Converting Industry News
- Published: August 01, 2002, By Deborah Donberg, Associate Managing Editor
Covering the Full Spectrum of Industry News, Events & Activities
Polymer Protects Cash in High-Security Bags
Poly Pak America Inc., Los Angeles, CA, reports it switched to Eastman Chemical Co.'s Eastman Hifor Xtreme polymer to make its high-security night deposit and cash transmittal bags even tougher.
Clear Poly Lok cash transmittal bags are used to transfer cash or other negotiables within organizations. Information such as cashier, register number, date, and contents can be recorded on the writable front. After money is placed in the bag, the bag is sealed using the permanent, tamper-resistant closure. The clear plastic bag allows the person receiving the bag to see its contents and verify no tampering or pilfering has occurred.
Poly Lok night deposit bags are similar in design but are silver lined so contents can't be seen. Each bag is individually numbered on the bag and flap. The flap is perforated to provide a numbered receipt for the sender. Both types of bags are designed to be discarded after a single use.
Says Poly Pak president Richard Gurewitz, “We were looking for a material that had excellent impact and tensile strength and good processability. Eastman Hifor Xtreme is not only easy to process, it also has the clarity and tensile and impact strength we need for our security bags.” Poly Pak also uses the polymer to produce its heavy-duty shipping bags.
Supplier Information
Eastman Chemical Co., Kingsport, TN; 423/229-4989; eastman.com
Industry Studies
SPI Report Details Plastics Industry Employment
WASHINGTON, DC, USA—According to a recent report from the Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI), the US plastics industry employed more than 1.5 million workers nationwide in 2000. Another 843,300 persons were employed by upstream suppliers of the plastics industry, which brought the employment impact to 2.4 million, about 2% of the US workforce.
The nearly 21,000 plastics industry establishments operating in 2000 generated more than $330 billion in shipments, says the report. Another $89.5 billion was generated by upstream, supplying industries, bringing the total annual shipments to almost $421 billion. Based on these figures, says SPI, plastics processing remains the nation's fourth largest manufacturing industry.
For more information contact SPI at 202/974-5200; plasticsindustry.org.
Show News
CMM Organizers Want You...
CHICAGO, IL, USA—To submit an abstract for inclusion in the comprehensive conference program that will accompany the show. CMM 2003 is slated for April 14 to 17 at McCormick Place, Chicago, IL.
The program will focus on current trends and technologies driving the marketplace. For complete details and guidelines, visit cmmshow.com. E-mail abstracts to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., attn. Kathleen Coletta, conference coordinator.
Agreements
Smurfit-Stone Transfers Groveton Ownership Share
CHICAGO, IL, USA—Smurfit-Stone Container Corp. (SSCC) reports an agreement to transfer its share of ownership in Groveton Paper Board to Box USA.
Groveton operates a corrugated medium mill in Groveton, NH, that produces approximately 150,000 tons of corrugated medium annually. SSCC owns 63% of Groveton through its Jefferson Smurfit Corp. (JSC) US subsidiary.
As part of the transaction, effective July 1, Box USA assumed JSC's obligation to purchase approximately 94,000 tons of medium annually from Groveton and has agreed to purchase a significant quantity of additional linerboard from SSCC over the next four years under an existing purchasing agreement.
Joint Ventures
MeadWestvaco, EastPrint Form New Company in Russia
STAMFORD, CT, USA—MeadWestvaco Corp. and EastPrint Ltd. announce the creation of a consumer packaging company in Russia, designated WestvacoEastPrint. The new company will begin operations in the fall, supplying printed paperboard packaging materials for global and Russian-based tobacco companies.
EastPrint's principal, Marina Pereverzeva, is founder, general director, and a member of the board of Almaz Press, a leading printer of high quality magazines. MeadWestvaco will have a controlling interest in the new joint venture.
Two Join to Produce Pre-Impregnated Furniture Paper
HELSINKI, FINLAND—Ahlstrom Corp.'s Specialties Div. and the Technocell Deko Div. of Felix Schoeller Holding, Germany, will establish a joint venture company to produce pre-impregnated furniture papers. Each company operates a production plant for specialty papers in Osnabrück, Germany.
Partnership
Ei,num>3 Takes on Canadian Partner
MONTVALE, NJ, USA—Ei3 Corp., a provider of real-time engineering and web-enabled data acquisition and reporting software, will partner with Ainsworth Inc., Toronto, Ont., a single-source provider of electrical, communications, maintenance, and repair systems in Canada.
The partnership will deliver ei3's products and services to Canadian manufacturers as part of Ainsworth's Demand Services & Maintenance Planning.
Capacity Expansion
Cascades Sonoco Invests in New Coex Line
KINGSEY FALLS, QC, CANADA—Cascades Sonoco, a joint venture between Cascades Inc. and Sonoco, announced a $9 million (USD) investment in Kingsey Falls that includes the extension of the Cascades Sonoco plant (4,600 sq m), installation of an ultramodern and high-production coextrusion coating machine, workforce training, and other pre-operating expenses.
With a production capacity of more than 50,000 metric tons, the production line can convert paper, board, or other materials for the packaging industry.
The line is equipped with an in-line slitting section, allowing finished product to be made according to customer specs without adding the traditional slitter/winder step. It operates at a maximum speed of 450 mpm and can extrude up to three different types of polymers. The line reportedly will allow the operation to diversify its production beyond the pulp and paper industry.
Merger
United Container to be Merged with MarquipWard
ST. LOUIS, MO, USA—Barry-Wehmiller Cos. and Maryland-based United Container Machinery report an agreement concerning Barry-Wehmiller's acquisition of United's assets and business. United's operations will be merged with MarquipWard, a Barry-Wehmiller co., to become a global provider of corrugating and finishing equipment. The combined revenues of this unit will reach $200 million.
United chairman Carl C. Landegger will join William F. Ward Jr., former owner of Ward Machinery, Marquip founder Carl R. Marschke, and Richard H. Thomas, former executive VP of Marquip, as a shareholder of Barry-Wehmiller Group. Terms were not disclosed.
Acquisitions
AVT Acquires Geiger Vision Systems
HOD-HASHARON, ISRAEL—Advanced Vision Technology (AVT) Ltd. has acquired the Munich, Germany-based Geiger Vision Systems (GVS).
AVT provides machine-vision-based automatic inspection systems for the printing industry. GVS specializes in automatic print defect detection equipment for the label printing industry. The purchase price was not disclosed.
To complete the acquisition, AVT will incorporate all GVS activities into a subsidiary it will establish in Germany. AVT Germany will focus on research and development and will be headed by Axel Geiger, GVS's founder and managing director.
