Pac dec2013 de

December 2013 | $10

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Tony Tavares, Chief Operating Officer

Meat Market

Masterworks

Brent Cator, Chief Executive Officer, Cardinal Meat Specialists Ltd.

Publication mail agreement #40069240.

Home-grown burger king at the forefront of premium meat products revolution

In this issue: Automate Now • PACKAGING FOR Freshness • Product ID Now

Story on page 12

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UPFRONT

NO HAPPY ENDINGS THERE

DECEMBER 2013 VOLUME 66, NO. 12

SENIOR PUBLISHER Stephen Dean • (416) 510-5198 SDean@canadianpackaging.com EDITOR George Guidoni • (416) 510-5227 GGuidoni@canadianpackaging.com FEATURES EDITOR Andrew Joseph • (416) 510-5228 AJoseph@canadianpackaging.com ART DIRECTOR Stewart Thomas • (416) 442-5600 x3212 SThomas@bizinfogroup.ca PRODUCTION MANAGER Cathy Li • (416) 510-5150 CLi@bizinfogroup.ca CIRCULATION MANAGER Anita Madden • (416) 442-5600 x3212 AMadden@bizinfogroup.ca EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Lisa Wichmann • (416) 442-5600 x5101 LWichmann@canadianmanufacturing.com EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER Tim Dimopoulos • (416) 510-5100 TDimopoulos@bizinfogroup.ca

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s another year winds down and fades into history, Ontario business leaders and consumers may be forgiven for the undeniable lack of Christmas cheer and merriment traditionally associated with this time of the year. And the sad truth is that very few positive economic developments unfolded in the province over the last year, if any, to fuel much optimism and excitement regarding their future economic prospects in the near term.

Au contraire. The year could have hardly ended on a more sour and downbeat note for residents of the southwestern Ontario community of Leamington, who learned only a few weeks ago that the town’s Heinz Canada ketchup manufacturing facility— its only manufacturing employer of any meaningful size and scale—will shut down for good by next summer, throwing about 740 people out of work.

For a municipality with a population of just over 28,000, the closure will be a crippling economic setback, if not an outright mortal blow.

From local retirees grading locally-grown tomatoes to supplement their pensions to nearby providers of raw ingredients and plant machinery and supplies, everyone in the plant’s vicinity will be hard-pressed to replace the loss of income and economic spinoffs that the Heinz plant has provided since starting up its manufacturing operations there back in 1909.

While one may question the general wisdom of having a local economy being tied so closely to the fortunes of a 104-year-old facility, no amount of hindsight ref lection will alleviate the real-life pain and economic devastation that may well turn the once-proud ‘Ketchup capital of Canada’ into a veritable ghost-town, under a worst-case scenario.

With no likely ‘White Knight’ anywhere on the horizon, the giant manufacturing complex looks fated to become a giant eye-sore and a grim reminder of what can happen to even the most prominent

manufacturing heavyweights who fail to keep up with the competitive demands unleashed by globalization and other epic structural shifts in the 21st century’s vastly altered economic balance of power.

According to the letter handed out to Leamington employees, Heinz said it reached its decision only after conducting a two-month review of its operations to find ways to maximize the plant’s efficiencies, productivity and profitability—obviously without success.

“This decision is not a ref lection of the commitment of our employees or the quality of the products you make,” the letter states.

“It is based primarily on excess capacity in our North American manufacturing system.”

That may be so, but it’s cold comfort to the soonto-be-jobless Heinz employees who gave many of the most productive years of their lives to help make Heinz one of the world’s leading brand-owners.

Given the plant’s long history and vital importance to the local economy, a two-month review hardly seems like a full-hearted effort to find creative alternatives to a cold-hearted decision that in retrospect seems to have been pre-ordained from the moment that the Pittsburgh, Pa.-headquartered H.J. Heinz Co. was bought out by venture capitalists Berkshire Hathaway and the Brazilian investment firm 3G Capital in a US$23-billion deal earlier this year.

No talks with the unions to alter the current wage structure, no approach to the government for any financial incentives or tax-breaks to stay: just shut the doors and be done with it, ouch!

Unfortunately, that is simply the nature of companies whose only raison d’être is to squeeze every last penny from their newly-acquired toys to boost their asset portfolio, with no room for sentiment and respect for history or tradition.

Hardly seems fair, but as Ontario residents have been finding out the hard way for several years running, fairness is one commodity for which “excess capacity” is a cruel joke with a decidedly bitter aftertaste.

COVER STORY

DECEMBER 2013

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PRIVACY NOTICE: From time to time we make our subscription list available to select companies and organizations whose product or service may interest you. If you do not wish your contact information to be made available, please contact us via one of the following methods: Phone: 1-800-668-2374 Fax: 416-442-2191 Email: privacyofficer@businessinformationgroup.ca Mail to: Privacy Office, 80 Valleybrook Drive, North York, ON M3B 2S9 PRINTED IN CANADA PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40069240, ISSN 008-4654 (PRINT), ISSN 1929-6592 (ONLINE) We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage for our publishing activities. Canadian Packaging is indexed in the Canadian Magazine Index by Micromedia Limited. Back copies are available in microform from Macromedia Ltd., 158 Pearl St., Toronto, ON M5H 1L3

MEAT MARKET

MASTERWORKS

Brent Cator, Chief Executive Officer, Cardinal Meat Specialists Ltd.

Home-grown burger king at the forefront of premium meat products revolutio n

Story on page 12

IN THIS ISSUE: AUTOMATE

DEPARTMENTS & COLUMNS 3 4-6 7 8 10 11 31

31 32

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Fast-growing Ontario meat processor leverages formidable manufacturing prowess and technological know-how to make significant inroads in the fiercely-competitive markets for premium-quality meat products in both retail and foodservice segments.

Cover photography by Cole Garside.

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DECEMBER 2013 • CANADIAN PACKAGING

Officer

Meat Market Mastery By George Guidoni

agreement #40069240.

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Publication mail

DISCLAIMER: This publication is for informational purposes only. The content and “expert” advice presented are not intended as a substitute for informed professional engineering advice. You should not act on information contained in this publication without seeking specific advice from qualified engineering professionals. Canadian Packaging accepts no responsibility or liability for claims made for any product or service reported or advertised in this issue.

Canadian Packaging receives unsolicited materials, (including letters to the editor, press releases, promotional items and images) from time to time. Canadian Packaging, its affiliates and assignees may use, reproduce, publish, republish, distribute, store and archive such unsolicited submissions in whole or in part in any form or medium whatsoever, without compensation of any sort.

Tony Tavares, Chief Operating

UPFRONT By George Guidoni NEWSPACK Packaging news round-up.

NOTES & QUOTES Noteworthy industry briefs.

FIRST GLANCE New packaging technologies. imPACt A monthly insight from PAC-The Packaging Association.

ECO-PACK NOW All about environmental sustainability.

ANNOUNCEMENTS Company news and marketplace updates.

EVENTS Upcoming industry functions.

PEOPLE Packaging career moves.

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

NOW • PACKAGING

FOR FRESHNESS •

PRODUCT ID NOW

FEATURES 18

ORGANIC AFFINITIES By Andrew Joseph Organic meat products specialist uses advanced thermoforming technologies to create a fresh new branding identity.

21

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IN PURSUIT OF INVENTION

By Andrew Joseph Venerable Canadian case-packing equipment manufacturer continuously reinvents itself to maintain marketplace prominence.

SPACE ODDITIES By Andrew Joseph West Coast cereal innovator living the high life with unique product formulations and high-performance product coding technologies.

29 STANDING OUT IN THE CROWD A colorful recap of our Top 50 Packaging Ideas trade show last month.

WWW.CANADIANPACKAGING.COM • 3

13-12-06 9:52 AM

NEWSPACK

CLEVER PACKAGING HELPS MAKE FRESH CORN A HEALTHY YEAR-ROUND TREAT our plates about four days after it is harvested, and that corn on the cob is at its peak the first 24 hours after being harvested,” says Stefano Bertolli, vicepresident of communications for the Rougement, Que.-headquartered brand-owner and parent company Lassonde Industries Inc., the country’s largest producer of fruit and vegetable juices.

“With this new convenient packaging, families will be able to add some variety to their menus in both summer and winter,” Bertolli states.

“Sunbites is a North American premiere that we believe will revolutionize the consumption of corn, which is the country’s sixth most-commonly eaten vegetable.

“It is a truly Canadian product that contains only one single delicious ingredient—sweet, crunchy corn—to provide a handy, convenient food for lunch-boxes and mealtimes, or as a healthy snack,” adds Bertolli.

According to Lassonde, the easy-to-prepare Sunbites can be boiled in water with the vacuumsealed primary packaging intact; grilled on the barbecue with packaging removed; or microwaved in a minute with the film pierced.

Because the corn is picked, peeled, pre-cooked and vacuum-sealed the very same day, there are no preservatives used to maintain its one-year shelf-life, full nutritional value, and the sweet and crunchy taste profile, according to Lassonde.

Said to be two years in development prior to last

While enjoying a freshly-plucked corn on the cob has been largely a summertime indulgence for most Canadians, some clever vacuum-sealing innovation from the Saint-Damase, Que.-based Lassonde Specialties Inc. promises to put this healthy and delicious meal accompaniment at their fingertips on year-round basis.

Launched last month in the refrigerated produce section at major Canadian grocery stores across the country, the new Sunbites Corn on the Cob packs contain two equal-sized pieces of Peaches and Cream corn that are cooked and vacuum-sealed the same day they are harvested to maintain their original freshness for up to one year, according to the company.

“This represents a significant innovation, given that corn on the cob from places like Florida reaches

month’s launch, the Sunbites Corn on the Cob uses food-safe, Health Canada-approved food wrap that effectively resists the heat and vacuum pressure applied during the proprietary packaging process.

According to Lassonde, each Sunbites pack delivers a healthy, gluten-free nutritional content of 230 calories, eight grams of fiber, 44 grams of carbohydrates, and zero sodium or transfats.

“And because it’s locally-grown, with great pride

by Canadian corn producers with the utmost respect for the land, buying Sunbites means you’re buying Canadian,” says Lassonde, which will market the product in Canada throughout the year, except during the summer harvest months.

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Newspack

NEW PACKAGING TO DRIVE PROFESSIONAL BRAND INTO THE RETAIL END ZONE

Keeping your car looking clean and healthy in chalchannels and relaunch the auto-care product line lenging Canadian winter conditions is often easier into different retail channels as a brand that truly said than done, but a newly-repackaged line of represents quality and performance,” Ferreira automotive maintenance products from Brampton, explains.

Ont.-based Empack Spraytech Inc. promises “We greatly improved the look and design of Canadian car-owners a welcome relief from many packaging with added imagery, better product repeat expensive visits to the auto repair shops in information, and creating a carbon look with the coming months. artwork,” she adds.

Unveiled a few weeks ago, the updated emzone “We also incorporated a new heatshrink sleeve, a brand of automotive care products combines the new and improved can style, and a larger product best of modern aerosol technology with innovaassortment.” tive product formulation to provide Canadians with versatile, easy-to-use cleaning, degreasing and lubricating solutions to help ensure optimal rust and corrosion control right in the comforts of their home garage.

Featuring high-quality aluminum aerosol 28545conE Conestoga_7.875x10.75.qxt_28545 2013-08-12 10:05 AM Page 1 tainers manufactured by the Ottavia, Ill.-based canmaker DS Containers, “The packaging feature a new, innovative and exciting design that will really appeal to the retail DIY (do-it-yourself ) audience,” says Empack’s director of sales and marketing Cameron Brown.

“It is now consistent with our ‘appearance’ products and will help Arnold Drung, President, Conestoga Meat Packers, Breslau, Ont. us to differentiate and set apart the emzone brand in the marketplace,” says Brown, citing some of the brand’s special attributes: When you talk financing with FCC, • A n advanced formulation for the we’ll listen emzone Brake & Parts Cleaner that Ready to expand? We learn how you want to quickly dissolves and removes brake grow, then create a financing package that dust, grease, dirt, oil, and other helps you do it. Work with the leading lender residue; to agriculture, agribusiness and agri-food in • High-performance formulations for Canada. Let’s talk business. emzone Penetrating Lubricant, Silicone fccfinancing.ca Lube, and the solvent-and siliconefree Tech Lube to ensure optimal lubrication, while helping stop squeaks and prevent rust build-up; Featuring a 360-degree valve to • allow for easy spraying from any angle, the emzone Penetrating Foam boasts a unique non-drip formula for loosening tight and sticky parts in hard-to-reach and inverted areas.

Developed mostly in-house, the new packaging look was intended to provide for better brand recognition and to enhance its appeal on retail shelves, according to Empack’s marketing coordinator Nicole Ferreira.

“The emzone maintenance packaging had a very industrial look and feel before we upgraded it to appeal more to consumers,” Ferreira told Canadian Packaging, adding the company is planning to introduce the updated emzone into select U.S. markets in the near future.

This would significantly expand the geographic reach of the emzone brand, which is currently carried by Canadian Tire and other prominent retail chains across Canada, along with many independent auto-part stores nationwide.

“Our objective was to take our sucFOR MORE INFORMATION CIRCLE 106 cess with the professional and trade

“We consider FCC our

business partner.”

December 2013

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Says Ferreira: “As an actual manufacturer with our roots in the automotive industry, we created a design that hopefully ref lects our years of experience in developing a premium-quality product that also performs at the professional level.”

Founded in 1999, Empack Spraytech Inc. operates a full-service, 120,000-square-foot facility in Brampton to manufacture a diverse range of aerosol and related products for the automotive, personal and household care, consumer electronics and various industrial markets in Canada and abroad.

Last year, the ISO 9001:2008-certified company received the annual Advanced Manufacturing Excellence Award from the City of Brampton for its innovative work in the automotive and chemical sectors.

