Vol. 23 No. 25 An N.V. Publication Market News FLEX Serving The Flexographic Printing Industry For More Than Two Decades ®
December 6, 2021
Flexo Thrives In Difficult Times by Greg Kishbaugh
Bobst Analyzes Supply Chain
A wide range of factors, including rising material cost, freight trans- portation, supply-chain disruptions, and the tightening labor markets are impacting the packaging indus- try and all industry stakeholders. Across The Globe Bobst procurement and sup- ply-chain functions have conduct- ed a detailed analysis to help max- imize availability for converters across the globe. Although Bobst has conducted quarterly or even monthly business reviews with suppliers, additional measures were necessary in the face of high- ly volatile and rapidly increasing prices of raw materials: Raw material used for machine frames and components has in- creased far beyond projections. The price of hot rolled steel plate hit record prices in July 2021 and has increased by 119 percent since January 2020. Cold rolled steel plate has increased in price by 126 percent.
I t was another year in which the global pandemic took center stage over all other concerns. Retailers continued to struggle, not just with various mandates and a less vi-
brant consumer experience, but with the supply chain, as well. The packaging in- dustry continued its strong growth, in spite of the many hurdles. Converters pur- chased new machinery, in- vested in personnel and the industry as a whole contin- ued on its path of merger and acquisition. Flexo Mar- ket News takes a look at the key events to take place in the first half of 2021. Investment funds managed
by Morgan Stanley Capital Partners (MSCP), the middle-mar- ket focused private equity team at Morgan Stanley Investment Management headquartered in New York, NY, completed an investment in Advanced Web Technologies Holding Com- pany from Mason Wells, a Midwest-based private equity firm. AWA Alexander Watson Associates launched AWAVirtual — a platform of online virtual industry events, complement- ing the company’s physical conferences and seminars. Global Graphics PLC completed its acquisition of the HY- BRID Software Group S.à r.l. from Congra Software S.à r.l, following the passing of a shareholder resolution at a Gener- al Meeting held on January 8.
(Cont’d on Page 4)
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EskoWorld Set To Return As Live Event In 2022 EskoWorld will return as a live event next year with a three-day program of panels, presentations and live demonstrations. From June 7-9, 2022, packaging supplier and brand representatives will convene at the Gaylord Convention Center in the city of Grapevine, near Dallas, Texas, to join daily sessions, demonstrations and workshops with Esko experts, brands and their packaging supply chain partners to learn, share and discover the latest innovations. Esko had originally scheduled its 2020 event to be held at The Gaylord Resort and Convention Center in Grapevine, before moving online in the wake of the global pandemic. Last year’s virtual EskoWorld 2021 event attracted almost one thousand online attendees, with more than 15,000 individual registrations for the 81 ded- icated sessions across five days. Baseball Hall Of Famer Partners with EFI Electronics For Imaging, Inc. is collaborating with the Mariano Rivera Foundation to support a sub- stantial printing training program for under-served
minority youth. The Foundation, led by Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera, is providing in-depth, hands-on technology training for high-demand graphic arts and imaging technol- ogy jobs. EFI is providing financial and technology training support to the Foundation as it further ex- pands its efforts to provide youth with a path into solid careers. The Foundation’s new graphic arts industry-spon- sored activities began earlier this year with a train- ing program in Gainesville, Florida, and will con- tinue its activities through a new Mariano Rivera Foundation center to be built in New Rochelle, New York. Comexi Inaugurates New Technology Center Comexi has inaugurated its Technology Center in Girona, Spain. The new Manel Xifra Boada Tech- nology Center, CTec Girona, is integrated into the company’s production center. It has a multipurpose space of 2,500 square meters for not only innova- tion and development of R&D projects, but also for training, consulting, demonstrations, and an in- dustrial laboratory. CTec Girona will have nine ma- chines for the flexible packaging sector.
Designed with input from HP Indigo experts, our Parts Washer (model number A-44213-A) was created specifically to clean parts from HP Indigo digital presses. It speeds productivity through an extra long flush hose for direct hands-free flushing of press parts. The Graymills abrasive resistant pump, twin filtration system, and rugged power-coated steel construction are up to the challenge of cleaning with imaging oil. DOES AN HP INDIGO NEED ITS OWN PARTS WASHER? They Thought So.
