CCL Industries has announced that it will invest US$25 million over 2008 and 2009 to expand its CCL Label operations in Asia. The company began doing business in Asia five years ago with its 2003 investment in Bangkok, Thailand, which has subsequently undergone two expansions. In 2006 and 2007, CCL invested in additional operations in Guangzhou and Hefei in China. At the current pace, sales in Asia will reach approximately US$40 million in 2008, says Geoffrey Martin, president and CEO.

The company announced that it will build four new greenfield plants and also expand some of its existing facilities in the region. A second new plant in Bangkok will produce beverage and battery label products for Southeast Asia and Australia. CCL will enter Vietnam with a new facility in Ho Chi Minh City, focused on personal care products. A new startup in Pune, India, will focus on personal care and healthcare customers, and a new greenfield site in Tianjin will become the company’s first healthcare plant in China, as well as produce labels for personal care customers. Investments will also be made to expand the capability of the Hefei, China, plant to supply home and personal care products to global customers located in the Shanghai region. CCL’s sales and technical center in Japan will be expanded to become a pilot manufacturing facility for personal care labels.

“All of our existing operations in Asia are now solidly profitable and we have formed an excellent team of local managers who have ambition to grow,” says Martin. “Emerging market sales now represent approximately 17 percent of our label business, but we would like to see that grow to 30 percent in the next three to five years to be more closely aligned with the sales of our important global customers. This would require us to more than double the size of our existing presence in Asia. We believe the highly successful organic growth model that we have deployed in this region should be continued, at least for our core markets, and will provide increased benefits to our customers and shareholders.”

Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, CCL Industries employs 5,400 people and operates 55 production facilities in North America, Europe, Latin America, and Asia Pacific. CCL Label is the world’s largest converter of pressure sensitive and film materials and sells to global customers in the consumer packaging, healthcare, and consumer durable segments.

The Tag & Label Manufacturers Institute (TLMI) has begun publication of a quarterly report for its members titled The TLMI Index & Trend Report.

“These quarterly reports will include both quantitative and qualitative information,” says TLMI Chairman John Hickey. “A key goal is to link the quantitative roll stock data currently gathered by TLMI with broader economic events, and to interpret and highlight key trends that are important for the association’s members.”

Each issue will examine roll stock shipments, TLMI converter quarterly trends in sales and profits, economic conditions, industry and end-use trends, public company stock performance, and merger and acquisition activity. Converters’ outlook and confidence levels, as well as those of suppliers, will be examined, as will the outlook by end users.

The report is researched and written by J Zarwan Partners and LPC Inc. J Zarwan Partners is an independent consultancy that focuses on strategic marketing, business development, and industry trends. LPC is a printing and packaging industry consulting firm that offers market research, public relations, technical due diligence and M&A analysis, and new business development.

Franchini & C. S.r.l. in San Giuliano Milanese now has sole responsibility for sales and service of Gallus label printing presses in Italy. For 35 years, Gallus press systems in Italy were distributed by SO.MA.CA S.r.l. in Milan.

Franchini, which has more than 40 years’ experience in label printing, will be responsible for sales of Gallus equipment, technical customer support and supply of spare parts and accessories for Gallus presses.

The Gallus Group, based in St. Gallen, Switzerland, is a manufacturer of narrow web presses and rotary screen equipment. Gallus and Heidelberg, the world’s largest printing equipment manufacturer, have been in partnership since 1999.

Neil McDonough, president of FLEXcon, is the 2008 winner of the R. Stanton Avery Lifetime Achievement Award. Judges for the Label Industry Global Awards selected McDonough for the honor at its judging session in Paris in June.

The president of FLEXcon, a global polymeric coater and provider of pressure sensitive films and adhesive products based in Spencer, MA, USA, has dedicated a quarter of a century to the label industry. Before becoming president in 1990, McDonough held a variety of positions in manufacturing, sales, and management, including director of marketing. FLEXcon was founded by his father, Myles.

Among the innovations he fostered as president was the no-label look for glass bottle labeling with Clearly Canadian in the 1990s – a concept that is now a staple of the labeling industry.

McDonough’s continuous contribution to the labeling industry is reflected in the company’s focus, which is to work closely with customers to develop customized pressure sensitive solutions. His industry involvement also includes participation in numerous Labelexpo shows, conferences and seminars, in TLMI (for which he chairs a committee) and in other organizations.

“I am thrilled and humbled to learn that I have been selected by the judging panel of the Label Industry Global Awards as the recipient of the R. Stanton Avery Lifetime Achievement Award 2008,” McDonough says. “I am delighted to confirm my acceptance of this great honor.”

Mike Fairley, chairman of the judging panel, says: “Choosing the winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award was a difficult choice this year, particularly because the judges were evaluating the profiles of nominees against a range of criteria. However, although all were worthy candidates, it was felt that Neil McDonough best exemplified the innovative, industry focused and global approach that has characterized the growth of pressure sensitive labels over many years. I would certainly like to congratulate him on this achievement.”