NEWSPACK

SPICE MAKER TURNS UP THE OVEN HEAT WITH PACKAGING INNOVATION

Roasting a whole chicken to tasty, juicy perfection each and every time may be something of an acquired talent, but an innovative new seasonings package from London, Ont.-based spice producer McCormick Canada just may make it a casual habit for even the most reluctant home chefs.

Available in several unique mix formats that come with an oven-safe roasting bag to lock in all the juices for tender, perfectlyroasted chicken meals, the new Club House Bag’n Season mixes— produced at the parent company McCormick & Company, Inc.’s production facility in Baltimore, Md., and packaged in flexible pouches designed by the Toronto-based Novellus Graphics Resource Inc.—are sold in the standardlooking dry sauce-mix pouches outfitted with two built-in partitions inside.

The interior structure uses one opening to hold the roasting bag and closure, while the second partition holds the seasoning blend.

“Simply place the chicken and ingredients in the roasting bag, pour in the seasoning, and roast it in the oven,” explains McCormick Canada’s senior product manager Linda Stiles, adding the included roasting bag and closure meet all the pertinent Canadian regulations for oven use with food products.

Initially offered in Mediterranean Chicken, Paprika Chicken, and Mixed Herb Chicken f lavors (see pictures) the packages feature clear preparation instructions on the back stating to allow eight inches (20 centimeters) of oven space for the bag to expand while cooking without touching oven walls or racks.

“This new Club House line provides the perfect method to make juicy, succulent roasted chicken dishes that the whole family will love, while helping time-pressured home cooks take the stress out of meal preparation,” Stiles states.

“The unique seasoning blend and roasting bag ensure the meal is always perfectly seasoned and perfectly cooked.”

Says Stiles: “Simply take a few minutes to prep all the ingredients and then enjoy some family time as your meal is cooking.

“And the clean-up is easy: just remove the bag and discard!”

According to leading marketing research firm Nielsen Canada, McCormick’s f lagship Club House brand of spices, seasonings and f lavorings currently ranks as the 54th-largest brand among all consumer products marketed in Canada.

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PACKAGING TEAMWORK SMOOTHENS THE PATH TO A FAST AND REFRESHING ORAL-CARE PRODUCT LAUNCH Maintaining sound everyday dental care is serious business, no doubt, but that doesn’t mean there is no room to have a little fun with the product packaging to put a bright smile on the consumer’s face.

Launched in the U.S. this past spring, the new hello brand of ‘seriously friendly’ oral-care packaging has been doing just that—using fairly unconventional and off beat packaging formats for its toothpaste, mouthwash and breath-sprays formulated almost entirely (99 per cent) from natural ingredients.

With the product category heavily dominated by well-established CPG multinationals with hefty marketplace clout and reach, Montclair, N.J.-based upstart Hello Products LLC clearly needed some expert advice and assistance to break into the crowded marketplace, according to company founder and chief executive officer Craig Dubitsky, who rallied some of the world’s leading design and packaging experts to bring his brand vision of vanity-friendly design to life in record time.

“With hello, we were seeking to bring a new conversation to oral care by moving away from the historical talk of killing and fighting [germs] to focus on greeting,” Dubitsky recalls, “and packaging is vital to the integrity of that conversation.

“While all of the typical oral-care store aisle is largely an array of harsh lines and aggressive shapes, hello wanted to focus on being easy on the eyes and the mouth,” he explains.

To get started, Hello Products partnered with BMW DesignworksUSA, the global design consultancy of BMW Group, to create the motifs and individual designs of the packaging.

Once done, the company turned to the St. Louis, Mo.-based rigid packaging specialists TricorBraun Design and Innovation to help commercialize its cutting-edge packaging ideas within a remarkably fast turnaround—resulting in 20 molds being completed in just six months.

“Meeting the deadline was an outsized challenge requiring a uniquely positioned packaging partner that was willing to commit a substantial number of specialists to a single customer,” relates TricorBraun’s packaging consultant Andrew Olsen.

“Our ‘team hello’ was able to maintain a sole focus of getting to market on-time and in full.”

Olsen relates that TricorBraun formed a team of 18 company professionals, including engineers and industrial designers, who selected materials, created models, and evaluated molds to ensure top performance of all packaging components on the filling lines and through their assembly, distribution and consumer use.

In addition, TricorBraun evaluated over 40 vendors before settling on 11 strategic suppliers—selected across three packaging platforms of injection molding, extrusion blowmolding and injection stretch-blowmolding—to provide all required tooling, manufacturing, decorating, components, assembly and transportation.

The team effort involved coordinating the inputs of more than 100 individuals throughout North America and Europe working on the project right up to the March 2013 national launch in the U.S., according to Olsen.

“We are very proud to be a part of the hello brand’s early success,” says Olsen, citing various breakthrough packaging innovations offered by the brand, including:

• hello toothpaste,, featuring a unique “tottle” pack packaging structure of an upside-down squeezable bottle that maintains its shape and doesn’t crumple up during use, unlike standard toothpaste tubes.

The packaging features a multilayer polyethylene and EVOH (ethylene vinyl alcohol) composition with a soft-touch exterior resin, along with a polypropylene butterf ly hinge snap-on closure to support the container in an inverted position—using gravity help to dispense the contents easier.

The novel ‘pastry bag tip’ in the opening dispenses toothpaste in a unique pattern that quickly captures the consumer’s attention, adds Olsen, noting that the filled bottle does not require the secondary [paperboard] packaging in which most conventional toothpastes are sold.

• hello mouthwash, packaged in clear 473-ml and 985-ml PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles boasting a distinctive curved shape and an attractive ‘swig-friendly’ f lavor ring at the top for a distinct shelf presence.

According to Olsen, TricorBraun and its partners created custom injectionmolded preforms which are then reheated to crecre ate an injection stretch-blowstretch-blow molded final bottle, with the container’s custom closclos ure featuring a non-removable polyethylene f lavor ring that snaps onto the bottles with a tamper-evident pull-tab closure.

Said to be the first closure of its type in the oral-care category, it is topped off with a clearclarified polypropylene cup, fitting into place via overcap threads on the f lavor ring.

• hello breath spray, packaged in custom sevenmilliliter bottles fitted with a three-piece sub-assembled actuator and pump engine that dispenses just the right amount of product. The collar of the product is designed to twist 30 degrees to lock in place with an audible click to prevent leaking.

With each of the hello brand products initially offered in four different f lavors—supermint, mojito mint, pink grapefruit mint and sweet cinnamint—and each with its own color palette, namint TricorBraun also partnered with various colorant shops and decorating houses to ensure topquality screen-printing and color-matching for each f lavor.

“Decorating provided its own set of challenges,” recounts Olson. “Along with custom packages, especially ones with these unique compound curves and shapes, came custom decorating processes and many rounds of tweaks.

“But all in all, we’re very pleased with what we see on the shelf,” Olsen sums up, “and we get excited every time we walk into a store.”

Adds Dubitsky: “Speed is a core competency of ours, and we were happy that TricorBraun was able to make it all happen as fast as we wanted.”

CANADIAN PACKAGING • DECEMBER 2013

13-12-05 4:14 PM

NOTES & QUOTES

Leading adhesive applicating equipment manufacturer Nordson Corporation of Duluth, Ga., stole the show at the recentlyheld Japan Pack international packaging machinery trade show in Tokyo, Japan, by picking up the exhibition’s top Pack Judge’s Award for the company’s recently-launched Freedom series adhesive applicating system. (Pictures Above) Selected from more that 40 other competing entries from all over the world, the Freedom system—first unveiled at the PACK EXPO International 2012 exhibition in Chicago—consists of the Freedom tankless melter, an automatic adhesive filling system, Optix touchscreen controls, RediFlex hot-melt adhesive hoses, and MiniBlue II dispensing applicators configured in a f lexible and mobile design that facilitates its use virtually anywhere within or in reasonable proximity to parent machinery, while providing a broad range of operational and environmental performance improvements over conventional hot-melt applicating technology.

& Associates Ltd., Including Gerry Cellucci, Paul Duke, Stephane Morin and Christian Charbonneau. Operating sales and service centers in Alberta, Ontario and Quebec to provide a comprehensive range of machine installations, startup support, emergency repair, troubleshooting, regular maintenance, machine upgrade and other services, the company has also announced the hiring of Nigel Turnpenny as regional manager for western Canada, and as co-owner. According to the new ownership team, the company will continue to focus on delivering “exceptional sales and service to a client base with an ever-increasing expectation of product knowledge and professionalism from their partners and vendors.” Says Shawpak Systems new president Gerry Cellucci: “This transaction marks 27 years of ownership and effective stewardship of Shawpak Systems by Pete Skinner Jr. and Peter Skinner Sr., who have made tremendous positive

The new Shawpak Systems senior executive team includes (from from left) Christian Charbonneau, Nigel Turnpenny, Larry Swift, Gerry Cellucci, Paul Duke, Stephane Morin, and Rick Topp.

contributions to the company and, as a result, to our customers and our employees.” According to Cellucci, “We are looking forward to continuing in the same tradition and with same commitment ... [and] we also greatly appreciate all the support we received on this ownership change from our employees and so many of our stakeholders.”

Massman Automation Designs, LLC, Villard, Minn.-based manufacturer of automated end-ofline packaging equipment, has completed the acquisition of Packaging Equipment Division of the Bedford Technology LLC of Worthington, Minn., which decided to focus solely on its primary business of plastic lumber products. “This acquisition complements Massman’s existing product lines and will broaden our presence in the consumer packaging market,” says Massman Automation president Jeff Bigger. “We will now be able to offer our customers a wider range of products and systems for reclosable packaging solutions, with or without tie enclosures.”

Shawpak Systems Ltd., Oakville, Ont.-based supplier of product inspection and other packaging automation systems and technologies, is now under new ownership, following last month’s acquisition of the privately-owned company by two of its former salesmen, Rick Topp and Larry Swift, as well as four partners of Alex E. Jones FOR MORE INFORMATION CIRCLE 107

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FIRST GLANCE IT’S A BREEZE! The new Breezy Bagger machine from WeighPack Systems Inc. is designed to combine both vertical and horihori zontal f lowwrapping capabilities into a sinsin gle system. Featuring a unique pivotal design to allow users to operoper ate the Breezy Bagger like a conventional horizontal f lowwrapper or by using inclined or vertical drops, the system is equipped with a simple hand-wheel to facilitate quick product changeovers to accommodate the bagging of many different types and sizes of product, with or without a tray.

WeighPack Systems Inc.

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CAUGHT ON TAPE Designed specifically to replace the use of plastic or metal strapping in case-packing applications, the new 3M-Matic Wrapper FL360 from 3M Company is designed to ensure uniform application of the company’s high-quality Scotch Box Sealing Tape or Scotch Filament Tape simultaneously around the corrugated cartons, and closing them, at rates of up to nine boxes per minute. By applying the tape a full 360 degrees around the box, similar to metal straps, the fullyautomatic tape machine improves both packaging throughput and box security, according to the company, particularly in the meat or other food-processing environments where straps are prone to sliding off—resulting in insecure boxes of products being sent downstream for end-of-line packaging and transport.

Sealed Air Corporation

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POSITIVE IMAGE

The new patent-pending Versalite technology developed by Berry Plastics Group, Inc. incorporates fully-recyclable polypropylene-based plastic in the form of both hot and cold on-thego cups engineered for optimal performance and positive consumer experience with superior thermal management capabilities, according to the company. Unlike conventional disposable beverage cups made from a myriad of singular and combined substrates including foam, plastic and paper, the Versalite cups are made entirely from #5 plastic polypropylene that is fully-compatible with most municipal recycling streams, while providing superior durability to help keep beverages hot or cold for extended periods of time.

Berry Plastics Group, Inc.

Epson America, Inc.

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The new high-speed IDC/Cryovac SpeedFlex bag-in-box system from Sealed Air Corporation is designed to offer a superior alternative to most existing bag-in-box packaging by offering numerous operational efficiency advantages, according to the company, including bag filling speeds of three times that of standard aseptic bag-in-box fillers.

Developed through a strategic alliance between Sealed Air’s Cryovac food packaging brand and the International Dispensing Corporation (IDC),, the SSpeedFlex series complete bag-in-box system comprises bag-in-box packaging materials, customizable dispensing fitments, including proprietary IDC technology, and around-the-clock customer support from Sealed Air’s food-care division. Boasting full FDA approvals for aseptic packaging of low-acid food and beverage products, the system offers an optimal high-speed packaging solution for high-volume processors of liquids such as dairy, f lavorings, fruit purees, juices, sauces, smoothies and ice-cream mixes, teas and coffees.

Capable of reaching filling speeds of up to 30 bags per minute, the system offers handy versatility of being able to fill a diverse variety of bag sizes or bags with different tap/spout configurations, with fast and easy product changeovers for minimal production downtime.

Featuring superior image quality and production speeds, the new ColorWorks C831 wide label printer from Epson America, Inc. was designed to help chemical manufacturers producing a high number of different SKUs (stock-keeping units) comply fully with the pending Globally Harmonized System (GHS) labeling standards for clearly communicating physical, environmental and health hazard information during transport and storage, while efficiently managmanag ing their different label varieties and reducing their labeling costs by up to 50 per cent across a wide range of pack packaging and manufacturing applications. According to Epson, the high-performance, on-demand color label printer provides a very cost-effective way to print high-quality GHS-compliant color labels, while reducing overall labeling costs by eliminating pre-printed inventory and minimizing labeling and shipping errors.

3M Canada Co.

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The vital partner and catalyst for the packaging value chain

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2014 PAC Calendar

For more information visit pac.ca or contact Lindsey Ogle at logle@pac.ca. For Quebec events, contact Mary Ann Gryn at quebec@pac.ca.