Flexo Market News December 6, 2021 3
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Supply Chain (Cont’d from Page 1)
Get your company in front of the flexo industry’s key decisionmakers. Flexo Market News’ readership is comprised of Presidents, Owners, VPs and General Managers of flexo operations — the key people who make decisions on equipment purchases. An ad in Flexo Market News is a direct sales meeting with thousands of the industry’s best thinkers and most influental leaders. Reach Owners, President, VPs and General Managers The Top Minds In The Flexo Industry Are Waiting To Hear From You
Structural sections and beams have increased in price by 91 percent. Aluminum alloy by 75 percent and copper by 65 percent. Raw material usage for mechanical components (LLDPE Resins, nickel, polyurethan, etc.) has in- creased by more than 40 percent since September 2020 and materials used for commercial parts (belt, chains, lubricants, rolls, etc.) have increased on av- erage by 9 percent. Freight prices have also increased since August 2020 – sea by 216 percent, air by 200 percent and road by 5 percent. Based on the above circumstances and to maxi- mize product availability, as of January 1st, 2022, across all countries, a price increase of up to 5 per- cent on Bobst machines and related peripherals and an average of 5 percent on spare parts will be rolled-out. Placon Opens Expanded Indiana Facility Placon held a grand opening celebration launch- ing production at its newly expanded Elkhart, Indi- ana facility. The $15 million addition houses manufacturing of custom plastic packaging for the medical device and healthcare industries. Thermoforming, BargerGard protective products, inline flexographic lid printing, die cutting and lift labels are just a few of the operations that are per- formed at the location. The Elkhart facility is ISO 13485 certified and contains Class 100,000 clean rooms. The new addition doubles the thermoforming and cleanroom capacity at the Elkhart, Indiana location. The expansion increases warehousing and office spaces. An innovation center was also created to increased speed to market and enhance project col- laboration. Members Of AICC Mexico Meet In Monterrey Members of AICC Mexico met in Monterrey, Mex- ico, November 17-19, to celebrate the 20th anni- versary of the founding of AICC’s Mexico chapter. The group, numbering 170 members, suppliers and guests, was welcomed by past President Humberto Trevino of Washington Box in Monterrey and past President Pedro Aguirre of Technologia de Carton in Torreon.
To boost your market presence contact:
Greg Kishbaugh / 317-306-1060 / flexo@nvpublications.com
Robyn Smith / 910-553-4055 / rsmith@nvpublications.com
4 December 6, 2021 Flexo Market News
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Year In Review (Cont’d from Page 1)
Engineered Better Anilox Sleeves and Rollers Crafted Specifically For Your Budget, Your Press, Your Job.
Flint Group took over Xeikon ’s prepress division and used it as the basis for a new prepress divi- sion, Xsys, which also includes Flint’s own plates, images and sleeves and be aimed at the flexo and letterpress markets. Xsys is made up of three subdi- visions — Prepress, Plates and Sleeves — each with its own P&L and revenue targets. Indianapolis, Indiana-based PRP became the first graphics business in North America to invest in Op- tics 100v2, the fastest single head plate imager from Esko . The brand and plate solutions provider took delivery of a new Esko CDI Spark 5080 digital flexo imager, which features a new, unique, and patented single head imaging technology. ProAmpac acquired Rapid Action Packaging (RAP), a private, UK-based manufacturer of cellu- lose-based packaging products for fresh prepared and ready-to-eat foods. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Fortis Solutions Group , a portfolio company of Main Post Partners and a provider of labels, flex- ible packaging, shrink sleeves, cartons, and ap- plicators, reported that its flexible packaging and label facility in Merced, California, received certi- fication as a Sustainable Green Printer (SGP) from the third-party organization the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership. Bobst expanded its demonstration capabilities with a dedicated demo center in Barcelona, Spain, the first one outside of Switzerland, providing an opportunity to experience two label presses with the Mouvent Cluster Technology. The first two ma- chines in the demonstration center are the Mouvent LB701-UV and Mouvent LB702-UV, two 6-color plus white label presses operating at speeds of up to 100 meters per minute. Avery Dennison acquired the business of Ohio- based ACPO Ltd. for the purchase price of $87.6 million. ACPO produces pressure-sensitive overla- minate products for the label and flexible packag- ing markets and has approximately 170 employees. Avery Dennison acquired the majority of ACPO’s assets, including coating, finishing and distribution operations at its Oak Harbor, Ohio, headquarters, as well as three finishing and distribution sites in Atlanta, Georgia; Oak Creek, Wisconsin; and Van- couver, Washington. ACPO employees will transi- tion to the Avery Dennison Label and Graphic Ma- terials team. Loftware , an enterprise labeling and artwork management company, and NiceLabel , a label management developer, joined forces under the
