with the Veronica can package 40 to 60 bags per minute.

And for easier jobs that simply require repackaging into shelf-ready boxes, the team can reach 60 to 70 bags per minute.

“We were able to reduce labor and increase speed immediately, and the return on investment was really quick,” Stricker said. “A job that used to take us three days can now be done in an afternoon. It’s no comparison from before.”

THE FINAL RESULT

The Veronica met all of Pedigree’s objectives and exceeded target production rates.The Rexroth XLC controller and IndraDrive Mi drive system provided the modular technology and intelligent automation platform that enabled Ultra Packaging to efficiently modify the Veronica to integrate conventional and gable-top cartons on a single machine.

“New opportunities are key as we grow the company,” Stricker said. “We can definitely look at bigger jobs and larger customers, knowing that we can fill the orders.” He added that Pedigree has recently added a new customer worth several million dollars a year in additional contract packaging revenue—new business that’s a direct result of adding the Veronica to

“We pride ourselves in our flexibility, in manufacturing and in packaging,” Stricker said. “That’s where the Veronica’s really helped us. It’d be hard to imagine getting all this work done without the Veronica.” Pedigree’s production operations.

TOP: Ultra Packaging’s Veronica vertical cartoner provides an efficient, compact cartoning solution that was custom-engineered to handle both conventional and gable-top cartons, using Rexroth’s IndraMotion XLC platform for complete automation control and fast changeovers.

Pumps Filling Systems

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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

VOLUME 71, NO. 1

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A VERY McHAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU

After the United States abruptly pulled itself out of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change last year, in spite the nearly unanimous international scorn and condemnation, it may have been very tempting for many global corporations with a massive environmental footprint to ease up on their own environmental sustainability initiatives and promises to clean up their act. Happily, some of the world’s leading multinationals had other ideas.

Earlier this year, fast-food giant McDonald’s announced plans to completely eliminate foam packaging from its global operations by the end of 2018, which will provide a massive boost for fledgling efforts to clean up the world’s oceans being overwhelmed with all manner of packaging waste.

While waste from plastic flexible packaging and plastic bottles has been getting the lion’s share of blame for the global marine pollution crisis, expanded polystyrene foam is an especially nasty and insidious ingredient in the oceanic garbage depository.

Rarely recycled for any worthwhile end product, at least to date, foam beverage cups and takeout containers break down in indigestible pellets that marine animals often mistake for food, tragically to their own premature demise. Moreover, its hazardous constituent chemical tend to accumulated water-borne toxins in a very short time-frame, which has prompted the International Agency for Research on Cancer to identify styrene as a possible human carcinogen. No wonder the stuff has already been banned in nine countries and more than 100 U.S. cities and counties.

COVER STORY

As a welcome complement, McDonald’s has also pledged to make all of its packing 100-percent fiber-based from certified or recycled sources by 2020, compared to the estimated 64-percent level obtained to date.

While there are exceptions for some pre-filled food packaging like unidose packets for sauce and salad dressings, this 100-percent fiber rule will apply to all the cold and hot beverage cups, carry-out bags, folding cartons, clamshells, wraps, foodservice bags, napkins, salad bowls, Happy Meal containers and drink carriers.

According to the company’s website, “McDonald’s priority is to optimize the amount of packaging we use, and to use only sustainably sourced materials that are recyclable or compostable.

“In collaboration with our suppliers, we pursue these priorities in three critical areas:

• Design: Optimize weight and simplify the number of materials used in our packaging

• Sourcing: Increase use of recycled or certified raw materials;

• Recovery: Work to use recoverable packaging with viable end-of-life options.”

While packaging sustainability has been a hot topic for some time now, the foodsevice industry has for the most part glided under that radar of public scrutiny, with some notable exceptions.

With McDonald’s now seemingly fully on-board and committed to the cause, the time is right for all the other players in this vast market, big and small, to do the right thing—for themselves, their customers, and our planet.

George Guidoni, Editor

12 SWEET DREAMS By Andrew Joseph Maple syrup producer steps outside the traditional comfort zone through thoughtful product diversification and packaging automation.

Cover photography by Maxime Bertrand

DEPARTMENTS & COLUMNS FEATURES

By George Guidoni

whimsical package design gives new brand of premium household paper tissues a buoyant launching pad for connecting with Canadian families.

Upcoming industry functions. 100

By Jeff May Joe Public speaks out on packaging hits and misses.

Page-by-page

BUNNIES By George Guidoni

NEWSPACK

DIET COKE LAUNCHES SPARKLING NEW CAN DESIGNS IN A MAJOR BRAND EXTENSION AIMED AT MILLENNIAL CONSUMERS

Messing around with a good thing is often fraught with risk, but after 35 years, the stalwart Diet Coke brand cola beverage of The Coca-Cola Company is embracing change on a truly epic scale in a quest to win over the hearts and minds of millennial consumers through trendier packaging and the most extensive addition of hip new flavor varieties in an effort to appeal to a broader audience.

According to Coca-Cola, the switch to sleeker and taller cans is intended to convey the message of the evolution of a brand’s personality to a more confident image projected by a taller, more assertive profile of the shiny scans.

A HEALTHY SNACKING OPTION RIGHT FROM THE LEFT FIELD

Launched across Canada and the U.S. earlier this month, the iconic zero-calorie cola soda is now packaged in taller, slimmer 310- ml aluminum cans, manufactured by Ball Corporation, featuring updated graphics for the core Diet Coke product and graphically-enhanced, color-coded, direct-printed graphic designs for four exciting bold new flavors that include Diet Coke Feisty Cherry, Twisted Mango, Zesty Blood Orange and Ginger Lime

The splashy Diet Coke brand relaunch follows two years of intensive product development and market research that involved interviews and taste tests with over 10,000 millennial consumers, according to CocaCola, along with detailed package redesign work by Coke’s in-house creative team, the brand team and the London, U.K., office of global design specialists studio Kenyon Weston

“For a design team, the opportunity to rethink such an iconic brand with the scale and reach of Diet Coke— to build on its heritage and create a visual language that will help write its next chapter—is a rare design brief,” says James Sommerville, vice-president for Coca-Cola Global Design. “This visual evolution elevates the brand to a more contemporary space, while still using at its foundation the recognizable core brand visual assets.”

“Anchored by its iconic silver color, the new Diet Coke features a sharper logo, bold colors to represent each new flavor and a sleek vertical ‘high line’ that extends across all packaging,” notes Carolyn Harty, group director for sparkling brands for Coca-Cola in Canada.

“This visual evolution takes the brand to more contemporary space, while still being anchored in its core recognizable elements.”

Now retailing across Canada as singles and in eightcan variety packs, the four new fruit-infused flavors were selected from over 30 different recipes that were extensively tested and critiqued by millennials living in large metropolitan areas around the U.S.

“We cast a very broad flavor net after looking at what millennials are eating and drinking, and what food and beverage trends and insights told us,” says Diet Coke senior brand manager Melissa Schwartz.

“We tried everything from spicy notes to exotic superfruits from around the world,” she relates, before finally setting on the four “fruit-forward, but with an unexpected twist” flavors.

“We took cherry and lime–two very popular Diet Coke flavors–and gave them a bit of a modern facelift,” Schwartz states. “And we added two completely new tropical tastes not usually associated with the Coca-Cola trademark.

“This new line-up has something for everyone,” she concludes, “and we hope Diet Coke fans love them just as much as we do.”

While most nutritionists will agree that truly healthy potato chips are a great idea that is still waiting to be invented, an innovative snack-food producer in Calgary just may have happily stumbled onto the proverbial next best thing.

Produced by Left Field Foods, the newly-launched SPOKES air-puffed potato snacks are lightly oil-misted and seasoned puffs of light and crunchy potato goodness developed as an entry into the fast-growing BYI (Better-For-You) snack category driven by consumers’ preference for simple ingredients and no preservatives.

“Created by a Canadian mom who wanted a Better-For-You (BFY) snack for her family, SPOKES was born as a result of many years’ work refining product development and consumer research,” explains Left Field Foods chief executive officer Dave Pullar.

“We’re naturally curious, and are always experimenting with new things,” says Pullar, citing the broad variety of tantalizing flavor variations that include Sea Salt, Mango Habanero, Sea Salt & Vinegar, Barbecue, Dill Pickle, Salt & Pepper, Fiesta Salsa, Sea Salted Caramel and Simply Bare

Packaged in clean and elegant 80-gram chip bags adorned with simple nature-inspired hand-drawn graphics and folksy type fonts, “The new brand is quickly gaining traction with extremely positive consumer response so far, and for good reason,” says Pullar, citing the product’s exceptionally low caloric intake of only 40 calories per cup.

Produced at a certified peanut-free facility, the gluten-free, nonGMO-certified SPOKES puffs are free of the 11 major allergens such as dairy, wheat, soy and egg.

Retailing across Canada in most natural, conventional and independent grocery and drugstore retailers—including Whole Foods, Kardish, Goodness Me!, Planet Organic, Blush Lane, Safeway, Sobeys (western Canada), Thrifty Food s, Metro (Quebec) and London Drugs —the SPOKES puffs contain no artificial preservatives or colors, transfats or cholesterol.

“Selective about everything we do, we listened carefully to our customers,” Pullar relates. “This is the driving force behind what we do every day—from sourcing simple, quality ingredients to our product innovation and production, to ensuring consumer satisfaction and, above all, creating a naturally delicious taste experience for families to enjoy, without all the bad stuff.”

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NOTES & QUOTES

nWinnipeg-based flexible packaging products manufacturer Winpak Ltd. has become the first plastic products company in Manitoba to receive the SAFE Work Certified

recognition as part of the Made Safe industry imitative administered by the Manitoba branch of the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) organization. “The difference between a good and a great company is always the people element,” says Winpak’s division president James Holland. “Our people are and always have been our most valuable resource in our pursuit of excellence and a safe work environment [and] we are proud of this accomplishment.” Adds Made Safe executive director Neal Curry: “Not only has Winpak gone above and beyond fulfilling the requirements of the certification program, their safety culture and commitment to celebrating achievements together can serve as an example to the industry.

n St. Louis, Mo.-headquartered packaging equipment and systems group Barry-Wehmiller has completed the merger of its Hayssen Flexible Systems and Thiele Technologies subsidiaries into a single corporate entity now operating under the BW Flexible Systems name, while also merging company’s BW Container Systems division with the end-of-line packaging assets of Thiele Technologies to form the newly BW Integrated Systems business unit. “Over the last 30 years, Barry-Wehmiller has acquired more than 50 companies in the packaging industry, bringing together a large base of talent and technology,” says BarryWehmiller’s chief executive officer Bob Chapman. “This new alignment will better position our packaging companies for organic growth, provide more opportunities for our team members, and take better care of our customers.”

nMembers of Schneider Electric Canada’s fundraising team (above) celebrate the presentation of a $101,840 cheque donated to support local children’s causes after taking part in the 17th annual Tremblant 24h corporate fundraising event last December in MontTremblant, Que. Since first participating in Tremblant 24h in 2010, Schneider Electric Canada has raised more than $350,000 for the long-running charity fundraiser in support of important Quebec-based charity and community organizations such as the Foundation Charles-Bureau, the Ottawa Senators Foundation, and Foundation Tremblant

nPrivate capital investment group Platinum Equity has reached a definitive deal to acquire Bolton, Ont.based Husky IMS International Ltd., a leading manufacturer of injection molding equipment used to produce plastic bottles and other containers for the global food and beverage industries. “Husky is an extraordinary company with a well-deserved reputation for developing the industry’s most innovative technology,” says Platinum Equity partner Louis Samson. “As one of Canada’s most successful enterprises and a truly world-class industrial company, we are excited to partner with

Each of the 760 employees at Winpak’s Winnipeg facility received a commemorative T-shirt celebrating their plant’s safety certification.

such an exceptional leadership team as we aim to help them continue raising the bar.” According to Platinum Equity, the deal is expected to conclude in the second quarter of 2018 pending all the regulatory approvals.

nWeber Packaging Solutions, Arlington Heights, Ill.-based manufacturer of custom labels for industrial and commercial markets, has achieved the ISO 9001: 2015L standard certification for the company’s rigorous quality management system (QMS) implementation covering new ISO criteria such as risk-based thinking to enhance the process approach, increased leadership requirements and improved applicability for services. “The certification provides evidence that Weber is committed to meet customer requirements, which can be accomplished with our quality management system,” says Weber’s quality assurance manager Derek Podejko, noting the certification’s emphasis on consistency of the manufacturing process ensure that Weber will reliably print labels with the same high quality standards every time.

nCincinnati, Ohio-headquartered flexible packaging manufacturer ProAmpac has completed the acquisition of Bonita Pioneer Packaging Products, manufacturer of paper-based packaging products such as custom and stock shopping bags, merchandise bags, foodservice packaging, and folding cartons based in Portland, Ore. “The acquisition of Bonita expands ProAmpac’s paper packaging manufacturing footprint in the western and southeastern U.S., creating more value and optimizing services for our customers,” says ProAmpac’s chief executive officer Greg Tucker.

nAtlanta, Ga.-headquartered corrugated packaging manufacturing group WestRock Company has completed the acquisition of Plymouth Packaging, Inc., Plymouth, Mich.-based corrugated producer specializing in “box on demand” systems and corrugated fanfold extensively used in e -commerce packaging applications. “The addition

of Plymouth Packaging and its ‘box on demand’ capabilities furthers our differentiated packaging and packaging machinery strategies, and we look forward to growing this business in our portfolio,” says WestRock’s president of corrugated packaging Jeff Chalovich.

nSt. Louis, Mo.-headquartered rigid plastic products group TricorBraun Inc., has completed the acquisition of Bayport, N.Y.-based healthcare packaging product supplier Package All Corp. “Package All has significant expertise in rigid packaging for the healthcare industry, and we are excited about the opportunities this acquisition creates to provide customers of both companies with expanded services,” says TricorBraun’s

NOTES & QUOTES

executive chairman Keith Strope. Founded 34 years ago, Package All is a leading stock distributor to the overthe-counter (OTC) generic pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries, operating seven locations across he U.S. with a combined 350,000 square feet of warehouse space. “There is strong equity in the Package All name and business model,” says Strope, “and we will continue using both.”

nFood processing and packaging equipment group Duravant of Downers Grove, Ill., has completed the acquisition of Ohlson Packaging, a prominent manufacturer of a comprehensive range of weighing, counting, filling and bagging machinery based in Taunton, Ma.

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FIRST GLANCE

BEST ADVICE YOU CAN GET FOR FREE

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• Hydraulics Performance;

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Available free of charge and delivered on a 2GB flash drive, the disks contain a wealth of information based on Rexroth’s extensive experience with lean manufacturing challenges to help customers discover new and creative ways to use lean production and automation technology, according to the company. Bosch Rexroth Canada

PRIMERA IN FULL PRIME

The new model LX2000 color label printer from Primera Technology is designed for reliable and robust performance for endusers ranging from fledgling startups to established cosmetic companies requiring seamless in-house labeling. Employing full-color thermal inkjet technology to produce the highest-quality labels at the most economical price-point, the LX2000 desktop system uses professional-grade pigment ink to produce both water- and UV-resistant labels in dimensions up to 8.25-inches-wide to six-inches-tall at robust throughput speeds of six inches per second, using an automatic “pizza-wheel” style cutter to ensure exceptionally user-friendly operation. Primera Technology

ROBOTIC RESPONSE

The new six-axis HC10 collaborative robot from Yaskawa Motoman is a highly configurable robot offering 10-kilogram payload and 1,200-mm reach to perform a broad range of material hand -

ling, machine tending, packaging or light assembly tasks in close proximity to human operators. In addition to traditional robot programming through the teach pendant, the user can also hand-guide the HC10 robot when teaching new program paths, according to the company, allowing it to be quickly deployed or redeployed on demand to reduce system downtime and increase ROI (return-on-investment) payback. Designed to eliminate operator pinch points, the new robot features dual torque sensors in all joints for constant monitoring of force to react to operator contact instantly, while through-arm utilities hide cabling and provide enhanced safety by reducing the risks of snagging or interference with other equipment.

Yaskawa Motoman

NO MORE LEAKS

Developed by FlexPak Leak Detector Inc., the new FlexPak Package Leak Detector and Seal Tester unit features an ambidextrous lid that has eliminated the need for lid stay normally used in leak detection applications by replacing it with a stainless-steel gas spring that allows operators to close the lid with just one hand-right or left. According to the company, the new system provides a reliable and user-friendly quality control assurance for numerous manufacturers of packaging materials and end-user packagers of dairy, meat, seafood, confectionery, snacks, pet food, cereals, baked goods, coffee, medical, pharma and any nonfood packaging items with critical requirements for optimal package seal, seam or closure integrity.

FlexPak Leak Detector Inc.

WITH VIAL INTENT

Designed for high-speed processing of sterilized vials with RayDyLyo safety caps, the new Dara SX-310-RDL aseptic filling and closing machine— manufactured by the NJM Packaging division of ProMach —eliminates the crimping required with traditional aluminum closures to simplify the packaging operation and speed throughput, while offering fast and easy changeovers and new container size set-ups for future needs. Featuring

fully servo-driven automation, the linear, intermittent-motion Dara SX-310-RDL is ideal for 503B pharmacies and biotech manufacturers filling solutions, suspensions, diagnostics, vaccines or cellular tissue in glass, plastic or metal vials. The dual-station SX-310-RDL/D handles vials up to 75-mm-tall and 36-mm-diameter at

speeds up to 120-cpm (containers per minute), while the single-station version can handle vials up to 210-mm-tall and 65-mm in diameter at speeds up to 60-cpm. Designed to seal vials with ARaymondlife’s patented RayDyLyo caps—available in 13mm and 20-mm sizes and two tear-off options— the new SX-310-RDL

FIRST GLANCE

seals the vials using simple vertical pressure on the caps, eliminating the need for a crimping station and ensuring less particulate generation compared to traditional filling, stoppering and capping systems. Designed as an alternative to aluminum caps, these pre-assembled RayDyLyo plastic closures feature a rubber stopper within the cap, minimizing the ‘pop-off’ effect and preventing stopper gap by reliably adhering to the freeze dryer plates.

NJM Packaging (Div. of ProMach)

Small-town

SWEET DREAMS ARE MADE OF THIS

Quebec business thriving in the world of handmade maple syrup candy production with new high-tech packing system

BY ANDREW JOSEPH, FEATURES EDITOR

Synonymous with Canada, maple syrup has been collected and used since pre-European days by the indigenous peoples of North America.

After Europeans in Canada learned of the practice and refined its methods, Canada has become the world’s largest supplier of maple syrup, exporting some $487 million worth in 2016.

The concept of maple syrup was first “discovered” by Europeans in 1534 when Jacques Cartier on his first voyage to Canada heard about a tasty, delicate sugar that flowed from the trees when tapped with an axe by the indigenous peoples.

Maple syrup is derived from sugar maple and red maple trees that typically take the starch stored within it during the growing season and convert it to sugar.

The sugar combines with water taken in by the tree’s roots, and in the Spring—between late February through early May—when temperatures start to go up, the sweet sap within the trunk and roots of the tree begins to expand. The freezing at night and thawing during the day causes the sap to run, which is then harvested.

While harvesting was done as the aboriginals had done it through the mid-19th century with axe tapping, advancements such as wood and steel spouts, and buckets were introduced.

Nowadays, tubing and reverse osmosis play key roles, as the tubes connect to collector pipes that carry the sap by gravity or pumping to a sugar shack where it is collected in large stainless steel tubs, and sent to an osmosis system before boiling turns it into maple syrup.

The province of Quebec is by far the largest producer of maple syrup in Canada, with some 13,700 companies that are able to process about 110 million pounds of the gooey stuff on average.

PHOTOS BY MAXIME BERTRAND

Les Productions Agricoles Beaudry Ltee. company director Christian Beaudry (right) and VC999 Canada / Xtravac St-Germain-De-Grantham, Quebec office’s director of sales Daniel Gardner holding three-packs of maple cones packed via an XtraVac B Series flowwrapper.

Looking like an ice cream treat, the Beaudry maple cones are miniature cones filled with maple butter.

COVER STORY

While it considers itself to be a small company, Les Productions Agricoles Beaudry Ltee. of St-Patrice-de-Beaurivage, Quebec, is a family-owned business that makes its living creating the Beaudry brand of maple products, selling maple syrup, but mostly producing a host of other sweet delights from the main ingredient.

Founded in 1984, but currently owned by Roger and Denise Beaudry, the reins of the business will be passed down to son Christian and wife Edith Mercier later this year, but will still continue its fine tradition of producing and packaging maple syrup, maple butter, maple taffy, granulated maple sugar, maple fudge, maple cone, maple cotton candy and more, including moving into maple butter chocolate and maple popcorn.

“As you might suspect, everything we produce revolves around maple syrup products,” company director Christian Beaudry told Canadian Packaging magazine during a recent interview.

“The company began processing just maple syrup around 1984,” begins Beaudry noting that at that time bulk maple syrup did not have much value.

“In order to get a better price for the syrup, the current owners decided to transform the company to one that manufactured different products that could be sold directly to customers in various public markets in Quebec City.

“Over the years,” continues Beaudry, “the company has evolved to where we now have seven employees in a 9,000-square-foot processing plant where we produce a wide range of maple-based products for numerous tourist shops as well as for 200plus convenience stores throughout the province of Quebec.”

Les Productions Agricoles Beaudry purchases maple syrup from the Fédération des producteurs acéricoles du Québec, an organization that represents Québec maple syrup producers who produce 72 percent of the world’s supply.

“Every year, we have to obtain the right to be an authorized buyer of maple syrup from the Federation,” relates Beaudry, adding that for quality control purposes each purchased barrel is inspected by an independent quality control company.

He says that their Beaudry brand (Produits d’érable Beaudry) maple syrup products “are of a high quality, but that the company’s main strength over its competitors is our ability to produce a wide range of maple products that they can sell to their customers.

“It enables us to become more of a one-stop-shop for our customers, who no longer need to deal with multiple suppliers,” Beaudry reveals.

At Les Productions Agricoles Beaudry, after the initial quality control is completed,

the maple syrup is heated or boiled at different temperatures to be either bottled— heated and filtered—or processed—boiled and filtered into different products.

After the batch of boiled syrup is cooled, the gooey remnants are brewed to obtain different consistencies, which gives them maple butter, maple taffy, soft maple sugar and more.

“For maple fudge, maple cotton candy and other products,” explains Beaudry,“we have recipes that we make with granulated maple sugar.”

He says that the company’s production line isn’t really automated because its high-quality products are mostly hand-made.

For packaging purposes, however, Les Productions Agricoles Beaudry sought out an automated flowwrapper machine from VC999 Canada Ltd. / Xtravac to increase the packaging speeds of its fudge and maple sugar cone products, as well as looking ahead to eventually use it on other products.

Les Productions Agricoles Beaudry’s XtraVac B Series flowwrapper from VC999 is run by one worker packing its maple products at speeds up to 50 units a minute.

Individual packs of flowwrapped maple cones exit the XtraVac B Series flowwrapper at Les Productions Agricoles Beaudry.

At the Les Productions Agricoles Beaudry facility located in St-Patrice-de-Beaurivage, Que., the maple sap processor showcases its wide range of products.

Les Productions Agricoles Beaudry utilizes a tabletop color labeler designed and manufactured by Primera Technology, which supplies a full-line of short- to medium-run color label printers and applicators.

COVER STORY

VC999 Canada is a part of VC999 Americas that is headquartered in Kansas, MO., a global-leader in the design and manufacture of vacuum chamber machines, horizontal thermoformers (rollstock), tray sealers and skin packaging, as well as packaging materials and supplies.

As well, via its sister brands XtraVac packaging machines and XtraPlast packaging materials, it offers vertical and horizontal flowwrapping machine systems, packaging robotics, vision inspection systems, conveyor and converger systems, weighing, labeling and product scanning.

VC999 maintains a manufacturing facility in Kansas City and sales and service offices throughout the Americas, including Canada, Mexico and Columbia.

The Kansas City facility designs and manufactures the P- and i-Series thermoformer machines and manages the XtraVac and XtraPlast brands.

Beaudry says his company purchased and installed an XtraVac B Series flowwrapper in January of 2017, and immediately saw a huge increase in packaging line speeds.

“We typically run the XtraVac flowwrapper at a speed of 40 units per minute, but it can wrap as fast as 250 units a minute,” says Beaudry. “One person can pack 35 to 50 products per minute manually supplying the flowwrapper.

“It is very easy to use—even the loading of the plastic film wrap itself only takes between three to five minutes.”

Features of the XtraVac B Series flowwrapper include:

• A user-friendly interface control;

• A dialogue screen providing operation convenience;

• Memory function that makes it simple to switch from job to job;

• Overload sensing diagnostic function for each servo motor that examines for parts wear-and-tear;

• Auto-splicer option;

• Self-diagnostic capabilities for easy troubleshooting;

• Robust, high productivity, low-noise servomotors.

Beaudry says that after making the decision to better automate the packing of products, and after looking at models from other manufacturers, they visited the PackEx Montreal trade show and talked with VC999 representatives there.

“They were still packing by hand, and wanted equipment that would speed up

the process while maintaining the high-quality look of the product to match its high-quality taste,” reveals VC999 director of sales at the St-Germain-DeGrantham, Quebec office Daniel Gardner.

Gardner notes that VC999 does have its hands in the candy business with other customers, but that wasn’t a factor in Les Productions Agricoles Beaudry choosing its machine.

“Our XtraVac B Series flowwrapper is a very quick and accurate machine and is very robust,” says Gardner. “But just knowing that we could service them in French and English and are only two hours away helped put their mind at ease. Plus, we do not contract out our services.We service all VC999 / Xtravac machines ourselves.”

Beaudry agrees, “While VC999’s proximity to us is such that downtime won’t be a factor, we also chose them because we talked to other customers of theirs who thought their service was fantastic.

“After the machine was purchased, they continued to talk to us and make sure the XtraVac B Series flowwrapper was working to our expectations,” Beaudry notes.