Jones Contract Packaging Plant Tour – Brampton, ON

Jan. 16

Emballage intensif (Day 3) – Montreal, QC

April 29

Packaging Sales Training Course – Toronto, ON

Jan. 21

Best of Food & Beverage Packaging 2014 – Minneapolis, MN

April 30-May 1

FPInnovations Plant Tour – Pointe Claire, QC

Jan. 21

PACed Course 1 – Mississauga, ON

May 5-7

Davis Design Plant Tour – Mississauga, ON

Feb. 4

Emballage intensif (Day 4) – Montreal, QC

May 13

Pulp & Paper Seminar – Mississauga, ON

Feb. 11

Schawk Plant Tour – Chicago, IL

May 14

IFS PACsecure HACCP Training – Chicago, IL

Feb. 20

Quebec Region Golf Tourn. – Notre-Dame-de-l’Île-Perrot, QC

May 29

Halifax Mooseheads Hockey Night – Halifax, NS

Feb. 21

PACed Course 2 – Mississauga, ON

June 3-5

Product Testing and Distribution Workshop – Montreal, QC

February

Central Region Spring Golf Tournament – Ajax, ON

June 10

O-I Plant Tour – Brampton, ON

Mar. 5

Canadian Water Summit – Toronto, ON

June 18

Pira Sustainability in Packaging – Orlando, FL

Mar. 5-7

PAC Conference – Toronto, ON

September

Emballage intensif (Day 1) – Montreal, QC

Mar. 18

Western Ontario Golf Tournament – Brantford, ON

Sept. 11

Norampac Plant Tour – NYC, NY

March

Atlantic Region Golf Tournament – Moncton, NB

September

Emballage intensif (Day 2) – Montreal, QC

April 9

PACed Course 3 – Mississauga, ON

Sept. 23-25

Retail Trends Seminar – Mississauga, ON

April 9

PACed Course 4 – Mississauga, ON

Oct. 21-23

MillerCoors Golden Brewery Tour – Golden, Colorado

April 24

PACKEXPO – Chicago, IL

Nov. 2-5

PAC Safety Group returns over $6,157,415 to its members

PAC WSIB Safety Group receives honours safety report card by reducing claims 15% while clawing back 5.2% of 2012 premiums These exceptional safety record achievements have been rewarded a collective real dollar rebate of $453,140 for 2012. Since the inception of the program the PAC Safety Group has returned $6,157,415 to its members. By joining the Safety Group Program, your business will gain access to a network of firms dedicated to improving workplace health and safety by sharing best practices and pooling resources. As an added bonus, the group also receives the services of a former WSIB safety expert. In this time of escalating WSIB costs and greater scrutiny by the Ministry of Labour joining this program just makes good business sense. Throughout the

annual program, PAC Safety Group members learn to improve accident investigation procedures, identify and eliminate workplace hazards, improve return to work protocols, and carefully monitor accident cost and NEER billing statements.

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Behaviors and managing Vehicle Fleets, Ergonomic solutions for the Aging Workforce, and many others. Proposed lectures for 2014 include the Globally Harmonized System (replaces WHMIS in 2015), the new CSA Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace and the Challenges of managing the Millennial Worker. Since 2002, PAC offers membership fees at average to below average rates charged by many other safety groups in Ontario.

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CALGARY RESIDENTS SHOW OFF THEIR GREEN CREDENTIALS IN PILOT PROJECT

Teaching consumers the environmental virtues of case the effectiveness of public spaces recycling at recycling is all fine and noble, but it’s a wasted a large entertainment and sporting venue,” says effort if they’re not given the tools to do it with Spruce Meadows president relates Linda Southern where and when they need to dispose of their Heathcott. empty beverage cans and bottles in parks, outside “We plan to build on the current infrastructure arenas and other public recreational spaces. at Spruce Meadows to make our organization the Fortunately for the residents of Calgary, Alta., sustainability leader amongst sporting and enterdoing the right thing may soon become something tainment destinations in Canada.” of a second nature, thanks to a highly successful pilot According to CBA president Jim Goetz, “The public spaces recycling program jointly financed by recovery rate for the beverage container stream the Alberta Beverage Container Recycling is impressive in Alberta to begin with but, as the Corporation (ABCRC), Canadian Beverage pilot has proven, public spaces recycling can take significant at Inglewood after just a few months Association (CBA) and Nestlé Waters Canada the province to the next level.” even though the bins, signage and messaging (NWC), the country’s biggest producer of bottled New NWC president Debbie Moore says the were in place for only a short period of time,” and enhanced water beverages. program’s success indicates a need for such pilot Moore states. “This bodes well for the ongoing Administered by leading environmental conprograms to become permanent fixtures. effectiveness of a permanent public spaces recycsultancy Reclay StewardEdge in the city’s “Recycling rates for beverage containers were ling program in Calgary and across the province.” popular Crossroads Market shopping area, the Inglewood BRZ (Business Revitalization Zone) downtown neighborhood, and the Spruce Meadows equestrian show jumping facility, the pilot program deployed seven aluminum dualstream (recycling and garbage) receptacles, 20 steel dual-stream bins and 21 aluminum triple-stream containers at these sites respectively to enable passerby drop off their empty aluminum beverage cans and PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic bottles—two of the most valuable recyclable materials around—right into the municipal recycling stream.

According to program administrators, who are forwarding the project’s results to both the City of Calgary and Alberta’s Ministry of Environment, the pilot program was an instant success, with Inglewood recording an 89-percent diversion rate for beverage containers.

“The very stylish recycling infrastructure has helped to identify the Inglewood streetscape as well as differentiate us from all other business areas in Calgary, particularly in terms of environmental sustainability,” says Brian Imeson, chairman of the board of directors for Inglewood BRZ Adds Crossroads Market manager Matthew McDonald: “This pilot public spaces recycling program was immediately embraced by our customers, partly because of its convenience but mostly because they all want to do the right thing, Fresh & Frozen Portioning Flowlines & Deboning Software Solutions which is to recycle, “It has since become a permanent Grading & Batching Loading Solutions Bacon & Deli Slicing feature of the market, much to the Fat Analyzing Weigh Price Labeling X-Ray Bone Detection satisfaction of everyone who shops Product Freezing Solutions Fresh Sausage Production Breading & Coating here,” says McDonald.

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The perfe f ct package fe

Leading global provider of advanced equipment and systems for the food processing industry

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COVER STORY

MEAT MARKET MASTERWORKS Ontario meat-processing pioneer blazing new trails in the cutthroat marketplace through inspired product innovation and highly skillful brand packaging execution

BY GEORGE GUIDONI, EDITOR PHOTOS BY COLE GARSIDE

I

f sacred cows make the tastiest hamburgers, as the far-out hippie hell-raiser Abie Hoffman infamously proclaimed back in the 1960s, then the 80,000-square-foot meat-processing facility operated by Cardinal Meat Specialists Ltd. in Brampton, Ont., is a veritable sacred shrine to the virtues of continuous product innovation, progressive manufacturing prowess, and world-class packaging excellence that have enabled the familyowned business to evolve into one of the Canadian meat industry’s leading powerhouses and pioneers.

“We have been growing by 20 to 30 per cent annually over the last six years, enjoying a real hockey stick-like growth curve,” says the company’s affable and articulate chief executive offficer Brent Cator, a third-generation owner of a thriving meat business that has grown exponentially since its humble origins as a traveling meat wagon selling raw cuts of meat door-to-door in and around the mostly bluecollar community of Bowmanville, Ont., about an hour’s drive east of Toronto.

Nowadays specializing in producing premiumquality fresh and frozen meats for numerous clients in the Canadian foodservice and retail markets from coast to coast, Cardinal today employs over 100 people at its brand new, state-of-the-art, GFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative)-certified production facility that, according to Cator, houses some of the most advanced and sophisticated process technologies ever seen in the fiercely competitive burger industry that, contrary to popular perception, largely operates on razor-thin margins.

Cardinal also operates a smaller, 14,000-squarefoot sister plant in nearby Mississauga—employing 40 people to make kettle-cooked, heat-and-serve meat cuts.

All told, the company processes about 40 million pounds of meat per year to produce a diverse assortment of high-quality meat products—ranging from raw burgers and sausages to pre-cooked ribs and roasts—that its customers can’t seem to get enough of.

Set to Grow “We currently produce about 200 different SKUs (stock-keeping units) for foodservice and retail markets, and we expect that number to grow strategically in the very near future,” Cator told Canadian Packaging during a recent visit to the impeccably clean and tidy Brampton facility that’s currently gearing up for a major new retail product launch both in Canada and the U.S. For a company currently enjoying annual sales of about $130 million, cashing in on the current burger renaissance unfolding across the North American restaurant scene and at the retail shelves seems like just rewards for its proud track record of uncompromising food safety and continuous product innovation—aptly backed up by genuine commitment to leading-edge R&D (researchand-development), formidable manufacturing

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Brent Cator, Chief Executive Officer, Cardinal Meat Specialists Ltd.

competence, and a profound understanding of marketplace trends and needs that often positions it well ahead of the competition.

“We were the first multiple-species meat-processing company in the country to earn HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) certification for food safety,” points out Cator, whose hands-on involvement in the family meat business stretches back to his teenage years.

“We were also the first to install a DNA analysis system for microbiological detection of contaminants about 15 years ago, well before the Canadian and U.S. governments had the technologies,” he adds.

“And we were the first in Canada to start using near-infrared lighting technologies for fat, protein and moisture analysis.

“There are other companies doing that, yet we were always the first in Canada’s meat industry to employ first, second, third and fourth generations of these technologies at our plant for all

Tony Tavares, Chief Operating Officer

protein species,” says Cator, citing the company’s unwavering commitment to “continuous innovation and reinvention” as a key driving force behind Cardinal’s remarkable rise through industry ranks in terms of revenues, market share and geographic reach.

“My grandfather started out by selling raw meat door-to-door out of the back of his salt truck, and then reinventing the business by opening up a butcher shop,” relates Cator, who graduated with a business major degree from the University of Western in London, Ont., in 1985.

“My father then reinvented the business when he took over by targeting the foodservice market and becoming a food ‘purveyor,’ as it was called back then.

“My brother then reinvented the business again years later by extending our presence into the retail segment in a major way, thereby becoming a ‘branded’ company, with our Cardinal Roadhouse brand, which

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COVER STORY launched us into doing increasingly more advanced and sophisticated packaging,” Cator relates.

“Today, the foodservice and retail sectors account for about half of our business each, and that’s the way I like to keep it,” Cator states.

“We have a loyal and diverse customer base of six to seven major customers on both the foodservice and the retail side, with each one accounting for roughly the same volumes as the other, as well as a very widereaching distribution for independents,” Cator relates.

“And that is all by design on our part: Having that kind of stability is key in this business for sustained growth.

“The great thing from the customers’ standpoint is that they get the feature benefits of both types of product we make,” divulges Cator, who is also a past president of the North American Meat Association (NAMA).

“If there is some major development in food safety in grocery, for example, we can easily adapt what we learn from that to the foodservice side of our business.”

This versatility has enabled Cardinal to maintain and strengthen a key competitive edge for its high-volume grinding operation, with the company scooping up the 2013 Innovation Award from North America’s leading foodservice distributor Sysco Corporation, complementing the 2012 New Product of the Year award from the U.S.-based National Provisioner magazine, for its Revolution Burger product line— made with certified Angus Beef using Cardinal’s proprietary, leading-edge ‘Natural Texture Forming’ (NTF) process.

“We are the most specialized and the most diversified provider in the Canadian market when it comes to burgers,” Cator asserts, “and that’s all built on the many different technologies and capabilities that we have evolved over the years.

“Technology has dominated the growth of our burger division’s business in the last three years to such an extent,” says Cator, “that I am fully confident in saying that our company is the leading innovator and a food safety leader in the Canadian meat industry.

“And when I say we lead in food safety, I mean we lead in all aspects of it,” Cator asserts.

Pure Intentions

The newly-purchased Repak RE 20 horizontal form-fillseal packaging machine manufactured by Reiser can handle a broad range of meat products, shapes and species to provide the Cardinal operation with high levels of throughput and operational flexibility to turn raw meat into finished products in a space of about 20 minutes.

and every single line can do what every other line does,” Cator explains. “Because these highly f lexible high-speed lines are completely interchangeable, it means that a customer’s production order is never down just because one of our pieces of equipment is down.

“When we have all the lines going, it adds up to about 1,500 burgers a minute, and we run that continuously for 18 hours a day, five days a week— and seven days when needed,” says Cator, stressing the importance of throughput speed, as opposed to sheer volume.

As Cator says, “You may have a huge blender that grinds out 10,000 pounds of meat an hour, yet if your downstream machines can only form 3,600 pounds of meat per hour, then all you’re really doing is creating inconsistencies in your product.

“At our plant, the whole system is set up that the meat’s actual exposure is only about 20 minutes from the time we open a box of raw material to the shipment of finished goods on the other side, which ultimately means optimal product freshness for both fresh and frozen burgers.”

The company’s success in the burger category naturally sets a high bar for all of its other product The Brampton production plant boasts an on-site commercial R&D kitchen with a full-time chef for developing exciting new products and cooking recipes for both retail products (inset) and foodservice industry offerings.

“For example, we purify the air throughout the facility on continuous basis, which is not something you will find in most meat plants,” says Cator, describing the strict sanitation and hygienic regime faithfully observed at all times at both plants, Cardinal opened up its newest facility in 2011 to accommodate rapid volume growth and to provide additional room for its proactive R&D efforts, including a fully-equipped, professional on-site test kitchen employing a full-time chef to develop delicious new products for the meat-loving public.

“Moreover, this is about as ‘green’ a plant as you can get in this industry,” Cator proudly points out.