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Year In Review (Cont’d from Page 5)
Loftware corporate umbrella. NiceLabel’s global partner network includes resellers, ISVs, OEMs, and print technology partners that deliver Nice- Label labeling technologies. Loftware brings expe- rience in selling, servicing, and supporting enter- prise labeling and artwork management to large global organizations. Arjobex , a manufacturer and supplier of high-end sustainable synthetic paper, under the brand name Polyart for the printing, tag and label markets, ac- quired 100 percent shares of the MDV Group . MDV is a niche manufacturer and coater of specialty pa- pers and films for the print, packaging, medical, sign/display, and building industries. The new enti- ty, with headquarters in France, has a consolidated revenue of approximately 65M euro with two 280 employees throughout six manufacturing sites in Europe and the United States. FLAG (Flexo Label Advantage Group) intro- duced two new programs to facilitate Member and Vendor Partner communication and connections in 2021.The first program is a series of monthly Round Tables, which were first introduced at the FLAG Vir- tual Summit in October, 2020. The second program enables FLAG Vendor Partners to share new prod- ucts and services to FLAG members through engag- ing virtual trade show booths. Smurfit Kappa invested $40 million in its paper sacks business in Latin America, expanding and modernizing its operations. Among the planned work is the further modernization of machinery in Colombia, with a new machine already installed at the Palmira facility and fully operational. The $9.5 million investment increased capacity at the plant by 100 million paper sacks per year. MacDermid Graphics Solutions joined the Dig- ital Watermarks Initiative HolyGrail 2.0. Facilitated by AIM, the European Brands Association, Holy- Grail 2.0 is a pilot project with the objective to prove the viability of digital watermarking technol- ogies for accurate sorting and consequently high- er-quality recycling, as well as the business case at a large scale. Data from Isobar , a market research company, re- vealed that consumers prefer paper-based product packaging nearly 2 to 1 over plastic; and, 33 per- cent, or one in three, avoid plastic product packag- ing if they can. Mondi Group , a global packaging and paper company, committed to a three-year strategic part- nership to support the United Nations World Food Programme’s (WFP’s) efforts to change lives around (Cont’d on Page 9)
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BestBrightHalfHOUSE.qxp_Layout 1 9/12/18 4:26 PM Page 1 Turkish trade shop Bak Gravür has invested in Esko CDI Crystal technology to complete its auto- mated and integrated platemaking ecosystem at its new specialist prepress facility. Bak Gravür com- missioned its flexo plate production facility in July TLMI Plans Association Committee Summit In Austin TLMI will hold its Annual Committee Summit De- cember 2-3 at the Fairmont Hotel in Austin, Texas. Due to the pandemic and traveling restrictions ear- lier in the year, in addition to requests from mem- bers for more networking opportunities in 2021, TLMI made the decision to move the timing of the Summit to next month instead of the event’s cus- tomary January date. The following association committees will be represented at the Summit: Government & Regu- latory Affairs, Marketing, Membership, Sustainabil- ity, Technical, and Workforce Development. The Summit is open to all TLMI converter and supplier members and a member does not already need to be on a committee to attend. Bak Gravür Invests In Esko Platemaking Solution
2021, with the Esko CDI Crystal 5080 XPS being a cornerstone of the new site in Izmir. In other news, Finnish packaging reprographic services and flexographic plate provider, Flexola- hti has complemented its existing Esko workflow by adding a CDI Crystal 5080 XPS with PlateHan- dler to its platemaking facility in Lahti, in Finland’s southern region. AICC Milestone Program Accepts Submissions AICC, The Independent Packaging Association, is accepting submissions to the Member Milestone Program. This is an annual opportunity to celebrate member companies, both Boxmaker and Associate, who are celebrating significant anniversaries, such as 40, 50, 60, 70, 75, 80, 90, 100 (and so on) years of continual operation. Members, in good standing, that wish to be in- cluded in this recognition, should be celebrating an anniversary in 2022 and should provide a 2-3-min- ute video presentation featuring the history of their company and describing their growth. The deadline for submissions is Friday, February 11, 2022.