While one might think that simply adding a flowwrapper to the packaging line was a cut-and-dry solution, both Gardner and Beaudry reveal that there was one issue, and it was taken care of before the machine was installed on site.

The issue revolved around the fact that the maple syrup products were sticky, but Gardner says it was resolved quickly simply by choosing the right belt.

The clear plastic film used to pack the fudge and maple sugar cone products is supplied by VC999’s XtraPlast division.

While there is nothing overly special about the type of film used, Gardner says the Les Productions Agricoles Beaudry products required film with a high OTR (oxygen transmission rate) where the oxygen gas permeates through the film relative to specific temperature and humidity within the pack to ensure a long shelf-life.

Additional equipment used by Les Productions Agricoles Beaudry include a Markem-Imaje X40 coder system and a high-quality Primera color label printer featuring a 2,400-dpi (dots per inch) resolution and a high-speed print operation.

The X40 thermal transfer coder provides an advanced coding solution that provides long-term cost control, a green design, greater uptime and great performance.

Capable of print speeds up to 600 mm/second, the X40 uses an intelligent printhead with automatic set-up and dead-dot detection for optimum print quality of 300-dpi resolution.

“We are very happy with the packing success we have achieved with the VC999 XtraVac B Series flowwrapper,” sums up Beaudry.

“Not only has it made our job easier to pack and get the product out to the customer quicker, we have also increased our product’s shelf-life.

“And through it all, we couldn’t be happier with VC999,” he continues.

“We were optimistic when we purchased the system, yet the service we have received from VC999 is exactly what we had hoped we would receive. We are very satisfied with VC999.”

Cone holding trays keep the Beaudry maple butter-filled cone products upright until they are manually-loaded into the XtraVac B Series flowwrapper from VC999.

Situated inline with the XtraVac B Series flowwrapper, a SmartDate 40 thermal transfer coding system from Markem-Imaje provides 300-dpi of high-quality resolution that accentuates the high-quality of Beaudry’s products.

FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT: THE MODULAR ROLLER TOP TRANSFER AND DIVERTING STATION

The modular roller top belt station is a completely new concept for transferring and diverting a wide variety of packages and packaging. Designed to meet the industry’s needs for diverting, transferring and sorting product, it can solve a range of increasingly challenging transfer and diverting problems complicating operations in distribution centers, particularly retail e-commerce distribution. Using a matrix of freely rotating balls imbedded into a continuous flat belt, the rolling top belt station diverts and transfers products of any kind by using precise, controlled and impact-free motion to divert and transfer products on motorized conveyor lines.

With no auxiliary diverting equipment, its smooth and precise packaging positioning control minimizes packaging impact, and its multipurpose, modular design allows it to be positioned wherever it’s needed within conveyors for any transfer or diverting application. The high degree of motion control comes from the simplicity of the concept: use rotating spheres to convey packaging in any direction, making use of all 360 degrees of potential motion.

The roller top belt embeds a uniform array of independent, 1-inch, on-center spheres on the surface of a continuous, low-profile, gap-free interlocking plastic belt. Packaging of all types, from standard cartons to small boxes, soft polybags and flat envelopes can be conveyed. The belt and spheres are powered by one or more activated running belts or a rotating disc underneath the station, using motorized drive rollers and controls. By using different configurations of motorized roller belts or discs underneath the roller top belt, and controlling the relative speeds of the different belts, the modular station can be configured to accelerate or decelerate objects, move any object to an angle vector at a given speed, or simply stop and rotate a product into a specific orientation, regardless of the size, shape or composition of the product. No other handling equipment is needed. The roller top belt uses a

minimum of moving parts and has minimal power demands — while providing the flexibility and simplicity of a modular, easily configured and maintained system.

The modular roller top belt addresses the limitations and risks of existing transfer technologies while expanding a distributor’s ability to handle, precisely control, and transfer packaging of all sizes and materials. Although designed for motorized driven roller conveyor (MDR) systems, integrators can also adapt the belts to support other conveyor systems. Roller top belt modules are currently optimized for medium-range conveyor systems to process up to 45 parts per minute, and support for faster systems is in development.

THE INHERENT ECONOMY OF SIMPLICITY

Several of the development team’s basic design considerations turned out to have ancillary system benefits beyond precise motion control.The modular belts are made of interlinked and rugged blue acetal, imbedded with spheres made from tough and wear-resistant Polyamide. The result is high belt strength combined with low friction — at a much lower weight than metal components. This low weight and friction contribute to a significantly lower power demand. Combined with their smaller, variable speed, run-on-demand motors, modular roller top belt systems can achieve energy savings between 50–60 percent compared to other conveyor transfer systems — in addition to the savings realized by eliminating the labor-intensive step of re-processing small or plastic packages conveyed in tubs.

Another benefit inherent in the belt design is worker safety. With no gaps or pinch points anywhere on the roller-free belt, workers have a much lower risk of injury.

Driven by a variable speed, run-on-demand, 24-volt DC motor, the module is not only energy efficient, but also allows for flexibility and simplicity in wiring and control, safe and quiet operation (>70 dBA), and mini-

mal, easy maintenance. Its modular design allows the belts to be swapped out for repairs or replaced quickly. Motor controls support standalone programming, can interface with a programmable logic controller (PLC) in a customer’s network, or be hardwired into a customer’s preferred control system.

Further cost savings are achieved by simply eliminating the high cost of maintaining fixed lift, pneumatic or Z-direction position feedback systems. It is cheaper, simpler and faster to maintain a spare parts inventory of modular plastic belts that can be replaced in minutes rather than an inventory of pneumatic lifter and compressor systems and spare parts that require hours of downtime for repairs.

Modular roller top belts are available as turnkey units for new lines, or as a retrofit to replace existing systems. An integrator can install a module simply by removing the existing pneumatic or pusher system and putting the module in its place.

With the logic of its modular design and the simplicity and efficiency of its use of motion control to transfer, divert or channel products, the roller top belt offers distributors significant cost advantages — and multiple directions to increase throughput.

HAPPY BUNNIES

Cascades pulls a rabbit out of a hat with an irresistibly cute and adorable package design graphics created for its new national brand of household tissues

BY GEORGE GUIDONI, EDIITOR

Standing out in a sea of white is no easy feat when you’re a white product like toilet paper.

But that does not mean one should stop trying, as Canada’s leading paper products group Cascades Inc. discovered with last year’s highly successful and high-impact launch of the Cascades Fluff & Tuff brand of super-soft and super-strong bathroom tissues.

Capping off more than a year of intense in-house product development and expert packaging design work carried out by the Montreal-based branding specialist Bo Branding & Design, the new toilet paper brand has not only been flying off the retail shelves across Canada, but also garnering serious international accolades for its bold innovation and stunning shelf impact.

In late November last year, the new Cascades brand picked up the Tissue – Innovation Award at the annual Pulp & Paper International Awards gala in Brussels, Belgium, gathering special praise for the product’s market presence and customer satisfaction.

“We launched a line of toilet paper and paper towels that is among the softest and strongest on the market, while maintaining all of the green properties our products are known for,” says Jean Jobin, president and chief operating officer of Cascades Tissue Group in Kingsey Falls, Que.

“Our objective was simple: to offer consumers the comfort and performance they’re looking for in a product, while also protecting the environment,” says Jobin, reiterating the company’s long-standing firm commitment to make all of its paper products from recycled paper fibers.

Only launched nationally last March, the new brand has enjoyed not only robust sales growth, according to Cascades, but also remarkable brand recognition and loyalty from Canadian consumers won over by the brand’s cheerful and whole-

some marketing pitch and message.

“We wanted our new and improved products to become the brand of choice for more and more families across the country,” says Jobin, “and we are achieving this goal.

“Convincing the industry of the innovative value of our products and winning over consumers in a matter of months was a considerable but a worthwhile challenge.”

It’s a challenge that also brought out the best in the Bo Branding creative team, which helped Cascades develop the new brand’s adorable Fluff & Tuff bunny mascots strongly featured on new packaging that is worlds away removed from the fairly generic and rudimentary package graphics previously used for the branded

Cascades tissue products.

“The new Cascades Fluff and Tuff packaging evokes softness and strength through the use of mnemonic bunny mascots that mesmerize and attract consumers to their glare,” says Mylène Boucher, director of marketing and innovation at Cascades ULC in Candiac, Que.

“The accompanying colored backgrounds provide the ideal environment for each bunny to stand out,” Boucher adds, “while providing consumers with an easy identifiable product segmentation system.

“Once on the shelves, these packages become real attention grabbers.”

As Boucher relates, “We wanted to develop a new connection with our consumers and win their hearts with the two bunnies: the cute and puffy Fluff and strong and confident Tuff.

“They both generate passion in different ways,” says Boucher, citing the design’s effective use of soothing, comforting blue, green and pink colors to differentiate between the different subbrands, such as Ultra (soft), Strong, Enviro and Absorbent.

“The organic curves in the graphics, combined with the vibrant colors, really help to convey the product benefits,” she notes, while providing consumers with an easy identifiable product segmentation system.

“The color combinations enable a use of subtle tones that emphasize the various product benefits that both Cascades Fluff and Tuff offer,” says Boucher, citing the inherent challenge of achieving impactful product differentiation in highly competitive product category dominated by legacy brand names and limited format flexibility.

“The key challenge in this category is to stand out against the competition,” she says, “which is why the bunny mascots were developed with large, friendly, softgreen eyes that mesmerize and attract consumers with their stare.”

Whereas the previous Cascades branded household tissues had brand equity more closely to that of a private-label product than a national brand, Boucher says the adorable bunny graphics were readily embraced by the targeted consumer audience across Canada—primarily women in the 35- to 54-year-old age group with young families.

“Since their launch, our rabbits have become so popular that we get thousands of requests week after week from consumers wanting to buy not only our products, but also a stuffed animal version of Fluff and Tuff,” she chuckles.

According to vice-president of marketing and innovation Thierry Trudel, the success of the Fluff & Tuff launch was underpinned “by our diligent development and marketing efforts.”

Says Trudel: “Our teams worked closely together for over two years reviewing each step in the manufacturing process in order to provide the superior quality that Cascades Fluff and Cascades Tuff products deliver.

“No detail was ignored to improve the products for the families, beginning with the manufacturing formula for the paper all the way through to its embossing and packaging,” he says.

“This [PPI] award definitely brings value to everything that we’ve accomplished,” Trudel declares, also noting the new brand picked up a 2017 Davey Award from the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts (AIVA) for its in-store marketing

PACKAGE DESIGN

campaign. Also selected as a finalist in the annual innovation awards of the Innovation contest of L’Association des Détaillants en alimentation du Québec (ADAC) and the upcoming 2018 PAC Global Leadership Awards competition of PAC Packaging Consortium, the new Cascades Fluff & Tuff brand was also a big winner where it really counts the most—at the store-shelves.

“We are currently on track for 55-percent sales growth compared to a year ago, which is actually four times our initial objective,” beams Boucher.

“We also gained important new distribution among our existing retail customers,” she confides, “while obtaining completely new listings because our trade customers believed in our new image and its shelf impact.

“Our main goal was, of course, to sell more, but also to be positioned where we belong in consumers’ minds, among national brands.

“And after only three months in the market, the Cascades Fluff brand had reached 86-percent awareness among our target consumers,” says Boucher, noting Bo Branding made full use of its creative licence to completely revamp the packs.

“The packaging design was completely remodeled,” she asserts. “In fact, we have nothing left from the previous one, except for the Cascades name that remains our company brand.

“As it existed before, the Cascades household tissue brand was mainly focused on ‘green’ consumers looking for green products,” Boucher explains.

“With this relaunch, we re-engineered the whole product line to answer different needs, while staying true to our sustainable roots, by rebranding everything under the new Cascades Fluff and Cascades Tuff umbrella.

“In doing so, we went from an austere package appealing to a very small group of the population to a fun and engaging image able to reach the vast majority of Canadian consumers,” she says, citing extensive back-and-forth consumer research conducted by Cascades for over a year leading up to the March 2017 launch.

“We undertook multiple consumer studies: both qualitative and quantitative in nature,” Boucher recounts. “We started with a completely different set of ideas and adjusted to consumer feedback along the way, making this an interactive process.

“While this added time to our product development,” she acknowledges, “it ultimately ensured success in the market.”

Says Boucher: “One of the key things we learned from this project is that consumers want to see the actual product: the whiteness of the paper, the design of the embossed pattern and the overall quality of the product.

“They spoke, we listened, and in the end we delivered bright and colorful packaging with the essential transparent zones to achieve remarkably strong market presence and shelf impact.”

EVENTS

2018

Feb. 28 – March 1

Birmingham, England: Empack 2018, packaging technologies exhibition by Easyfairs. At the National Exhibition Centre (NEC). To register, go to: www.easyfairs.com

March 7-8

Cleveland, Ohio: ADM (Advanced Design & Manufacturing) Expo, comprising Design & Manufacturing, PackEX, PLAST-EX and ATX (Advanced Technology) exhibitions by UBM. At the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland. To register, go to: www.cleveland.am.ubm.com

March 11-13

Boston, Ma.: Seafood Expo North America 2018, international seafood industries exhibition by Diversified Communications. At Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. To register, go to: www.seafoodexpo.com

March 12-14

Chicago: Sustainability in Packaging US 2018, conference by Smithers Pira. At

InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile. To register, go to: www.sustainablepackus.com

March 15-16

Rome, Italy: European Thermoforming Conference, by the European Thermoforming Division of the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE). At Rome Marriott Park Hotel. To register, go to: www.e-t-d.org

March 20-23

Cologne, Germany: Anuga FoodTec 2018, international food and beverage technologies exhibition by Koelnmesse GmbH. At Cologne Exhibition Center. To register, go to: www.anugafoodtec.com

April 4-5

Atlanta, Ga.: Industrial Pack 2018, industrial, transit and protective packaging exhibition by Artexis Easyfairs. At the Cobb Galeria Center. To register, go to: www.easyfairs.com

April 16-18

Philadelphia, Pa: PACK EXPO East, packaging and processing technologies

show by PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies. At Pennsylvania Convention Center. To register, go to: www.packexpoeast.com

April 17-18

Green Bay, Wis.: 2018 Converters Expo, package converting technologies exhibition by BNP Media. At Lambeau Field Atrium. To register, go to: www.convertersexpo.com

April 18-20

Atlanta, Ga.: AWA International Sleeve Label Conference & Exhibition 2018, by AWA (Alexander Watson Associates). At Crowne Plaza Atlanta. To register, go to: www.awa-bv.com/events

April 24-26

Vancouver: Live Healthy: Eat FreshCPMA 2018, annual convention and trade show of the Canadian Produce Marketing Association. At Vancouver Convention Centre. To register, contact Jennifer Oakley of CPMA at (613) 226-4187, ext. 218; or via email joakley@cpma. com

April 24-27

Shanghai, China: CHINAPLAS 2018, international trade fair for the plastics industries by Adsale Exhibition Services Ltd. At the National Exhibition and Convention Center. To register, go to: www.ChinaplasOnline.com

May 7-8

Indianapolis, Ind.: INFOFLEX 2018, package printing and converting exhibition by the Flexographic Technical Association. Concurrently with the Forum 2018 conference. To register, go to: www.flexography.org

May 7-9

Muscat, Oman: Oman Plast 2018, international plastics, rubber, petrochemicals, printing and packaging industry exhibition by Silver Star Corporation LLC. At Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre. To register, go to: www.silverstaroman.com

May 7-10

Orlando, Fla.: SPE ANTEC (Annual Technical Conference) by the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE). At the Orange County Convention Center. To register, go to: www.4spe.org

May 7-11

Orlando, Fla.: NPE2018: The Plastics Show, by the Plastics Industry Association. At the Orange County Convention Center. To register, go to: www. plasticsindusry.org

May 16-18

New York City: Sustainable Cosmetics Summit, international conference by

Ecovia Intelligence. At Park Central Hotel New York. To register, please go to: www.sustainablecosmeticssummit. com

May 23-24

Toronto: CPES 2018 , Printable, Flexible & Wearable Electronics Symposium by intelliFLEX. At Centennial College. To register, go to: www.intelliflex.org

May 23-24

Boston, Ma.: Robotics Summit & Showcase 2018 , international technical design end development event for robotics and intelligent systems by WTWH Media, LLC. At Weston Boston Waterfront. To register, go to: www.roboticssummit.com

May 29 – June 1

Milan, Italy: IPACK-IMA 2018 , international processing and packaging technologies exhibition by UCIMAItalian Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Association. Concurrently with MeatTech, Plast, Intralogistica and Print4All (including Grafitalia, Converflex and Imprinting) exhibitions. All at Fiera Milano. To register, go to: www.ipackima.it

June 4-6

Osaka, Japan: Biopolymers Summit 2018 , international conference on biopolymers and polymer chemistry by ConferenceSeries LLC. At Hyatt Regency Osaka. To register, go to: www.biopolymerscongress. conferenceseries.com

June 5-8

Mexico City: EXPO PACK México 2018 , international packaging and processing technologies exhibition by PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies. At Expo Santa Fe México. To register, go to: www.expopack.com.mx

June 6-7

Chicago: American Packaging Summit 2018 , conference by Generis. At Hyatt Regancy O’Hare. To register, go to: www.uspacksummit.com

June 13-14

Paris, France: Pack&Gift, promotional and event packaging trade fair by Idice. At Paris Expo Porte de Versailles. To register, go to: www.packandgift.com

June 19-22

Munich, Germany: Automatica 2018 , industrial automation and robotics exhibition by Messe München GmbH. At Messe München. To register, go to: www.automatica-munich.com

2018 Packaging Machinery Specifications Manual

 Check the list of packaging machinery headings to discover the heading which addresses your packaging needs.

 Under each heading appear the names of manufacturers who supply packaging to the Canadian market. Manufacturers are listed alphabetically.

 Following the name of the manufacturer is a notation indicating a Canadian supplier, if one exists.

 Under the name of the manufacturer is a list of the machinery that the firm produces for that packaging application. A capsule description of speeds, sizes, materials handled, packaging materials, etc., is included to help you identify packaging machinery that might be of interest to you.

 To contact a manufacturer, or a Canadian representative, turn to the section immediately following the list of manufacturers. There you will find an up-to-date list of addresses, including phone and fax numbers, to which you can forward your inquiry.

LINE INTEGRATORS

Abbey Packaging Equipment Ltd.

5030 South Service Rd Burlington ON L7L 5Y7

Tel: 9056813010 Fax: 9056813018

President: Robert McNaught

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 1990

Services Offered: A complete Sales and Service provider for a select group of specialized equipment manufacturers. Planning, project management, radiation safety training, installation & commissioning, on-site operator and maintenance training, technical services, after hours support, field service support, preventative maintenance training, calibration and certification, spare parts inventory.

Markets/Industries Served: Food Products, Pharmaceutical, Beverage, Industrial/Chemical

Accent Packaging Equipment

6791 178B St Surrey BC V3S 9E1 Tel: 6044951997 Fax: 6044951989

President: Juergen Flachowsky

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 2005

Services Offered: Labeling Equipment

including:

APEL40PL pouch labeler, APEL50 wrap labeler, APEL60 front and back labeler, APEL70 top and bottom labeler, Micro420 10 lane cannabis weigh filler, Inline filling systems, ActionPac weigh fill systems, Novexx labeling heads, ArtyPac system including, ARTY75 horizontal flow wrapper, Atyband 50 shrink sleeve applicator, Arty80V vertical form fill seal system.

Markets/Industries Served: Cannabis, Food and Liquids

Aesus Packaging Systems, Inc.

188 Oneida Ave Pointe-Claire QC H9R 1A8 Tel: 5146943439 Fax: 5146944107

President: Samantha Lewis

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 1995

Services Offered: OEM of packaging machinery. Be it stand alone or fully integrated lines.

Markets/Industries Served: Medical Device, Pharmaceutical, Nutritional, Vitamin, Cosmetic, Personal Care, Food, Beverage, Industrial, OEM

Alex E. Jones & Associates Ltd.

8-785 Pacific Rd Oakville ON L6L 6M3 Tel: 9058470166 Fax: 9058470123

President: Paul Duke

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 1976

Services Offered: Sales and Service of “Best In Class” Fillers, Cappers, Labellers, VFFS, Scales, Cartoners, Case Packers, and Palletizer’s.

Markets/Industries Served: Food & Beverage, Pharma, Industrial, Chemical, Health and Beauty.

ARPAC LLC

9555 W Irving Park Rd Schiller Park IL 60176 Tel: 8476789034 Fax: 8476717006

President: Rick Allegretti

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 1971

Services Offered: OEM with full line integration.

Markets/Industries Served: Food, beverage, dairy-ice cream, consumer goods, building products, pharmaceutical, industrial products.

ATS - Tanner Banding Systems Inc.

A-2390 Wyecroft Rd Oakville ON L6L 6M8 Tel: 9058159999 Fax: 9058150443

President: Denise Gachter

Year Established as a Packing Line Integraotor: 2005

Services Offered: Sales and support for ATS Banding Machines and Systems

Markets/Industries Served: Canada

Auger Fabrication

418 Creamery Way Exton PA 19341 Tel: 6105243350 Fax: 6103632821

President: Eric Edginton

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 1984

Services Offered: New replacement and custom tooling for filling machines, paddle screws, mixing blades, feed screws and more.

Markets/Industries Served: Filling Machines, Packaging, Manufacturing

Banding Systems Bandall

289 Broadway Ave Orangeville ON L9W 1L2

Tel: 8667791492 Fax: 4164790787

President: J.P Perreault

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 2014

Services Offered: Bandall is a patent technology that eliminates the need for pressure-sensitive labeling on your products by securing a 360 degree band around the

package of the product. The banding material is available in plain or printer paper or plastic film and will allow your products to stand-out and get noticed! The system is used in 2 main applications: replacing a paper sleeve or PS label or to bundle products together for club packs. Systems are available as stand-alone units or can be fully automated to band over 100 ppm. Banding Systems will design, install, and commission the system that is right for any size of application.

Markets/Industries Served: Food and Beverage, Pharma, Industrial, Health and Beauty, Graphics, Logistics etc.

Baumer hhs Corp. 10570 Success Lane Dayton OH 45458 Tel: 9378863160 Fax: 9378863161

President: Chris Raney

Year Established as a Packing Line Integraotor: 1986 Services Offered: Full field and technical services available.

Markets/Industries Served: Folding Carton, Corrugated, Commercial Print Finishing, Tobacco and End of Line.

Best Packaging Systems

1-8699 Escarpment Way Milton ON L9T 0J5 Tel: 9058643005 Fax: 9058646245

President: Dave Sweetland

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 1987 Services Offered: 24-7 service all make Pallet Wrappers, 3M Case Sealers

Markets/Industries Served: Food, Pharmaceuticals

Bivans Corporation 2431 Dallas St Los Angeles CA 90031 Tel: 3232254248 Fax: 3232257316

President: Vivian Woo

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 1952

Markets/Industries Served: Worldwide: Pharmaceutical, Medical device, Nutraceuticals, Cosmetics, Personal care, Contract packagers, Automotive, Hardware, Snacks/candy

BluePrint Automation (BPA)

16037 Innovation Dr South Chesterfield VA 23834 Tel: 8045205400 Fax: 8045268164

President: Robbie Quinlin

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 1980 Services Offered: Vision Guided Robotics:

Sophisticated DELTA robots picking individual packaged and un-packaged items for loading into your container, wrapper or hffs machines. (Applications include Stacking, Wrapper Loading, Variety Pack, Dinner Tray Loading and Kit Assembly)

Case and Tray Packing:

Solutions for flexible and other tough-tohandle packages. We provide vertical and horizontal case packing solutions, including end-load cartoning and wrap-around casepacking for your retail ready packaging.

Turnkey Packaging Systems:

Complete packaging solutions taking control of your packaging line from the end of processing through palletizing!

Markets/Industries Served: Snack Food, Bakery, Dairy, Pet Food, Confectionery, Personal Care, Pharmaceutical, Household Products, Frozen Food, Beverage, Poultry, Beef and Seafood and more!

Bosch Packaging Technology

(Kliklok-Woodman)

5224 Snapfinger Woods Dr Decatur GA 30035

Tel: 7709815200 Fax: 7709877160

President: Bruno Oberle

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 1947

Services Offered: Bosch Packaging Technology in Decatur, GA, manufactures and services Kliklok topload, endload, and wraparound cartoners, and Woodman vertical form-fill-seal bagmakers and multi-bag balers. We also build Kliklok product handling and indexing machines and other specialized machinery. As part of the Bosch Group we can offer complete packaging systems from primary packaging through case packing.

Markets/Industries Served: Bakery, snack food, frozen food, refrigerated and prepared foods, cereal, confectionery, and industries requiring related technologies.

Bradman Lake 3050 Southcross Blvd Rock Hill SC 29730 Tel: 7045883301 Fax: 8033663690

President: Gary Pickett

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 1948

Services Offered: The Bradman Lake

Group is synonymous with providing innovative packaging solutions to a global client base; a client base that demands a partner to go ‘above and beyond’ to help them excel in today’s competitive markets.

By integrating our three key brandsAutowrappers, Bradman Lake and Europackwe are a major supplier of packaging technology to the Bakery and Biscuit, Chocolate and Confectionery, Frozen Foods, Dry Foods, Consumer and Healthcare industry sectors.

From distribution and feeding systems to flow wrapping, carton erection, loading and closing and end-of-line options of case packing and shrink wrapping, time after time many leading companies place their trust in Bradman Lake technology.

At our three factories in the UK, Beccles and Bristol and South Carolina in the USA, research and development teams strive to ensure Bradman Lake technology remains at the forefront of innovation.

The group has one clear aim – to maximize clients’ profitability by utilizing the most cutting edge technology available. With decades of experience and many thousands of installations to our credit, whether the requirement is for a single machine or a totally integrated solution. Bradman Lake makes the ideal partner.