Schreiner MediPharm, a Germany-based pharmaceutical label converter, recently opened its first US production facility, Schreiner MediPharm, L.P., just outside of New York City, in Blauvelt, NY.

The 50,000 square-foot facility features a variety of screen and flexo printing technologies and will be ISO-certified as soon as possible. The company will supply a product line that includes specialty peel-off labels, combination hanger labels, brand protection and RFID solutions, expanded content labels as well as functional syringe labels.

Gene Dul, president of Schreiner MediPharm, L.P., said: "It is with great pride that Schreiner MediPharm opens its new Blauvelt, New York, production facility. We are happy to offer Schreiner’s award-winning manufacturing expertise, labeling innovations and beginning-to-end customer support to the North American healthcare industry directly from an American location."

Due to a spike in raw material, energy and transportation costs, Sun Chemical Corporation’s Performance Pigments Division will increase global pigment prices on average by 10 to 30 percent effective July 1.
 
“The hyperinflation of oil and natural gas has led to dramatically higher energy, raw material and freight costs,” says Myron Petruch, president, Performance Pigments, Sun Chemical. “In addition, there have also been dramatic cost increases in intermediates and pigments out of China and other parts of Asia.  Costs are escalating quicker and in higher amounts than at any time in the last 30 years.”  

This price increase is in addition to the price increases announced in February 2008, and will affect pigments in all forms, including dry, preparations and flushes.
 
“There is no short-term relief in sight for these rising costs, however, we will continue to look for cost reduction and productivity gains to offset the rising costs of raw materials,” Petruch says.
 
Sun Chemical Corporation is a subsidiary of Sun Chemical Group B.V., the Netherlands, and is headquartered in Parsippany, New Jersey, USA.

With the launch of its IsoCure UV curing system for web offset applications, GEW, Surrey, England, has announced its intention to enter new market sectors of the printing and converting industries. Already a market leader in the narrow web sector, the company intends to diversify into the newsprint and commercial web offset markets as well as coating and silicone release with a UV system they say will bring unprecedented savings to users.

IsoCure is a versatile, fully water-cooled UV curing system designed for medium and wide format printing and coating applications in arc lengths from 50cm (20”) up to two meters (78.75”). It can be fitted to existing machines or OEM specified on central impression, in-line and sheet-fed presses, as well as laminators and bridge units over conveyers. A compact, reduced cross-section footprint facilitates installation.

“Typically, UV systems require large exhaust fans, ducting and manifolds to remove the ozone and heat generated by the UV lamps when curing. IsoCure seals the lamp in its own temperature-controlled microclimate in isolation from the plant or print room, eliminating the expenditure of ambient air for cooling and ozone extraction. Instead of being ducted to the outside of the building, ozone is safely destroyed within the lamp head. This gives unprecedented savings in UV system operating costs because expensive heated or air-conditioned factory air is no longer consumed. This also yields increased lamp life as airborne contaminants and dust particles are not sucked into the lamp head. Furthermore, since no ducting or exhaust fans are needed, IsoCure allows neater, more compact installation with significantly reduced noise levels,” said Malcolm Rae, managing director.

Rae adds, “IsoCure represents both an economic and ecological advancement to the marketplace with its design and runs on our electronic e-Brick power supply that provides additional benefits in cost reduction as well reducing the users carbon footprint.”

Plate manufacturer PRPflexo, Indianapolis, IN, USA, is currently seeking flexo printers for additional trials of their new patent pending digital flexo plates. Participants will be asked to utilize the new plates, Digital ExSpect, on their presses to run existing work where comparisons are available. The company reports that initial results have indicated that the new Digital ExSpect plates outlast conventional digital plates by as much as 200 percent.

Prpflexo states that the Digital ExSpect plates run cleaner for longer, reduce set-up times and have less dot gain than other plates tested. In return for participation, printers will be provided the plates at no charge for a mutually agreed upon job. Documentation of the run data must be provided, with results of the testing to be documented in industry publications. Interested parties are asked to respond to Christopher Green at 317-690-3009 or by email at crjgreen@prpflexo.com.

3 Sigma, Troy, OH, USA, has announced the availability of 54” master roll widths for standard circle coupon. This product is available from stock with 3 Sigma’s AT2000 adhesive and 40# liner. Other requirements, such as its PE3 permanent adhesive, will be offered on a made-to-order basis with custom product lead time of five days.

“We are very excited to offer our customers another option for their converting needs. 3 Sigma already has the most extensive line of coupon products in the industry, and we intend to continue that leadership position. We have been manufacturing the Universal Coupon product line for 15 years and earlier this year surpassed 100 billion square inches of production. Over that time, we have provided our various constructions to more than 350 converters worldwide,” says Terry Cudney, marketing manager.

3 Sigma’s Universal Coupon products are available in standard and tight Circle, wide or narrow wavy patterns to meet various application needs. In addition to the new 54”, Master Roll widths are available in 20”, 30” or 40”.