The Best And The Brightest Are Waiting To Hear From YOU
An ad in Flexo Market News is a direct sales meeting with thousands of Presidents, Owners, VPs and General Managers of flexo operations — the key people who make decisions on equipment purchases.
Greg Kishbaugh 317-306-1060 flexo@nvpublications.com Robyn Smith 910-553-4055 rsmith@nvpublications.com
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AWA Alexander Watson Associates Honors Founder The annual AWA Release Liner Industry Leader- ship Award — established five years ago, and now an annual feature of the industry’s calendar — was presented during the recent AWA Global Release Liner Industry Conference and Exhibition held last month in Chicago, Illinois. The winner was Alex- ander Watson, Founder of AWA Alexander Watson Associates.
Internet Directory Potential customers can locate your products and services, clicking directly to your website. Both in print and online, it’s a cost-effective means to reach Flexo Market News readers and increase your bottom line.
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Alexander Watson (right) was recognized for his industry leadership.
Greg Kishbaugh / 317-306-1060 / flexo@nvpublications.com
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This award provides peer and industry recogni- tion to an individual who has demonstrated singu- lar dedication, service, and leadership through their efforts to drive growth, innovation, and continuing success for the release liner industry. Mondi Invests In Sustainable Pulp Production Mondi has invested EUR 20 million to further im- prove sustainability of its pulp production at the Frantschach mill in Austria. The mill, which is celebrating its 140th anniversa- ry in 2021, has already been self-sufficient in terms of energy for many years and supplies surrounding communities and industrial companies with surplus heat from the pulp production process. Optimizing Production Construction of the new evaporation plant will start immediately, and commissioning will take place in the autumn of 2023. The new equipment will increase the amount of heat extracted and reduce the chemical oxygen demand of the bio- logical wastewater treatment. The production op- timization will contribute to the bioeconomy by increasing the share of by-products from the pulp manufacturing process.
Get your company in front of the flexo industry’s key decisionmakers. Flexo Market News ’ readership is comprised of Presidents, Owners, VPs and General Managers of flexo operations — the key people who make decisions on equipment purchases. An ad in Flexo Market News is a direct sales meeting with thousands of the industry’s best thinkers and most influental leaders. Reach the Decisionmakers
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Year In Review (Cont’d from Page 6)
Experience the power of SWED/CUT ® “Anydefect,anymid-runpressstop, canentirely eliminiatemargin froma job. AsQAManager, it is up tome toprevent wastebefore it happens. That’s why I rely on FLXON’s products and support togainour competitiveadvantage. QAManager,WideWebPressroom
the globe. The collaboration will see Mondi make a $1 million in-kind and financial contribution to help WFP improve how it delivers nutritious food over a complex humanitarian supply chain, with an aim to reduce food waste and mitigate the im- pact of packaging on the environment. The North American flexible packaging market was valued at $40.14 billion in 2020 and is ex- pected to reach $48.39 billion by 2026 growing at a CAGR of 3.16 percent over the forecast period (2021-2026), according to a report by Research & Markets . Avery Dennison signed an agreement to acquire JDC Solutions, Inc. , a privately-owned manufactur- er of pressure-sensitive specialty tapes headquar- tered in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, for the purchase price of $24 million. JDC employs approximately 75 employees located at its headquarters and manu- facturing site in Tennessee, with approximately $30 million in annual revenue. Fort Dearborn Company , Elk Grove Village, Il- linois, acquired Hammer Packaging Corporation. Fort Dearborn Company is a supplier of decora- tive labels for the food, beverage, spirits, paint and coatings, household and personal care, beer and nutraceutical markets. The company has 19 oper- ating divisions in North America, employing more than 2,000 associates. Mactac , a Lintec company, acquired Duramark Products Inc. , previously known as Ritrama USA. The acquisition consists of the company’s Minne- apolis, Minnesota, and Moore, South Carolina, fa- cilities, including its new coaters and advanced automation technologies. Both locations were re- branded under the Mactac name. The Duramark Products locations in Minnesota and South Carolina employ 170 people. Esko closed the sale of its Kongsberg digital finishing business to OpenGate Capital on April 1. OpenGate Capital is a private equity firm headquar- tered in Los Angeles, California, with a European office in Paris and investments on five continents. The new business, Kongsberg Precision Cutting Systems, now employs 400 former Esko employ- ees operating from the business’ original research and development facility in Kongsberg, Norway, the production facility in Brno, Czech Republic, a new headquarters in Gent, Belgium, as well as oth- er global locations. Green Bay Packaging produced the first reel of paper at its newly completed recycled paper mill, which uses OCC and mixed paper feedstock. (Cont’d on Page 11)