Bradman Lake is a wholly owned subsidiary of the multi-disciplined global UK engineering group Langley Holdings plc. www. langleyholdings.com

Markets/Industries Served: Bakery, chocolate & confectionary consumer & healthcare frozen & dry foods

CAM Packaging Systems

3-226 Industrial Parkway N Aurora ON L4G 4C3

Tel: 9057375400

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 2008

Services Offered: Machinery Manufacturer for Complete Weighing Counting and Bagging systems. Full turn key system solutions for VFFS, Stand up Pouches, Variety Pack Automatic Solutions. We also integrate other manufacturers systems into ours or on their own. Shrink wrappers case packers, pallet wrappers, robotics integration. Full technical support staff to support our clients in many categories. We also supply the materials that run on the machines. Precise, Reliable, Affordable Solutions.

Markets/Industries Served: Food, beverage, industrial, horizontal & vertical form fill and seal, primary and secondary packaging systems including end of line solutions.

Canpaco Inc.

7901 Huntington Rd Woodbridge ON L4H 0S9 Tel: 9057717791 Fax: 9057711115

President: Robert Appel

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 1993

Services Offered: Buy and sell new and used packaging equipment. sales and service.

Markets/Industries Served: Food and pharmaceutical industries

Capmatic Ltd.

12180 boul Albert-Hudon Montréal-Nord QC H1G

3K7 Tel: 5143220062 Fax: 5143220063

President: Alioscia Bassani

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 1964

Services Offered: Over 50 years of experience of providing Primary Packaging Solutions for the Global market. A reputation built on: quality, innovative design, accuracy and customer care. Our expertise is in: Monoblocks (Fill, Plug, Cap, Label), Feeders, Bottle Unscramblers, Bottle Orienters Cap Sorters, Elevators, Rinsers, Fillers: Liquid, Cream, Micro Powder, Tablet, Counters: Tablet, Capsule, Soft gel, Inserters: Desiccant, Cotton, Seal Induction, Orifice Reducer, Pluggers, Crimpers, Cappers, In-line Belt Cappers, Rotary Chuck Cappers, Labelers: Pressure Sensitive, Neck Band, Body Sleevers, Tamper Evident, Safety Seal,etc.

Meeting your unique requirements differentiates us from the rest.

Markets/Industries Served: Pharmaceutical, Diagnostic, Bio-Medical, Nutraceutical, Cosmetic Health & Beauty Care, Food & Beverage and Chemical Industries.

Cartier Packaging Inc.

2325 boul Industrial Saint-Césaire QC J0L 1T0 Tel: 4504693168 Fax: 4504691387

President: Stéphanie Roy

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 1980 Services Offered: Looking for high-

performance equipment that will optimize your operations and improve your competitiveness? Compact machines that will help you get the most from your space?

CARTIER offers innovative packaging systems that will generate the best return on your investment.

Charles Downer & Co. Ltd.

7-52 West Beaver Creek Richmond Hill ON L4B 1L9 Tel: 9058822222 Fax: 9058820437

President: Jeff Downer

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 1977 Services Offered: System engineering, planning, equipment supply, installation commissioning, training,parts,service, preventative maintenance programs

Markets/Industries Served: ALL

CiMa-Pak Corporation

3-7290 Torbram Rd Mississauga ON L4T 3Y8

Tel: 9056120053

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 1999 Services Offered: Complete tray sealing systems including trays, film and tray sealers that seal only, MAP or skin package.

Markets/Industries Served: Food processors, Food wholesalers and retailers, Restaurants,

Delkor Systems, Inc.

4300 Round Lake Rd W St. Paul MN 55112 Tel:

651-348-6700 Fax: 6513486705

President: Dale Andersen

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 1973

Services Offered: Delkor Systems engineers and manufactures premier secondary packaging equipment solutions including case forming, robotic case packing, case closing and palletizing. Since 1973, Delkor has served as a turn-key packaging solution provider with end-to-end capabilities from creating award-winning, retail-ready package (RRP) designs - Delkor Cabrio Case®, Delkor Turbo Case, among others - to installing complete packing lines from case former to palletizer. Delkor is where premier packaging equipment engineering meets innovative package design.

Markets/Industries Served: Cheese

Descon Conveyor Systems

1-1274 Ringwell Dr Newmarket ON L3Y 9C7

Tel: 9059530455 Fax: 9059531335

President: Dave Farquhar

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 1993

Services Offered: Project consultation, mech. & controls design engr., controls programming, sys. integration, project mgmt., custom mfg., mechanical & electrical installation, plant layout & design, spare parts.

Markets/Industries Served: Soft drink, water, spirits, brewing, food, manufacturing, container manufacturing.

DJS Enterprises 6-2700 14th Ave Markham ON L3R 0J1 Tel: 9054757644 Fax: 9054757645

President: Darrell Shulman

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 1991

Services Offered: DJS Enterprises buys and sells New, Used and Reconditioned Process and Packaging Equipment for the Pharmaceutical, Vitamin, Food and Confectionery Industries.

Markets/Industries Served: Process and packaging equipment to the pharmaceutical, vitamin, herbal, food, confectionery, and cosmetic industries.

Domino Printing Solutions Inc. 1-200 North Service Rd E Suite 317 Oakville ON L6M 2Y1 Tel: 9058292430 Fax: 9058291842

Services Offered: 24/7 Technical Helpdesk, Renowned Training academy, Consumable agreements that work for YOU, National network of tenured service engineers, Financial Services options.

Markets/Industries Served: Food, Beverage, Pharmaceuticals, Medical Devices, Industrial and Personal Care

Dorner Mfg. Corp.

975 Cottonwood Ave PO Box 20 Hartland WI 53029 Tel: 2623677600 Fax: 2623675827

President: Terry Schadeberg

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 1966

Services Offered: At Dorner our mission is to Transform Conveyor Automation by providing cutting edge solutions with best-inclass support. It’s that commitment and history of proven excellence that has made the Dorner Brand a recognized leader in product handling for over 50 years. With our complete line of customizable stainless steel and

aluminum conveyor automation systems, we have the right solution for you!

Markets/Industries Served: Automation, Food Handling & Processing, Baking & Confectionery, General Manufacturing, Material Handling, Medical, Metal Working, Packaging, Pharmaceutical, Meat & Poultry, Dairy & Cheese, Ready-to-Eat Food

Eckert Machines Inc.

3841 Portage Rd Niagara Falls ON L2J 2L1 Tel: 9053568356 Fax: 9053561704

President: Paul Eckert

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 1959 Services Offered: Canadian Sales Representative Company representing manufacturers of equipment for the food processing, industrial and packaging industry.

Markets/Industries Served: Food Processing Industry, Beverage Industry, General Industrial

Edson Packaging Machinery Ltd.

215 Hempstead Dr Hamilton ON L8W 2E6 Tel: 9053853201 Fax: 9053858775

President: Gary Evans

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 1962

Services Offered: Upgrades, Retrofits, Machine Relocation, Machine Audits, Training and Parts

Markets/Industries Served: Tissue, Paper Towels, Facial Tissue, Feminine Care Products, Baby Diapers, Adult Diapers, Consumer Products, Food Products, Pharmaceutical Products

Ellis Packaging 1830 Sandstone Manor Pickering ON L1W 3Y1 Tel: 4167987715

President: Cathie Ellis

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 1946 Services Offered: Folding Cartons, Blister Cards.

Markets/Industries Served: Our 3 facilities cover Cosmetic, Confectionary, Pharmaceutical, Personal Care, Spirits and Food Packaging.

Fortress Technology Inc.

51 Grand Marshall Dr Toronto ON M1B 5N6 Tel: 4167542898 Fax: 4167542976

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 1996

Services Offered: Metal Detector

Solutions, Product Testing, Custom Applications, Contaminant Risk Consultation, Preventive Maintenance Inspections, PreAudit Inspections, Operator Training Markets/Industries Served: Bakery, Beverage, Carpet, Cereal, Chemicals, Confectionery, Corn, Diary, Flour, Fresh Food, Frozen Food, Grains, Jam, Juice, Meat, Nut Butters, Nutraceutical, Nuts, Packaged Products, Paper, Paste, Pharmaceutical, Plastics, Powder, Prepared Meals, Rice, Rubber, Sauces, Sausage, Sugar, Textile, Wood

General Conveyor Co. Ltd.

155 Englehard Dr Aurora ON L4G 3V1 Tel: 9057277922 Fax: 9058411056

President: Jake Constantine

Services Offered: Systems integration

Markets/Industries Served: Food, personal care, pharmaceutical, beverage, irradiation, plastics, and warehousing mkts. Geosaf Inc.

803-5605 av de Gaspé Montréal QC H2T 2A4 Tel: 5143314147 Fax: 5143314226 Year Established as a Packing Line Integraotor: 1982

Services Offered: Engineering/Design Installation/Commissioning.

Markets/Industries Served: Beer, Beverages, Dairy

Harlund Industries Ltd.

101-17973 106th Ave Edmonton AB T5S 2H1 Tel: 7804844400 Fax: 7804843646

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 1982

Services Offered: We fully service and support the products we sell with Factory Trained Technicians. Our support facilities are located across Canada.

Markets/Industries Served: Food & Beverage, Wire/Cable, Automotive, Agriculture, Building Materials, Pharmaceutical, Confectionary, Co-Packers. Any Industry that Manufactures any type of product requiring Codes and Package Identification.

Harpak-ULMA Packaging, LLC 175 John Quincy Adams Rd Taunton MA 02780 Tel: 5088842500 Fax: 5088842501 President: Charles Harlfinger

Year Established as a Packing Line Integraotor: 1994

Services Offered: Complete integration services of HUP and ancillary/secondary equipment.

Markets/Industries Served: Foods, meats, medical, meals.

Heat and Control Canada, Inc.

13-1111 Franklin Blvd Cambridge ON N1R 8B5

Tel: 5196231100 Fax: 5196231052

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 1950

Services Offered: Machinery for weighing, checkweighing, metal detection, X-ray inspection, snack bag making, conveying, accumulation, coating & seasoning, blending, sorting, tray sealing, container filling, packaging; Control & information management systems; Spare parts, service, installation, engineering and training; Machinery demonstrations; Food processing machinery systems.

Markets/Industries Served: Food, pharmaceutical, non-food products.

Hibar Systems Limited

35 Pollard St Richmond Hill ON L4B 1A8

Tel: 9057312400 Fax: 9057316035

President: Iain McColl

Year Established as a Packing Line Integraotor: 1974

Services Offered: Precision Dispensing Pumps, Semi Automatic Filling Systems, Automatic Inline Filling Systems, Automated Assembly Equipment, Special Purpose Filling Systems.

Markets/Industries Served: Pharmaceutical, Food & Beverage, Cosmetic, Consumer Products, Automotive, Chemical Technical, Battery.

HMA Systems 12-185 Advance Blvd Brampton ON L6T 4Y3 Tel: 9054588182 Fax: 9054580758

President: Wayne Wood

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 1976

Services Offered: We provide engineered solutions for adhesive and sealant applications, with in house manufacturing capabilities to customize equipment to meet specific customer requirements. Full sales and service support, installation and training services, supported by parts and equipment inventory.

Markets/Industries Served: Industrial, manufacturing, packaging, product assembly applications that require adhesive or sealant applied in a controlled, automatic or manual manner.

Ilapak Inc.

105 Pheasant Run Newtown PA 18940 Tel: 2155792900 Fax: 2155799959

Services Offered: Sales and service of packaging machinery

Markets/Industries Served: Bakery, wet wipes, produce, medical, cheese, snack, coffee, tea, meat

Impak Packaging Systems Inc. 4-445 Milner Ave Scarborough ON M1B 2K4 Tel: 4162990960 Fax: 4162999566

President: Chris Tremblay

Year Established as a Packing Line Integraotor: 1995

Services Offered: Shrink Packaging Equipment, Used Wrapping Machines, Packaging Machine Sales, Service, Parts & Installation, New And Used Stretch Wrapping Machine Sales, Horizontal AndVertical Wrapping Machines, Tray Lidding Machines, Service, Parts & Installation, Markets/Industries Served: Manufacturers; Distributors; Wholesale; Retail

JG Packaging 92 Henderson Dr Whitby ON L1N 7Y8 Tel: 9054307647 Fax: 9054303435

Year Established as a Packing Line Integraotor: 2000

Services Offered: Sales and service of packaging equipment.

Markets/Industries Served: Food, Confectionary, Way range of Manfacturing Companies

KHK USA Inc.

259 Elm Place Mineola NY 11501 Tel: 5162483850 Fax: 5162484385

President: Brian Dengel

Services Offered: Supplier of power transmission components designed for use in packaging automation equipment. KHK USA offers over 17,200 stock configurations of metric dimensioned spur gears, helical gears, internal ring gears, gear racks, straight, spiral & zerol tooth miter gears, straight, spiral, zerol & hypoid tooth bevel gears, screw gears, worms & wormwheels, ratchets & pawls, involutes splines & bushings, gear couplings and right-angle gearboxes, all designed for use industrial automation applications

including packaging machinery and equipment. Products are available in various materials including stainless steel, nylon, chrome-alloy steel, acetal, brass, bronze, cast iron and aluminum bronze.

Markets/Industries Served: Packaging equipment, Gantry and Conveyor systems.

Klockner Pentaplast of Canada, Inc.

604-419 King St W Oshawa Executive Centre Oshawa ON L1J 2K5 Tel: 9054334232 Fax: 9054363478

President: Klaus Gerwe

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 1979 Services Offered: Manufacturer of highend PVC, Polyester (APET and PETG), HIPS, PP and other films for food, pharmaceutical, medical device, general packaging, print and label film applications.

Komcan Inc. 55 Sinclair Ave Georgetown ON L7G 4X4 Tel: 9058737070

President: Steve Ranson

Services Offered: Sales and service of Komori Presses, parts and service. As well plant and equipment moves.

Markets/Industries Served: Sheetfed Printers

Langen Packaging Inc.

6154 Kestrel Rd Mississauga ON L5T 1Z2 Tel: 9056707200 Fax: 9056705291

President: Tony Pita

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 1956

Services Offered: Langen Group provides reliable and robust packaging machinery solutions for high-speed product collation, cartoning, case packing and palletizing.

Markets/Industries Served: Food and beverage, Consumer goods, Personal care and cosmetics.

Lapp Group Canada

10-3505 Laird Rd Mississauga ON L5L 5Y7 Tel: 8777995277 Fax: 9058206516

President: Laetitia Donovan

Services Offered: Lapp Group Canada is a single-source connectivity solutions provider that include a robust suite of standard and custom-made power control and data cable, connector, train relief and accessories.

Markets/Industries Served: Food & Beverage, Oil & Gas, Automotive, Machinery and Equipment, Wind Energy, Mining. Pulp and Paper, Logistics Centers, Steel and Metal, Water Sewage and Waste, Robotics, Leisure and Entertainment.

Loma Systems, a division of ITW Canada Inc.

550 Kehoe Blvd Carol Stream IL 60188 Tel:

6305880900 Fax: 6305881396

President: Simon Spencer

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 1969

Services Offered: Metal Detectors, X-Ray Inspection, Checkweighers, Service, Spare Parts, Technical Support

Markets/Industries Served: Food Industry

M & M Packaging Associates Ltd.

657-2 Campbell Dr Uxbridge ON L9L 1T2 Tel: 4163995300 Fax: 9058521352

President: John Myers

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 1984

Services Offered: 45 years of experience and expertise in the flexible packaging industry provides for reliable recommendation and suggestions of packaging machinery suitable for low, mid and high speed applications.

Markets/Industries Served: Food, snacks, health products, hardware and medical industries served.

Markem-Imaje Inc.

5448 Timberlea Blvd Mississauga ON L4W 2T7 Tel: 8002675108 Fax: 8669219732

President: Mary Ruiz

Services Offered: Markem-Imaje is a trusted global manufacturer of product identification and traceability solutions. Markem-Imaje delivers fully integrated solutions that enable product quality and safety, regulatory and retailer compliance, better product recalls and improved manufacturing processes. We also have a long history of providing integrated solutions in collaboration with all major packaging OEMs like Bosch, Hayssen Flexible Systems, Sidel, Ishida, Viking, Ilapack, etc.

Markem-Imaje can rely on 30 subsidiaries worldwide to supply more than 50,000 customers with optimal product marking and coding solutions. Markem-Imaje provides strong local support with 10 offices throughout North America and over 170

experts in

LINE INTEGRATORS

technical and after sales service. Additionally, Markem-Imaje customers are supported by 6 technology centers, several equipment repair centers and manufacturing plants with the most comprehensive marking and coding portfolio available in the marketplace.

From retail pack to pallet load, Markem-Imaje offers a unique portfolio of coding and labeling technologies.

In addition, Markem-Imaje also provides customized engineering solutions to address specific customer needs like promotional coding, UDI compliance, Serialization, Track and Trace, GS1 compliance, vision system integration etc.

Markets/Industries Served: Food, Beverage, Dairy, Pharmaceutical, Packaging, Extrusion, Aerospace, Automotive. Massman Automation Designs, LLC

1010 E Lake St Villard MN 56385

Tel: 3205543611 Fax: 3205542650

President: Jeff Bigger

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 1978

Services Offered: Case Packers of all types, Gantry and Robotic Palletizers, Cartoners, Product Placers, Timing Gates, Flexible Pouch Form, Fill,and Seal machines, Net Weight Liquid Fillers, Tin Tiers of bagged product, Coilers of hose and cable products, and twist tiers.

Markets/Industries Served: Dairy, Food & Beverage, Consumer Products, Filter Manufacturing, Paint & Chemical

Matthews Marking Systems

6515 Penn Ave Pittsburgh PA 15206

Tel: 8007757775 Fax: 4126652550

President: Lyndsey Farrow

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 1850

Services Offered: Drop on Demand Valve

Ink Jet, High Resolution Piezo Ink Jet, High Resolution Thermal Ink Jet, Thermal Transfer, Contact Printing, Custom Solutions, Continuous Ink Jet, Laser Marking, Inks.

Markets/Industries Served: Consumer Packaged Goods, Food, Beverage, Medical, Pharmaceutical, Automotive, Electronics, Plastics, Building Products, Glass, Metals.

MD Packaging Inc.

5A-141 Reach St Uxbridge ON L6P 1L3

Tel: 4162919229 Fax: 4162912906

President: Jaime Alboim

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 1989

Services Offered: MD Packaging is a distributor of product inspection and packaging automation solutions for the manufacturing sectors in the food, beverage, pharma, consumer goods and industrial products industries.

Markets/Industries Served: Food & beverage, dairy, bakery, meat, poultry, fish, pharmaceutical/nutraceutical, consumer goods.

Mecano Industrie

1570 rue Nationale Terrebonne QC J6W 0E2 Tel: 4509611228 Fax: 4509611200

President: Raymond Gingras

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 1981

Services Offered: Mechanical and Electrical engineering, custom and standard packaging machinery or system design, Installation and service, complete turn key solutions.

Markets/Industries Served: Food and Beverage, consumer goods, pharmaceutical, electronic and many others.

Mettler-Toledo Inc.

6-2915 Argentia Rd Mississauga ON L5N 8G6

Tel: 8006388537

Services Offered: Support & Repair, Maintenance & Optimization, Calibration & Quality, Training & Consulting

Markets/Industries Served: Food & Beverage

Newmapak Ltd.

1015-A Edouard-VII St-Philippe QC J0L 2K0

Tel: 8778665572 Fax: 4506353611

President: Robert Kucey

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 2006

Services Offered: Designs & manufactures

conveyors system, offering conveyor prewiring, control panel line and system integration.

Markets/Industries Served: Wine, Spirit, Beer, Juices, Food, Pharmaceutical

NJM Packaging

5600 rue Kieran Montréal QC H4S 2B5

Tel: 5143376990 Fax: 5143350801

President: Michel Lapierre

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 1915

Services Offered: Packaging and labeling equipment for the Pharmaceutical, Biotech, Cosmetic, Personal Care, Food and Chemical

industries

Markets/Industries Served: Pharmaceutical, Nutraceutical, Vitamin, BioTechnology, Cosmetic & Personal Care, Food and Household Chemical Industries & Contract Packaging

Nuspark Inc.

400 Steeprock Dr Toronto ON M3J 2X1 Tel: 4166637071 Fax: 4166630233

President: Michael Elent

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 1999

Services Offered: We are a packaging machinery manufacturer which has the capability of providing single machines as well as fully integrated turnkey systems.

Our customer needs evaluation and feasibility review includes:

- Determining the number and variety of machines needed to accommodate your operations

- Accessing adequacy of your existing floor space

- Recommending “best-fit” possibilities and an accurate speed for optimal automation

- Proposing where automation may be illadvised (low speed, high complexity).

Through experience we have learned that at times, it is better to stay with a manual system if it is complex and slow.

We will provide full engineering, manufacturing, modification, installation, service and after sales support to our lines.

Markets/Industries Served: Automotive, Consumer Goods, Bakery, Dairy, Food and Beverage, Meat and Poultry, Fish and Sea Food, Nutraceutical, Personal Care, Pharmaceutical

Omega Design Corp.

211 Philips Rd Exton PA 19341-1336

Tel: 6103636555 Fax: 6105247398

President: Randy Caspersen

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 1969

Services Offered: Integration of equipment for Serialization

Markets/Industries Served:

Pharmaceutical, Nutraceutical, food, beverage, chemical. Contract Packagers

Packaging Equipment Solutions Inc.

46 Colonel Bertram Rd Brampton ON L6Z 4P3

Tel: 9059701562 Fax: 9059701759

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 2011

Services Offered: Quality packaging machinery for Pharmaceutical, Nutraceutical and Cosmetics Industries with over 30 years experience.

Markets/Industries Served: Pharmaceutical and Cosmetic

Pemberton & Associates Inc.

3610 Nashua Dr Mississauga ON L4V 1X9 Tel: 9056788900 Fax: 9056788989

President: Dennis Hicks

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 1930

Services Offered: Established in 1930, we supply packaging solutions to the Canadian food processing industry including equipment, parts, consumables and technical support.

Markets/Industries Served: Canadian Food Processing Industry

Pineberry Manufacturing Inc.

1-2300 Bristol Cir Oakville ON L6H 5S3 Tel: 9058290016 Fax: 9058294637

President: David McCharles

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 1984

Services Offered: Pineberry Manufacturing Inc. is a precision manufacturer of high quality friction feeders, dispensers, inserters, pick and place, tray denesters, batch counters, collation systems, serialization and track & trace solutions, aggregation systems, foil stamping equipment, affixing / tipping systems, plastic card equipment, labeling systems, inkjet printers, on serters, top serters, hot melt glue systems, flow and shrink wrapping systems, packaging solutions and custom automation.

Markets/Industries Served: Printing, Packaging, Pharmaceutical, Food & Beverage, Plastic Card, Mailing & Fulfillment, eCommerce

Plan Automation Inc.

289 Broadway Ave Orangeville ON L9W 1L2

Tel: 4164790777 Fax: 4164790787

President: Jean-Pierre Perreault

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 2009 Services Offered: PLAN Automation’s primary focus is in assisting clients implement quality downstream Package Automation and Food Safety Inspection Solutions. We offer comprehensive planning, organizing, procurement, and management of resources to achieve these goals.

PLAN provides this service at no expense to our clients and only benefits if we are successful within our own sponsored bids. Ultimately our process is totally transparent and provides clients with our years of packaging automation expertise for risk management and effective project execution.

NO CHARGE - What PLAN Offers Your Company:

*** PROJECT INITIATION | ANALYSIS / BID BUILDING ***

1) Co-development of URS (User Requirement Specifications) and scope of work (aka rfq) / clear definition of projectproduction objectives

2) Co-development of project risk analysis

3) Line Layout Mechanical Plan View Drawings | establish physical installation parameters

4) Multi-vendor sourcing | qualify vendors based on established project needs and thresholds.

5) Evaluation Matrix | full due diligence analysis of vendor capability, financial risk analysis (DB), system technological offering

*** BID EXECUTION ***

1) Centralized project financial responsibility | single purchase contract based on total vendor individual selection

2) Development of packaging specifications in association to each individual machine efficient requirements

3) Contract development including by example | late delivery penalties, efficiency guarantees, operational “cost-of-ownership” limitations

Markets/Industries Served: Agricultural, Bakery, Dairy, Food and Beverages, Meat and Poultry, Fish and Sea Food, Nutraceutical, Personal Care, Pharmaceutical

PPI Technologies Group

1610 Northgate Blvd Sarasota FL 34234-2114 Tel: 9413596678 Fax: 9413596804

President: Stuart Murray

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 1996 Services Offered: Integrate pouch, machinery and end-of-line systems

Markets/Industries Served: Food, beverage, chemical, personal care

Primera Technology Inc. 2 Carlson Parkway N Plymouth MN 55447 Tel: 7634756676 Fax: 7634756677

Markets/Industries Served: Food, Beverage, Cosmetics, Industrial, Name badge, Vitamins/Supplements, Chemical Propack Processing & Packaging Systems Inc.

4902 Union Rd Beamsville ON L0R 1B4 Tel: 9055639400 Fax: 9055637224

President: Chris Follows Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 1996

Services Offered: Complete line integration utilizing Robotics: Topload Cartons, Endload Cartons, Multipacks, Casepackers. The Robotics allow for ultimate flexibility in secondary packaging offering

Markets/Industries Served: Bakery, Meal supplementary Bars, Granola Bars, Baked Soft Cake, Confectionery Market.

R.E. Morrison Equipment Inc. 21-3615 Laird Rd Mississauga ON L5L 5Z8 Tel: 9058286301 Fax: 9058283674

President: Ray Ralph

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 1985

Services Offered: Modular preassembled bottle drying systems to dry bottles/cans prior to labeling or coding Markets/Industries Served: Bottle and can packaging, food packaging

LINE INTEGRATORS

Reiser (Canada) Co.

4-1549 Yorkton Crt Burlington ON L7P 5B7 Tel: 9056316611 Fax: 9056316607

President: Chuck Pinkham

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 1959

Services Offered: For more than 50 years, Reiser has been a leading supplier of processing and packaging equipment solutions for the sausage, meat, poultry, seafood, prepared food, bakery, cheese, produce and pet food industries. During that time, the company has gained recognition for its high-quality equipment, innovative engineering, and outstanding service and support. Today, this total commitment to its customers positions Reiser as the one supplier that processors can trust for better, smarter solutions.