“We use LED lighting throughout the plant, we recycle just about anything and everything that can be recycled, and some of the energy-recouping systems we have here are also far beyond what other companies may have.”

Moving to the new plant has also enabled Cardinal to fine-tune its “lean manufacturing” process with well-designed plant layouts that stress operational f lexibility and a true JIT (just-in-time) manufacturing mindset.

“The Brampton plant’s grinding operation has five primary lines, three with nitrogen freezing,

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COVER STORY

Line workers prepare the freshly-ground burgers entering the high-speed Repak RE20 vacuumsealing machine to be individually-sealed or multipacked in the highbarrier rollstock plastic film manufactured by the Cryovac division of Sealed Air Corporation.

lines, says Cator, noting that Cardinal is also one of the country’s leading manufacturers of non-meat veggie burgers—marketed under the Cardinal Select brand name in retail markets—with a strong presence and capabilities in specialty markets for Halal and all-organic meat products.

“We process just about every type of animal protein to meet the demands of our customers,” says Cator, “including specialty products like bison burgers and lamb burgers.

“Our f lexible production lines can deal with a very broad range of species to produce many unique varieties, including stuffed burgers with inclusions ranging from veggies to cheeses and other proteins such as bacon,” he expands.

“We are able to deal with segregation requirements for Halal and organic meats, along with cooking ground or whole-muscle pork, beef, turkey and chicken—including both fresh and frozen,” Cator relates.

“Our f lexible lines are capable of full trimming and sorting as required for our cooked items,” he notes, “as well as designated and specific grinds, blends and high-speed forming capabilities for our portion-controlled burgers.”

Winning Mentality

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Such versatility has made Cardinal a much soughtafter producer and supplier for many store-brands of most major Canadian grocery retailers, notes Cator.

He proudly cites the Private Label category Grand Prix New Product Award of the Retail Council of Canada (RCC) given earlier this year to the President’s Choice Free From Angus Beef Burgers brand, which Cardinal produced for Loblaw Brands Limited using the aforementioned “revolutionary” NTF process.

“The reason it’s called the Revolution Burger is because it really is revolutionary insofar as dramatically changing the market,” says Cator.

“Winning all these awards really validates what we have done with our NTF technology,” says Cator, adding that the NTF burgers—first launched about three years ago under the Sobey’s Sensations store brand—now account for over half of all burger grinding volumes at the Cardinal plant.

“We sought out some technologies widely used in Europe and combined them with some North American know-how and our own in-house R&D to develop this new process,” says Cator, citing buoyant growth for the company’s Butcher-style foodservice burger brand across Canada.

“Our zero-pressure forming method really falls into the whole current trend of minimal processing and more natural products,” he explains. “Because there is no pressure, you end up with a fresher-tasting product that looks like it just came straight from the grinder, with excellent bite and ‘pebbly’ texture, and good moisture retention that ensures a very juicy burger that most people would think was prepared in the back of a restaurant.

“The fact is that what we do with these burgers at the plant are things that

Manufactured by Fortress Technologies in Toronto, the high-speed Phantom series metal detection system above is one of several high-accuracy product inspection technologies employed throughout the Brampton facility to ensure optimal product quality.

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Cover Story Advanced further-processing equipment developed by leading manufacturer Marel forms an integral part of the upcoming launch of a brand new range of high-quality APP (advanced protein-portioning) products at leading Canadian grocery stores nationwide.

you could not replicate in the back of the restaurant—particularly in respect to food safety,” Cator points out. “Many consumers may think that the safest burgers are ones made in the back of the restaurant or at a butcher shop and the reality is in fact completely the opposite, as these places are not deep-cleaned and sanitized nightly like ours.

“As a GFSI-certified facility, we have all the systems in place to make sure our customers get exceptionally healthy, indulgent and safe burgers.

“Being able to make burgers that taste like they just came from a butcher in a high-speed environment is a real competitive edge for Cardinal,” Cator asserts.

“Restaurants love the speed of service they get with NTF Burgers.

“It cooks faster and more evenlygiving them faster table turns—while their customers get to enjoy the natural taste and texture of a product that tastes like something their mom would make,” he chuckles.

Extra Help Typically running a two-shift, five-day production schedule over the slower fall and winter months, Cardinal significantly boosts its output to full capacity during the busy March-July barbecue season—hiring up to 100 seasonal workers to accommodate an around-the-clock, sevendays-a-week schedule.

As busy as that sounds, things may get even busier next year as the company proceeds with the launch of yet more revolutionary product lines to add to its burgers and slow-cooked products.

The planned expansion is the result of the company’s new proprietary APP (Advanced Protein Portioning) technology, which Cator says Cardinal installed in partnership with leading global food-processing equipment manufacturer Marel over a period of about six months.

Using Marel Townsend’s hightech further-processing machinery, the APP processing method enables Cardinal to produce very diverse, fully-cooked and fully-sealed, preportioned single-serve meat products ranging from burgers and sausages to three-dimensional product like chicken breasts in their natural shape.

“We are very interested in growing our business in the off-season times of year, and this APP technology will help us achieve that goal,” says Cator, adding the first wave of new APP products should be hitting the Canadian retail shelves in the spring of 2014.

“Each product made in APP is preportioned to what a consumer would eat in a single meal, unlike the kettle-cooked pieces that are more likely

December 2013

15

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Leading the food industry in processing and packaging solutions.

COVER STORY to be divided at the family table,” says Cator, noting the Cardinal plant is actually one of Marel’s designated “global innovation partner” sites.

Once up and running, the APP line will be able to process between 5,000 and 6,000 pounds of meat products per hour, according to Cator.

“This will be a huge market entry for us,” Cator predicts. “The whole APP process is based on using different existing technologies in innovative ways that not only provides us with a greater degree of efficiency, it also ensures that the food stays fresh longer and maintains proper portion control, all without using any preservatives or additives.”

The model Robot PVS stretchwrapping machine manufactured by Robopac provides the Cardinal plant with a highly mobile and flexible stretchwrapping system that can be easily wheeled over to any one of the plant’s production lines as needed, with the onboard touchscreen control panel (inset) facilitating easy startup and operation.

Flying Start

sides, or whatever other packaging features we want to implement.

“These are all important points of differentiation that our customers are looking for, primarily from the convenience and speedof-service standpoints,” he explains, “and Reiser was able to deliver all that by installing the new Repak in just six weeks, rather than the 12 weeks that they usually require for delivery.

“We are so impressed with them that we are now looking at some other equipment offered

by Reiser on the processing side,” Cator states.

“We find ourselves spending a lot of time with them because of the inherent f lexibility they bring to the table in terms of where we see this market going.”

States Cator: “Packaging plays a key role in what we do at Cardinal, and I expect that in the next few years packaging will become one of the biggest

To ensure a smooth and successful APP production startup, Cardinal recently purchased a brand new, high-performance Repak RE20 horizontal form-fill-seal (H/F/F/S) machine manufactured by leading global food processing and packaging machine-builder Reiser of Canton, Mass.

“We have purchased four Repak systems in the last six years,” Cator reveals, citing the equipment’s “exceptional f lexibility” and a wealth of valueadded features contributing to the plant’s lean and f lexible manufacturing strategy.

Although Cardinal took all due diligence in evaluating available equipment options from other packaging machinery suppliers, Cator recalls that the sales people at the manufacturer’s Reiser (Canada) Co. subsidiary in Burlington, Ont., simply made him an offer he could not refuse.

“What tipped us over the edge was Reiser telling us that if we bought their equipment and it did not exceed our expectations after a month, they would take it out for us at no charge.

“Naturally, we kept the equipment because it has performed so well for us,” Cator relates. “Reiser has been a tremendous partner for us, providing us with the packaging f lexibility requirements we need—be it an easy-peel top, pre-perfed film, using large f laps or individually-portioned pockets, whether we want to do labels on top, bottom or

The Brampton plant’s case-packing operations are capably handled by the BEL model WFPS 5150 forming/taping machine working with high-quality corrugated shipping cases manufactured primarily by Norampac.

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differentiators both at retail and restaurant level.

“It’s not just about product quality and integrity any more: it’s also about the f lexibility of making that product convenient and stand out on shelf.

“This is crucial in the new market environment where customers expect minimal amounts of physical packaging, yet still require the functionality, with much higher convenience and higher value in terms of how the product stands out on shelves,” says Cator.

“That’s why we have invested a lot of capital in Reiser and other packaging equipment that provides us with the f lexibility we need to keep our customers happy and loyal.”

This emphasis on f lexibility extends right into the plant’s end-of-packaging operations, which are currently served by Robopac’s innovative, fullymobile and fully-automatic model Robot PVS stetchwrapper.

The sleek and compact machine circles around the palleted loads on wheels to apply the exact amount of stretchwrap film needed to secure the load in place, automatically adjusting itself for height and all other load dimensions and variance on the f ly.

“It doesn’t need to be nailed to the f loor, which is really important for a highly f lexible operation like ours,” says Cator, who impulsively purchased the robotic stretchwrapper from Robopac’s Canadian distributor Jean Cartier Packaging Inc. right after seeing the system’s live demo on the showf loor of last year’s PACKex Toronto national packaging exhibition.

“When you’re using different line configurations, you want to be able to move it to different spots within the plant, and this stretchwrapper allows us to do just that where we want it, when

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COVER STORY tagline for our upcoming launches, “You can with Cardinal!’, to assure our customers that we’ll do whatever it takes to help their business. “At the end of the day the burger industry is really a pennies business,� Cator remarks. �It’s a very competitive industry, with a lot of consolidation and a lot of failures all around, so the biggest opportunities for growth are all about taking market share away from the competition, which is an important driver of all our innovation efforts. “We have been building on innovation for years, and we have been very well validated for our efforts with a lot of industry awards and, most importantly, the overwhelmingly positive feedback from our customers,� he sums up. “So I’m really excited about the future and seeing Cardinal keep revolutionizing the burger industry for many more years to come.�

Supplied by Harlund Industries, the Hitachi PB series continuous smallcharacter inkjet printer is used to apply lot code data and other required product information onto the designated white space of the folding cartons (inset) printed by leading Canadian boxmaker Boehmer Box LP.

Note: Please see the online video presentation of the Cardinal Meat Specialists operation on Canadian Packaging TV at www.canadianpackaging.com

For More Information: Reiser (Canada) Co. Fortress Technology Inc. PLAN Automation Boehmer Box LP EamaTech Canada Inc. Jean Cartier Packaging Inc. Labelling Technologies MD Packaging Inc. Marel Townsend Zebra Technologies Wexxar/BEL AGA Nordale Inc. AFA Nordale Inc. Norampac (Div. of Cascades Canada) SICK, Inc. Harlund Industries Ltd. Sealed Air Corporation

410 411 412 413 414 415 416 417 418 419 420 421 422 423 424 425 426

we want it,� says Cator. product down at about 300 IQF (individually “It is very unobtrusive, very simple to use, and very quick-frozen) patties per minute through the safe, with all the automatic shutoffs and safeguards,� metal detector with perfect alignment,� says Cator, Cator remarks. “It’s really been a tremendous piece of who recently sold the VCS patent to a prominent equipment for our operation.� machine-building company.

Other key packaging equipment and supplies “Most meat plants require a lot of f loorspace to utilized by Cardinal’s Brampton facility include: bring all those patties to packaging stages via hori• A Wexxar model Bel 5150u box-erector/taper zontal conveyors,â€? notes Cator, “whereas our VCS and Nordale form/glue machines for prodoes it all in a four-by-four-foot area. cessing primary paperboard folding cartons— “It’s just one of many things that we do in an printed by the Kitchener, Ont.-based Boehmer innovative way,â€? says Cator, adding the comBox LP—supplied by MD Packaging Inc. of pany houses a number of similar “patented invenMarkham, Ont.; tions, developed in partnership with suppliers and • Various grades of food-safe packaging polyCardinal’s own dedicated staff, that give it a big propylene packaging films—shipped and leg-up on the competition. used in rollstock format—manufactured by As Cator relates: “We have developed a new Cryovac division of the Sealed Air Corporation; • High-speed Phantom and Stealth series metal detection systems—manufactured by the Toronto-based Fortress Technology Inc. and installed by PLAN Automation of Orangeville, Ont.; 'JOE UIF SJHIU FRVJQNFOU GPS #F TVQQPSUFE CZ PVS 5FDIOJDBM 5FTU ZPVS QBDLBHJOH JO PVS • Food-grade Aqua Proof Sanitary serZPVS OFFET 5FBN *45" -BC ies conveyors supplied by EamaTech Canada Inc.; • MicroJet thermal inkjet printers from Loveshaw and Hitachi small-character inkjet coders, supplied by Harlund Industries Ltd., for primary package coding; • A high-speed printer-applicator from Labelling Technologies, complete with a thermal-transfer Zebra t 4 3PCPU t .BJOUFOBODF t *45" $FSUJĂśFE 5FTUT Technologies printer and SICK bart 5VSOUBCMFT t 3FQBJS t 1BDLBHJOH 0QUJNJ[BUJPO code scanners for outer case-coding t 3PUBSZ "SNT t *OTUBMMBUJPO t 3 % requirements; • A highly innovative, high-speed vertical conveyor system (VCS) completely Distributor of: developed and assembled in-house. “We actually built, designed and patented the system, which can bring the Contact us at 1 800 363-2737 | www.cartierpackaging.com | servicetechnique@cartierpackaging.com

DECEMBER 2013

11PAC-CVS-TAB.indd 17

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PACKAGING FOR FRESHNESS

ORGANIC AFFINITIES Photos courtesy of Blue Goose

Organic and natural meat farmer and producer grows a new look for its retail packaging

ANDREW JOSEPH, FEATURES EDITOR

T

aking a pinch of this and pinch of that has helped transform a renowned Canadian cattle company into a packaged meats performer focused on the ethical feeding and treatment of the animals it harvests.