Columbus, OH - Booth #854
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UPM Raflatac Progresses In Circular Economy UPM Raflatac has announced progress toward circular economy for plastics and a future beyond fossils. This progress is detailed in the New Plas- tics Economy Global Commitment 2021 Progress Report by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). As highlighted in the report, UPM Raflatac has con- tinued to develop its SmartChoice and SmartCircle product ranges and increased the sales volumes of these products. SmartChoice label materials are de- signed to reduce material usage and promote the use of recycled content and renewable materials. Smart- Circle label materials support packaging recyclability and reuse and promote the circular economy. Reducing unnecessary plastic packaging is a pri- ority for UPM Raflatac, and through raw material optimization, it has reduced more than 450 tons of plastic film raw materials. UPM Raflatac has signa- ture products, e.g., PP Lite, that have a strong re- duce element, but it is also applying the reduced principle to its standard films. In addition, the com- pany supports the switch to renewable materials by enlarging and promoting its RAFNXT+ product range, as well as bio-based plastic product range. Turning label waste into a resource is a key com- ponent of the circular economy. UPM Raflatac has further developed its RafCycle recycling service, which now has 250 partners globally. UPM Raflatac is one of the key contributors in the industry-wide consortium CELAB (Creating the Circular Economy for Labeling) in enhancing the recycling of both lin- er and matrix waste in the pressure-sensitive label- ing industry. The company is also taking steps to make its pro- duction facilities more sustainable. At present, six of its 10 factories are fully powered with renewable electricity and three of its factories and nine distri- bution terminals have achieved sustainability cer- tification from the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification Scheme ISCC PLUS. The com- pany’s ISCC PLUS certified products via mass-bal- ance approach include UPM Raflatac Forest Film and PP C-PCR.
Flexo Market News
Adheso-Graphics, Inc. www.adheso-graphics.com
AGI manufactures, distributes and converts current technology flexo mounting tapes and backing sys - tems for corrugated plate mounting. Flexstik hard vinyl, FlexSoft, bi.esse brand, Gold Series. Thin tapes for sleeve and Narrow web plate mounting. Specialty tapes that cover the vast thick - ness range requirements and specific adhesion systems for all flexo mounting requirements. We provide technical service and problem solving ser - vices for unique customers & applications. A&V manufactures a complete line of photopolymer plate processing systems and is a leading distribu - tor of flexographic platemaking materials. A&V also sells digital imaging systems and software specifical - ly designed for flexography. Apex International www.apexinternational.com Anderson & Vreeland, Inc. www.andersonvreeland.com Apex International is an award-winning global lead - er of anilox rolls, sleeves, glue sets, metering prod - ucts, and print maintenance solutions. With five production facilities on four continents, a grow - ing portfolio of clients in over 80 countries, and a high-performance continuous-improvement culture, Apex’s mission is the customer’s production suc - cess. Through technical innovation, service, and manufacturing precision, Apex delivers reliable, durable, and predictable metering solutions to its client’s presses every day. ARC International www.ARCInternational.com ARC International is a world leader in the manufac - turing of roller products for flexography. The latest nanotechnology laser engraving in our Charlotte and Las Vegas manufacturing facilities ensures superior quality and consistency in anilox rollers. Eaglewood Technologies, LLC www.eaglewoodtech.com Eaglewood Technologies provides the award-winning Sitexco Laser Systems, Sanilox ™ Systems and Sani- Blast ™ Mobile Service. Sitexco Laser Systems are the latest technology in anilox roll cleaning and are perfect for packaging and label printers. Sanilox ™ Systems are the global standard of reliable, environmentally safe anilox roll cleaning. Sani-Blast ™ cleaning service has been cleaning rolls for over 20 years and offer several cleaning options to minimize downtime.