Markets/Industries Served: Sausage, meat, poultry, seafood, prepared food, bakery, cheese, produce and pet food industries

RJP Packaging

3317 Mainway Dr Burlington ON L7M 1A5 Tel: 9053197562 Fax: 9053356734

President: Ray Perry

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 2000

Services Offered: Field service for all types of V.F.F.S. and scales

Markets/Industries Served: All

Ryson International Inc.

300 Newson Dr Yorktown VA 23692 Tel: 7578981530 Fax: 7578981580

President: Ole Rygh

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 1995

Services Offered: Our products include Spiral Conveyors, Spiral curves, Mass Flow Spirals, Continuous Lifts, Vertical Accumulation Buffers, Bucket Elevators, Incline and Decline slat Conveyors. All products can be delivered in powder coated carbon steel, stainless steel, wash down or freezer versions.

Markets/Industries Served: Ryson Spiral Conveyors are today being used in a rapidly growing number of small and large companies across a broad spectrum of industries. Our spirals effectively handle any conveyable loads including bags, bundles totes, trays, pales, cans, bottles, containers, wrapped and unwrapped items.

Schneider Packaging Equipment Co., Inc.

5370 Guy Young Rd PO Box 890 Brewerton NY 13029-0890 Tel: 3156763035 Fax: 3156762875

President: Rick Schneider

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 1970

Services Offered: Design and manufacture of a complete line of case packers, cartoners, case sealers, tray packers and robotic palletizing systems

which easily integrate with coding/labeling equipment, code readers, check weighing and stretch/shrink wrapping equipment.

Markets/Industries Served: Food, beverage, tissue, paper, pharmaceutical, plastics, replication (CD/DVD), industrial and personal care industries

Sesotec Canada Ltd.

114-7 Grand Ave S Suite 100 Cambridge ON N1S 2L3 Tel: 5196216536

President: Doug Pedersen

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 1979 Services Offered: Sales and Service of Sesotec Metal Detection, Magnetic Separation, X-ray Inspection, and Optical Sorting Systems

Markets/Industries Served: Serving the Food, Pharmaceutical and Plastics Industries

Shawpak Systems Ltd. 8-785 Pacific Rd Oakville ON L6L 6M3 Tel: 9058470122 Fax: 9058470123

President: Nigel Turnpenny

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 1984

Services Offered: Shawpak Systems Ltd are your Trusted Advisor in Product Inspection and Food Safety. Shawpak Systems is the sole representative Nationwide for Mettler Toledo Product Inspection, TOMRA Process Analytics & ATTEC Hygiene Solutions along with Detectamet Food Safety Products.

The Entire Shawpak Systems Team are GFTC trained to better understand your Food Safety Programs, from GMP HACCP & CCP implementation and advise on global standards BRC/SQF/GFSI from a Product Inspection perspective.

Collectively Shawpak and the Equipment Manufacturers represented provide a global knowledge base to advise on the best equipment & best practice solutions for Product Safety, choosing the right inspection equipment is paramount for achieving the ultimate detection an due-diligence capabilities, also achieving the maximum production uptime, Shawpak Systems Technical Advisors will guide you through the best practice options available based on your specific application, acting as your Trusted Advisor.

Markets/Industries Served: Food & Beverage, Bakery, Dairy, Meat, & Poultry, Seafood, Pharma, Chemical, and Personal Care.

Sipromac II Inc.

2555 rue Alfred-Nobel Drummondville QC J2A 0L5 Tel: 8193955151 Fax: 8193955343

President: Dave Couture

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 1983

Services Offered: Food Packaging & Processing Equipment Manufacturer

specialized in Vacuum Packaging Machines (table top, single chamber, double chamber, automatic and belted chamber), Shrink Tunnels, Tray Sealers, Thermoforming machines, Tumblers, Massagers and Smokehouses.

Markets/Industries Served: • Food service - restaurants, groceries

• Food packaging and processing - meat, poultry, fish and cheese industries

Speedway Packaging Machinery

10 Gormley Industrial Ave Unit 2-3 Gormley ON L0H 1G0 Tel: 9058885344 Fax: 9058885374

President: Peter Pfingst

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 2002

Services Offered: Sales & Manufacturing, Complete Machine Shop, Welding, Line

Design

Markets/Industries Served: PackagingCo Packers, Food & Beverage, Personal Care - Cosmetics, Pharmaceutical, Cleaning Supplies.

SPS / PHIN Limited

15-440 Tapscott Rd Scarborough ON M1B 1Y4 Tel: 4162982151 Fax: 4162982170

President: Hugh McCrie

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 1948

Services Offered: Original equipment manufacturer (Phin labellers) and designer of complementary packaging machinery. Project Management, line integration, commissioning and training.

Markets/Industries Served: Food, beverage, pharmaceutical, personal care, household chemical.

Squid Ink Manufacturing

7041 Boone Ave Brooklyn Park MN 55428 Tel: 7637958856 Fax: 7637958867

President: David R. Mylrea

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 1991

Services Offered: Squid Ink specializes in the manufacture of high quality industrial inks and industrial ink jet printers for the packaging industry. Our products and services are designed to provide reliable cost-effective solutions to your industrial applications. Squid Ink has relied on a wealth of knowledge and experience in the ink jet industry to design a full family of Large Character and Hi-Resolution printing systems. Additionally, Squid Ink has been able to formulate the most comprehensive line of Hi-Resolution, Piezo, and Large Character fluids in the product identification market today.

Markets/Industries Served: Manufacturing, Building Products, Food Manufacturing

STANMECH Technologies Inc.

944 Zelco Dr Burlington ON L7L 4Y3 Tel: 9056316161 Fax: 9056311852

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 1981

Services Offered: Engineering services, Hot air systems, Individual hot air tools, High-pressure blow-off systems. Custom designed nozzles and air knives, Custom system development.

Starview Packaging Machinery

Inc.

1840 boul Saint-Régis Dorval QC H9P 1H6 Tel: 5149200100 Fax: 5149200092

President: Mario Carlomusto

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 1991 Services Offered: Manufactureres of packaging machinery

Markets/Industries Served: Medical, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, electronics, hardware and industrial

SteelNor / Inventure Engineering & Machinery 511 Welham Rd Barrie ON L4N 8Z6 Tel: 7057928952 Fax: 7057258086

President: Gary Nychka

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 2000

Services Offered: Conceptual Design, Certified Engineering, CAD Design

Simulation, Electrical Design, Panel Building, Custom Fabrication, Machining and Welding, Paint Department.

Markets/Industries Served: Flexible & Aseptic Packaging for Food, Medical, Pharmaceuticals, Dry Goods, Coffee, Teas, Spices, Hardware, Liquids, others. Inspection - Packaging for Automotive components and similar. Equipment for ConvertingPackaging of Wire & Cable, Fibre Optic, Oil & Gas pipe, Insulation products.

Steeltek - A Div. of 877418 Ont. Ltd. 140 Desroches Trail Tiny ON L9M 0H9 Tel: 7055265810 Fax: 7055265811

President: Brian Tandy

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 1990 Services Offered: Manufacturer of Rotary Heat Sealers, parts for sealing machines, Refurbish Sealing Machines, Sealing Bands various lengths and sizes.

Markets/Industries Served: North America, England, South America, Europe.

Storcan Ltd. 108 rue Bélanger Châteauguay QC J6J 4Z2 Tel: 4503652158 Fax: 4506981178

President: Jean Martin Savoie Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 2000 Services Offered: High speed conveyor lines for the Food & Beverage industries, turn-key packaging lines

Markets/Industries Served: Food, beverage, pharmaceutical & cosmetic

Technicor Industrial Services Inc. 450 Richardson Rd Orangeville ON L9W 4W8 Tel: 5199416120 Fax: 5199406067

President: John Voight Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 1987 Services Offered: Precision Machining of Plastics for industrial application serving multiple sectors. Stocking Distributor of KMS Polymer Bearings.

Markets/Industries Served: Material Handling Equipment, Conveyors, Food Processing, Agricultural Equipment, Mining Equipment, Municipal Equipment.

Thermo Fisher Scientific 501 90th Ave NW Minneapolis MN 55433 Tel: 8002278891

President: Ellen C Share

Markets/Industries Served: Thermo Fisher Scientific has supplied food, personal care and pharmaceutical manufacturers with high quality standard and specialty product inspection systems, spare parts and service for over 65 years.

TNA North America, Inc. 680 S Royal Lane Coppell TX 75019 Tel: 9724626500 Fax: 9724626599

President: Patrick Avelange

Year Established as a Packing Line

Integraotor: 1982 Services Offered: TNA provides a comprehensive range of products including materials handling, processing, cooling and freezing, coating, distribution, seasoning, weighing, packaging, inserting and labelling, metal detection, verification and end of line solutions. TNA also offers a variety of production line controls integration & SCADA reporting options, project management and training.TNA’s unique combination of innovative technologies, extensive project management experience and 24/7 global support ensures customers achieve faster, more reliable and flexible food products at the lowest cost of ownership.

Markets/Industries Served: Snacks, Confectionery, French Fries, Nuts, Frozen foods, Pasta, Pet food, Meat & Poultry, Powders

Tri-Mach Group Inc.

23 Donway Crt Elmira ON N3B 0B1 Tel: 5197446565 Fax: 5197446829

President: Harold Whiteside

Year Established as a Packing Line Integraotor: 1985 Services Offered: Processing Line Automation/Integration, Custom Design Build Material Handling Systems. Packaging Equipment & Line Automation/Integration. Installation of Packaging Equipment (Mechanical & Electrical), Custom Fabrication, Sanitary Conveyors, Installations and Relocations

Markets/Industries Served: Food - Meat, Dairy, Fruit/Veg, Confectionary, Bakery; Liquid Processing; Personal Healthcare; Nutraceuticals

Packaging Automation Professionals

Packaging Development & Line E ciency Studies

Packaging Machinery Vendor Research Conceptual Line Design Bid Development and Budget Preparation Solution Implementation, Commissioning and Training

One Source, One Plan

Industries Served Food & Beverage Consumer Products Healthcare, Beauty & Cosmetics Industrial Medical and Pharma

Contact us at: one@planautomation.com 647 795 1787

Packaging Technologists, Engineers, Consultants Serving all of Canada

Weber Marking Systems of Canada

6180 Danville Rd Mississauga ON L5T 2H7 Tel: 9055646881

Fax: 9055646886

Year Established as a Packing Line Integraotor: 1932 Services Offered: With headquarters in Mississauga, Ontario and direct sales offices across Canada...Weber Marking Systems of Canada provides eye-catching, highquality custom labels, labelling solutions and marking/coding systems to the Canadian marketplace.

Our 24,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art, high-efficiency manufacturing and administration facility is capable of supporting all of your company’s labelling and coding requirements. Our Canada-wide network of sales, service and technical support specialists, along with our commitment to quality, has established our position as a leader in the industry.

Our representatives have an in-depth knowledge of labelling and coding equipment, data collection systems, labelling software, and label materials. They work as partners with our customers to acquire an understanding of each application. Our high-speed label presses and extensive library of die shapes give us the capacity and flexibility to meet your easiest and toughest labelling application. Visit us at www. webermarking.ca

Markets/Industries Served: Food, Beverage, Durable, Chemical, Horticultural, Automotive, Household Products, Healthcare/Pharmaceutical, Manufacturing, Personal Care/ Health & Beauty, Transportation, Sustainable, Wine/Beer/ Spirits, Promotional.

Weighpack Systems Inc.

5605 rue Cypihot Saint-Laurent QC H4S 1R3 Tel: 5144220808

Fax: 5144220834

President: Louis Taraborelli

Year Established as a Packing Line Integraotor: 1991 Services Offered: Since being established in 1991 and having delivered packaging systems to over 30 countries, WeighPack has long emphasized providing its customers quality built products using state of the art technology at reasonable prices.

Markets/Industries Served: • Food / Beverage• Hardware• Electronics• Pharmaceutical / Nutraceutical• Textiles

WestRock

4364 Southwest 34th St Orlando FL 32811 Tel: 4078431300 Fax: 4078438459

President: Diana Hunter

Services Offered: WestRock is the only North American company in the paper packaging industry with an in-house machinery manufacturing and service division that designs and manufactures a complete line of precision, semi- and fully-automatic case equipment. We offer more than 80 standard and customized configurations for customers in a variety of markets, for all types of products, and in multiple line speeds.

Before we deliver machinery to your facility, our team of packaging and machine engineers thoroughly analyzes your entire supply chain -- from the layout of machines on your factory floor to the way packages are unitized for transport. Armed with this knowledge and insight, we custom create a system that integrates our machines with our corrugated containers and offer support services to ensure that you get the most from your equipment to achieve your strategic objectives and meet your tactical needs.

Wright Hand Packaging Inc.

7-2679 Bristol Cir Oakville ON L6H 6Z8 Tel: 9058290025 Fax: 9058290027

President: Lynn Wright Year Established as a Packing Line Integraotor: 2000 Services Offered: Contract Packaging to all industries Markets/Industries Served: Pharmaceutical, Health and Beauty, Food, Stationary.

Wulftec/M.J.Maillis

209 Wulftec Ayer’s Cliff QC J0B 1C0 Tel: 8198384232 Fax: 8198385539

President: Colinda Lavallée

Year Established as a Packing Line Integraotor: 1990

Services Offered: Wulftec is a world-leading manufacturer of packaging solutions to help maximize productivity, minimize downtime and slash costs. Wulftec’s packaging equipment line includes: semi-automatic pallet stretch wrappers, fully automatic conveyorized stretch wrapping systems, pallet strapping equipment and pallet handling solutions & conveyors. Wulftec is based in Ayer¬øs Cliff, Quebec. Its start-of-the-art, 146,000 sq. ft. facility houses 198 highly skilled employees. Wulftec is part of the M.J. Maillis, a leading European Group that designs, manufactuers and distributes end-of-line industrial products and systems, including: trappers, stretchwrappers, shrink wrappers, carton sealing equipment and materials.

WHAT MAKES US UNIQUE

We offer a broad product range which allows you to buy from one single source. Each product can be customized to meet

customer’s specific needs. Wulftec offers a complete range of affordable options that allow end-users to customer build a machine that will meet their exact needs.

Yaskawa America, Inc.

Motoman Robotics Division 100 Automation Way Miamisburg OH 45342 Tel: 9378476200 Fax: 9378476277

President: Jennifer Katchmar

Year Established as a Packing Line Integraotor:

1989 Services Offered: Founded in 1989, Yaskawa Motoman is a leading robotics company in the Americas. With more than 300,000 Motoman robots, 10 million servos and 18 million inverter drives installed globally, Yaskawa provides automation products and solutions for virtually every industry and robotic application.

Markets/Industries Served: Yaskawa provides automation products and solutions for virtually every industry and robotic application; including arc welding, assembly, coating, dispensing, material handling, material cutting, material removal, packaging, palletizing and spot welding.

LINE INTEGRATORS

Yaskawa Motoman 100 Automation Way Miamisburg OH 45342 Tel: 9378476200 Fax: 9378473288

President: Jennifer Kann

Year Established as a Packing Line Integraotor: 1989

Services Offered: With nearly 300,000 robot arms installed worldwide and the broadest range robots on the market, Yaskawa Motoman is the global leader in robotic automation. Our robotic packaging systems handle a wide variety of food, beverage and consumer products.

Ever-changing products and packaging configurations require companies to manage endless variation in their manufacturing process. Our fast and flexible robots are designed specifically around packaging requirements and are accompanied by application enabling software and vision capabilities, designed with ease of use in mind to help companies meet the demands of today¬øs food, beverage and consumer products marketplace.

Markets/Industries Served: Yaskawa packaging systems handle a wide variety of food, beverage and consumer products.

Zarpac Inc. 1185 North Service Rd E Oakville ON L6H 1A7 Tel: 9053388880 Fax: 9053383521

President: Frank Roberts

Year Established as a Packing Line Integraotor: 1989

Services Offered: Complete systems integration and design build solutions

Markets/Industries Served: N.A., Mexico, S.A., Europe, Asia, Food and beverage; confectionery; Homecare; personal care and cosmetics; pharmaceutical; paper products; chemical; pet food

DEVICES

• 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.

AUTOMATION DEVICES

PROGRAMMABLE LOGIC CONTROLLERS

ABB Flexible Automation

Bizerba

Bosch

Sesotec

Aesus

Ahearn & Soper Inc.

B&R

Inc.

Siemens Canada Limited

Sort Production Products Ltd.

SteelNor / Inventure Engineering & Machinery

VC999 Canada Ltd.

Visuascan Inc.

Zarpac Inc.

MACHINE VISION

Aesus Packaging Systems, Inc.

Ahearn & Soper Inc.

ATS - Tanner Banding Systems Inc.

Balluff Canada Inc.

BluePrint Automation (BPA)

Bosch Rexroth Canada

Capmatic Ltd.

Cognex Corp.

Eagle PI

Edson Packaging Machinery Ltd. Festo Inc.

Harlund Industries Ltd.

Matrox

MD Packaging Inc.

Mecano Industrie

NJM Packaging

Omron Canada Inc.

Plan Automation Inc.

PPI Technologies Group

Rockwell Automation, Inc.

Sesotec Canada Ltd.

Shawpak Systems Ltd.

Siemens Canada Limited

Sort Production Products Ltd.

SteelNor / Inventure Engineering & Machinery

Techno Pak Packaging Systems Inc.

VC999 Canada Ltd.

Visuascan Inc.

Yaskawa America, Inc.

Zarpac Inc.

MOTION CONTROLLERS

ABB Flexible Automation

ABB Inc.

ABB Inc. - Business Unit Robotics

Ahearn & Soper Inc.

B&R Industrial Automation Inc.

Baumer Inc.

Beckhoff

Bosch Rexroth Canada

Capmatic Ltd.

Festo Inc.

General Conveyor Co. Ltd.

igus Inc.

Lenze Americas

Mecano Industrie

North American Laser Systems

Omron Canada Inc.

Plan Automation Inc.

Plexpack

Rockwell Automation, Inc.

Schneider Electric Canada Inc.

Septimatech Group Inc.

SEW Eurodrive Company of Canada Ltd.

Siemens Canada Limited

SteelNor / Inventure Engineering & Machinery

Visuascan Inc.

Wainbee Limited

Zarpac Inc.

PNEUMATIC DRIVES & CONTROLS

Ahearn & Soper Inc.

ASCO Numatics

B&R Industrial Automation Inc.

Capmatic Ltd.

Festo Inc.

Filamatic

Flexlink Systems Canada

Gebo Cermex Canada Inc.

General Conveyor Co. Ltd.

Mecano Industrie

Omron Canada Inc.

Plan Automation Inc.

Rockwell Automation, Inc.

Siemens Canada Limited

SteelNor / Inventure Engineering & Machinery

Tri-Mach Group Inc.

Visuascan Inc.

Wainbee Limited

Zarpac Inc.

ABB Inc.

ABB Inc. - Business Unit Robotics

Ahearn & Soper Inc.

B&R Industrial Automation Inc.

Beckhoff

Bosch Rexroth Canada

Capmatic Ltd.

Cousineau Packaging Inc.

Edson Packaging Machinery Ltd.

Festo Inc.

Flexlink Systems Canada

Gebo Cermex Canada Inc.

General Conveyor Co. Ltd.

Honeywell Intelligrated

Lenze Americas

MD Packaging Inc.

Mecano Industrie

Newmapak Ltd.

North American Laser Systems

Omron Canada Inc.

Pineberry Manufacturing Inc.

Plan Automation Inc.

Plexpack

Rockwell Automation, Inc.

Schneider Electric Canada Inc.

Septimatech Group Inc.

Siemens Canada Limited

Sort Production Products Ltd.

SteelNor / Inventure Engineering & Machinery

Steeltek - A Div. of 877418 Ont. Ltd.

Tri-Mach Group Inc.

Unitronics

Visuascan Inc.

Yaskawa America, Inc.

Zarpac Inc.

ROBOTIC

ABB

EQUIPMENT: CASE PACKING

AUTOMATION DEVICES

Inc.

Omron Canada Inc.

Pilz Automation Safety Canada LP Plan Automation Inc.

PMR Packaging Inc.

PPI Technologies Group

Premier Tech Chronos

Robatech Gluing Technology (Robatech Canada)

Rockwell Automation, Inc.

Samuel Packaging Systems Group

SteelNor / Inventure Engineering & Machinery

BA64/35 ® Arch Size: 640m x 350mm

or Paper Band. Film width: 28, 40, 48, 60, 75, 100 and 120mm Both single and combination banding

Heat seal Patented and unique vacuum arch which enables our systems to run the thinnest film in the industry (down to 1.4mil or 35micron or 0.035mm)

or Paper Band. Film width: 28, 40, 48, 60, 75, 100 and 120mm Both single and combination banding Heat seal Patented and unique vacuum arch which enables our systems to run the

Matthews Coditherm EAN-13, EAN 8, EAN-128, UPC-A Interleaved, Code 39, Code 128 (A,C), ITF-14, Paraf, HIBC 43, Binary, 2D matrix, PDF 417

NORDSON CANADA, LIMITED (in Canada: Edmonton, AB; Winnipeg, MB; Timeco-Marten, Calgary, AB)

BC 5100 Bar Code Reader LogiComm Control System Coabar, Code 39, Interleaved 2 of 5, Code 93, Code 128, UPC/EAN, Pharmacode, Bobst Code

PACKAGING EQUIPMENT SOLUTIONS INC.

Laetus All

PINEBERRY MANUFACTURING INC.

Pineberry HSF Series Friction Feeder with Barcode Reader 1D, 2D, EPS, QR Code, Pharmacode, Barcode, Code 39, Code 128, Data Matrix, Micro PDF, RFID Integrated or Stand-Alone Vertical or Horizontal

Pineberry SF Series Friction Feeder with Barcode Reader As Above Integrated or Stand-Alone Vertical or Horizontal

PPI TECHNOLOGIES GROUP (in Canada: Aesus Packaging Systems, Pointe Claire, QC; Charles Downer & Co., Ltd, Richmond Hill, ON; Kelloggs Corn Flakes Toronto Ontario)

PSG Yes All Check all items

ROBATECH GLUING TECHNOLOGY (ROBATECH CANADA) (in Canada: Robtech Glue Equipment)

Barcode

SQUID INK MANUFACTURING

CoPilot Code 39, Interleaved 2 of 5, UPC-A, EAN-8, EAN-13, Code 128, UCC-128, SCC-14 ITF, SCC-14 28, SSCC-18, MSI, DataMatrix, QR, MicroQR and PDF417 bar codes standard

CoPilot 128 As Above

CoPilot 256 As Above

CoPilot 500 As Above

TNA NORTH AMERICA, INC.

TNA intelli-read 3 UPC-A, UPC-E, EAN8, EAN13 VALCO MELTON Code Readers MS-911 Code 39, Codabar, Code 128, interleaved

of 5, Code 93, UPC/EAN/Pharma, OMR, AR, Datamatrix, Braille

one easily-integrated station could divert, transfer, and sort?

The MODSORT station is an innovative low-noise, low voltage modular transfer and diverter station. It can easily integrate with new or existing material handling systems, eliminating the need for a lift, pneumatics, or Z-direction position feedback devices, and can help achieve energy savings from 50-60% when integrated with a motorized roller-based system.

MODSORT utilizes System Plast® 2253RT Roller Top Belt featuring a 1-inch on-center sphere array, allowing very small packages to be moved. Motorized Drive Rollers and controls allow flexibility in wiring, the ability to move everything from exceptionally small polybags to boxes, and safe, efficient, quiet and low-maintenance operation.

Press On Corks and Caps various various Multi-Head Rotary Closer for Plastic Mushroom/T-Shaped Natural

AROL Gemini ® R, F and RF to 50bpm max Corks - R: Natural Straight, F: Natural Champagne, RF: Both various various Single Head Corker for

See how YuMi - the industry’s first truly collaborative dual arm robot - can facilitate to numerous applications side by side with your employees. YuMi stands for “You and Me, working together”, and with a 500 Gram load per arm paired with a 500 Millimeter reach, YuMi is ideal for efficiently working in hard to reach areas with accuracy. www.abb.com/robotics

Designing a Best Of Show Winner

Innovating for a Circular Economy

P&G Uses 25%

Recycled Beach Plastics

Getting Smart with Intelligent Packaging PAC 2018 Events Calendar

BUILDING BETTER CONNECTIONS

A Message from PAC President & CEO

As the packaging industry’s vital partner, PAC Packaging Consortium is proud and pleased to launch the inaugural issue of our PAC Connect magazine—created to showcase PAC and our industry thought-leaders with their insightful views on world-class package design, forwardlooking trends, breakthrough innovations and packaging sustainability.

For someone who has dedicated 50 years of my working life to this dynamic industry—having made my first “cold call” in May of 1968 walking into the factory office of the Continental Can Company, at the time the largest packaging company in the world—this publication represents an important personal and professional milestone.

My initial introduction to the former Packaging Association of Canada (PAC) took place in the early 1970s when I attended my first PAC seminar at the former Skyline Hotel in Toronto. That’s where I discovered the significant persuasive power of networking after hours in a bar, which is where a lot of sales and deals were made back in those days.

I became more closely involved with the PAC during the 1980s by becoming a PAC director and chair of the Ontario Chapter, followed by an invitation to join the group’s Board of Directors.

After spending most of the 1990s living in the U.S., I eagerly rejoined the PAC board in 2004, relishing the opportunity to give back to the association and the industry that provided an excellent career for me and my family.

In May of 2006 I volunteered my services for a 90-day interim CEO term to pull the association back from the brink of bankruptcy and extinction—a position I have been honored to fill to the best of my abilities ever since.

I firmly believe that PAC is still the best place to connect with industry leaders, and the launch of PAC Connect is just the latest of many PAC initiatives designed to helping you advance your own personal and business agenda.