Meet Blue Goose, a Canadian company shrouded in mystery and keen on keeping it that way for various competitive reasons.

Opening its doors in 1992 as the Blue Goose Cattle Company, the Vancouver-headquartered company has evolved over the years to ‘moo-ve’ away from just being cattle-focused, today earning its daily bread as a producer of organic and natural beef—mostly Black Angus—as well as chicken and rainbow trout fish In 2012, the company decided to rename itself to a more accurate, if slightly misleading, moniker— Blue Goose, despite the fact that it doesn’t sell any geese or blue-colored products.

“Blue Goose is a Canadian-based organic and natural food brand that specializes in offering the highest-quality beef, chicken and fish products to Canadians who want to eat food from well-raised animals,” Blue Goose director of brand and integrated marketing Johnathan Bonnell told Canadian Packaging in a recent interview.

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11PAC-PFF-BlueGoose.indd 18

“At Blue Goose we operate under the belief that everyone has the right to healthy food, and that if you look after your land and animals, they will look after you,” he adds.

It seems to be a plan that grocers and consumers are buying into, as Blue Goose products can nowadays be found nationally across Canada at Whole Foods, Sobeys, Loblaws and a host of independent grocers and butchers.

Works of Art In May of 2013, the company took its progressive mindset nationwide by debuting a new brand identity and packaging look created by a well-renowned branding Montreal-headquartered agency Sid Lee, featuring highly sophisticated, upscale and eyecatching visuals from Taiwan-born, Los Angelesraised and based artist Ben Kwok.

Sid Lee is internationally renowned and respected for its branding work with Adidas, Absolut Vodka, Red Bull, Cirque de Soliel, MGM Grand and many other bluechip corporate clients.

It has offices in Toronto, Paris, New York and Amsterdam staffed with over 600 talented employees. For his part, the aforementioned Kwok is a freelance artist of immense talent who is drawn to completing hyper complex and detailed artwork often with an animal foundation.

Featuring Cryovac’s patented DarfreshBloom skin-tight packaging and fl flair air for the artistic, the Vancouver-based Blue Goose meats producer has earned an easy-to spot place for itself on the fresh-food shelves of leading grocers across Canada.

Kwok told Canadian Packaging that Sid Lee knew of his ornate animal drawings and asked if he would be interested in working with them.

“They had an idea of what they wanted and we worked together in making it come to life,” Kwok explains.

“There was a lot of back and forth, but in the end, we walked away with a great illustration that we’re all proud of,” he recalls.

One thing for sure: while the fresh-meat ailses may have once been shopped by consumers ‘mainly because of the meat’, it’s now also because of the packaging.

The rebranded Blue Goose products feature blueink artwork featuring a chicken or two, a young male cow, and a majestic fish that each stand out on their own merit on the grocer shelves.

“Each of the animals has contained within it a detailed line-drawing representation of its natural habitat,” says Bonnell.

“The art is meant to convey to the customer the land that the animal grows in,” he adds. “As well, the rep-

CANADIAN PACKAGING • DECEMBER 2013

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Deep Freeze The frozen chicken strips, bites and wings products are the only ones contained within a carton, and as such, it has imagery on the two large faces of the package.

The chicken ink artwork is placed on one side, while the more conventional photographic image of the actual products is placed on the other.

On the packed 500-gram packs, four strips of chicken breast strips sit innocently upon a white background, with one of the breaded pieces cracked open with a touch of spiced dipping sauce under it, ensuring it does not obscure the tender, white no-filler meat.

While Blue Goose has aimed to stun the consumer with its dynamic packaging artwork, it is also keen that the physical packaging of its products be equally effective at grabbing attention.

To achieve this, Blue Goose has turned to Cryovac, the food packaging division of Sealed Air Corporation to develop an eye-catching look for its fresh chicken products, with possible plans to extend the format into its other fresh meats.

Using a film packaging system called DarfreshBloom, the thermoformed package combines both vacuum and MAP (modified atmosphere packaging) technologies into a single package form.

Fernando Caristena, Food Care Division sales representative for Sealed Air’s Oakville, Ont. office, releates: “We supply Blue Goose with both the top and bottom Darfresh film and the Cryovac shrink bags, and we also provide a packaging technology that was developed with a partnership between

While it looks freshly-opened, a tray of Blue Goose organic chicken legs is actually securely and safely sealed tightly around the product within the DarfreshBloom plastic film packaging applied by a Multivac model R 175 CD thermoformer.

DECEMBER 2013

19

PROCESSES AND PACKAGING LEADING TRADE FAIR DÜSSELDORF, GERMANY

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resentation of the farms shows off the care that we have for rearing our animals.”

The frozen chicken fingers product actually contains a slightly different piece of chicken art than that found on the Blue Goose fresh chicken wings, chicken sausage, and whole-chicken products.

Although the chicken canvas has altered body positions, both images contain a farm structure, silo, and furrowed lands that appear in the shape of gourds, whimsical clouds blowing behind the henhouse, and all contained within the feathered confines of a hen with a ‘Mona Lisa’-like smile.

While the farms look different and the silo is located differently, the consumer instinctively gets the unmistakable message that this is the same Blue Goose branding.

The fresh fish and beef products are packed in a tray and sealed cleanly and tightly to preserve the product’s freshness and natural organic flavor, with the branding achieved with the placement of a paper sleeve placed around the left side of the sealed tray.

For its part, Kwok’s blue-ink fish image captures the power and free-movement of the organic fish. (See close-up images on page 20) Using the same motif of the wind, forest of coniferous trees and white waters, the theme is placed over the entirety of the creature’s body sans head, acting as its fishy scales and fins, while maintaining the integrity of the fish.

As for the beef, Sid Lee and Kwok have designed a lean-looking young calf to be the canvas, featuring the wind-blown rural motif of another old-school cattle barn, fields, trees, winds and choppy waters of a lake, all spaced out cleanly within the bovine profile.

“When you see our packaging, you know what you are getting,” asserts Bonnell. “It’s all about pride and craftsmanship in production.”

11.09.13 09:28

13-12-06 10:01 AM

PACKAGING FOR FRESHNESS Cryovac and Multivac.

“It takes a special type of machine to create the DarfreshBloom seal on packaging, and that’s where Multivac comes in,” notes Caristena. “Darfresh can not simply be run on any standard thermoforming equipment.”

According to Caristena, the new DarfreshBloom film reprep resents the latest evolution in 30 years of Darfresh pack packaging expertise.

Although designed primarily for packaging red meat, it also lends its protective and decorative powers to fish and poultry products.

The DarfreshBloom pack consists of three webs, starting with a rigid barrier bottom web formed on a line into a tray.

Next, a Cryovac TB270 semi-barrier top skin is applied over the meat product to keep it close to the bottom web with hermetic seals.

A third web is applied to further enhance the shelflife performance of the fresh chicken product.

The DarfreshBloom, as its name might suggest, is different from the regular Darfresh product, in that it maintains the original meat color—the bloom, if you will.

It does so by preventing color change thanks to that

Blue Goose’s frozen, 500-gram packs of uncooked, breaded and seasoned organic chicken breast strips come pre-packed with a sweet and zesty chili sauce.

oxygen-rich atmosphere compartment between the top barrier lidding film and the semi-permeable inner skin film, with the inner skin film securing the product to the bottom web.

The R 175 CD thermoforming system from Multivac evacuates the air in the chamber and draws the top web to the ceiling of the dome and seals itself by absorbing heat from the dome.

A gentle air-f low is then introduced to relax the top web, allowing it to drape itself over the meat product and the bottom web. When the dome opens up, the top web shrinks upon the product’s contours to provide a skin-tight seal.

The last step for the Multivac R175CD is the heat-sealing of the top and bottom films, which joins them together to form a f lat seal right up to the edges of the product.

As far as customer response to the overall look of the packaging, Bonnell says he is highly impressed. “So far, the overall response to our new packaging has been great,” he says, “although there is still some consumer education that needs to happen at the retail level, as the use of Darfresh packaging in Canada is not as widely adopted as it is in the U.S.” Bonnell makes a point of noting that the sleeve labels Blue Goose uses are made of CCNB (ClayCoated News-Back) boxboard that is made from 100-percent recycled material—with minimum 65-percent post-consumer content, with the rest derived from post-industrial materials.

“Like any industry, we exist alongside a variety of old and new competitors,” Bonnell says. “Our focus at the end of the day has always been on our consumers.

“We believe the protein industry and food industry overall is a very complex one for Canadians to navigate, and we’ve strived to keep things simple and straightforward with all of our marketing endeavors,” Bonnell concludes.

“It’s the reason we’ve kept things simple and clean with our packaging.”

For More Information: Cryovac (Div. of Sealed Air Corporation) Multivac Canada Inc. Sid Lee

440 441 442

If the packaging style doesn’t capture the attention of the shopper, the eye-catching artwork from noted Los Angeles-based artist Ben Kwok certainly should. Hired by international branding specialists Sid Lee, the Blue Goose products are certainly standing out in the fresh meats sections of many major grocery retailers across Canada.

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CANADIAN PACKAGING • DECEMBER 2013

13-12-06 10:01 AM

AUTOMATE NOW

Brianne Moar, Sales and Marketing Director, Edson Packaging Machinery Limited

IN PURSUIT OF INVENTION

In-house technological advances and leading-edge equipment manufacturing prowess provide the best of Canadian savoire faire for the packaging industry

ANDREW JOSEPH, FEATURES EDITOR PHOTOGRAPHY BY KAZUYOSHI EHARA

A

lthough a mere vowel removed from being named after one of the most famous American inventors, the folks over at the Hamilton-based Edson Packaging Machinery Limited certainly seem to have taken the inventing bug to heart and stamped out a niche for itself in becoming one of Canada’s own technological darlings—as backed up by the remarkable number of patents owned by its employees.

In fact, along with the numerous patents held by its engineers, Edson’s sales and marketing director holds a key patent that the company hopes will soon usher in a new level of value-added benefits to all of its products.

When company founders Ed McCrudden and Hugh Anderson (Ed+Son) were first asked to design and build a carton packer back in 1962, they seemed to have the foresight and genuine belief that they were on the verge of something good.

After building their first case-packer in 1964 and receiving their first patent in 1966, the company moved on from the stereotypical business-

DECEMBER 2013 • CANADIAN PACKAGING

11PAC-AN-Edson.indd 21

in-home-garage of McCrudden to owning and operating its own two facilities in Hamilton, today totaling a combined 80,000 square foot of production space and over 150 employees.

“While we are quite renowned for our case packers in the tissue industry—we have machinery installed at close to 90 per cent of the North American tissue mills—the past 10 years have seen us return to our roots catering to a wider range of industries, such as the food segment,” Edson sales and marketing director Brianne Moar told Canadian Packaging during a recent visit to their Hamilton operations.

Tissue Issues Moar recalls that around the beginning of the company’s existence, Edson came up with a revolutionary carton-packer that had the tissue industry beaming.

“The revolutionary aspect was simply the fact that our equipment was robust,” explains Moar noting that the tissue industry is tough on equipment. “The tissue mills have dust and fibers f lying through the air, and equipment gets easily gummed.

“But Edson case-packing equipment is robust

enough to handle it all,” she adds, “throughout its service-life of around 15 years.”

That well-earned reputation continues to validate itself in continued sales growth, according to Moar, as even during the most recent economic downswing, Edson’s production volumes continued to increase.

By always striving to add added-value propositions to its machinery, Moar explains, Edson has been able to retain a strong competitive edge.

“While we are known in the market as a horizontal case-packing equipment manufacturer, we are also looking to expand our reach,” Moar points out.

“In the very near future we will be debuting a new horizontal top-load case-packer that we feel will be perfect for the beverage and f lexible casepacking markets.”

Moar says that along with building robust endof-line equipment, Edson has always been able to provide its customers with production speeds greater than what they ask for.

“We’re always thinking about the future, even if the customer isn’t quite there yet,” says Moar.

“But they will be eventually, and so there’s nothing wrong with over-satisfying the customer by

WWW.CANADIANPACKAGING.COM • 21

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Edson Packaging Machinery’s new SR3550sa case- and tray-packer/sealer demonstrates its robust efficiency at the company’s manufacturing facility in Hamilton.

letting them know in advance that their equipment still has some more gas left in the tank when they need it.”

As of February 2012, Edson Packaging became a part of the Pro Mach, Inc. family, a Cincinnati, Ohio-headquartered conglomerate of various packaging equipment segments across the U.S. and Canada, ranking as one of the leading providers of packaging equipment and solutions for the food, beverage, household goods, pharmaceutical and

other diverse industrial and consumer companies.

For Edson Packaging, the new ownership will provide a welcome opportunity to cross-sell products across the entire Pro-Mach board, according to Moar.

“One Pro-Mach brand can sell you any ProMach brand,” exclaims Moar, noting Edson can now offer its customers full turnkey solutions for their needs.

“As an example, we could actually offer a com-

As part of its InteleSuite intelligent packaging system, Edson utilizes the power of Beckhoff Automation’s multitouch touchscreen to access the easy-to-use safety control features of the InteleVüe packaging equipment management concept.

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11PAC-AN-Edson.indd 22

plete upstream program to a tissue mill, right from the log entering the mill through to a pallet load of tissues leaving the premises.”

Moar adds that with the purchase of Edson by Pro-Mach, the company has essentially altered the way it thinks about who it is—which is not only a case-packer manufacturing company, but one that can offer end-of-line and turnkey solutions.

Case in Point While the cross-selling of other Pro-Mach brand of equipment is a welcome boost of business, Moar relates that Edson Packaging maintains a keen focus on building perhaps the most robust machinery in the business, including: • High-speed, f lexible, large case- and tray-packer SR 3600; • High-speed, case- and tray-packer/sealer SR 3500; • Four-station case-erector, packer and sealer 3200 with KDF (knocked down f lat) box dispensing; • The versatile, general-purpose 3100S caseerector, packer and sealer; • The basic 1000 Series air-powered semi-automatic case-packer.