FINAT Presents 2021 Sustainability Awards
The 2021 FINAT Sustainability Award had a con- verter and a supplier category: CCL Label and Avery Dennison were awarded with the FINAT Sustain- ability Award 2021 in their respective category.
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Year In Review (Cont’d from Page 9)
net-zero on greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. This commitment comes as the company raises the bar on its sustainability goals with new targets for 2030. As part of these new targets, the Label and Graphic Materials (LGM) business commits to 100 percent of its core film and paper product categories glob- ally containing recycled or renewable content. And all of its regions will also have labels that enable the circularity of plastics. Brook and Whittle Holding Corp. acquired Dig- ital Label Solutions , based in Yorba Linda, Califor- nia. Brook + Whittle is majority owned by private equity firm Snow Phipps Group. Resource Label Group , Franklin, Tennessee, a full-service provider of pressure sensitive la- bel, shrink sleeve and RFID/NFC technology for the packaging industry, acquired Cypress Multi- Graphics and its two locations in Tinley Park, Il- linois, and Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. Resource Label is a portfolio company of First Atlantic Cap- ital, a private investment firm, and TPG Growth, the middle market and growth equity investment platform of TPG. Constantia Flexibles signed an agreement to ac- quire the packaging producer Propak located in (Cont’d on Page 13)
BestBrightHalfHOUSEtwo.qxp_Layout 1 9/12/18 4:28 PM Page 1 Oliver Inc. acquired Boutwell Packaging , a manufacturer of folding carton packaging serving personal care, healthcare, and food and beverage markets. Avery Dennison announced its ambition to be customers across a diverse set of end markets. Amcor announced a strategic investment in ePac Flexible Packaging . The investment will range be- tween approximately $10 to $15 million, including a minority ownership interest in ePac Holdings LLC and funding for one or more ePac sites. Fortis Solutions Group , a portfolio company of Main Post Partners, acquired Total Label with loca- tions in Whitefish, Montana, and Memphis, Tennes- see. Total Label provides pressure-sensitive, extend- ed content and booklet labels utilizing flexographic, letterpress, digital and hybrid printing technologies. The company primarily serves the agriculture, health, beauty, nutraceutical, home goods, food, and bever- age end-markets. Industrial Opportunity Partners , an opera- tions-focused private equity firm, completed the sale of portfolio company El Dorado Packaging to ProAmpac Holdings , a global flexible packag- ing company that serves consumer packaged goods
The Best And The Brightest Are Waiting To Hear From YOU
An ad in Flexo Market News is a direct sales meeting with thousands of Presidents, Owners, VPs and General Managers of flexo operations — the key people who make decisions on equipment purchases.