Having rebranded the PAC name and modernized its logo to serve the needs of the international marketplace, we have successfully initiated and delivered several important programs of truly global significance to our industry.

This includes the development of IFS PACsecure—a global packaging food safety protocol now covering over 160 certified plants, including those operated by some of the world’s largest packaging companies such as International Paper and Amcor

As the sustainable packaging movement became entrenched throughout the global packaging value chain, our formation of the PAC NEXT working group in 2011 addressed the urgent imperative for the industry to boost recycling rates and reduce recovery costs.

More recently, we were deeply involved in the formation of the intelliPACK partnership to advance the use and application of smart packaging technologies in the

mainstream consumer markets. In this light, the launch of PAC Connect is a logical extension of our ongoing global efforts to stay relevant and engaged.

This expression of sentiment would not be complete without the acknowledgment of three world-class organizations that have substantially influenced my career, including Molson Coors, Procter & Gamble (P&G) and Walmart. Today, two of these global enterprises have PAC board of director representation—one current chair and one past chair—with the third actively engaged across a broad range of PAC activities.

As a reflection of these activities, this issue of PAC Connect addresses several important themes that are close and dear to our heart, including:

Marine Pollution. Acknowledging the joint efforts by P&G and TerraCycle in the development of the world’s first shampoo bottle made with recycled plastic collected from beaches around the world.

Design Innovation. While our own PAC Canadian Packaging Awards trace back to 1952, our relatively new PAC Global Leadership Awards competition now enters its third year, which we mark with an extensive article detailing how three international brand agencies have leveraged their design excellence to crate packaging for three recent Best of Show Award winners.

Food Waste. We look at how leading coffee producers are developing their unique environmentally-friendlier single-serve coffee capsule solutions that address the monumental global issue of food waste.

Circular Economy. We look at how leading beverage carton producers are working towards the shared goal of lowering the industry’s global environmental footprint and conserving the planet’s resources.

Having in some ways reached the pinnacle of my career with a 2014 induction into the Packaging Hall of Fame by the U.S.-based PMMI-The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies—becoming the first Canadian to join this elite group of 160-plus packaging career professionals—I feel exceptionally honored today to be a part of PAC and the wonderful industry it serves.

My 50 years in the packaging business have been a wonderful chapter in my life’s journey, and I am forever grateful to everyone who has helped me along the trail. Together, no wall is too tall.

James D. Downham, President & CEO, PAC Packaging Consortium

Spotlight on winning package design excellence 11 SINGULAR

Putting the green into the single-serve coffeee pods

17 SMART AND SMARTER

The promise of smart packaging within grasp

23 DAYS AT THE BEACH

Getting a grip on marine pollution

26 NO TIME TO WASTE

On a fast track to the Circular Economy

A full listing of the key PAC dates for 2018

THE ART OF WINNING

Raising the bar for package design excellence helps consumer brands compete and thrive in the new disruptive retail landscape

BY GEORGE GUIDONI, EDITOR

For today’s package designers, producing a package to protect a product is often the starting point of a creative journey to engage the brand with modern-day consumers who increasingly judge a package on what it means and represents almost as much for what it contains.

The late great Apple founder Steve Jobs once deftly observed that “Packaging can be theater, it can create a story,” and for all the new ways that leading consumer brands have at their disposal to make their sales pitch, there is still no substitute for actually having a good story to tell on the product’s packaging.

In the Canadian food industry, one of the biggest stories of the past decade has been the meteoric growth of the yogurt product category that helped many innovative dairy producers to thrive in spite of the fairly flat growth for dairy products as a whole.

Nowadays retailing in a dizzying array of flavors, sizes, textures and styles, it is hardly surprising that the North American consumers’ blossoming renaissance with yogurt products has coincided with some groundbreaking design work done by companies like the Mississauga, Ont.-based branding services agency Davis

According to the company’s president Ron Davis, taking on the challenge of updating an existing package design of the popular iÖGO range of yogurts, produced by the Montreal-based dairy products group Ultima Foods, was a thorough test of the company’s creative prowess and credentials.

Taking about eight months to complete, the project had to navigate through a vast realm of interlinked nuances, talking points, design elements and a multitude of other critical variables one would expect from a growing brand family comprising more that 100 different SKUs (stock-keeping units), according to Davis.

“The yogurt category is one of the most complicated, with lots of new innovation and changing consumer preferences,” Davis explains, citing the broad range of packaging formats— including bottles, tubs, pouches and cartons—entailed in the packaging refresh for the brand.

Launched across Canada in 2014, the iÖGO brand quickly became a brick seller and category leader in the Canadian marketplace, with its distinctive playful graphics and lettering helping create a lot of positive buzz at the shelf level and in the dairy aisles.

But with initial excitement of the launch slowly fading, Davis was brought onboard in 2015 to inject some additional marketing momentum into the brand for a comprehensive rethink of the original packaging elements, without a radical departure from the basic premise of emphasizing the product’s superior flavor, freshness and the use of real natural ingredients.

“So our challenge was to deliver this in a way that was distinctive at shelf and distinctively iÖGO,” Davis recalls.

“The previous design did a great job of communicating iÖGO at the shelf by being playful and distinctive,” Davis says, “but as the brand innovated, some new product lines and offerings were not being found at the shelf.

“With a highly unified design system, the different products looked too similar,” he says, “which limited consumer awareness and shoppability of distinct product lines.”

With the creative use of Germanic umlauts in the iÖGO brand name acknowledged as a key graphic branding element to draw the attention of children and their parents to the single-serve iÖGO Nano products intended for the younger

PAC president and chief executive officer James Downham (left) presenting the 2016 Best of Show Global Leadership Award to Ronald de Vlam, founder of the Webb deVlam group of companies, for the outstanding package design work on the Grant’s Elementary range of whiskies.

Featuring engaging new packaging design and graphics developed by leading Canadian branding and package design services provider Davis, the iÖGO brand of Ultima Foods was the Best of Show winner at last year’s Canadian Leadership Awards competition.

demographics, Davis decided to reinforce the brand’s identity by extending the iÖGO typography into the brand’s products aimed at adults.

“The redesign focused on the shoppability concern,” explains Davis, citing the identified need for a more holistic approach that would also allow the individual iÖGO subbrands to have their own say on the shelf for more effective distinction between the category segments.

“The brand had to retain its prominence,” he says, “but we also needed to create awareness of the multiple segments the brand was delivering to the market.

“The fact is that iÖGO is not a ‘kids-only’ or ‘classic yogurt’ brand,” he notes, “and so the new system needed to clearly communicate the brand’s vast variety of offerings to the consumers.

“With one of the largest ranges of products in the yogurt category, iÖGO’s offering required a powerful and consistent brand platform to create a unified masterbrand, while at the same time be able to strongly differentiate the various product lines—like Probio, Greek and Nano—to help consumers shop the category,” says Davis, noting the various creative possibilities offered by the hip lettering in the iÖGO name, specifically the triple-dot accent effect over the first two letters of the brand name.

“As the most recognizable part of the iÖGO identity, the umlauts were the inspiration for the final design system and a critical unifier at shelf,” Davis explains.

“All packs leverage an “umlaut” in some way—be it encircling the O of iÖGO in the core line, or housing the iÖGO brand logo in the more specialized offerings.”

Adds Ultima Foods vice-president of marketing Simon Small: “While the original iÖGO packaging was not broken, we knew there was tremendous potential if we could dial up landmarking on shelf, as well as articulating the subbrands and special offers.

“We selected Davis for their category, architecture and design insight,” Small relates, “and they proved to be a tremendous partner as we challenged ourselves and previously perceived brand assets, not to mention timelines, to deliver simply stunning results.”

Fittingly, those results drew the highest possible praise in the Canadian packaging industry several months ago, with the redesigned iÖGO packaging being recognized with the PAC Best of Show award in the 2017 Canadian Leadership Awards national packaging competition of the country’s leading packaging industry group PAC Packaging Consortium

According to Davis, “The iÖGO brand is a great example of mastering tensions in branding.

“When you get that right on you get the ‘dramatic simplicity’ you need to help the brands achieve maximum impact with minimum effort.

“Designing to balance that tension achieved strong business performance for Ultima Foods,” Davis relates.

Ultima’s Simon Small concurs: “The brand and pack restructure was a tremendous project on many fronts—most importantly, results.

“The Davis team delivered a highly shoppable refresh with a disruptive restructuring of the portfolio that resulted in improved store and in baseline sales.”

If helping consumers navigate the shelf easier and livelier is a hallmark of effective package design, then the London office of global brand and package design services group Bulletproof has certainly raised the bar with its stunning packaging update for the premium-quality PizzaExpress brand of chilled take-home pizzas retailing in the U.K.

Selected as winner of the Best of Show Brand Marketing Award in last year’s PAC Global Leadership Awards competition of PAC Packaging Consortium, the stylish litho-printed carton board sleeve pizza boxes ooze with upscale sophistication created by a masterful blend of vivid colors, life-like product photography, witty messaging and high-end matt, gloss and foil finishes to create an irresistible visual hook at the shelf level.

Nowadays operating over 500 restaurants across the U.K, Europe, China, India and the Middle East, brand-owner PizzaExpress was founded in London’s trendy Soho district in 1965 by Peter Boizot, a well-traveled reporter with a fierce passion for Italian cuisine.

With the original Soho location still widely revered by local and traveling foodies to this day, the company’s eventual entry into the retail market was a natural step for an iconic brand celebrating its 50th anniversary, but its initial foray onto supermarket shelves did not live up to high expectations.

“When PizzaExpress approached Bulletproof to redesign their retail range,

Above: The new carton design for the PizzaExpress Classic line of chilled pizzas featured introduction of bold colorways to provide consumers with easier navigation at the shelf level through effective product differentiation between the brand’s different recipes.

Right: In addition to redesigning the pizza cartons, the Bulletproof team also developed new packaging for the brand’s complementary side products such as dressings and flavored breads, with sales for both products ranges soaring right after their U.K. market relaunch.

Bulletproof’s global creative director and partner Nick Rees spearheaded the comprehensive package redesign project for the popular PizzaExpress brand of chilled pizzas and side products at the global branding and design agency’s European offices (inset) in London, England.

take-home chilled and frozen pizza growth in the U.K. had slowed to two per cent, compared to 4.2 per cent for the year before,” says Bulletproof’s global creative director and partner Nick Rees, noting that private-label pizza brands accounted for a giant 87.5-percent share of the entire chilled-pizza segment.

“The lack of standout shelf impact and unclear navigation was hitting premium brands, including PizzaExpress, particularly hard.”

As Rees relates, “The PizzaExpress brand targets affluent 24- to 45-year-old consumers from the southeast of England with a taste for the finer things in life.

“We characterized them as ‘Social Life Jugglers’—sociable, outgoing consumers who seek quality convenience, prefer food with an authentic story, and view taste and freshness as paramount,” Rees explains.

To reach this coveted demographic, Bulletproof was briefed to redesign the PizzaExpress ‘At Home’ range as part of a new one-brand strategy that would:

• Deliver a consistent retail brand identity to attract restaurant customers;

• Bring to life the passion, flair and taste of the restaurant experience to home;

• Entice new customers through stronger shelf visibility;

• Deliver premium packaging to help justify the higher price point and encourage purchase off-promotion;

• Create a tiered design system for classic and premium ranges, with options for future new product development and brand expansion;

• Develop clear and coherent flavor navigation at a range level, while ensure a consistent visual identity across multiple product ranges including pizza, bread, pasta and dressings.

Working closely with the client and key packaging suppliers, it took the Bulletproof team about 10 months to complete the extensive and complex project involving a launch of two new pizza variants—Classic and Romana—as well as complementary toppings and side-dishes like garlic bread.

By all accounts, it was time very well-spent, according to Rees.

“Throughout the whole redesign, we were heavily involved in the print process— from early initial key meetings with suppliers to attending print runs—which really helped to enforce our vision for the finished product,” he recounts. “Having a really supportive client working closely and collaboratively with us on every stage of the process helped immensely,” Rees states, noting the extra degree of complexity of meeting varying launch deadlines for the PizzaExpress Classic and PizzaExpress Romana product ranges.

“Each of the product ranges had a different lead-time, so we carefully managed the creative process to ensure the design development was considered holistically, and consistently, throughout,” he says.

“In the end, this helped achieved an impactful launch of the revamped PizzaExpress retail offering that will stand the test of time.”

Once launched, the new nine- and 12-inch PizzaExpress cartons generated immediate impact and excitement in the chilled and frozen food aisles, Rees relates.

“We captured the heritage and exuberance of the PizzaExpress story with a masterbrand proposition which heroed the core assets of the brand,” Rees explains, “while also leveraging the warmth, passion and artisanal detailing of the restaurant experience.

“The bold colorways for PizzaExpress Classic made for easier, more convenient navigation at the shelf level,” he expands, “while the handwritten typography was designed to feel authentic, yet playful and approachable.

“The new packaging helped creating a beacon of color in-store,” he says, “capturing the warmth and approachability of the PizzaExpress brand and demanding consumer attention by flexing the background color to reflect each flavor variant— creating a sea of color in the chilled pizza fixture.

“It’s a world away from the darker, more recessive color palette of the previous packaging,” says Rees, noting the intentionally downsized cutout windows on the front panel of the box to display the contents.

“Shunning category norms for large product windows, we significantly reduced the size of the windows on our pizza packaging, instead using our mouth-watering photography to showcase that these pizzas contain the same fresh, delicious ingredients enjoyed in PizzaExpress restaurants,” he explains.

“Moreover, we used the smaller on-pack windows to enhance the cartons’ structural integrity,” Rees points out.

“The previous pack with larger windows was structurally weak and, as a consequence, was susceptible to tearing.”

As for the companion PizzaExpress Romana range, comprising six tantalizing recipes, “We looked to incorporate special finishes, such as gloss varnishing and foiling, to make the new packaging feel more premium from a value-added perspective.

“We selected a black palette for the Romana range, with product color introduced through typography to clearly communicate the variant,” he explains, “while using silver foil on the branding logo, as well as matt and gloss varnish, to further ‘premiumize’ the packs.”

Rees says the new Romana boxes enabled PizzaExpress to earn a listing with the U.K. supermarket giant Tesco, helping the brand to tap into a vast new first-time consumer base and fuel a robust sales surge for the entire product range.

In the 12 weeks following the retail launch of the new packaging, the sales of PizzaExpress pizzas showed a 17-percent increase, representing an additional 1.15 million pizzas sold through the grocery channels.

Similarly, PizzaExpress brand breads enjoyed 3.2-percent volume growth in the 10 weeks after the relaunch.

“One of the key objectives of the relaunch was to increase cross-purchase within the PizzaExpress portfolio,” Rees reveals, “which was achieved in conjunction with a joint promotional and marketing push.

“Compared to pre-relaunch, 634,020 more PizzaExpress shoppers per year now choose to purchase a PizzaExpress side of bread with their PizzaExpress pizza— that’s a huge increase of 394 per cent.”

All in all, PizzaExpress earned an additional £10.85 million ($18.8 million) in retail sales since the relaunch,” says Rees, with first-time buyers driving a lot of that growth.

“The relaunch has been integral to achieving the brand’s ambitious growth targets without a need to resort to a price promotion,” Rees points out.

“But perhaps the most impressive contributor to the brand’s increased distribution is the new logical design system that facilitates speedy rollout of new product

PAC Packaging Consortium created the annual Global Leadership Awards competition three years ago to recognize and celebrate the best new packaging designs from around the world.

Bulletproof designers selected a black palette for the PizzaExpress Romana range of chilled pizzas for maximum visual impact of special finishes such as gloss varnishing and foiling.

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development to new distribution channels in a way previously inaccessible to the brand.”

While the aforementioned PAC Global Leadership Awards competition is only entering its third year in 2018, it had already drawn an impressive number of entries and interest from many leading global brandowners to warrant it being an annual event, according to PAC president and chief executive officer James Downham.

Partly inspired by the consortium’s biennial Canadian Leadership Awards competition that segments competing entries according to packaging type and format—flexibles, rigid, label, etc.—it primarily focuses on brand design, marketing and innovation, regardless to the type of packaging structure employed.

At its inaugural awards gala two years ago in Bonita Springs, Fla., the iconic Scottish whiskey and scotch distiller William Grant & Sons picked up one of the contest’s two first-ever Best of Show prizes with a stunning entry for the Grant’s Elementary range of whiskies produced exclusively for the so-called Global Travel Retail (GTR) channels, whose total sales were estimated at US$63.6 billion in 2016.

Developed by the U.K office of the global branding design services provider Webb deVlam, the sixmonth packaging redesign project involved taking the existing Grant’s packaging landscape and finessing it to address very unique requirements of the GTR retail environment.

“We had to be smart with the selections we used and how we dressed them up in order keep the project within budget,” recalls John-Paul Hunter, head of

Design at Webb deVlam’s London office, “but the important factor here was not to see this as negative but as a creative challenge.

“It gave us some clear guardrails to work within,” Hunter explains, “and we had a positive working relationship with the production team to ensure that we could successfully execute our creative vision.”

Because the global whiskey industry is highly diversified and segmented in a multitude of categories defined by point-of-origin, aging process, blending techniques and many other differentiators, creating a unifying packaging theme while allowing for each product to shine on its own merit was a formidable and sweeping undertaking.

As Hunter relates, “Webb deVlam always approaches creative challenges from a consumer point of view, so we had to secure access to different airport retail environments, store managers and sales teams, as well as the consumers themselves.

“This gave unparalleled insights into how to create differentiated product appeal and how to visually catch the eye in the incredibly unique shopping arena,” says Hunter, describing the targeted consumer audience as adventurous and affluent jetsetters seeking an “enlightening” experience from their preferred brands.

Comprising the six-year-old Grant’s Elementary Carbon, eight-year-old Grant’s Elementary Oxygen, and the 29-year-old Copper blends, the new range brilliantly employed the Periodic Table of chemical elements as a core unifying theme “to celebrate the science behind whiskey-making,” he points out.

“Each age statement reflects that number in the Periodic Table and the material element is utilized in that particular product’s distilling process,” Hunter explains.

“So Oxygen is distilled under vacuum to create a crisper, smoother drink,” he relates, “while charring the inside of the oak barrels gives Carbon a distinctive smoky flavor.

“For its part, the exclusive 29-year-old, Copper celebrates the sacrificial copper rings which remove harshness to create unparalleled smoothness,” Hunter extols.

“Each product was visually nuanced with the right level of premium cues aimed at the following segments as part of a confident storytelling side-step that would consciously avoid the usual references to provenance and artisan craftsmanship,” says Hunter.

“By demystifying the storytelling around modernday whiskey production, the brand appears transparent whilst promoting its innovative techniques,” he states.

“The Elementary range purposefully uses disruptive color-ways, finishes and age statements to create immediate shelf standout in the busy GTR channel,” says Hunter, noting that soon after its launch Grant’s Elementary won the Best-of-Show award in the highly prestigious Cannes Travel Retail Awards competition, garnering high praise for its inspired packaging excellence.

As he concludes, “Grant’s Elementary is a key piece of work in the continuing goal to make Grant’s a relevant option for today’s whiskey audience.”

Many cheers to that!

Developed specifically for the world’s lucrative GTR (Global Travel Retail) channels, the upscale Grant’s Elementary range of whiskies boasts a stunning packaging design for both primary and secondary packaging, developed by Webb deValm’s London office, making highly creative use of the Periodic Table of chemical elements to give each of the brand’s products a distinct unique personality with a high level of upscale elegance and sophistication targeting discerning and knowledgeable whiskey aficionados.

SINGULAR SOLUTIONS

Packaging innovation helping to address environmental concerns and public notoriety brewing over the popular single-serve coffee pods

BY MARY DEL CIANCIO

Single-serve coffee systems are found in many homes across Canada thanks, in large part, to the convenience and variety they offer consumers.

However, the single-serve coffee pods used in these popular systems have been the subject of much criticism in recent years due to the increased amount of packaging waste associated with them.

The pods haven’t typically been compostable or recyclable in municipal food waste programs, so they often end up in landfills—a major concern in today’s landscape characterized by growing emphasis on environmental sustainability, responsibility and awareness.

The good news is that single-serve coffee pod manufacturers have been working tirelessly in recent years to develop innovative, sustainable packaging that addresses these concerns. Several options—both compostable and recyclable— are already available on store shelves across the country, with more rolling out every day.

Club Coffee , a major Canadian roaster, contract manufacturer and distributor of packaged coffees, believes that it has the solution to single-serve waste—its

Keurig Green Mountain now makes its trademarked K-Cup coffee pods from the more easily and widely recyclable white polypropylene Number 5 plastic.

The single-serving coffee capsules from the Montreal-based Nestle Nespresso feature 100-percent aluminum constuction that makes them easily recyclable and more effectively diverted from the municipal wastestreams right across Canada, according to the company.

PurPod100 , the world’s first certified 100-percent compostable pod.

The Toronto-based company launched PurPod100 back in 2016 after testing it in municipal and industrial composting facilities—tests which proved that the eco-friendly pod could break down in as little as five weeks in aerobic composting processes, which is faster than many other food waste products.

The PurPod100 is certified by the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) and meets ASTM International ’s Standard D6868 for compostability, which means that it can disintegrate within an established period of time, produce compost that enables plant growth, and is safe for the environment.

And the pod can do all of this thanks to its innovative, award-winning packaging design and composition.

The PurPod100 ’s lid is made from a combination of paper and other compostable materials, as well as compostable inks; the ring—result of a collaboration between Club Coffee and the University of Guelph ’s Bioproducts Discovery and Development Centre—is made from a unique compostable blend of coffee chaff (the husk of the coffee bean) and bio-resins (plantbased plastics); and the mesh filter holding the coffee is made from renewable, bio-based materials.

The entire unit is compostable, a feat which has won the PurPod100 accolades for sustainable packaging and innovation in bioplastics from leading trade associations and publications. Leading brands, such as President’s Choice and McCafe , have also taken notice and adopted the format to house their popular coffees.

This is a win-win for consumers who get to enjoy the coffee they love, the convenience of being able to compost the entire pod, and the peace of mind knowing that waste isn’t going to a landfill.

“We’re delivering what consumers have made very clear they want—the same great coffee experience but with bio-based ingredients that

All key components used in the assembly of Club Coffee’s PurPod100 single-serve coffee capsules are made from certified compostable materials that fully biodegrade in about five weeks.

A close-up view of the compostable PurPod100 coffee capsules running through their packaging steps at the Club Coffee plant.

The compostable properties of Club Coffee’s PurPod100 coffee pods have made it the capsule of choice for some of the leading private-lable coffee brands in the Canadian market, including President’s Choice and McCafe.

make it simple for them to dispose of with other food waste,” says Solange Ackrill, Club Coffee’s vice-president of marketing.

“We are in front of a growing green wave of innovation because we worked with partners in the academic and business worlds to find and implement fundamental changes, like using coffee chaff that used to go to waste ... these pods are small but they’ve had a big impact.”

Keurig Green Mountain, a leader in innovative, single-serve brewing systems, has focused its efforts on recyclable pods. The company introduced its first recyclable K-Cup pods in the U.S. and Canada back in 2016, and has committed to making 100 per cent of its K-Cup pods in Canada recyclable by the end of 2018, and in North America by the end of 2020.

“When it comes to the single-serve pods, certainly the most visible challenge to the segment, and to our company, is making sure that those pods can be responsibly disposed of and have a second life,” explains Monique Oxender, chief sustainability officer at Keurig Green Mountain.

Previously, the company’s single-serve pods were manufactured from Number 7 plastic, which is not widely accepted for recycling.

After examining several options, the company decided that producing its K-Cup pod using recyclable polypropylene Number 5 plastic was the best solution for its customers and the environment.

More specifically, Keurig is using white polypropylene because there is more that can be

WONCE IN A LIFETIME

Putting carbon footprint in proper LCA context

hen looking at the environmental impact of packaging, it’s important to consider the entire life cycle of the product it protects, including how it’s grown, how it’s shipped, how it’s manufactured, how it’s stored and how it’s used by the consumer at home, says Rachel Morier, director of sustainability for PAC Packaging Consortium .When you consider all of these factors, she says, single-serve coffee offers many advantages.

In fact, PAC decided to investigate the entire life cycle of coffee and learned that the majority of the coffee footprint is in the production and preparation of the coffee, with only 15 per cent of the overall footprint attributed to packaging. Its 2015 report, titled Life Cycle Assessment of Coffee Consumption , compared a standard bulk brewed system with a hot plate to a standard Keurig system using the KCup format to determine which had a better environmental performance.

It found that if the consumer brewed the exact amount of coffee and consumed all of that coffee, there was very little difference in the environmental footprint between the two when you consider that the standard bulk brew system uses more electricity and water.

However, if the consumer prepared too much coffee or had to dispose of it due to loss of freshness, the footprint of a bulk brew system increased significantly.

“We still see there’s an opportunity to reduce packaging waste,” Morier says, “but at the same time being mindful that there is actually some benefit to having a single-serve system, depending on how consumers consume their coffee.”

According to Nespresso Canada ’s Caroline Duguay, single-serve capsules definitely suffer from an image problem rooted in insufficient public awareness of the larger issues at work.

“People often believe that packaging waste is the greatest environmental impact of coffee,” Duguay says, “but most studies show that coffee farming and the processes involved with roasting and brewing represent the majority of a coffee cup’s carbon footprint.

“One major benefit of portioned coffee is that it minimizes wasted resources,” Duguay states. “Because our precision technology uses only the exact amount of coffee beans, water and energy needed to brew a single cup, it saves resources, reduces waste and minimizes the carbon footprint.

“Moreover, many studies that analyze the environmental impacts of coffee brewing methods have found that portioned products can be a more sustainable option than alternatives such as filter coffee,” Duguay adds.

“When brewing filter coffee at home, people often use more resources than necessary by making make coffee in excess—using more grounds, water and energy than needed,” she points out.

“There’s also the energy used to run the hot-plates continusly to keep coffee warm,” she notes, “and whatever is left over ultimately just gets lost down the kitchen sink.”