For those who need it, Edson also designs and manufactures a diverse line of robotic pick-andplace case-packers.

Along with creating customized robotic solutions built on the integrated innovations of customized robotic systems, Edson customers can utilize: • RPd 270 precision-based robotic top-load case/ tray packer with multi-servo case handling automation; • RP 240 case-packer for small, light products; • RP 215 Series f lexible top-load case and traypacking systems.

“When it comes to top-load case and or tray-

CANADIAN PACKAGING • DECEMBER 2013

13-12-05 4:28 PM

AUTOMATE NOW

Left: Quick Respionse (QR) tags placed upon parts that could potentially experience wear-and-tear over the life of the capital equipment enables operators to perform diagnostic analysis in under 60 seconds, thanks to Edson’s InteleLink intelligent packaging system.

The InteleLink system (below) below) allows customers to below quickly and easily link directly with their machinery via a smartphone positioned within range of the RFID tag.

packing, Edson has the equipment to handle a wide range of product weights and sizes,” offers Moar.

“From two-axis gantry robots to the more complex multi-axis robotics that can provide orientation changes, we have a solution.”

Moar says that robotics can often provide end users with labor savings and production speed efficiencies they may not have thought of themselves.

Taking things to another level, however, Edson has also tapped into some of the technological known-how of Pro-Mach’s OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) and automation suppliers, explains Moar, to develop the InteleSuite on-machine intelligent packaging system featuring three new leading edge concepts marked under the InteleTül, InteleVüe and InteleLink brand names.

Sweet Rewards According to Moar, all three of these InteleSuite systems can help a customer reduce its downtime and costs, while helping them maintain and operate their Edson equipment more effectivly and efficiently.

“Customers are always looking for value-added from their equipment manufacturers, and the InteleSuite will provide up-to-date information on their tools, machine cycles, operating recipes and parts management data for critical preventative maintenance, better cost management and optimized uptime,” relates Moar.

“Not only do these InteleSuite tools provide that information, but they can also add a level of comfort for the customer by improving the human-machine interaction by reducing errors, providing instant feedback on issues, and providing detailed ‘how-to’ information,” she continues.

“The time and efficiency savings are substantial,” Moar states.

Developed by Edson for optimizing product changeovers, the InteleTül will verify that the proper part and set-up is being used, while also recording tool usage, number of cycles, and maintenance information.

If the wrong part has been installed, the

machine will simply not operate.

“The innovative InteleTül employs an I/O (input/output) link-based RFID (radiofrequency identification) system developed by Balluff,” notes Moar.

“And when this whole system works with our innovative Servo Adjust feature, the operator can perform machine adjustments with a simple push of a button.”

This can reduce changeover times from 30 minutes to a mere five minutes, and be completely error-free.

“Our goal was to make changeovers as easy and error-free as possible,” she explains, “while capturing data that can be used for overall part and machine management.”

The brainchild of Moar herself, InteleLink uses Near Field Communication (NFC) technology to provide instant product support via instruction manuals, videos with set-up and replacement

instructions, and e-mail communications.

Utilizing QR (quick response) codes—a highdensity matrix barcode in the form of an RFID (radio frequency identification) optically machinereadable label—Edson places them at various points on its machinery.

Code Medicine These codes can be easily accessed via a smartphone to provide customers with quick and easy access to specific technical manuals relating to a specific area of the machinery; videos relating to how to troubleshoot or replace a part; and even e-mails with messages to a technical service department detailing the problem.

As Moar explains, “InteleLink works like the chip on a bankcard, but in this case providing a link to one’s capital equipment.”

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s Million-cycle tested for reliability. s Food-handling models available.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CIRCLE 115

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AUTOMATE NOW

An RFID tag is placed below a Balluff Ethernet I/O Block

by Edson Packaging as part of the company’s InteleLink parts and machine management system.

Edson provided a live demonstration of the InteleLink technology to Canadian Packaging showing a total of 30 QR codes applied to various machine parts of its new SR3550sa case- and tray-packer/sealer.

“Each QR tag represents a possible diagnostic point on the machine, though a customer could request fewer or more tags, depending on their needs,” says Moar.

“After touching and scanning a QR code with a smartphone, a customer can perform an equipment diagnostic in 45 seconds, rather than 45 minutes.”

Moar explains that should information change on an equipment part, an alteration can easily be made at the catalog site, which will then automatically be updated any time and anyplace a customer wants to activate it.

“We can customize the InteleLink tags by plant, by machine, by part, and by customer, and have it contain nearly any kind of content users want to provide on the machine instantaneously,” explains Moar.

“InteleLink is an outstanding maintenance, troubleshooting and safety tool,” she asserts. “It saves time and allows users to perform virtually any support activity while near the machine.”

Not limited to a specific amount or location or Pro-Mach family capital equipment machine, a D-Link camera is mounted within the machinery to provide an added level of operator safety via the Edson InteleVüe system.

The recorded video data can then help users make fine adjustments, troubleshoot issues and identify potential problems before they result in downtime, Moar explains.

The 24-inch, multitouch industrial PC screen from Beckhoff provides the convenience of a tablet installed directly on critical capital equipment.

“Just released by Beckhoff at the 2013 Hannover Automation Fair in April, one of the neat aspects of the Beckhoff screen is that it allows for fingerprint scanning,” says Moar, “which provides for secure operation and maintenance functions.

“Thanks to the streaming live videos into the Beckhoff HMI (human-machine interface) touchscreen, it helps keep the operator out of the machine’s work area,” says Moar. “You can see potential trouble spots with the viewing screen.”

Moar adds that plans are afoot for Edson to soon

offer a wand that will allow any tagged InteleLink content to be viewed on the InteleVüe touchscreen, or populated in an e-mail that can be sent to connected non-NFC compliant devices.

“All three of the InteleSuite systems can help equipment operators reduce downtime and costs, while allowing them to maintain and operate their Edson or Pro-Mach machines both effectively and more efficiently,” says Moar. “It ultimately means a better-run production line in both the short and the long run.”

While all three systems are available together as an integrated support system, Edson is currently offering the InteleTül, InteleVüe and InteleLink as individual, stand-alone systems.

The good news is that the InteleSuite systems can each be retrofitted onto existing Edson and ProMach packaging equipment systems already on the

Looking Good Moar relates that the development of the InteleVüe technology was greatly enhanced by the partnership Pro-Mach has with leading automation components manufacturer Beckhoff Automation.

“This is definitely a technology that we would not have been able to push forward without both the financial backing of Pro-Mach and its relationship with Beckhoff,” Moar acknowldeges.

The InteleVüe system utilizes Beckhoff ’s smart touchscreen, that provides a real-time or recorded high-speed video captured by magnetic, wireless cameras that Edson can place anywhere a customer wants inside a machine.

Manufactured by Beckhoff Automation, the 24-inch color multi-touchscreen shows four different camera views from within an Edson SR3550sa case- and tray-packer/sealer.

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11PAC-AN-Edson.indd 24

CANADIAN PACKAGING • DECEMBER 2013

13-12-06 10:06 AM

a giant breakthrough in small readers

Edson utilizes the technological prowess of Festo’s MTR-ECI low-voltage, compact synchronous positioning servo motors, featuring an integrated drive, gearbox and encoder, for enabling a completely decentralized approach for automated motion control tasks.

production line f loor, according to Moar.

“Our Pro-Mach relationship has been highly beneficial for Edson right from the get-go,” says Moar adding that Edson has upped its annual R&D (research and development) investments from 3.8 per cent to 10 percent.

“While also giving us access to Pro-Mach’s best partners like Beckhoff Automation, it has also provided us with additional purchasing power, access to engineering best-practices, a new product development system, and an opportunity to reach not only a higher level technically, but also given us a larger customer base.

“The InteleSuite system is the first thing we have developed thanks to our ownership and partnership with Pro-Mach,” sums up Moar.

“We still have our thinking caps on, because we are always looking for more technological ways to improve the whole production line experience for our customers.”

For More Information: Edson Packaging Machinery Limited Beckhoff Automation Canada Ltd. Rockwell Automation Inc. Nordson Canada Limited Festo Inc. Shuttleworth, Inc. Pro-Mach, Inc. Balluff Canada Inc. D-Link Corporation

450 451 452 453 454 455 456 457 458

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The DataMan® 50L is huge in barcode reading performance. Measuring just 23.5mm x 27mm x 43.5mm and featuring an IP65-rated housing, the DataMan 50L is premium technology designed for 1-D-oriented barcode reading. The DataMan 50L delivers read rates that can surpass 99% through Cognex’s proprietary Hotbars™ image-analysis technology.

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Scan to Learn More

As part of its InteleLink feature, Edson Packaging has placed a QR-formatted RFID tag upon a Nordson-manufactured Freedom Hot Melt Delivery System applicator attached to its SR3550sa case-packer/sealer demonstration unit.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CIRCLE 116

December 2013 • CANADIAN PACKAGING

25

PRODUCT ID NOW

Brian Mullins, cofounder and co-owner of HapiFoods Group Inc. is proud to have his all-organic Holy Crap cereal eaten all over the world and out of it, at the orbiting International Space Station.

SPACE ODDITIES

Canadian organic cereal manufacturer blasts off to new heights and new locales ANDREW JOSEPH, FEATURES EDITOR PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRISTOPHER GRABOWSKI

G

etting a boost of energy from eating healthy foods should come as no surprise from those who do it, but using booster rockets that cost NASA (National Aeronautical Space Administration) $36,000 a pound to ship up into Earth’s orbit to the ISS (International Space Station) Station), well, that was a Tang-moment -moment to cherish forever for an innovative West Coast cereal manufacturer.

One thing’s for cercer tain, whether it’s along for space exploration or battling the digestive tract of the dragons, or simsim ply putting a smile on the face of everyday consumconsum ers, the folks over at the HapiFoods Group Inc. certainly know their crap, if you’ll forgive the pun.

The brainbrain child of a husband and wife team,

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Corin and Brian Mullins, HapiFoods was formed thanks to the success of its first brand offering, Holy Crap cereal, that was started in 2009 with a mere pocketful of change ($129) and an idea to provide a healthy food that tastes great.

With that initial investment supported by uncanny self-belief and resolve, HapiFoods quickly grew to become a key player in the artisan cereal manufacturing industry, with consumers reaching around the world and even above it.

The 22-employee company has expanded with a warehouse in Wilson’s Creek, B.C., and headquarters, warehouse and production facility in Gibsons totaling 10,000 square feet.

In 2008, after settling in the picturesque community of Sechelt—a hidden gem of a place accessible only by seaplane or ferry and located about 50 kilometers northwest of Vancouver—the Mullins set about to create a cereal that could provide a nutritious meal for Brian, who was suffering from various food allergies and sensitivities.

While the health benefits were of paramount importance, the Mullins were also intent on proving that just because something is good for you, it doesn’t mean it has to taste like crap.

In the end, they actually proved everyone right on every point: in health benefits, in taste and in name.

While the Mullins’ admit that the cereal idea was to help with Brian’s dietary needs, he adds that the idea was first formulated back in 1998, after they had survived the devastating Quebec winter icestorm without food, water or power.

Corin thought of creating an emergency survival

kit for difficult emergencies, that contained a highprotein cereal with a long storage life, only to discover such a cereal did not exist.

Although it took a few years and 21 different recipes combinations, the Mullins hit upon the right formula to create a gluten-free, vegan-certified organic breakfast cereal with an all-natural non-GMO (genetically modified organism) list of organic foodstuffs comprising: black chia seed, buckwheat, hulled hemp seeds, cranberries (sugar, sunf lower), oil, raisins, apple bits and cinnamon, that to the initial surprise of everyone involved, the stuff actually tasted great.

“Even I will admit that most healthy foods taste healthy, which is a code-word for ‘tastes like cardboard’,” founder and co-owner Brian Mullins told Canadian Packaging magazine during in recent interview.

“But we finally hit upon a winner—a nutrition-packed specialty breakfast that is 65-percent sourced from Canadian ingredients and that actually tastes great.”

In May of 2009 after coming up with a cereal that was safe and healthy for her hubby, Corin Mullins decided to try her luck at the Sechelt Farmer’s Market, initially selling a mere 10 bags.

It was at the next appearance at the market that the Mullins’ had an ephiphany—thanks to one experienced by a customer.

As Mullins recalls, “That customer said to me: ‘Holy Crap! After eating this, I had the most amazing —’ I’ll let you fill in your own descriptive word here.”

Upon hearing about such earnest reactions,

CANADIAN PACKAGING • DECEMBER 2013

13-12-06 10:07 AM

PRODUCT ID NOW Supplied by Harlund Industries, HapiFoods uses an Emplex 6500 bag sealer to seal in the organic freshness of its healthy and tasty cereals.

quick-thinking Brian decided to rebrand the tasty HapiFoods cereal as Holy Crap.

Using primarily word-of-mouth, the news of a tasty and healthy breakfast cereal with a quirky but catchy brand name spread like wildfire in the community, with daily sales soaring, Mullins recalls, which sounds like a lot, but was still a growth from 10 bags a day to over 100.

“Nowadays, Holy Crap cereal and our three other brands are sold in over 2,500 retail shops across Canada and the U.S., and are the favorite cereals of athletes, diabetics, celiacs, dieters and even astronauts,” says Mullins.

“And with our on-line store, our products are shipped to over 40 countries around the world and more.”

It’s that ‘and more’ comment that really puts Holy Crap into some elite company.

Featuring an out-of-this-world taste that Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield has attested to, Holy Crap was okayed by NASA to join the fivemonth space mission between December 2012 and May 2013 in the Earth-orbiting International Space Station.