Greg Kishbaugh 317-306-1060 flexo@nvpublications.com Robyn Smith 910-553-4055 rsmith@nvpublications.com
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People & Places FLXON Luke de Gier has joined the Print Improvement
Flexo Market News
DuPont Packaging Graphics www.cyrel.com/na
Team at FLXON, Charlotte, North Carolina. He has assumed the new position of G2 Products Business Manager. He has more than 20 years of industry experience, most recently as Print & Graphic Manag- er Innovation R&D North America for Diageo NA, the world’s largest spirits producer. Nazdar
DuPont Packaging Graphics is the world’s leading supplier of flexographic printing systems in digital and conventional formats; including Cyrel® brand photopolymer plates, Cyrel® FAST processing equipment, Cyrel® round sleeves, mounting and fin - ishing products. For more than 35 years, beginning with Cyrel®, the first photopolymer printing plate, through to to - day’s digital workflow revolution, DuPont has been driving innovation in the Flexo and package printing industries. The Digital Cyrel® FAST imaging system has been broadly recognized for its efficiency, productivity, print performance, and environmental benefits. Flint Group www.flintgrp.com Flint Group Flexographic Products develops, man - ufacturers and markets an extensive portfolio of printing consumables, including: nyloflex ® photopoly - mer printing plates and processing equipment, and dayCorr ® die-cutting blankets and anvil covers. With a strong customer focus, unmatched service and support, and superior products, Flint Group strives to provide exceptional value, consistent quality and continuous innovation to customers around the world. Harper Corporation of America www.harperimage.com We’ve made ceramic anilox rolls longer than any - one in the world and pride ourselves on being the best in the world. Whether wide web, narrow web, newspaper, or corrugated markets, Harper continu - ously strives to bring new flexographic products and services to the printing industry that will improve the quality of your graphics. Flexotecnica’s patented Safe Sleeve Change ® system and Speedy Clean ® auto washup system are designed to give converters a competitive edge through Flexotecnica’s commitment to research and development. Sales, service and support for Flexo - tecnica presses is provided by KBA North America, Inc. in Dallas, Texas with U.S. resident technicians, an extensive spare parts inventory and an experi - enced, dedicated service staff. KBA-Flexotecnica – Get the Edge www.kba-flexotecnica.com/en/
Luke de Gier
Nazdar has appointed Shawn Butson to the role of Narrow Web Technical sales representative for the
USA’s northeast region. With imme- diate effect, Butson is responsible for providing technical support, in- creasing sales and creating custom- er awareness of Nazdar narrow web products throughout the region. Butson is based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Shawn Butson
UK Flexographic Technical Association Andy Wilson has been appointed Chairman of the UK Flexographic Industry Association. Wilson, Group Colour Director at Coveris UK, has taken over the role from Neil Jones, Managing Director of
Bobst UK & Ireland who has been the chairman for the past four years and continues to serve on the asso- ciation board. Wilson is supported in his new role by Steve Mulcahy, CEO of Con- tact Originators Group, who was elected Vice-Chairman.
Andy Wilson
Flint Group Recognized At 2021 UK Flexo Awards Flint Group Packaging was recognized in two cat- egories at this year’s UK Flexographic Industry As- sociation (FIAUK) Awards. The company, which develops, manufactures and markets an extensive portfolio of print consum- ables, received bronze awards in the Supplier of the Year and Sustainably Produced Packaging cate- gories at the ceremony, held at the National Railway Museum in York.
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Year In Review (Cont’d from Page 11)
Industry Events
Dücze, Turkey. Propak is a player in the Europe- an packaging industry for the snacks market, and operated out of one plant with approximately 360 employees. Graphic Packaging Holding Company , a verti- cally-integrated provider of sustainable fiber-based consumer packaging solutions, and CVC Capital Partners Fund VI signed a definitive agreement un- der which Graphic Packaging would acquire AR Packaging Group AB, reportedly Europe’s second largest producer of fiber-based consumer packag- ing, for approximately $1.45 billion in cash, subject to customary adjustments. C-P Flexible Packaging , a manufacturer of flex- ible packaging based in York, Pennsylvania, ac- quired Genpak Flexible from the Jim Pattison Group . Genpak Flexible is a North American sup- plier of compostable packaging and offers a range of patented flexible packaging solutions. C-P Flexi- ble Packaging is a portfolio company of First Atlan- tic Capital, a New York–based private equity firm. Maxcess , a global provider of solutions for web handling applications, acquired OneBox Vision Ltd. in Tipperrary, Ireland. Apex International partnered with Anderson & Vreeland in Canada. Apex North America has been working with Anderson & Vreeland Canada for more than a decade; Anderson & Vreeland has been representing Apex in Quebec and Eastern Canada. With this partnership, they now service all markets, including flexible packaging, labels and corrugated printing. DuPont installed a Cyrel Fast 2000 TD, sol- vent-free thermal platemaking system at Comexi’s Manel Xifra Boada Technology Center in Girona, Spain. AAA Press International, Inc. was purchased by Quality Discount Press Parts & Equipment,Inc. Quality Discount, established in 1993, is an autho- rized 3M distributor in the United States and man- ufactures and supplies more than 18,000 different products for the printing industry worldwide. Koenig & Bauer , maintained its product develop- ment program, designing, testing, and rolling out new solutions from a dedicated Koenig & Bauer Customer Experience Center throughout the pan- demic. Smurfit Kappa Group PLC completed the ac- quisition of Cartones del Pacifico, a paper-based packaging company headquartered in Peru, for an undisclosed amount.