Rachel Morier, Director of Sustainability, PAC Packaging Consortium

Nespresso encourages consumers to recycle their aluminum coffee pods through return programs with Canada Post (red bags) and municipal waste diversion agencies (green bags).

made from it, which allows the company to contribute to the circular economy, keeping resources in use for as long as possible.

The user simply has to peel away the lid, remove the grounds for composting, and place the plastic pod in the recycling bin.

“Our commitment is recyclable and recycled: We want to see it go all the way through the system,” says Oxender.

In order to ensure that these new pods can “go all the way through the system” and that they aren’t too small to be captured and diverted to the appropriate area, the company completed field tests at recycling facilities across North America using RFID (radio frequency identification) technology to track its pods.

Following these tests, Keurig discovered that the pods are not too small and, on average, make it to the correct recycling container line 90 per cent of the time.

For its part, Montreal-headquartered Nestlé Nespresso Canada has based its capsule sustainability strategy on the inherent recyclability of aluminum used to manufacture its single-serve capsules.

“Not only is it the best material to protect the quality of our coffee,” says the company’s communications director Caroline Duguay, “but it is also infinitely recyclable.

“Indeed, 75 per cent of all aluminum ever produced is still in use today,” says Duguay, adding the company goes through great lengths to collect all the coffee grounds during the recycling process to make nutrient-rich compost.

As she relates, “Our capsules are 100-percent recyclable, and we have put in place a local recycling system to collect capsules with minimal efforts for our consumers.

“They do not need to empty the capsule: they simply have to put the used capsules in a bag provided by Nespresso and return the bag via one of our different recycling options available across the country.”

Joining forces for the greater green cause

As leading Canadian suppliers of singe-serve coffee pods, PAC members Club Coffee, Keurig, Mother Parkers and Nestlé Nespresso are teaming up in a joint project aimed at enhancing the sustainability and environmental profile of this packaging format.

The key aim of this project will be to find practical answers to the following questions:

• What factors are involved in consumer decisions regarding disposal of coffee pods?

• What are the optimal ongoing ways for coffee brands to influence disposal outcomes?

• How do brands best communicate to consumers what they should

These options include a drop-off at one of 51 Nespresso-operated boutiques across Canada and, depending on availability, through municipal waste collection programs a special “red-bag” return program with Canada Post , and a special at-home recycling program administered by TerraCycle Canada

“From then, Nespresso takes care of the rest,” Duguay says. “The bags are collected and sent to our recycling partner, the coffee grounds are separated from the aluminum, and both are given a second life.”

Adds Nespresso Canada president Luc Valleix: “We know how important it is to reduce our environmental footprint and provide simple and accessible recycling solutions for our Club Members.

“We are particularly proud to be able to offer an innovative recycling service in collaboration with local partners. “

As Valleix makes it clear, developing innovative packaging is only part of the big picture.

The bottom line is that consumers must dispose of the packaging properly in order to see the maximum environmental benefit and not contaminate the various wastestreams—namely by not putting compostable pods in a recycling bin and recyclable pods in a compost bin.

This requires a change in the behavior of the consumers, many of whom have grown accustomed to simply throwing the pods in the garbage.

Communication is naturally key to solving this dilemma, but spreading the word is not just the responsibility of the manufacturers alone.

“It’s got to be a combined voice,” says Oxender. “We are also reaching out

do with their pods after use so that those consumers dispose of them properly?

Current thinking envisions the project as first analyzing the issues surrounding the disposal of single serve pods through secondary research and primary research, followed by application of that analysis to design a survey tool to test consumer understanding and decision-making regarding disposal of coffee pods.

Finally, to test different approaches to consumer education, such as in terms of package information, in-store information and information provided by compost manufacturers such as municipal solid waste programs. The result would be a new body of applied and evidence-based knowledge about how best to inform consumers about product innovations and packaging options and how best to maximize appropriate disposal by consumers of compostable and recyclable products, when both are in use, in local solid waste programs.

to and very much willing to work with communities so that it’s a common voice coming from the municipality and the brands about how to recycle the pods.

“And [we are] also open to working with other pod manufacturers to make sure we can minimize that confusion out there around ‘What do I do with this pod?’

“Having common and very clear, succinct instructions will be key across the entire industry segment.”

Rachel Morier, director of sustainability for PAC Packaging Consortium , agrees: “For single-serve coffee companies to make successful packaging that is sustainable, it’s not theirs alone to solve.

“It requires cooperation from everyone. It requires cooperation from the consumer. It requires cooperation from waste handlers and municipalities.”

Indeed, collaboration is critical, adds Club Coffee’s Ackrill.

“We have learned much more than we expected about sustainable packaging solutions when we started down this path. One of the big lessons has been the value of collaboration with experts to find the best ways to meet the needs of our customers and consumers,” she says.

“We all have a stake in finding better ways to address environmental concerns about waste.”

Through collaboration, continued innovation and an increased emphasis on sustainable packaging, the single-serve coffee sector is making major strides in ensuring that its customers have a solution that they can feel good about—a solution that’s better for their families and the environment.

SEW-Coffe-4.875x7.5TAB-Jan17.pdf 1 25/01/2017 12:44:05 PM

SMART AND SMARTER

The promise of intelligent packaging inches nearer to practical everyday reality in keeping pace with the fast-changing retail landscape

BY GEORGE GUIDONI, EDITOR

In today’s fiercely competitive global retail environment, packaging must do far more than simply protect the container’s contents and draw eye contact with the passerby shoppers.

Increasingly, new considerations of extended shelf-life, improved product and brand security, greater transparency and full product traceability are driving robust global demand for technology-based packaging and labeling solutions to validate product authenticity, deter counterfeiting, monitor freshness and track environmental conditions—just for starters.

It’s all part of the larger goal of ensuring a more positive consumer experience from the moment of purchase—be it at the store or a home delivery—to eventual disposal of the package, preferably in the most environmentally-friendly way possible.

According to a recent report published by Allied Market Research, the global smart packaging market size is estimated to reach nearly $38 billion by 2022, growing at a brisk annual rate of 6.9 per cent from 2016 levels.

“Changes in lifestyle patterns due to rapid urbanization, particularly in emerging economies, and growth in consumption of beauty products with advancement in technology are driving the growth of the smart packaging market,” according to the study, titled Smart Packaging Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast

Also often referred to as ‘active’ or ‘intelligent’ packaging, some of these technologies—such as oxygen scavengers, anti-microbials and thermochromatic inks—have been around for years, without necessarily being called smart per se.

But it is really the advent of smartphone technology and the growing interconnectivity of all sorts of devices in today’s Internet of Things age that are providing the perfect launch platform for a full-on smart packaging revolution in mainstream consumer markets, according to the technology’s proponents,

As the Allied Market Research study points out, “The emergence of printed electronics holds out the promise of enhanced traceability and data capture, with the potential to integrate brand owner and consumer via web-based apps and social media.

“The challenge for brand-owners and packaging producers is to understand the

possibilities and to identify the solutions to realize them,” the report states.

In North America, efforts to promote wider use of smart packaging technologies are spearheaded by the Ottawa-based intelliFLEX Innovation Alliance, which includes the intelliPACK program of educational and skill-training events and initiatives the group administers jointly with strategic partner PAC Packaging Consortium, with support of the National Research Council (NRC)

Under the program, intelliPACK’s Leadership Council organizes a series of seminars and conferences throughout the year across North America covering the design, process and materials used in the manufacture and application of printed electronics and other fledgling smart packaging technologies.

So far, the global healthcare industry has been one of the more enthusiastic adopters of the smart packaging technologies, largely for product traceability purposes.

“The integration of barcodes, RFID (radio frequency identification) tags or sensors is highly useful within the industry as it monitors authenticity of medicines and provides the patients, pharmacists and other healthcare professionals with details about the expiry date, consumption, and dosages,” the Allied Market Research report points out.

“In addition, smart packaging industry helps the healthcare sector to deal with challenges such as counterfeit and patient compliance, thereby providing complete security.”

Likewise, the personal care product manufacturers are also ramping up their use of so-called “smart coding” techniques to combat counterfeiting and ensure product authenticity.

The ability to share and gather vast amounts of date and information offers a multitude of consumer market research opportunities for leading multinational CPG brand-owners and other manufacturers, according to Christina Cvetan, who works at the R&D Packaging Capability, Print & Connectivity department of global consumer products powerhouse Unilever plc.

“Unilever has been involved in the development of “smart” packaging for many years, focusing more recently on the emerging printed electronics capability and the ability to enable a connected package,” Cvetan says.

“Connected smart package solutions will enable the physical package to provide intelligence and experience via the digital world,” she explains.

“The intelligence capability provides the ability to drive more sustainable packaging and to track and report end-to-end impacts that can lead to design and ef-

Manufactured by Jones Packaging in London, Ont., the CliniPure cartons utilize the ThinFilm Electronics OpenSense NFC (near field communications) labels embedded inside the cartons to enable smartphone users to easily authenticate the photochemical product packed inside.

From Left: PAC president James Dowhham shares the spotlight with keynote speaker Joe Jackman, chief executive officer of Toronto-based branding and graphic design firm Jackman Reinvents, and Peter Kallai, president of the intelliFLEX Innovation Alliance, at last year’s Get Smart Summit conference on smart packaging technologies in Mississauga, Ont.

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ficiency improvements.

“The experience delivery also provides an opportunity to enhance the customer, shopper and consumer engagements,” Cvetan adds, “along with an opportunity to gather specific data and insights across the packaging touch-points that can then be used to deliver an enhanced user experience and improve any package design.”

With an estimated 2.5 billion people worldwide using a Unilever brand product, the extra cost of implementing smart packaging solutions ultimately outweigh the future costs of ignoring the technology altogether, according to Cvetan.

“Manufacturing advancements in printed electronics, sensors and communication capabilities are driving affordability—making it more attractive and practical for users,” says Cvetan, advising aspiring end-users to do proper research and due diligence prior to selecting the right smart technology to suit their application-specific needs and objectives.

“The rapid pace of technology developments is moving so quickly that it can be a challenge to maintain focus on a specific technology or capability,” she says. “It requires disciplined focus, speed and close collaboration to trial, prove, learn and execute successfully.”

One company that has enjoyed considerable success in marketing its own patented technology for smart packaging applications is the Beaverton, Ore.-based software developer Digimarc Corporation

Founded in 1995, the publicly-traded company got its start by developing digital watermarking technologies that were initially used to protect government documents and digital cinema markets, recently expanding its focus to retail markets following the 2014 launch of its near-invisible Digimarc Barcode technology.

As the company’s deftly-titled chief evangelist Larry Logan explained in a recent interview, smart packaging is poised to become the next big must-have in today’s increasingly chaotic and competitive retail landscape for brands to protect their market share and nurture brand loyalty among the tech-savvy millennial consumers.

Q.What are the key value-added benefits of smart packaging compared to traditional packaging?

A. Traditional packages are fine to protect and promote the product, but in today’s digital era they don’t effectively communicate with consumers and the data-driven supply chain systems that are crucial for ensuring on-shelf availability (OSA) and maintaining profit margins for retailers and brands.

Smart packaging delivers more data to make every step in the supply chain more reliable and efficient—from the matching of component parts during the manufacturing process to initiating effective product recalls for consumer brands.

For retailers, particularly for ‘fresh food’ labels, smart packaging can facilitate dynamic markdowns to help move items that might soon expire without all the manual effort common today.

For consumers, smart packaging delivers greater product transparency, whereby shoppers can instantly access nutrition facts, other ingredients and information about product origin.

As for brands, they can communicate directly with consumers via mobile de-

vices to continue the conversation at home, whether that means providing recipes, how-to tips, consumer reviews, cross-selling suggestions, or other opportunities to maintain a digital dialogue.

Q.What exactly is so ‘smart’ about Digimark’s technology?

A. At Digimarc, we deliver machine-readable codes by subtly altering the graphic elements within the packaging artwork to convey meaningful information.

In normal usage, this change is imperceptible and cannot be discerned by consumers. However, computing devices such as retail scanners, machine vision cameras, and mobile devices can instantly detect the data.

We use the actual artwork pixels to be the carrier for the code, in essence creating what we call “signal rich art.” It cannot be removed or altered, which helps prevent theft and counterfeiting.

And, because the Digimarc Barcode is largely imperceptible, it can be replicated across most surfaces of the packaging, which means it scans faster and more reliably regardless of the angle or rotation it’s presented to the scanner, or in case the UPC gets damaged in some way.

Traditional barcodes are usually on the bottom or back of a box, requiring cashiers to manipulate the package at checkout. This takes time and effort, which has historically lead to long lines for shoppers and significant workplace injury claims for cashiers the retailers who employ them.

Q.Which products are best-suited for smart packaging applications?

A Any consumer packaged good can be a good candidate for using Digimarc Barcode—especially those featuring CMYK process printing.

When using other technologies such as RFID (radio frequency identification) or NFC (near-field communications), retailers and brands often have to limit their application to more premium products, at higher price-points, to help defray the increased per-unit costs owing to expensive chips or hardware installations.

Q. How big of an issue is affordability for more widespread smart packaging adaptation?

A. The costs of some of these technolgies, including RFID and NFC, have come down over time, which makes them ever more likely to be used beyond the luxury product categories to which they were relegated in the past.

But perhaps more importantly, the widespread adoption of smartphones—nowadays found in almost every purse or pocket throughout much of the developed world—has opened up huge opportunities across many industries.

Insofar as it relates to retail and product packaging, consumers can now swiftly scan products to compare prices online, while instantly accessing consumer reviews, instructional videos and other helpful content.

And as the cost of scanners, detectors and machine vision camera systems, including inventory management robots, continues to fall in the future, all these innovations will become much readily accessible to many retailers and brands.

Digimarc’s chief evangelist Larry Logan takes the stage at an industry seminar to explain the benefits of his company’s patented Digimarc Barcode technology used for a broad range of smart packaging applications such as product authentication and self-checkout automation.

Deploying the near-imperceptible Digimarc Barcode technology at supermarket self-checkout aisles expedites the whole process by virtue of not having to manipulate the package in order for the scanner to read the UPC code, resulting in shorter lineups and happier shoppers.

Q.To what extent is smart packaging a consumer-driven development?

A. Many analysts note that the Internet of Things now includes packaging—resulting in significant investment towards network-enabled devices that reduce costs and improve the shopping experience for consumers.

Consumers expect and demand that products are transparent, and they desire access to content that cannot fit on a package. Because they want instant access to more and better information about the products they buy and the foods they eat, smart packaging is an obvious area of future focus for retailers and brands.

Also, a smart package is an ideal way to foster greater brand affinity and one-to-one engagement between the CPG and its users, which is a powerful capability for brands that are under the challenge of lost market share.

Q How does your smart packaging technology measure up against competing alternatives?

A. One of the most obvious advantages of Digimarc Barcode is our flat-rate pricing. Brands buy the Digimarc Barcode, license it on an annual basis, and pay their graphics vendors a one-time fee for its application to their packaging

After that, there are no per-unit costs, regardless whether suppliers ship 10,000 or 10 million packages. This cost certainty is very attractive to many companies.

Moreover, our solutions are very broad-based, so that in addition to facilitating consumer engagement and improved front-of store efficiency, we can reduce the frustration with self-checkout by making scan-and-go more reliable and easier for the shopper.

In terms of performance, Digimarc Barcode is more reliable and efficient because it is a platform solution benefitting each step along the package journey— from manufacturing to the consumer at home, postpurchase.

And although Digimarc Barcode has been applied to all forms of printing, it is at its best when working with process printing (CMYK) because it limits the visibility to the human eye, while maximizing detection capabilities for computer devices.

Q With all that said, what is holding back a more widespread adoption of smart packaging in the mainstream consumer retail channels.

A.We must appreciate that we are talking about a very new consumer behavior. To some extent, the fact that

the vast majority of shoppers aren’t accustomed to scanning products in their pantry or on store-shelves has contributed to the inertia.

But that’s already beginning to change. Shoppers are savvier today, and younger generations who’ve grown up immersed in technology are becoming a larger percentage of the workforce and the economy.

On the corporate side, some retailers are waiting for critical mass of smart packaging on shelves, while some brands are reluctant to activate their packaging until a majority of retailers have scanning devices to detect smart packaging.

It’s a classic conundrum that is usually overcome at first by a minority of enterprising, forward-thinking and disruptive innovators, as is the case in many different markets.

You see such innovation-thinking with our initial adoption by Wegmans, which was also the first retailer to broadly deploy the now-standard UPC codes. We think the retail sector, where the separation between bricks-and-mortar and the digital shelf has all but vanished, is at that stage now, and we are happy to play a role to support this sea change.

At Digimarc, we believe that packaging is an analog solution in a digital world, and we are the bridge between them.

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The whisky is made in a single copper pot still and aged in virgin oak barrels. The distinct copper label creates an emotive response from Lot 40 enthusiasts. “Like Lot 40, we wanted to create something that embodies the finest in craftsmanship,” states Davis Design Director Erick Nielsen. “Every little detail matters, from the subtle patina on the copper to the authentic paper label showing each bottle’s edition number.”

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DAYS AT THE BEACH

A shampoo bottle made with recycled beach plastic offers hope for stemming the tide in ongoing epic battle against marine pollution

BY GEORGE GUIDONI, EDITOR

The idea that there will be more plastic than fish swimming in the world’s oceans within our lifetime may seem unfathomable, but according to some leading environmental experts, it’s an inconvenient reality fraught with disastrous consequences for mankind and the planet.

According to a widely cited 2016 report from the highly-respected Ellen MacArthur Foundation in the U.K., there are at least eight million tonnes of plastics leaking into the ocean each year—threatening to overwhelm and obliterate the planet’s increasingly fragile marine ecosystems.

“In a business-as-usual scenario, the ocean is expected to contain one tonne of plastic for every tonne of fish by 2025,” the report warns, “and by 2050 more plastics than fish [by weight].”

While such dire warnings are all too often shrugged

off as unfounded hysteria in today’s new political climate of global warming denial, it’s hard to argue with the mounting body of ugly evidence washing up on beaches around the world in the form of discarded plastic bottles, bags, pouches and other packaging debris that continuously escapes into the world’s waterways at an alarming rate.

On the bright side, some of the world’s leading consumer packaged goods (CPG) brand-owners and manufacturers who are the biggest end-users of the runaway plastic packaging are finally owing up to their part in creating the mess, and the urgent need to start cleaning it up pronto.

For the Cincinnati, Ohio-headquartered consumer goods colossus Procter & Gamble (P&G), this meant not just cleaning up the littered beaches, but using the collected bits of plastic to make a useful new product, rather than simply divert the rubbish

TerraCycle’s founder and chief executive officer Tom Szaky making a presentation at the 2017 Word Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, outlining the basics of his company’s collaboration with Procter & Gamble and SUEZ Environment that collects washed-up plastic waste from the world’s beaches and upcycles it into recycled HDPE pellets that can be used to make new useful products, including the new Head & Shoulder brand shampoo bottle launched by P&G last year in France and Germany.

to landfills.

After conducting extensive studies, P&G decided to leverage the global mass appeal of its iconic Head & Shoulders shampoo brand to bring the issue to public light in the form of a distinctively-marketed special bottle containing 25-percent reused plastic waste collected from polluted beaches, oceans, rivers and other waterways.

To carry out the project, P&G turned to its trusted longtime recycling partner TerraCycle, Trenton, N.J.-based waste recovery company specializing in the “upcycling” of hard-to-recycle waste.

“We have already worked with P&G for over five years

across the world running over a dozen national collection and recycling programs—from recycling household cleaner packaging in Canada to dirty diapers in Holland,” says TerraCycle’s chief executive officer and founder Tom Szaky.

“The success of those programs gave the P&G team to entrust their Ocean Plastic supply chain initiative to the Terra Cycle team,” says Szaky, who grew up in Toronto before enrolling at Princeton University and founding TerraCycle in 2001 after dropping out of his sophomore year.

The two companies, both active high-profile members of PAC Packaging Consortium and its PAC NEXT initiative, quickly proceeded to bring their vision to life after

partnering up with the French utility company SUEZ Environment, which specializes in wastewater treatment and waste recovery.

“This all moved relatively quickly after P&G came to us with their challenge in late 2016,” Szaky recalls. “All the R&D, supply chain creation and delivery of the first order were completed in time to announce the project to the world at the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in January of 2017.

As Szaky recalls, “The main issue was to get the maximum amount of ocean plastic into the bottle.

“Bottle molders needed testing data to make sure the material wasn’t too degraded to use, so the R&D process was quite involved, with lots and lots of testing.

“We had to fully understand the material specifications of the standard H&S bottle so we could make sure the resin we produced would be moldable,” Szaky relates.

“After much testing, it was determined that we could go to a maximum content threshold of 25 per cent.”

Each of the three partner companies made significant input in the development of the suitable recycled plastic pellets, says Szaky, also extending credit to hundreds of different NGOs (nongovernmental organizations) and other volunteer group for running collection programs worldwide.

“TerraCycle’s role was to manage the entire process—from on-site collection and getting that waste to TerraCycle warehouses to processing it into the finished plastic pellets to be supplied to P&G’s bottle manufacturing partners,” Szaky explains.

“Once the material is received, TerraCycle does a manual sort to remove hazardous materials or other unrecyclables, like fishing nets, and send the waste to a SUEZ facility, where it is mechanically sorted, cleaned and pelletized.

“The finished HDPE (high-density polyethylene) pellets are then sent to P&G’s bottle manufacturer APLA to be compounded, formed and filled.”

According to Brent Heist, head of P&G’s Packaging sustainability team in Cincinnati, the new bottle is the “first of its kind” in terms of containing significant recycled content and also being recyclable itself.

“It also matched all the technical criteria necessary to ensure consumers have a delightful user experience,” says Heist, while also praising the gray bottle’s distinct shelf impact and differentiation, along with its effective messaging about the bottle’s environmental attributes.

“The public response to the Head & Shoulders beach plastic campaign has

been fantastic,” Heist extols.

“Consumer responses have indicated a strong connection to the need for increased recycling to help ensure that their beaches are not polluted with plastic waste.”

Szaky estimates that the project has effectively removed 80 tonnes of plastic waste from beaches and waterways across six continents.

“As far as we know, this is the largest solution to ocean plastic to date in terms of volume and the recycled content used in the package,” says Szaky, citing “incredible” consumer response to the unique new Head & Shoulders shampoo bottles launched across France last summer.

“That successful launch enabled P&G to develop exclusive relationships with top retailers Carrefour in France and Rewe in Germany,” he says, “and both retailers saw very strong sales of the product.

“Thanks to that early success, the project is now being expanded to North America, Latin America, Asia, more EU countries and Oceania,” says Szaky, noting the new P&G bottle has gathered seven international awards in 2017 alone—including the United Nations (UN)’s Momentum for Change Lighthouse Activity Award last fall.

“We knew we were doing something worthwhile and exciting,” Szaky reflects, “but to be recognized by an organization like the UN for our efforts is pretty amazing and very inspiring to our partners, our team and our collectors.

“We hope this will be just the beginning and that this platform will continue to make a meaningful impact on the global crisis of ocean plastic,” says Szaky, noting very positive early indications.

“From the beginning, we and P&G talked about it as a bigger movement—and not a one-off market-

ing campaign,” Szaky relates. “In just a few months, a beach plastic dish soap bottle will go on shelves in the U.K.,” he adds, “and we are in the planning stages for other launches later this year.

“In addition, P&G has expanded their ‘Ocean Plastic’ platform to their dish-care products business and is likely going to add other business units this year, while a number of their of competitors have reached out to us, aiming to launch similar platforms in 2018 and 2019,” Szaky states.

While Szaky acknowledges that the 80 tons of plastic removed from the waterways as part of the new Head & Shoulders bottle development may at this stage be the proverbial drop in the ocean, he is very upbeat on positive momentum the endeavor has built up for tackling the global marine pollution problem head-on.

“Instead of just talking about something, we figured out a way to do it by focusing on execution, rather than theory,” he states.

“The P&G team really stepped up to the plate by making a firm commitment to use this plastic,” Szaky points out, “and that drove their organization, as well as ours, to make it a reality quickly and in a big way.

“It would have been easy to talk and analyze costs and benefits a lot longer, but we all jumped in and focused on making execution the Number One priority.

“It was only after that we looked at the cost efficiencies and other supply chain benefits, which incidentally were also realized in a big way.”

Says Szaky:“We and P&G are on a mission to call attention to the gargantuan global issue of ocean plastic pollution.

“We are educating through messaging in-store and on the bottle, we are encouraging consumers to physi-

cally participate in beach cleanups, and to purchase the bottle to show support for the issue,” he concludes.

“Through these opportunities, we will hopefully help people understand the problem of ocean plastic, change their thinking about waste, and encourage new consumer behavior.”

Adds Heist: “Consumer education and awareness of the need to recycle is a continuing effort [and] P&G will continue to expand our campaign to help drive awareness for the need to recycle in other countries as well.

“The ideal outcome would be that all consumer packaging is properly collected, sorted, processed and recycled into usable plastic materials to be used in packaging again,” Heist concludes.

“There should not be any plastic waste on the world’s beaches, full stop.”

Volunteers from Initiatives Oceanes, a cross-France program administered by Surfrider Europe, getting ready to begin collecting plastic waste washed up ashore one of the many beaches cleaned worldwide as part of a unique collaboration between TerraCycle, Procter & Gamble and SUEZ Environment.

From Left: Sarah Teeter of TerraCycle, Jean-Marc Boursier of SUEZ Environment, and Lisa Jennings of Procter & Gamble receiving the United Nation’s Momentum for Change Lighthouse Activity Award at a special ceremony last year in Bonn, Germany.

NO TIME TO WASTE

Global waste crisis fuels broad-based momentum to remodel conventional manufacturing mindset around the key Circular Economy principles

BY GEORGE GUIDONI, EDITOR

Aworld without waste may sound like a utopian pipe dream, but in mankind’s everlasting quest to make our planet a better place the journey can often be as important as the final destination.