Aside from the health benefits of the cereal, NASA really liked the fact that the cereal is crumble- and dust-free—two important factors to consider when hungry astronauts are bobbing along in zero gravity, and making it imperative that the very expensive and important scientific equipment is kept in perfect working order.

And, regarding an estimated cost of $36,000 per pound of cereal to bring it up to the ISS, NASA did have to design and repackage Holy Crap to its own unique specifications for its trip into space.

Dragon’s Gold Medal Regardless of the kitschy name that lures people in, the Mullins’ are well aware that it is the healthy and nutritious ingredients in the cereal that keep customers coming back for more.

The cereal business received a healthy boost during the 2010 Winter Olympics held in Vancouver when its kiosk at the Granville Island Market in Vancouver was discovered by Olympic visitors and by the international media who also seem to adore the interesting cereal name.

With international notoriety came a huge increase in repeat global online sales, as once again quality won out over a rebranded expletive.

It was a few months later, in November of 2010,

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that the Mullins’ made an appearance on the popular CBC television program Dragons’ Den, to seek financial sponsorship, or at least some sound advice on how to possibly gain more customers.

After a simple taste test, Mullins relates, some members of the Dragons’ Den were prepared to offer the cereal makers a blank cheque to buy into this business opportunity.

“I should be clear, however, that HapiFoods did not formulate a deal with anyone from the Dragons’ Den, because we didn’t want to give up majority control in our own business,” says Mullins, noting the Dragons’ Den panel later acknowledged that HapiFoods was indeed the most successful business to ever come out of the show.

But for HapiFoods, aside from some great advice, it managed to gain even more media attention.

“We had about 100 orders a month, and we went to about 2,000 orders a day after that,” says Mullins.

“In fact, we generated over $1 million from our on-line store the week after the show aired.”

Hot on the heels of the successful Holy Crap cereal, the company developed three other brands: Skinny B, Mary Jane and Wild Chia.

Catchy cereal names aside, the one thing that can not be denied is the fact that these popular cereals are great-tasting and pack a healthy wallop to kickstart your day.

Says Mullins: “We didn’t simply just add a bunch of healthy ingredients together, shake well and serve.

“We really did our research on many ingredients and what benefits they could offer and how they would blend together to provide a pleasurable eating experience for the consumer.”

HapiFoods enjoys expounding the fact that the single serving of Holy Crap or Skinny B cereal packs higher levels of omega-3 and omega-6 than in a serving of wild Atlantic salmon.

Moreover, one serving of these cereals contains 50 per cent more protein than two tablespoons of f lax seed and possesses more fiber than a standard bran muffin.

Skinny B cereal contains all natural, non-GMO ingredients, including: organic chia, organic buckwheat and organic hulled hemp seeds.

“Skinny B actually contains twice the amount of chia in the blend than the Holy Crap cereal,” Mullins points out.

According to HapiFoods, chia is a species of f lower from the mint family that contains a soluble

and gentle fiber that is supposed to be good for the digestive tract.

Those wanting just chia for cereal need look no farther than the company’s Wild Chia brand, while those preferring just hemp seed can chow down on Mary Jane, according to Mullins.

Thanks to the marketing impact of the Dragons’ Den television appearance that caused a huge upswing in the cereal’s demand, and a desire to maintain control over its product to provide proper quality assurance to its consumers, HapiFoods is committed to owning and operating its own production facility—rather than rely on contract packaging—in whatever country it decides to expand.

“Here in B.C., when our sales started to go crazy at the end of 2010, we looked for, but could not find a co-packer that was allergen-free, so we built our own facility from scratch,” Mullins proudly states.

It’s that need to ensure its products are manufactured in a safe and controlled environment that has formed the way it expands its business into other countries, Mullins relates.

“We just finalized a deal in China,” explains Mullins, “and rather than have a Chinese company order ingredients and pack product with our name on it for the Chinese market, we are committed to doing it all ourselves in China with our own facility.”

Joining HapiFoods on this journey, says Mullins, will be Harlund Industries Ltd., a Canadian firm that has already populated the B.C. facility with production line equipment, and is expected to do the same wherever the cereal producer decides to set up shop.

Led by the affable Bruce Hartfelder, Harlund Industries is headquartered in Edmonton, with additional offices in Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto providing top-quality printing and coding equipment, baggers and other packaging equipment across Canada.

Mullin says that for HapiFoods, working with Harlund packaging and coding systems representative Rob Vanstone from the B.C. office has been great.

“Not only has the service been spectacular, but the equipment we have purchased from Harlund Industries could not be better,” Mullins says.

Headquartered in Edmonton, with branches in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, Harlund Industries has supplied HapiFoods with top-of-the-line coders, baggers and labeling system.

WWW.CANADIANPACKAGING.COM • 27

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PRODUCT ID NOW

The Foxjet Pro Series 384 box coder utilizes an easy-touse 17-inch Marksman ELITE, Windows-based controller and operating system.

• Two Emplex 6500 continuous band sealers manufactured by Plexpack; • One Hitachi RX Standard inkjet coder; • One Belcor 5150 semi-automatic case-forming top and bottom taper, including an accumulation table and a powered outfeed conveyor manufactured by Wexxar/BEL; • One FoxJet ProSeries high-resolution box coding system with an Elite controller and a 384 two-inch printhead; • A Nita bag labeling system.

“We have two production lines that each pack about 5,000 units (f lexible bags) a day, five days a week,” says Mullins, adding that HapiFoods handpacks its bags with a pharmaceutical-like precision.

A Nita labeler supplied by Harlund Industries quickly and efficiently applies color adhesive labels to blank flexible film pouches before each one is hand-filled with cereal.

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A close-up view of a Foxjet ProSeries 384 box-coder supplied by Harlund Industries, quickly applying smudge-proof inkjet product data and barcodes to corrugated cartons filled with pouches of of HapiFoods cereal.

In operation, blank stand-up, laminated foil f lexible pouches pass the Nita bag to have a full graphic label attached to each side of the pouch before filling.

Mullins says that not only cereals are packed by weight, each container is actually packed by weight of individual ingredient, which is why HapiFoods currently prefers to fill each bag by hand before running each through an Emplex 6500 band sealer.

Attached upon one of the Emplex 6500’s, the Hitachi RX Standard inkjet coder applies bestbefore and lot code data directly to the blank stand-up laminated foil f lexible pouches used for the eight-ounce (225-gram) cereal packs.

The Hitachi RX series features an efficient nozzle design that provides for a higher print speeds without quality degradation. Equipped with a 10.4inch color touch panel, it can store up to 2,000 print messages and can have data easily backed up with a USB memory stick.

After the Belcor 5150 corrugated caseformer readies a master carton, each is hand-filled with the cereal pouches, hand-taped shut, and then moved past the Foxjet coder to have product coding applied.

“It’s quick and efficient, and it’s a real credit to Harlund Industries, who have provided us with such good equipment,” says Mullins.

“We’ve enjoyed working with them on our initial packaging lines here in B.C., and we look forward to continuing that relationship as we continue our global expansion,” he says.

Not content to rest on their well-earned laurels, Mullins says that along with Holy Crap and others being available in two-pound industrial bags, HapiFoods is releasing two new personal-size food packs of 45 and 56 grams respectively.

While clearly excited about the new product release, Mullins does lament a specific packaging idiosyncrasy.

Being a food processor that cares about what people eat, he says that he has been unable to find a more environmentally-friendly pouch that suits his own green mindset and satisfies the cereal’s shelflife requirements.

“We’ve had to look more to food safety than

sustainability in our packaging quest,” explains Mullins. “Because of the ingredients we have in our cereals, the oils secreted by them need to be well-contained.

“And so far, we haven’t found a f lexible film package that can withstand the rigors of our natural ingredients.”

All in all, it’s only fitting that HapiFoods has garnered more than a few awards and adulations with Corin herself recently becoming the first-ever Canadian winner of the Ernst & Young 2013 Entrepreneurial Winning Women competition, a program designed to help women break through barriers that keep thriving second-stage businesses from reaching the next level.

Mullins says it’s an exciting award for both Corin and HapiFoods, as the award and ensuing business trip provide the company with a chance to hobnob with other businesses, top executives, business advisors and prospective investors.

And, while Mullins says the company isn’t going into such an event with its hands open looking for money, he likens it to the Dragons’ Den opportunity: going in with open eyes and ears hoping to gain critical data on how to make HapiFoods even more successful.

As Mullins sums up, “HapiFoods has worked hard to create a cereal like Holy Crap that is not only good for you, but tastes like it’s bad for you—tasty, that is.

“Holy Crap and our other cereals use products that are naturally gluten-free, sugar-free, nutrient dense and delicious,” he concludes, “and for anyone out there who wants to make a positive change to your overall diet then HapiFoods has the perfect cereal for you.”

For More Information: Harlund Industries Ltd. Plexipack Corporation Hitachi, Ltd. Nita Labeling Equipment Wexxar Packaging, Inc. FoxJet, an ITW Company

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CANADIAN PACKAGING • DECEMBER 2013

13-12-06 10:08 AM

SHOW REPORT

STANDING OUT IN A CROWD

A novel packaging show idea gains traction with the professional packaging community

SEW-Eurodrive Company of Canada Ltd. was the sponsor of the Top 50 Packaging Ideas expo.

PHOTOS BY COLE GARSIDE

T

o put it in simple terms, it was in idea whose time had clearly come.

Or at least it seemed this way for the nearly 40 tabletop exhibitors and the over 300 visitors to the Top 50 Packaging Ideas tabletop exhibition held at the Mississauga Convention Centre last month in Mississauga, Ont. A brainchild of Canadian Packaging publisher Stephen Dean, the lively and highly interactive one-day networking event hit all the right notes in providing some of Canada’s leading suppliers of packaging equipment, materials and services to show off what they had to offer to the packaging marketplace in a fairly intimate setting to an appreciative and engaged audience representing some of the country’s prominent CPG (consumer packaged goods) manufacturers and brand-owners looking for practical solutions for optimizing their packaging operations, improving their environmental

profile, enhancing their product quality and generally running a better business.

Drawing healthy foot traffic throughout the day, the Top 50 Packaging Ideas show also included a well-attended educational conference component—thanks to two seminars presented by Eiko Filler, product manager for gearmotors and mechatronic drive systems at the Brampton, Ont.-based SEW-Eurodrive. Co. of Canada Ltd., and Leonardo Giglio, vice-president of marketing with the Innisfill, Ont.-based f lexible pouching products manufacturer Tempo Plastics Limited.

While SEW’s Filler provided a comprehensive technical overview of his company’s Movigear DSC and Movifit ranges of decentralized drive systems and controls, Tempo’s Giglio retraced his company’s successful evolution from a commodity producer of standard polypropylene bags to a thriving manufacturer of value-added, f lexible stand-up pouches for a broad range of food industry applications.

Atlantic Packaging’s Vito Mangialardi (left) left) next to Brian Iseman of SteamPak, alongside left Add Ink’s Dasha Pyat and Atlantic’s maketing director Luis Prior.

DECEMBER 2013 • CANADIAN PACKAGING

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SEW-Eurodrive showcased its innovative Movigear and powerful motors at the expo.

According to Dean, “Most exhibitors at the Top 50 Packaging Ideas show were pleasantly surprised by the steady stream of quality people who came to the show.

“Some of our exhibitors made appointments with new prospects who came specifically to the show to see the products and suppliers who were featured on the e-blasts we deployed to our extensive CPG e-database at Canadian Packaging.

“Both exhibitors and visitors alike commented on how much they enjoyed the informal environment of the tabletop affair that was so conducive to the exchange of ideas,” says Dean, citing the presence of representatives from leading CPG brand-owners such as Nestlé, High Liner Foods, MolsonCoors, Loblaw, General Mills and Agropur, among others.

“Many exhibitors have already told us they will want to participate in the next Top 50 Packaging Ideas table top expo that will be held in the fall of 2014,” Dean states.

Atlantic Packaging was voted top innovator for its augmented reality interactive packaging, developed by its Add Ink subsidiary, activated by smartphone (inset). inset inset).

WWW.CANADIANPACKAGING.COM • 29

13-12-05 4:37 PM

SHOW REPORT

Metro Label sales team shows off the company’s broad offering of labeling products.

This sentiment was widely shared among the exhibitors.

“We made some nice new contacts and even came back with several concrete projects,” says Nicholas Taraborelli, vice-president of sales and marketing with the Montreal-based bagging machinery manufacturer WeighPack Systems Inc. “We had a great show,” adds Ruddy Bolanos, sales representative for digital label printers manufacturer QuickLabel Systems. “In fact, I had a few customers that came exclusively to see us at the show, who complimented how well it was managed and organized.”

Adds Tempo’s Giglio: “We had a full house for the seminar we gave during the show, so we are very pleased with our decision to participate.”

Most exhibitors agreed that the show’s tabletop format was more than sufficient for being able to get out their message to the marketplace without the burden and expense of setting up large pieces of equipment like they do at major national and international packaging exhibitions, with the added benefit of being able to spend more time

IPL Plastics works on getting the leads.

Rick Gessler of Delkor Systems knows his case-packing.

Gerry Celucci of Shawpak Systems (left) left) and left Gail Misener of Sealstrip Corp.

Leonardo Giglio of Tempo Plastics Ltd. talks up shelf-life innovation.

with their existing and prospective customers.

“The f low of visitors remained quite steady throughout the length of the show,” says Paul St. Amour, regional sales manager for CTM Labeling Systems, a prominent manufacturer of print-andapply equipment.

“We are very pleased with the turnout and the quality of visitors.”

QuickLabel Systems exhibit the new Kiaro! digital color label printer.