FTA Forum March 13-16, 2022 Omni Fort Worth Ft. Worth, Texas
TLMI Converter Meeting March 20-22, 2022 Albuquerque, NM
Labelexpo Europe April 26-29, 2022 Brussels Centre Expo Brussels, Belgium
Labelexpo Americas September 13-15, 2022 Donald E. Stephens Convention Center Rosemont, IL
FTA Fall Conference October 11-13, 2022 Covington, KY
TLMI Annual Meeting October 16-19, 2022 Scottsdale, AZ
FTA Forum April 16-19, 2023 Hilton Columbus Downtown Columbus, Ohio
Flexo Market News December 6, 2021 13
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Creation Aids OPM Labels To Go Solvent-Free Creation Reprographics, a prepress partner to packaging and label printers, has helped UK-based flexible packaging and label printer, OPM Labels & Packaging Group Limited, to go solvent-free in its print operations. With the support of Creation, OPM has adopted water-washable plate technology in the form of Asahi AW DEW, a range of plates that incorporate Pinning Technology for Clean Transfer, to boost speed and quality while reportedly removing VOCs from the equation. Kenyan Converter Adds eFlex Narrow Web Flexo Press Focus Label Machinery Ltd, based in Bingham, Nottingham, UK, has completed a new order from Paperhouse, a converter based in Kenya, who has confirmed its selection of the modular eFlex flexo- graphic Press. The 10-color, full servo 430mm wide press will be housed in its Nairobi facility running alongside the existing flexographic lines, including a Focus Proflex Servo previously supplied in 2010. Self-Adhesive Labels Market To Reach $62.3 Billion The global Self-Adhesive Labels Market size is pro- jected to grow from $47.9 billion in 2021 to $62.3 billion by 2026 at a Compound Annual Growth Rate of 5.4 percent from 2021 to 2026 according to a new report from MarketsandMarkets. PCMC Opens Packaging Innovation Center Paper Converting Machine Company (PCMC) has opened a new Packaging Innovation Center, lo- cated at its headquarters in Green Bay, Wiscon- sin. The multi-purpose space is more than 4,700 square feet and will serve as a hub for demon- strations, training, education, industry trials, and research and development. The Packaging Innovation Center will be the home of a Fusion C flexographic press, Hudson-Sharp’s Ares 400-SUP stand-up pouch machine, a Meridian Elite laser anilox cleaner, an ELS-MAX inline press and the ION digital printing platform. These machines will be available for demonstra- tions, as well as for hands-on learning and training opportunities.
Classified Advertising
ARC International is seeking applicants to join our grow - ing Technical Service Team. The position, based in Charlotte, NC, includes traveling in the Southeast, Northeast, and Mid - west to perform anilox roller audits and provide training and seminars with flexographic press operators in support of the ARC field sales team. When not traveling, the Technical Service Team member will provide analysis of such roller audits and support to our inside sales team at our Charlotte manufacturing facility. Ap - plicants must have 3 to 5 years of flexographic press expe - rience and must understand the printing process. Send re - sumes to vhoop@arcinternational.com . Subscriber Services For change of address, missed issues and other subscription questions call: (317) 306-1060 or email: flexo@nvpublications.com
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Flexo Market News® is published bi-weekly by NV Busi- ness Publishers Corporation, in association with Board Con- verting News®, Corrugated Today® Recycling Markets®, International Paper Board Industry®, Folding Carton Indus- try®, and Board Converting News International. Marketing and Circulation offices: PO Box 802, Manasquan, NJ 08736-0802, Phone: (732) 245-3702. Subscription Rates in U.S. and Canada $60 per year or $105 for two years. Overseas rate per year $80 USD. Current issue single copies (pre-paid only) $5.00 in U.S. (elsewhere $7.50); add $5.00 per order for shipping & handling. No part of this publica- tion may be transmitted or reproduced without permission from the publisher.
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14 December 6, 2021 Flexo Market News
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