For Canada’s leading packaging industry group’s PAC Packaging Consortium, its journey to a waste-free future began in earnest in 2011 with formation of the PAC NEXT working group, mandated with developing programs and action plans to help companies across numerous sectors to reduce their environmental footprint through the big 3 R’s of reduce, reuse and recycle.

Nowadays headed by PAC director of sustainability Rachel Morier, the group has recently embraced the bold new concept of a Circular Economy—coined by the leading U.K. environmental think-tank Ellen MacArthur Foundation—as a guiding blueprint for its future efforts in advancing packaging sustainability.

While Morier admits there is a lot of work to be done to turn skeptics into believers, her commitment to promoting the cause of Circular Economy is aptly matched by her deep conviction in its feasibility and viability.

Manufactured by ReWall Company, the interior wall panels inside this plant are made from recycled paperboard beverage cartons via an innovative a specialized process that requires no water, formaldehyde glues or other hazardous chemicals.

“The Circular Economy is absolutely achievable, or else there would be no use in investing time and resources in it,” Morier proclaims.

“Of course, it requires much hard work, careful planning and collaboration, with many challenges ahead to align the interests of government, industry and the public.

“It will take a concerted effort to re-work a system that has been in place for years,” Morier acknowledges, “but the momentum is building step-by-step with each new corporate policy, each new passing legislation, each new sorting or processing technology, and with each new packaging innovation.”

Often described as an alternative to the traditional linear economy model based on the three pillars of ‘make, use, dispose,’ the Circular Economy is a more closed-loop regenerative system that not only emphasizes the maximum use of the available resources for the duration of a product’s life-time but also the reuse of those materials at the end of each product’s service life to make other products—thereby taking the ‘dispose’ part, i.e. waste, completely out of the equation.

While the concept was developed primarily to address the growing worldwide problem of plastic waste, it is equally applicable to virtually any man-made material used to produce packaging for consumer and industrial goods, as well as the goods themselves.

As Morier explains, the Circular Concept economy inherently requires a big picture approach to new product development whereby the product’s end-oflife is addressed at the early design and prototyping stages.

“I believe the Circular Economy model reminds us

that there is no defined single path to achieve circularity,” she says.

“Some argue that the focus of the Circular Economy model is making everything recyclable or compostable, which is false.

“If you have created a recyclable package but your overall carbon footprint is high, then there is still work to be done,” says Morier.

“If you have sourced local and renewable materials to reduce your carbon footprint but your packaging still ends up in landfill, then there is still work to be done.”

Says Morier: “The biggest challenge with adopting the “circular economy” is that it requires long-term thinking and a willingness to collaborate.

“As a result, this can be very difficult to plan for in today’s fast-paced, competitive environment.”

Difficult but not impossible, says Morier, citing the 100-percent recycled plastic containers used for the Lush Cosmetics’ hand and body creams, with fivepercent content made from reprocessed plastic waste collected from the shorelines of British Columbia islands under auspices of the Ocean Legacy Foundation group.

“The intent is to source materials renewably to create a packaged product that can then be put back into the system to be recycled again,” Morier relates.

“Not only does this packaging help incorporate recycled content to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” she notes, “but it also raises consumer awareness of ocean plastic pollution.”

Other examples abound.

PAC’s director of sustainability Rachel Morier heads the PAC NEXT initiative aimed at helping to facilitate and bring to life the long-term vision of a world without packaging waste.

Isabelle Faucher, managing director of the Carton Council of Canada (CCC), points to her group’s collaboration with the Des Moines, Iowa-based construction materials manufacturer ReWall Company as a shining example of Circular Economy at work.

Founded in 2008, ReWall is a thriving manufacturer of roofing products and construction materials made from recycled food and beverage cartons such as the aseptic paperboard cartons manufactured by companies such as Tetra Pak and SIG Combibloc, among others.

The company employs a specialized low-energy, eco-friendly process that uses no water, formaldehyde glues or hazardous chemicals to produce quality roof cover board, exterior sheathing, wallboard and floor underlayment.

“We have discovered that the unique properties of food and beverage cartons, such as strength, durability and resistance to mold and moisture, make them an ideal material for creating high-quality building materials,” says ReWall Company’s chief executive officer Jan Rayman.

“In addition, the life-cycle of the cartons will continue to grow because the building materials themselves can also be recycled.”

With technical and financial assistance from Carton Council, ReWall has more than doubled its manufacturing capacity late last year with the addition of new specialized equipment—enabling ReWall to recycle over 600 tonnes of recovered paperboard per month.

“Ensuring there are stable and robust end-markets to recycle used cartons is critically important to the circular economy,” says Faucher.

“Recycling is a crucial component of the circular economy, and sustainable, high-performing recycling systems are es-

sential to recovering the source materials that supply the manufacturing process.

“Since our formation in 2009, we have collaborated with municipalities, sorting facilities, the waste management industry and schools to increase carton collection and recycling,” says Faucher, “while also working tirelessly to make post-consumer cartons a valuable commodity tradable on the global markets.”

These activities are perfectly aligned with the sustainability mindset guiding all operations of the global aseptic packaging and processing technologies leader Tetra Pak.

“Our vision for packaging in a Circular Economy is simple: Packaging

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Isabelle Faucher, managing director the Canadian Carton Council (CCC), says it is essential to identify and develop promising end-use markets for recycled packaging waste to help the Circular Economy grow and evolve.

material made of renewable content, sustainably sourced, and recycled at the end of its life-cycle,” states Elisabeth Comere, Tetra Pak’s director of environment for the U.S. and Canada.

“We recognize that the linear ‘make, use, dispose’ model puts significant pressure on natural capital and drives the need for energy/fossil fuel and, consequently, the generated carbon emissions,” Comere explains.

“On the other hand, the Circular Economy, both recognizes both the potential of using renewable materials from sustainable sources, and the converting of waste into new resources to help reduce greenhouse emissions and their cli

beverage cartons consumed in Canada are currently recycled into new products—more then double the 26-percent rate only 10 years ago.

Considering that the Tetra Pak cartons are for the most part largely constructed from renewable materials sourced from certified forests and sugar-cane plantations, the company’s contribution to the development of a Circular Economy puts it right at the front of the movement, Comere contends.

“Our ultimate goal is to produce packages derived entirely from renewable resources,” she points out. “We made great strides in 2011 when we were first to market plastic closures

Flow Water founder Nick Reichenbach says using the Tetra Pak paperboard beverage cartons to package the company’s mineral water has significantly contributed to obtaining the B Corporation certification for outstanding social and environmental performance.

based materials, an achievement recognized at the 2016 Circular Awards.”

Says Comere: “Tetra Pak is well positioned to tackle the transition to a Circular Economy.

“Through our R&D investments, we continuously test new technologies and explore the use of new materials in our packaging, says Comere, noting that the Tetra Pak cartons out in the market today are on average 20 per cent lighter than they were 30 years ago.

“This is how we deployed bioplastics derived from sugar cane, which replaced traditional fossil-fuel based plastic for the caps and protective layers in our cartons, for example,” she adds.

“We are also exploring the use of ‘new’ raw materials such as algae or biomass as feedstock for our carton packages,” says Comere, while urging Tetra Pak’s vast customer base in the global food industry also to adopt a more circular mindset.

“The food packaging industry has an essential role to play in reducing impact on the environment and consumption of natural resources,” Comere asserts,.

“It has a unique opportunity to help accelerate the transition to a Circular Economy by promoting and investing into recycling and by embracing the use of renewable materials from sustainable sources in packaging.”

Like Morier and Faucher, Comere stresses the vital importance of the need to evaluate a product’s end-oflife legacy early in the product design stages.

“Considering a package’s end of life treatment when choosing materials and design is key,” she states.

“That’s why Tetra Pak designs its cartons not only with recycling in mind, ensuring they fit with the existing recycling infrastructure, but that they can also be converted into useful new paper-based products or building materials, for example.”

Nicholas Reichenbach, founder and president of upstart Canadian water bottler Flow Water, says he is proud of the fact that the company’s flagship brand is packaged exclusively in Tetra Pak’s Tetra Prisma Aseptic Edge cartons incorporating the DreamCap and HeliCap resealable closures made from bioplastic polymers derived from sugar cane.

As Reichenbach relates, his deliberate selection of Tetra Pak packaging for the brand played a big role in

obtaining the coveted B Corporation certification of B Lab for top-level “gold standard” social and environmental performance.

“We were actually awarded one of the highest-ever scores for a Canadian company,” says Reichenbach, citing exceptionally high audit scores for the company’s waste management, recycling and material sourc-

ing programs.

“This was all very much inspired by the Circular Economy model,” he states,“which is really the mantra for our company.

“We have a responsibility to our customers and our staff to be the highest-quality sustainable company on the planet.

“In fact I created Flow with the idea of being the world’s first socially and environmentally responsible water—a carbon-neutral, fully sustainable water company with a positive impact on the world around us.

“The use on nonrecyclable or noncompostable plastic bottles is still a major problem for the world’s water industry,” Reichenbach says,“and being the first Canadian company to put high-quality mineral still water inside a Tetra Prisma carton aligns us with Tetra Pak’s acknowledged status as one of the world’s leaders in environmentally-friendly packaging solutions.”

Adds Reichenbach: “I am a firm believer in the Circular Economy, which is already taking shape in part due to the economic necessity of having to maximize the planet’s resources.

“With the world’s population growth continuing to accelerate, we all must be able to master the art of doing more with less for the sake of humanity’s future well-being, and the Circular Economy model offers the best path forward to achieving that goal.”

ReWall Company now has the capacity to recycle over 600 tonnes of used beverage cartons each month to make a growing range of quality building products.

PAC 2018 CALENDAR

MARCH 12-14, 2018

CHICAGO, IL

MAY 15-17, 2018

JUNE 26-28, 2018

SEPT. 18-20, 2018

ON

23, 2018

FEBRUARY 26-28, 2018

BONITA SPRINGS, FL

QUEBEC GOLF TOURNAMENT

MAY 30, 2018

MONTREAL, QC

CONFERENCE GOLF TOURNAMENT

SEPT. 25, 2018 MONTREAL, QC

FEBRUARY 27, 2018

BONITA SPRINGS, FL

MERLIN PLASTICS TOUR

SAMPLEPAK PLANT TOUR

FEBRUARY 27, 2018 TORONTO, ON

APRIL 19, 2018 DELTA, BC O-I TOUR APRIL 2018 TORONTO, ON

SPRING GOLF TOURNAMENT

JUNE 12, 2018

NEWMARKET, ON

FALL GOLF TOURNAMENT

SEPT. 11, 2018 CARLISLE, ON

SEPT. 26-27, 2018 MONTREAL, QC

14-15, 2018

PACIFIC GOLF TOURNAMENT

JUNE 20, 2018 LANGLEY, BC

ATLANTIC GOLF TOURNAMENT

SEPT. 2018 MONCTON, NB

MDX Dual Energy X-ray for unparalleled detection of low-density contaminants such as: plastic, rubber, bones, stones, glass, etc. EagleTrace Traceability Software. Can inspect randomly in-feed cases from multiple lines simultaneously using a barcode reader. Unmatched

Domino Ax-Series: Coding Without Compromise

Rethinking Ink Jet

Rethinking Print Quality

. Variable droplets

. Clean, crisp codes

. Enhanced for human and machine readability

Rethinking Value

. Fast changeover and start-up

. Service-free

. Optimum ink usage, life and yield

Rethinking Performance

. Large volumes of data

. Highest throughput

. Flexible deployment

Designed by Customers, Engineered by Domino

The way we think about it, if you want to improve your products, listen to your customers. So we did. We learned from your coding experiences and studied the regulatory, environmental and supply chain pressures you face.

And then we deconstructed Continous Ink Jet as we've known it for the past four decadesbefore rebuilding it as a better, faster, more responsive and cost effective solution.

Experience the Domino Ax-Series and rethink Continuous Ink Jet.

Save Space and Increase Throughput.

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.

Designed for maximum available production time and operating convenience, the new modular belt conveyor in stainless steel is robust, safe and easy to clean.

The standardized design and modularity make changes of the production line easy. It’s the smart, long-term investment in your bottom line and your operators!

For more informatio n, please contac t us at +1 905 - 639-6878 or by e mai l at info.ca@flexlink.com.

flexlink.com

Ishida Weighers

to gallon

KRONESMACHINERY CR. LTD.

Modulfill VFS PET, HDPE Up to 72,000 bph Water, Juice, CSD, Beer Cold filling

Modulfill HRS Glass, PET, HDPE Up to 78,000 bph Water, CSD, Beer

Modulfill VFJ PET, HDPE Up to 72,000 bph Water, Juice Cold filling

Modulfill NWJ PET, HDPE Up to 60,000 bph Juice Both available: Cold filling; hot filling

Modulfill NWJ Glass Up to 60.000 bph Edible oil and sauces

Modulfill VFS PET, HDPE Up to 72,000 bph Juice Hot and cold filling

Modulfill HEL PET, HDPE Up to 72,000 bph Juice Hot filling

Modulfill VMJ-C Cans Up to 130,000 cans per hour Juice

Modulfill VFS-C Cans Up to 130,000 cans per hour Juice, CSD, Beer

Modulfill HES Glass Up to 78,000 bph CSD, Beer

Modulfill VMS-C Cans Up to 130,000 cans per hour CSD, Beer

Craftmate Cans Up to 15,000 cans per hour Beer

Viscofill V PET, HDPE, Glass, Cans Inquiry Pet food, Spreads, Jam, Sauces, Dressings, Gourmet food, Baby food and Compote

Viscofill S PET, HDPE, Glass, Cans Inquiry Spreads, Dairy Products, Jam, Sauces, Dressings, Gourmet food, Baby food and Compote, Food oil, Liquid and Paste-like candies

Viscofill H PET, HDPE, Glass, Cans Inquiry As Above

PET-Asept L2 PET, HDPE Up to 56,000 bph Mixed milk beverages, UHT milk, Juice, Ice tea, Tea, Energy drinks, Beverages containing particles

PET-Asept D PET, HDPE Up to 48,000 bph As above

Contiform AseptBloc PET, HDPE Inquiry As above

Modulfill Asept VFJ PET, HDPE Inquiry As above

Asept NWJ PET, HDPE Inquiry As above

Asept VFJ-D PET, HDPE Inquiry As above

AUTOMATION DESIGNS, LLC

E. JONES & ASSOCIATES LTD.

Hayssen ® Ultima Series VFFS - Snack, Confectionary, IQF, Bakery, Pharma, Grain, Powders Laminate, Polyethylene 2.36 Up to 160ppm Hayssen ® Novus Doy/Quad VFFS - Snack, Confectionary, IQF, Bakery, Pharma, Grain, Powders Laminate, Polyethylene

Hayssen ® Logic Flex VFFS - Snack, Confectionary, IQF, Bakery, Pharma, Grain, Powders Laminate, Polyethylene 2.36 Up to 85ppm Mamata ® Vega Pack iX260 Stand-up Pouch - Cheese, Snack, Confectionary, IQF, Bakery, Pharma, Grain, Powders Laminate, Barrier Film Varies

Hayssen ® RT Series HFFS - Cheese, Pharma, Bakery Laminate, Barrier

AMERICAN PACKAGING & PLANT EQUIPMENT

VertoBagger

http://www.plexpack.com/ product-categories/l-barsealers-damark/

http://www.plexpack.com/ product-categories/tray-wrappers-bundlers-damark/

http://www.plexpack.com/ products/damark-a-fullenclosure-shrink-wrapperinstawrap-damark/

http://www.plexpack.com/ product-categories/damarkcombination-systems/

Performance Series L-Sealers (Model EM1622T, EM1622TK, EM1636T, EM1636TK)

Professional Series L-Sealers (EM2016T(K), EM2028T(K), EM2040T(K), EM2050T(K), EM2070TK, EM2080TK, EM20100TK, EM3040T(K), EM3050T(K), EM3070TK, EM3080TK, EM30100TK, EM4040T(K), EM4050T(K), EM4070TK, EM4080TK, EM40100TK, EM5050TK, EM5070TK, EM5080TK, EM50100TK)

Performance Series Shrink Tunnel (ET1608-30, ET1610-36, ET1610-48, ET2010-36)

Professional Series Shrink Tunnel (ET2008, ET2012, ET2016, ET2020, ET2408, ET2412, ET2416, ET2420, ET3608, ET3612, ET3616, ET3620, ET4808, ET4812, ET4816, ET4820, ET5608, ET5612, ET5616, ET5620, ET7008, ET7012, ET7016, ET7020)

EDL PACKAGING ENGINEERS, INC. (in Canada: Flexi-Pack Machinery Solutions Inc., Woodbridge, ON)

EDL Packaging Engineers, Inc. Various makes and models available with film width ranging from 16" - 144" FLEXI-PACK MACHINERY SOLUTIONS INC.

NOTHINGSAYS FRESH like FABBRI PA CKAGING

Fabbri Automatic Stretch Wrappers produce highly attractive packages that make your products look fresh and “just packed”. Fabbri Stretch Wrappers use stretch film to package fresh meat products in preformed trays to provide an in-store wrapped appearance. They employ four-way stretch technology to produce tight, over-the-flange, wrinkle-free packages with securely sealed bottoms and a superb case presentation.

And here’s something you might find even more attractive: Fabbri Stretch Wrappers can help increase your profitability. Fabbri packaging is produced using low-cost packaging materials. And when you factor in its Best in Class low cost of ownership, the Fabbri Stretch Wrapper is your most economical and affordable packaging solution.

Compact and robust servo-driven Fabbri packaging machines are built for speed, versatility and the highest levels of productivity. Fabbri Stretch Wrappers can handle a wide range of tray sizes with no changeovers, producing up to 62 packs per minute. All models feature a user-friendly full-size control panel for easy operation and maintenance. Test the Fabbri at our Reiser Customer Center and see for yourself how it can improve your packaging. Contact Reiser today.

SUPERIOR PACKAGING STARTS WITH REISER

Reiser packaging expertise and Repak technology are the powerful combination you need to produce a superior form/fill/seal package.

■ The Repak form/fill/seal packaging machine is a rugged, high-speed racehorse capable of the industry’s fastest speeds.

■ Produces the highest quality packages with reliable seals that virtually eliminate leakers and returns.

■ Features rapid air forming to allow the use of thinner, less expensive films while maintaining package integrity.

■ Uses two 4-point lifting systems in both the forming and sealing stations to generate up to five metric tons of closing pressure for uniform forming and higher quality seals.

■ Hygienic design and stainless steel construction for superior sanitation. Test the Repak for yourself – contact us to arrange a demonstration at our Reiser Customer Center.

Pack

as: plastic, rubber, calcified bones, stones, glass, etc. EagleTrace Traceability Software.

Pack 430 Pro Up to 120mpm and 1500ppm Air Knife, Piston Arm, Drop Nose, Etc. Up to 434mm in Width and 152mm in Height Packaged

Etc. Up to 729mm in Width and 558mm in Height Packaged Product Inspection: Automatic product inspection and rejection for: contaminants, check-weighing and defects. Patented MDX Dual Energy X-ray for unparalleled detection of low-density contaminants such as: plastic, rubber,

ADDRESSES

Banding Systems Bandall

289 Broadway Ave Orangeville ON L9W 1L2 Tel: 8667791492 Fax: 4164790787

Barcode Graphics Inc. 5-25 Brodie Dr Richmond Hill ON L4B 3K7 Tel: 9057701154 Fax: 9057871575

Baumer hhs Corp.

10570 Success Lane Dayton OH 45458 Tel: 9378863160 Fax: 9378863161

Baumer Inc. 4046 Mainway Dr Burlington ON L7M 4B9 Tel: 9053358444 Fax: 9053358320

Bear Label Machines

See Chisholm Machinery Sales Limited, Niagara Falls, ON

Beckhoff 7-2900 Argentia Rd Mississauga ON L5N 7X9 Tel: 2896271900 Fax: 9058521535

Bell-Mark Sales

331 Changebridge Rd Pine Brook NJ 07058 Tel: 9738820202 Fax: 9738084616

Bertolaso SPA See Newmapak Ltd

Best Packaging Systems

1-8699 Escarpment Way Milton ON L9T 0J5 Tel: 9058643005 Fax: 9058646245

Beumer Corporation

800 Apgar Dr Somerset NJ 08873 Tel: 7328932800 Fax: 7328050475

Beverage Machinery Service, Inc.

200 Connie Cr., Unit 7 Concord ON L4K 1M1 Tel: 9056603889 Fax: 9056603214

Bivans Corporation

2431 Dallas St Los Angeles CA 90031 Tel: 3232254248 Fax: 3232257316

Bizerba Canada Inc. 6411 Edwards Blvd Mississauga ON L5T 2P7 Tel: 9056709498 Fax: 9058160497

BluePrint Automation (BPA) See Techno Pak

Bob Faulds and Associates Ltd. 1209-90 Cordova Ave Etobicoke ON M9A 2H8 Tel: 4162363363 Fax: 4162369538

Bosch Packaging Systems AGPaal

See Charles Downer & Co. Ltd., Richmond Hill, ON

Bosch Packaging Systems AGSigpack

See Charles Downer Co. Ltd., Richmond Hill, ON

Bosch Packaging Technology (Kliklok-Woodman)

See Propack Processing & Packaging Systems Inc.

Bosch Packaging Technology Inc.

See Charles Downer & Co. Ltd., Richmond Hill, ON

Bosch Rexroth Canada

Machinery Sales Limited, Niagara Falls, ON

LLC 9555 W Irving Park Rd Schiller Park IL 60176 Tel: 8476789034 Fax: 8476717006 Artypac Automation Inc. 3315 boul Industriel Laval QC H7L 4S3 Tel: 4506686600 Fax: 4506686633

Inc. 3555 rue Isabelle bureau 111 Brossard QC J4Y

3426 Mainway Dr Burlington ON L7M 1A8 Tel: 9053355511 Fax: 9053354189

Bradman Lake

3050 Southcross Blvd Rock Hill SC 29730 Tel: 7045883301 Fax: 8033663690 C

CAM Packaging Systems

3-226 Industrial Parkway N Aurora ON L4G 4C3 Tel: 9057375400

Can Am Packaging Systems (Caps)

5700 Chemin St Fracois St Laurent QC H4S 1B4 Tel: 5149561525 Fax: 5149561831

Canadian Corrugated & Containerboard Association 3-1995 Clark Blvd Brampton ON L6T 4W1 Tel: 9054581247 Fax: 9054582052

Canpaco Inc.

7901 Huntington Rd Woodbridge ON L4H 0S9 Tel: 9057717791 Fax: 9057711115

Capmatic Ltd.

12180 boul Albert-Hudon Montr éal-Nord QC H1G 3K7 Tel: 5143220062 Fax: 5143220063

Carlo Gavazzi (Canada) Inc. 8-2660 Meadowvale Blvd Mississauga ON L5N 6M6 Tel: 8885752275 Fax: 9055422248

Cartier Packaging Inc.

2325 boul Industrial Saint-Césaire QC J0L 1T0 Tel: 4504693168 Fax: 4504691387

Cascades Containerboard Packaging - Div. of Cascades Canada ULC 1061 rue Parent Saint-Bruno QC J3V 6R7 Tel: 4504618600 Fax: 4504618636

Ceia S.P.A.

Zona Ind 54/6 62041 Viciamaggio Tel: 3905754181 Fax: 3905754182

Celplast Packaging Systems 67 Commander Blvd Unit 4 Scarborough ON M1S 3M7 Tel: 4166443503 Fax: 4162931946

Celsius Instruments See Plan Automation

Charles Downer & Co. Ltd.

7-52 West Beaver Creek Richmond Hill ON L4B 1L9 Tel: 9058822222 Fax: 9058820437

Chisholm Machinery Solutions

5760 Valley Way Niagara Falls ON L2E 6T3 Tel: 9053561119 Fax: 9053569170

CiMa-Pak Corporation 3-7290 Torbram Rd Mississauga ON L4T 3Y8 Tel: 9056120053

Coding Products of Canada Ltd.

7 Innovation Dr Hamilton ON L9H 7H9 Tel: 9056901471 Fax: 9056908393

Cognex Corp.

1 Vision Dr Natick MA 01760 Tel: 5086503000 Fax: 5086503344

Columbia Machine See Chisholm Machinery Sales Limited, Niagara Falls, ON

Columbia Okura

See Chisholm Machinery Sales Limited, Niagara Falls, ON

Combiscale LLC

4760 NW 128th St Opa Locka FL 33054 Tel: 3058958909 Fax: 3056887772

Compacker 9104 N Zenith Davenport IA 52809 Tel: 5633912751 Fax: 5633918598

Consolidated Technologies Inc.

252 rue Joseph-Carrier Vaudreuil-Dorion QC J7V 5V5 Tel: 4504248464 Fax: 4504248792

Cousineau Packaging Inc.

PO Box 158 Campbellville ON L0L 1B0 Tel: 5197660707 Fax: 5197660807

Cousins Packaging Inc.

See Cousineau Packaging Inc.

Crown Metal Packaging Canada LP 21 Fenmar Dr Weston ON M9L 2Y9 Tel: 4167416002 Fax: 4167473420

Crown Packaging Ltd. P.O. Box 94188 Richmond BC V6Y 2A4 Tel: 6042777111

Currie Machinery Co. 1150 Walsh Ave., PO Box 192 Santa Clara CA 95052 Tel: 4087270422 Fax: 4087278892

DDamark Shrink Packaging Machinery

See Plexpack

Delkor Systems, Inc. 4300 Round Lake Rd W St. Paul MN 55112 Tel: 651-348-6700 Fax: 6513486705

Dependable Marking Systems Ltd.

585 Wenworth St E Unit 42 Oshawa ON L1H 3V8 Tel: 9054331383 Fax: 9054331972

Descon Conveyor Systems

1-1274 Ringwell Dr Newmarket ON L3Y 9C7 Tel: 9059530455 Fax: 9059531335

Diagraph

DJS Enterprises 6-2700 14th Ave Markham ON L3R 0J1 Tel: 9054757644 Fax: 9054757645

Domino Printing Solutions Inc.