Brian St. Germain (left) left) of Technical Adhesives Ltd. chats with Joseph Campbell of Atlantic Packaging Products. left

The Igus Inc. display opens up for business.

Norampac’s display drew lively foot traffic from atten-

Sealed Air team ready to greet visitors.

30 • WWW.CANADIANPACKAGING.COM

11PAC-SHR-TAB.indd 30

Mark Conforti of WeighPack Systems Inc. doing booth duty.

CANADIAN PACKAGING • DECEMBER 2013

13-12-06 10:16 AM

ANNOUNCEMENTS

EVENTS Jan. 22-23 San Francisco, Ca.: Sustainable Foods Summit, conference by Organic Monitor. At Hotel Nikko San Francisco. To register, go to: www.sustainablefoodssummit.com

Feb. 3-5 Cincinnati, Ohio-headquartered automated material handling systems manufacturer and integrator Intelligrated is expanding its southern U.S. operations with a move to a new 54,000-squarefoot facility in Alpharetta, Ga. (see picture), which will also house the company’s recently-acquired Knighted logistics software business. According to the company, the new office provides more space for Intelligrated and Knighted solution development specialists, project managers, software and quality engineers, sales and technical training and support, along with state-of-the-art software testing and customer demonstration areas. Says Intelligrated’s chief executive officer Chris Cole: “The new space is designed to bring our teams together and enhance our ability to provide integrated solutions that combine Knighted software with Intelligrated automation.”

Rochester, N.Y.-based folding-carton manufacturer Diamond Packaging has recently won five awards—including the coveted Folding Carton of the Year honors—in the 70th annual North American Paperboard Packaging Competition of the Paperboard Packaging Council (PPC) held last month in Dallas, Tex. Selected by a jury of pack packaging professionals, industry experts and academics, Diamond’s winning Folding Carton of the Year entry—a high-end carton for the Elizabeth Arden’s Limited Edition Sunflowers perfume (picture below)— was chosen on the basis of the “overall presentation that imparts unusual depth and distinction through creative design, material selection, UV matte and gloss spot coating, embossing and debossing.” Made with the Sundance Ultra White Felt brand textured paperboard manufactured by Neehan Paper, the carton was offset-printed with three PMS (Pantone Matching System) colors and dense black inks in-line with UV matte and UV gloss spot coating. According to Diamond, “The graphics were enhanced with embossed sunflower petals on the front and rear panels and debossed text on the side panels—creating a unique visual and tactile presentation to stand out in the crowded retail environment.”

Miamisburg, Ohioheadquartered Anderson & Vreeland has been appointed as Canadian distributor for the full product line of integrated prepress hardware and software solutions for packaging, labeling, signage and commercial printing applications developed by the Belgian print services group Esko. Servicing the Canadian market out of its offices in Montreal and Mississauga, Ont., Anderson & Vreeland has been one of Esko’s leading resellers in the U.S. since 2008. According to the company’s vicepresident Drew Elisius, “Our experience working with Esko products in the U.S. offers us a great head start in Canada, assuring that our customers will benefit from the knowledge we have built up over the years.”

DECEMBER 2013 • CANADIAN PACKAGING

11CPAC-ANN-PPL-EVT-TAB.indd 31

Orlando, Fla: 2014 Packaging Conference, annual forum and tabletop exhibition by The Packaging Conference LLC. At Rosen Shingle Creek. To register, go to: www.thepackagingconference.com

Feb. 5-6 Paris, France: Aerosol & Dispensing Forum 2014, international conference by Oriex Communication.

At the Espace Champerret. To register, go to: www.aerosol-forum.com

Feb. 10-13 Orlando, Fla.: Industry in Transition: The Information-driven Enterprise, annual industry forum by ARC Advisory Group. At Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld. To register, go to: www.arcweb.com/events

Feb. 12-13

PEOPLE Reston, Va.-headquartered PMMI-The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies has announced the appointment of five new members of the group’s Board of Directors, including: • Alan Shuhaibar, president, BellatRx Inc., Pointe-Claire, Que.: • Pres Lawhon, president, Bosch Packaging Technology, Inc., New Richmond, Wis.; • Martin Prakken, chief executive officer, BluePrint Automation, Inc., Colonial Heights, Va.; • Gary Saunders, president and chief executive officer, Magnum Systems, Inc., Kansas City, Ks.: • Gary Tantimonico, vice-president of operations, PDC International Corp., Norwalk, Conn.

Luxembourg-headquartered printing inks and chemicals producer Flint Group has appointed Eric Gibbs as national accounts manager for the company’s Flint Group Flexographic Products subsidiary in Charlotte, N.C., with additional responsibilities for new business development throughout the Gibbs North American region.

Paris, France: Pharmapack Europe 2014, pharmaceutical packaging exhibition and conference by UBM Canon. At Paris Expo, Porte de Versailles.

To register, go to: www.pahrmapack.fr

Feb. 17-19 Orlando, Fla.: Innovation Takes Root, international biopolymers conference by NatureWorks LLC. At Orlando World Center Marriott. To register, go to: www.innovationtakesroot.com

Feb. 19-21 Orlando, Fla.: NPE 2015, international plastics exposition by SPI: The Plastics Industry Trade Association. At the Orange County Convention Center. To register, go to: www.npe.org

March 13 Green Bay, Wis.: Converters Expo, package converting technologies exhibition by BNP Media. At the Lambeau Atrium. To register, go to: www.convertersexpo.com

March 17-20 Atlanta, Ga.: MODEX 2014, manufacturing and supply chain exhibition and conference by MHI (Material Handling Industries) and Reed Exhibitions. Concurrently with Supply Chain and Transportation USA and Georgia Logisitcs Summit.

All at the Georgia World Congress Center. To register, go to: www.modexshow.com

March 18-20 Cologne, Germany: Green Polymer Chemistry 2014, international conference on sustainable production of plastics and elastomers by Applied Market Information Ltd. At Maritim Hotel. To register, go to: www.amiplastics.com

Selby

Meech International, U.K.-based manufacturer of electrostatic controls and web cleaning systems for printing, packaging, converting, food-processing and other industrial applications, has appointed Scott Cook as production manager and Paul Levene as web-cleaning Cook Levene specialist.

Flexible packaging products group Bemis Company, Inc. of Neehan, Wis., has appointed William Austen as executive vice-president and chief operating officer.

Avery Dennison, Pasadena, Ca.-headquartered manufacturer of labeling and packaging materials, has appointed Kelly Hall as vice-president for the company’s Materials Group North America business unit in Mentor, Ohio.

Hall

SATO America, Inc., Charlotte, N.C.-based supplier of thermal barcode printing and labeling technologies, has appointed Len Bono as business development manager for consumables.

April 2-4 Montreal: SIAL Canada, international food and beverage exposition by SIAL Group. Jointly with the SET Canada national food equipment and technology exposition. Both at Palais des congrès.

To register and for more information, go to: www.sialcanada.com

Intelligrated, Cincinnati, Ohio-headquartered manufacturer of automated material handling and end-of-line packaging systems, has appointed Rod Selby as business development director for the Asia Pacific region.

Luke

Joe Luke, vice-president of sales at Reed-Lane, Wayne, N.J.-based provider of pharmaceutical co-packing services, has joined the board of directors of the Healthcare Compliance Packaging Council (HCPC).

WWW.CANADIANPACKAGING.COM • 31

13-12-06 10:11 AM

CHEERS TO HANDY FOODSERVICE PACKAGING

A

s more varieties of wines continue to enter the market from around the world, local restaurants are coming under increasing pressure to offer more wines by the glass. Long may that continue, I say, but having too great a selection does have its downside: namely the many open bottles left behind the bar with contents destined to go sour if not consumed in timely fashion. Kudos then, to all those wine producers with enough forefore sight to market their brands in singleserve 200-ml 200- wine bottles, be they plastic or glass. Selling our customers individual 200-ml 200- bottles has helped my restaurant greatly expand our wine varieties on offer, while sigsig nificantly reducing spoilage and all the associated waste. In many cases, the mini bottles also make for pretty good eye-candy and conversation piece at the dinner table by being classy and faithful reproductions of the larger-sized bottles. Moreover, this bottle size is perfect for the higher-end bubbly stuff, as the fizz simply does not last very long once the big bottle is uncorked.

With winter here in its full freezing glory, the demand for hot chocolate at our establishment shoots up exponentially, and the Nestlé Carnation Hot Chocolate pouches—shipped to us in boxes of 50 pouches each—are a terrific packaging solution for our seasonal needs, with one 21-gram pouch making a perfect serving when mixed in a mug of hot water.

Our busy bartenders love the big tearaway opening on the box that facilitates quick and easy access to

the packets, and the open box fits on just about any available bit of shelf space behind the bar. Using these pouches naturally encourages automatic cost and inventory control, which is a prime requirement in a business where time is money and every single second counts.

Fresh never-frozen chicken is a paramount priority, if not an outright obsession, for our perfectionist chef. Happily for our kitchen staff, his uncompromising stand on this subject is aptly supported by thoughtful efficiency of the 100-percent recycled wax replacement corrugated boardbox cases manufactured by the RockTenn Company.

Company Each of these boxes holds four bagged five-kilogram porpor tions of fresh chicken meat firmly in place.

Boasting reliable sturdy construction that allows staff to stack them three- or four-high on top of each other, the RockTenn boxes feature convenient handle holes on each side to help ease the physical burden of moving 20 kilos of meat around in a fast-paced environment.

Freshness and cost control are also important issues when it comes to juice, or rather being able to offer our customers multiple juice offerings.

While both grapefruit juice and pineapple juice are ‘must have’ items, both tend to go bad pretty

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX

For more information on Classified Advertising please contact: 416-510-5198

32 • WWW.CANADIANPACKAGING.COM

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Page

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX

103

Atlantic Packaging Products Ltd

115

ATI Industrial Automation

108

Balluff

8

107

Beckhoff

7

113

Cartier Packaging

17

111

CHEP

14

116

Cognex Corporation

25

106

Farm Credit Canada

5

104

Harlund Industries Ltd.

4

114

Interpack

19

Title

110

Marel

11

Company Name

112

Robert Reiser & Co. Inc

15

101

SEW-Eurodrive Co. of Canada

IFC

109

Squid Ink

117

Technical Adhesives

105

Tsubaki

118

Unisource Canada

102

VideoJet Technologies Canada

23

9 33 4 34 1

As more of our customers are becoming better aware of ‘green’ businesses practices, anything we can do in this space for the cause helps us improve own environmental footprint. One way we feel we can make a subtle difference is in the choice of takeout containers we use—namely the Eco-Fibre Ware brand containers made by Eco Packaging of Burnaby B.C. Available in a generous selection of sizes, the strong, grease-proof and compostable EcoFibre Ware containers—as well as likeminded soup bowls, cutlery and cups—have been well-received by both our staff and customers, with our servants quite happy to remind the customers how to dispose of packaging properly at home. A happy parting thought any way you look at 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 broadcast schedule, go to: www.scallywags.ca

FREE

R.S. No.

2

quickly once opened up. Alternatively, mixing juice from concentrate or using “juice on the gun” just never seems to replicate the taste profile of the pre-packaged stuff, always tasting a little ‘off ’ compared to the real thing. No such problem, however, for tomato juice—thanks to 156-ml 156-ml cans of the Heinz Canada Fancy Tomato Juice brand from Heinz Canada.

Canada Offering the nutritional equivalent of one serving of vegetables, each can provides an ideal single-serving size on its own, or as a mixer with vodka in a lovingly-crafted Bloody Mary cocktail. Cheers!

Photos by Jeff May

CHECKOUT JEFF MAY

PRODUCT INFORMATION

DECEMBER 2013

CIRCLE THE R.S. NO. THAT MATCHES THE NUMBER ON THE ADVERTISEMENT OR ARTICLE OF INTEREST. FAX THIS BACK TO US AT (416) 510-5140 Name

Address City Prov.

P/Code

Telephone Fax Email Address

CANADIAN PACKAGING • DECEMBER 2013

13-12-05 4:17 PM

No Song and Dance ‌

JUST GREAT PRODUCTS!

Conrad Maziarczyk

Lou Cavallo

Brian St. Germain

President

Vice President of Operations

National Sales Manager saint@technicaladhesives.ca

Owen Hawthorne Ontario, British Columbia, Midwest United States

Frank Cavallo Territory Manager frank@technicaladhesives.ca Western Ontario, Western Canada, Michigan, Midwest United States

Brendan Harrington

Marcus Hamilton

Territory Manager Territory Manager brendan@technicaladhesives.ca marcus@technicaladhesives.ca Central Ontario, Eastern Canada, Northeastern United States

Toronto East, Northeastern United States

George Sequeira

Key Account Manager Regional Sales Manager owen@technicaladhesives.ca sequeira@technicaladhesives.ca

James Figura Territory Manager jamesf@technicaladhesives.ca Quebec, Eastern United States

Justin Wrightman

Quebec

Derek Maziarczk

Sales Representative Customer Service justinw@technicaladhesives.ca derekm@technicaladhesives.ca Western Ontario, Michigan

FOR MORE INFORMATION CIRCLE 117

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

Website: www.technicaladhesives.ca

TechAdh.indd 1

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efficiency reimagined

™

Stretch Wrapping Innovation = Bottom Line Results World-class technology for your packaging operation: t Reduce damage by up to 50% t Set and maintain standards t Increase productivity

Industry-leading features from world leader in wrapping: t Variable pre-stretch throughout wrap cycle up to 400% t Film savings up to 55% over competitive stretch wrappers* * with the right film t 110" wrapping height

Featured Model: Robot S6 Self-Propelled Stretch Wrapper for Most Demanding Applications

See it in action!

Scan to view video

FOR MORE INFORMATION CIRCLE 118 ÂŽ

1.800.UNISOURCE

Unisource.indd 1

www.unisourcepackaging.ca

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