1-200 North Service Rd E Suite 317 Oakville ON L6M 2Y1 Tel: 9058292430 Fax: 9058291842

Dorner Mfg. Corp.

975 Cottonwood Ave PO Box 20 Hartland WI 53029 Tel: 2623677600 Fax: 2623675827

Doverco Inc.

2111, 32e Ave Montr éal QC H8T 3J1 Tel: 5144206001 Fax: 5144206050

Eagle Packaging LLC

4700 NW 128 St Miami FL 33054 Tel: 3056224070 Fax: 3056887772

Eagle PI See Banding Systems, Orangeville, ON EAM-Mosca Canada Ltd.

See Attache Tout Inc., 17825 Rue Lapointe,Mirabel, QC J7J 1P3

Eastey Enterprises 7041 Boone Ave Brooklyn Park MN 55428 Tel: 8008359344 Fax: 7637958867

ECHOtape 100-9001 rue Avon LaSalle QC H4X 2G8 Tel: 5144898689 Fax: 5144899707

Eckert Machines Inc. 3841 Portage Rd Niagara Falls ON L2J 2L1 Tel: 9053568356 Fax: 9053561704

Econocorp Inc. See Marpak Packaging Systems & Flexi-Pack Machinery Solutions

Ed MacPhee Ltd. 2-402 Edith Dr Toronto ON M4R 2H7 Tel: 4164814926

EDL Packaging Engineers, Inc. See Flexi-Pack Machinery Solutions Inc., Woodbridge, ON Edson Packaging Machinery Ltd. 215 Hempstead Dr Hamilton ON L8W 2E6 Tel: 9053853201 Fax: 9053858775

Elantech Inc. 2567 rue de Miniac St Laurent QC H4S 1E5 Tel: 5143338853 Fax: 5143331292

Elliott Mfg. Co. Inc.

See Chisholm Machinery Sales Limited

Ellis Packaging 1830 Sandstone Manor Pickering ON L1W 3Y1 Tel: 4167987715

Elmar Worldwide

See Chisholm Machinery Sales Limited, Niagara Falls, ON

Empress Packaging Inc. 312 Alliance Rd Milton ON L9T 2V2 Tel: 9058750220 Fax: 9058754188

Eriez

2200 Asbury Rd Erie PA 16506 Tel: 8148356000 Fax: 8148384960

Espera

See Heat Sealing Packaging Supplies & Equipment, Concord ON Euroimpianti Spa

See Charles Downer & Co. Ltd.

Eurostar SRL

See Newmapak Ltd.

F

FANUC Canada, Ltd.

See FANUC Canada, Ltee

Farm Credit Canada 1800 Hamilton St Regina SK S4P 4L3 Tel: 8552306821

Feed Systems, Inc. See Newmapak Ltd

Ferrum

See Chisholm Machinery Sales Limited, Niagara Falls, ON

Festo Inc.

See Aztec Electrical Supply, Concord, ON Filamatic

See Bellatrx, Pointe-Claire, QC

Fineline Barcode Technologies 5600 rue Cypihot Saint-Laurent QC H4S 1V7 Tel: 5147470403 Fax: 5147472396

Fki Industries Canada Ltd. 5-500 Wentworth St E Oshawa ON L1H 3V9 Tel: 9057250550 Fax: 9057252688

Flexi-Pack Machinery Solutions Inc.

530 Velmar Dr Woodbridge ON L4L 8H8 Tel: 4165770722

Flexlink Systems Canada

See PharmaCos Machinery Inc Saint-Laurent, QC

Formost Fuji Corporation

See Abbey Packaging Equipment Ltd.

Forte Labels & Shrink Sleeves Inc.

2-77 Cortland Ave Concord ON L4K 3S9 Tel: 9056697426

Fortress Technology Inc.

51 Grand Marshall Dr Toronto ON M1B 5N6 Tel: 4167542898 Fax: 4167542976

Frazier & Son

See Chisholm Machinery Sales Limited, Niagara Falls, ON G

Garvey Corporation

208 S Route 73 Blue Anchor NJ 08037 Tel: 6095612450 Fax: 6095612328

Gebo Cermex Canada Inc. 1045 Hwy 13 Laval QC H7W 4V3 Tel: 4509733337 Fax: 4509733336

General Conveyor Co. Ltd. 155 Englehard Dr Aurora ON L4G 3V1 Tel: 9057277922 Fax: 9058411056

General Packaging Equipment Co. 6048 Westview Dr Houston TX 77055 Tel: 7136864331 Fax: 7136833967

Geosaf Inc.

803-5605 av de Gasp é Montr éal QC H2T 2A4 Tel: 5143314147 Fax: 5143314226

GMSvanSco 1310 Redwood Way Suite B Petaluma CA 94954 Tel: 7072853392 Fax: 7072853392

GO Packaging 735 Oval Crt Burlington ON L7L 6A9 Tel: 9056323662 Fax: 9056392290

Greydon Inc. See Greydon Canada, Montr éal, Qu ébec H

Harlund Industries Ltd.

101-17973 106th Ave Edmonton AB T5S 2H1 Tel: 7804844400 Fax: 7804843646

Harpak-ULMA Packaging, LLC 175 John Quincy Adams Rd Taunton MA 02780 Tel: 5088842500 Fax: 5088842501

Harting Canada, Inc.

300-475 av Dumont Dorval QC H9S 5W2 Tel: 5149447949 Fax: 8556596654

Hartness International See Alex E. Jones &

ON L4V 1X5 Tel: 9053644900

KUKA Robotics Canada Ltd. 4-6710 Maritz Dr Mississauga ON L5W 0A1 Tel: 9056708600 Fax: 9056708604

Kwik Lok Corp. See British Canadian Importers (4 Western Provinces L Label Systems 1334 Kerrisdale Blvd., Unit 2 Newmarket ON L3Y 8V6 Tel: 9058367844 Fax: 9058539357

Label-Aire Inc. See Ahearn & Soper

Lanfranchi SRL See Newmapak Ltd.

Langen Packaging Inc. 6154 Kestrel Rd Mississauga ON L5T 1Z2 Tel: 9056707200 Fax: 9056705291

Lantech Inc. See Veritiv

Lapp Group Canada 10-3505 Laird Rd Mississauga ON L5L 5Y7 Tel: 8777995277 Fax: 9058206516

Laub-Hunt Packaging Systems 13547 Excelsior Dr. Norwalk CA 90650 Tel: 5628029591 Fax: 5628028183

ADDRESSES

Leading Edge Inkjet Ltd.

1-25 Coronet Rd Etobicoke ON M8Z 2L8 Tel: 4162349377 Fax: 4162343747

Lenze Americas

630 Douglas St Uxbridge MA 01569 Tel: 5082789100 Fax: 5082787873

Linx Printing Technologies Ltd.

Linx House, 8 Stocks Bridge Way, Compass Poin St Ives, Cambridgeshire

Loma Systems, a division of ITW Canada Inc.

See PAL Distributors, Calgary, Alberta

Longford International Ltd.

41 Lamont Ave Scarborough ON M1S 1A8 Tel: 4162986622 Fax: 4162986627

M

M & M Packaging Associates Ltd.

657-2 Campbell Dr Uxbridge ON L9L 1T2 Tel: 4163995300 Fax: 9058521352

M.D. Packaging Inc

6-250 Shields Crt Markham ON L3R 9W7 Tel: 4162919229 Fax: 4162912906

Makro Labelling Systems

See Newmapak Ltd.

Marden Edwards Inc.

See Celplast Packaging Systems Ltd

Markem-Imaje Inc.

5448 Timberlea Blvd Mississauga ON L4W 2T7 Tel: 8002675108 Fax: 8669219732

MARQ Packaging Systems Inc. 3801 West Washington Ave Yakima WA 98903 Tel: 5099664300 Fax: 5094523307

Marsh Co

See

Fax: 4126652550

McBrady Engineering Inc. PO Box 2549 Joliet IL 60436 Tel: 8157448900 Fax: 8157448901 MD Packaging Inc. 5A-141 Reach St Uxbridge ON L6P 1L3 Tel: 4162919229 Fax: 4162912906

Mecano Industrie

1570 rue Nationale Terrebonne QC J6W 0E2 Tel: 4509611228 Fax: 4509611200

Messe Düsseldorf (Canada) 1500-480 University Ave Toronto ON M5G 1V2 Tel: 4165981524 Fax: 4165981840

Mettler-Toledo Inc.

6-2915 Argentia Rd Mississauga ON L5N 8G6 Tel: 8006388537

mk North America, Inc. 105 Highland Park Dr Bloomfield CT 06002 Tel: 8607695500 Fax: 8607695505

Mordhorst Automation Inc.

90 Nolan Crt., Unit 23 Markham ON L3R 4L9 Tel: 9054771347 Fax: 9054779547

Multivac Canada

6 Abacus Rd Brampton ON L6T 5B7 Tel: 9052641170 Fax: 9052649647

N

Nalbach Engineering Company, Inc.

621 E Plainfield Rd Countryside IL 60525 Tel: 7085799100 Fax: 7085790122

New England Machinery Inc. 6204 29th St E Bradenton FL 34203 Tel: 9417555550 Fax: 9417516281

Newmapak Ltd.

1015-A Edouard-VII St-Philippe QC J0L 2K0 Tel: 8778665572 Fax: 4506353611

Nita Labeling Equipment See Packaging Machinery Concepts, Industrial Marking Systems, Pembertons, Techno-Pak, Resolution Technologies, Harlund Industries, Control GMC

NJM Packaging 5600 rue Kieran Montr éal QC H4S 2B5 Tel: 5143376990 Fax: 5143350801

Nordson Canada, Limited See Edmonton, AB

North American Laser Systems

2650 Meadowvale Bvld Unit 6-7 Mississauga ON L5N 6M5 Tel: 9055423350 Fax: 9055429732

Nuspark Inc.

400 Steeprock Dr Toronto ON M3J 2X1 Tel: 4166637071 Fax: 4166630233

Omega Design Corp.

See Packaging Equipment Solutions Inc.

Omron Canada Inc. 802-100 Consilium Place Toronto ON M1H 3E3 Tel: 8669866766 Fax: 4162866648

Optima Machinery Corp.

1330 Contract Dr Green Bay WI 54304-5681 Tel: 9203392222 Fax: 9203392233

Orion Packaging Inc.

100 Crescent Dr Collierville TN 38017 Tel: 8003336556 Fax: 9013651071

Pack Rite

See CiMa-Pak Corporation, Dorval, QU Packaging Equipment Solutions Inc.

46 Colonel Bertram Rd Brampton ON L6Z 4P3 Tel: 9059701562 Fax: 9059701759

Paxiom

5605 rue Cypihot Saint-Laurent QC H4S 1R3 Tel: 5144220808 Fax: 5144220834

Paxton Products See Eckert Machines, 3841 Portage Rd., Niagara Falls, Ontario, L2J 2L1

Pdc International Corp. 8 Sheehan Ave. Norwalk CT 06854 Tel: 2038531516 Fax: 2038540834

Pearson Packaging Systems

See Alex E. Jones and Assoc.

Pemberton & Associates Inc.

3610 Nashua Dr Mississauga ON L4V 1X9 Tel: 9056788900 Fax: 9056788989

PFM Packaging Machinery Corp.

See Unisource Canada Inc., (ON, MB, BC, AB, QC

Phoenix Wrappers

2270 boul Industriel Laval Qu ébec H7S 1P9 Tel: 5149561525 Fax: 5149560831

Pillar Technologies

475 Industrial Dr Hartland WI 53029-0110 Tel: 2629127200 Fax: 2629127272

Pilz Automation Safety Canada LP

250 Bayview Dr Barrie ON L4N 4Y8 Tel: 7054817459 Fax: 7054817469

Pineberry Manufacturing Inc.

1-2300 Bristol Cir Oakville ON L6H 5S3 Tel: 9058290016 Fax: 9058294637

Plan Automation Inc.

289 Broadway Ave Orangeville ON L9W 1L2 Tel: 4164790777 Fax: 4164790787

Plexpack

2-1160 Birchmount Rd Scarborough ON M1P 2B8 Tel: 4162918085 Fax: 4162984328

PMR Packaging Inc.

701 Rossland Rd E Suite 361 Whitby ON L1N 9K3 Tel: 9057252225 Fax: 9057252241

Pneumatic Scale Corp.

10 Ascot Parkway Cuyahoga Falls OH 44223 Tel: 3309230491 Fax: 3309238720

PPI Technologies Group See Aesus Packaging Systems, Pointe Claire, QC

Premier Tech Chronos 1 av Premier Rivi ère-du-Loup QC G5R 6C1 Tel: 4188688324 Fax: 4188626642

Primera Technology Inc. 2 Carlson Parkway N Plymouth MN 55447 Tel: 7634756676 Fax: 7634756677

Propack Processing & Packaging Systems Inc. 4902 Union Rd Beamsville ON L0R 1B4 Tel: 9055639400 Fax: 9055637224

Quadrel Labeling Systems See Newmapak Ltd.

Quick Label Systems - An Astro-Med Inc. Product Group 3555 rue Isabelle locale 111 Brossard QC J4Y 4R2 Tel: 4506199973

R-J Machinery Inc. 44 Torbay Rd Markham ON L3R 1G6 Tel: 9054751046 Fax: 9054750944

R.A. Jones & Co. 807 West Kimberly Rd Davenport IA 52806 Tel: 5633911100 Fax: 5633910017

R.E. Morrison Equipment Inc. 21-3615 Laird Rd Mississauga ON L5L 5Z8 Tel: 9058286301 Fax: 9058283674

Rbs Equipment Designs Ltd.

1060 Salk Rd., UnitS 1-3 Pickering ON L1W 3C5 Tel: 9058395655 Fax: 9058393663

Regal Beloit America, Inc.

7120 New Buffington Rd Florence KY 41042 Tel: 8597275271 Fax: 8002623292

Reiser (Canada) Co.

4-1549 Yorkton Crt Burlington ON L7P 5B7 Tel: 9056316611 Fax: 9056316607

Rennco Llc

See PMR Packaging Inc

Rexnord Canada Ltd.

81 Maybrook Dr Scarborough ON M1V 3Z2 Tel: 4162976868 Fax: 4162976873

Richelain Equipement

D’Etiquetage/Richelain Labeling Equipment

QC Tel: 4503476486 Fax: 4503475382

Riley Product Handling

See Charles Downer & Co. Ltd.

RJP Packaging 3317 Mainway Dr Burlington ON L7M 1A5 Tel: 9053197562 Fax: 9053356734

Robatech Gluing Technology (Robatech Canada)

See Robtech Glue Equipment

Robino & Galandrino

See Newmapak Ltd.

Rockwell Automation, Inc. 1201 South Second St Milwaukee WI 53204 Tel: 4143822000 Fax: 4143824444

Rodico Inc.

18 Park Way, Box 546 Upper Saddle River NJ 07458 Tel: 2013276303

Ryson International Inc.

300 Newson Dr Yorktown VA 23692 Tel: 7578981530 Fax: 7578981580

S

Sadler Inc.

See Sadler Conveyor Systems (ON

Safeline Inc.

Safeline Business Center 6005 Benjamin Rd Tampa FL 33634 Tel: 8138899500 Fax: 8138810840

Samuel Packaging Systems Group 2370 Dixie Rd Mississauga ON L4Y 1Z4 Tel: 9052799580 Fax: 9052798016

Saturn Packaging Equipment 6055 ch Saint-Fran çois Saint-Laurent QC H4S 1B6 Tel: 5149561603 Fax: 5149568124

Schneider Electric Canada Inc. 5985 McLaughlin Rd Mississauga ON L5R 1B8 Tel: 9053663999 Fax: 8593349949

Schneider Packaging Equipment Co., Inc. 5370 Guy Young Rd PO Box 890 Brewerton NY 13029-0890 Tel: 3156763035 Fax: 3156762875

Sealed Air (Canada) Co./CIE

Cryovac Food Division

95 Glidden Rd Brampton ON L6T 2H8 Tel: 9054565668

Sealed Air Shrink Packaging 100 Rogers Bridge Rd Duncan SC 29334 Tel: 8644332000 Fax: 8644332019

Sealpac

See Heat Sealing Packaging Supplies & Equipment, Concord ON

Sensor Products Inc.

300 Madison Ave Suite 100 Madison NJ 07940 Tel: 9738841755 Fax: 9738841699

Septimatech Group Inc.

106 Randall Dr Waterloo ON N2V 1K5 Tel: 5197467463 Fax: 5197463464

Serac, Inc.

160 E Elk Trail Carol Stream IL 60188 Tel: 6305109343 Fax: 6305109357

Serge Packaging Equipment

RR4 - 4917 7th Line Rockwood ON N0B 2K0 Tel: 5198562626 Fax: 5198561095

Sesotec Canada Ltd. 114-7 Grand Ave S Suite 100 Cambridge ON N1S 2L3 Tel: 5196216536

SEW Eurodrive Company of Canada Ltd.

210 Walker Dr Brampton ON L6T 3W1 Tel: 9057911553 Fax: 9057912999

Shanklin Corp. 100 Westford Rd Ayer MA 01432 Tel: 9787723200 Fax: 9787725660

Shanklin, Sealed Air Corporation 100 Westwood Rd Ayer MA 01432 Tel: 9787723200 Fax: 9787725660

Shawpak Systems Ltd.

8-785 Pacific Rd Oakville ON L6L 6M3 Tel: 9058470122 Fax: 9058470123

SIAL Canada 601-2120 rue Sherbrooke E Montr éal QC H2K 1C3 Tel: 4384762239 Fax: 5142891034

Sick, Inc. 6900 West 110th St Bloomington MN 55438 Tel: 9529416780 Fax: 9529419287

Siemens Canada Limited 1550 Appleby Line Burlington ON L7L 6X7 Tel: 9053193600 Fax: 9053157923

SIG Combibloc 881-2425 Matheson Blvd E Mississauga ON L4W 5K4 Tel: 9053612825 Fax: 9053612610

Sipromac II Inc. 2555 rue Alfred-Nobel Drummondville QC J2A 0L5 Tel: 8193955151 Fax: 8193955343

Smipack See CiMa-Pak Corporation

Solbern See Chisholm Machinery Sales Limited, Niagara Falls, ON

Sort Production Products Ltd. 8-2266 Drew Rd Mississauga ON L5S 1B1 Tel: 9056737678 Fax: 9056737637

Spacekraft - A Weyer Haeuser Co. 4901 West 79th Street Indianapolis IN 46268 Tel: 3178716999 Fax: 3178716993

Spee-Dee Packaging Machinery, Inc. 1360 Grandview Pky Sturtevant WI 53177 Tel: 2628864402 Fax: 2628865502

Speedway Packaging Machinery 10 Gormley Industrial Ave Unit 2-3 Gormley ON L0H 1G0 Tel: 9058885344 Fax: 9058885374

SPS / PHIN Limited 15-440 Tapscott Rd Scarborough ON M1B 1Y4 Tel: 4162982151 Fax: 4162982170

Squid Ink Manufacturing 7041 Boone Ave Brooklyn Park MN 55428 Tel: 7637958856 Fax: 7637958867

Standard Knapp Inc. See B & T Sales Inc.

STANMECH Technologies Inc. 944 Zelco Dr Burlington ON L7L 4Y3 Tel: 9056316161 Fax: 9056311852

Starview Packaging Machinery Inc. 1840 boul Saint-R égis Dorval QC H9P 1H6 Tel: 5149200100 Fax: 5149200092

SteelNor / Inventure Engineering & Machinery

See Plan Automation Orangeville, ON Steeltek - A Div. of 877418 Ont. Ltd. See R-J Machinery Inc

Steriflow Sas 32 rue de Cambrai Tel: 3314037084 Fax: 3314038069

Sterling Marking Products Inc. 349 Ridout St N London ON N6A 2N8 Tel: 5194345785 Fax: 1800667660

Storcan Ltd. 108 rue Bélanger Ch âteauguay QC J6J 4Z2 Tel: 4503652158 Fax: 4506981178

Supervac Maschinenbau GmbH See Reiser (Canada Swf Companies 1949 E Manning, P.O. Box 548 Reedley CA 93654 Tel: 2096388484 Fax: 2096387478

TTapp Label Technologies, Inc. 104-6270 205 St Langley BC V2Y 1N7 Tel: 6045333294 Fax: 6045337967

Technicor Industrial Services Inc. 450 Richardson Rd Orangeville ON L9W 4W8 Tel: 5199416120 Fax: 5199406067

Techno Pak Packaging Systems Inc. 2150 rue Bombardier Ste-Julie QC J3E 2J9 Tel: 4509223122 Fax: 4509223422

Tetra Pak Canada Inc. 2902-777 Bay St PO Box 133 Toronto ON M5G 2C8 Tel: 6477751837 Fax: 6477751838

Thermo Fisher Scientific See Thermo Fisher Scientific, Burlington, ON Thiele Technologies - Streamfeeder 315 27th Ave NE Minneapolis MN 55418 Tel: 7635020000 Fax: 7635020100

Thompson Scale Company 2758 Bingle Road Houston TX 77055 Tel: 7139329071 Fax: 7139329379

Tishma Innovations LLC See Charles Downer & Co. Ltd., Richmond Hill, ON

TNA North America, Inc. 680 S Royal Lane Coppell TX 75019 Tel: 9724626500 Fax: 9724626599

Toptier 10315 SE Jennifer St Portland OR 97015 Tel: 5033537388 Fax: 5033537399

Toyo Jidoki See Techno Pak Packaging Systems Inc., Ste-Julie, Quebec

Tri-Mach Group Inc. 23 Donway Crt Elmira ON N3B 0B1 Tel: 5197446565 Fax: 5197446829

Tri-Tronics Company 7705 Cheri Crt Tampa FL 33634 Tel: 8138864000 Fax: 8138848818

Triangle Package Machinery Co. 6655 W Diversey Ave Chicago IL 60707-2293 Tel: 7738890200 Fax: 7738894221

Trinamics Incorporated 50 Centinnial Rd Orangeville ON L9W 3T4 Tel: 5199422442 Fax: 5199420886

1. Packaging Machine Builders.

2. Food & Drug purchasers of packaging machinery.

Surveys reveal that to do a complete job in marketing automation products, controls and motors, you have to influence both these markets. In Canada, you can count on Canadian Packaging to open the doors to both these markets.

publishes in the April, June, September and December issues of Canadian Packaging.

NOW Plus deploys quarterly.

PACKAGING PENNY PINCHING A LAME GAME

Every penny counts in today’s cutthroat hospitality business, so it’s no surprise to see many restaurant operators relying exclusively on pop gundispensed juices to keep their costs in line. That said, I find this copout rather distasteful on the account of it being offered as an easy means to short-change a customer. In my experience, I have always found that the taste and the consistency of fruit juice packaged in a well-made container is well worth the cost—especially when bought in reasonable bulk volume. To this end, I am a very happy camper with the Ocean Spray’s three-liter plastic jugs that have become a permanent, behind-the-scenes fixture in our bar areas. Despite their imposing size, the jugs are very user-friendly and manoeuvrable for the bar staff thanks to the built-in side handle that essentially turns the container into a pitcher, along with a generous four-centimeter-diameter opening to facilitate consistent flow of the product—down to the very last drop.

Every watering hole worth its salt has its own unique and secret way of dressing up and seasoning its Bloody Caesar cocktails. For us, the Old Bay Seasoning brand from McCormick Canada is a trusted go-to item for one of our more poplar versions. Packaged in shrinksleeved 74-gram PET (polyethylene terephthalate) containers shaped to resemble the old-school tin-boxes of yesteryear— the retro artwork does a great job of invoking a flash of nostalgia for simpler times—the product is easily dispensed as required thanks to its tight-fitting, multifunctional lid that allows the user to sprinkle, pour or scoop out the aromatic spice blend and safely reclose it for future use with a simple snap.

With customers becoming better educated and more aware of the staggering amount of plastic used in everyday packaging, including foodservice packaging, it’s nice to have more than one option for waste disposal. As an alternative to recycling, the NEW WAVE range of 100-percent compostable hinged-lid takeaway containers from Toronto-based YesEco —made from the renewable sugar-cane and bamboo—provide a terrific option for sending our customers home with their takeovers of full meals to enjoy back at their place. The moisture-resistant containers help avoid any messy soak-throughs, and are sturdy

enough to withstand spending time in a freezer, microwave or the oven up to 400°F. Once the food inside is finished or removed, the container goes into the Green Bin and, ultimately, Mother Nature takes care of all the rest in a proper composting environment. Sustainable food packaging at its best, bravo!

In the similar spirit of sustainability, the all-wood Coffee Stirrers from Les Industries Touch Inc. of Sherbrooke, Que., also deserve a nod of approval for both intent and functionality, along with refreshing design simplicity. The flat round-edged wooden sticks are packed by a thousand in a sturdy microfluted corrugated box featuring a perforated fold-down dispenser at the bottom, making it a prefect stand-alone distribution site right next to the coffee brewing machines. Printed with vegetable-based dyes, the box is both recyclable and compostable with each one shipped in a thin layer of clear shrinkwrap film to ensure a clean product inside upon arrival.

Despite getting much unwarranted notoriety on social media due to idiots daring other imbeciles to eat them, Procter & Gamble’s Tide Pods Free & Gentle brand should, in fact, be congratulated for leading the way in using innovative packaging for this innovative product. The large 2.02-kilogram plastic tub boasts a unique oval shape mimicking the shape of the pods themselves, which are packed 81 unscented, hypoallergenic pods to a tub. The tub’s flat-bottom design enables it to stay firmly upright on the storage shelf, while the two attached handles at the back make sure the smooth-surfaced tub does not accidentally slip from one’s grasp. The flip-top lids snaps shut after opening to reach in and grab the pods without much effort, and the large product features clear, easy-to-read warning symbols alerting users to the dangers of ingesting the product or making close eye contact with it.

Jeff May is owner and proprietor of Scallywags, a popular midtown Toronto sports pub specializing in live coverage of major international sporting events. For information and broadcast schedule, go to: www.scallywags.ca

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