York Label CEO Rich Egan has announced that LabelCorp Holdings Inc. (“York Label”) has partnered with a new private equity sponsor, Diamond Castle Holdings, LLC of New York City. Diamond Castle, in partnership with York’s senior management team, has signed a purchase agreement to acquire York Label from Wind Point Partners of Chicago.
 
Headquartered in Omaha, NE, USA, York Label has grown steadily through strategic acquisitions over the last 24 months, most recently with Cameo Crafts of Montreal, QC, Canada. The company is a provider of labels to major consumer products, wine and spirits, pharmaceutical, and food and beverage companies worldwide. With 14 label production facilities and 15 sales and technical offices throughout the Americas, the company services over 3,000 customers and employs over 800 people.
 
“We are excited about this new partnership with Diamond Castle,
.” says Egan. York Label is now well positioned to make immense progress in reaching our goal of becoming a significant global supplier to our major customers and end markets. Diamond Castle has a phenomenal record of partnering with senior management to provide significant capital necessary to create more valuable organizations.”
 

Howard B. Vreeland Sr., 87, co-founder and owner of Anderson & Vreeland, died June 13 in Bryan OH, USA. Along with Wesley Anderson, he launched the company in 1961, which became a premier distributor and manufacturer of plates and prepress equipment for the graphics industry. Vreeland served as VP of the company until 2001. He was then chairman of the board until his retirement in 2007.

Born in 1920, he graduated from Kingspoint Merchant Marine Academy in New York with a degree in hydraulic engineering. A US Navy veteran of World War II, he married Alice T. Kennedy in 1945, three hours after his college graduation. He was a member of Wesley United Methodist Church, Bryan, and Orchard Hills Country Club. He was a past member of the Bryan Board of Public Affairs and at one point served as an umpire for the Bryan Baseball Association.

Vreeland was actively involved in the Flexographic Technical Association (FTA) since its inception in 1959, as well as other graphic arts associations. He served as vice chairman of the Solicitation Committee of the FTA, chairman of the Board of Trustees, was a workshop head for two years and received the FTA’s President’s Award in May 2002. Vreeland was also a former director of the Graphic Preparatory Association (GPA), and was the recipient of its President’s Award in 1972. He also received the Marking Devices Association’s President’s Award and was a member of TAPPI.

Surviving are his three children, Alice L. and her husband, Jochen Kuehner; Howard B. Jr. (president of Anderson & Vreeland) and his wife, Ann Vreeland; and Patricia L. Coon and her fiancé, Mike Pennington; seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Memorial contributions in the name of Howard B. Vreeland Sr., may be given to the Bryan Area Foundation or the American Diabetes Association.

Graphic Evolution, which represents GIDUE in the northern regions of Africa, is now representing the Italian manufacturer of printing and converting machines in France.

The choice of Graphic Evolution “reflects our desire to establish a new market segmentation and meanwhile expand the sales of our offset presses in the French territory through cooperation with a company sharing the same marketing and sales approach,” says Cristina Toffolo, managing director of GIDUE.

The alliance between the two companies started in 2004, when GIDUE needed a distribution channel to bring increased acceptance of its products in Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria. Graphic Evolution, founded in 1993 by Pierre Monopoli, is a distributor of offset and flexo printing materials for the French and the African francophone countries.

The Stork Prints Group, Boxmeer, Netherlands, introduced a drop-on-demand inkjet system for narrow web applications at drupa 2008. The DSI (Digital System Integration) module is powered by contactless piezo technology.

Sander Hendrix, product manager, graphics, says, “Our new concept offers the label converter the fully flexible means of adopting inkjet technology, and a highly competitive route into the market for short production runs, without the need for investing in a dedicated press.”

The result of subsidiary company Stork Digital Imaging’s 20-year inkjet expertise, and the Prints Group’s narrow-web industry experience, the new DSI module is said to offer ease of integration and full platform independence. The unit can be installed at any position in the printing sequence, and is also compatible with the latest generation printing systems from the world’s main OEM press manufacturers.

Hendrix says that the inclusion of the DSI module offers the freedom to switch between dedicated digital and hybrid process printing production runs without needing to change presses or rolls. “With its very short changeover times, low consumable costs and productive printing speeds of up to 35 meters per minute, the module is ideal for short run, variable printing and unique marking situations in wine, beverage, cosmetics and pharmaceutical labeling.”

Three Covinax pressure sensitive adhesives manufactured by Franklin Adhesives have been certified as “environmentally benign” by the US Forest Products Laboratory. This indicates that the adhesives can easily be removed from paper during the recycling process. Franklin Adhesives is a division of Franklin International, Columbus, OH, USA.

The certification is in part a result of the division’s joint research project with the University of Minnesota, which was funded by the US Department of Energy, to reduce or eliminate residual adhesive from waste paper during recycling. Residual adhesive adheres to papermaking equipment during the manufacture of paper from recycled paper, leading to machine down time and specks or tears in the final paper products. Franklin Adhesives provided products for testing to the university; the research team found that three of these formulas were easily removed from paper during re-pulping.

The three Covinax products to receive FPL certification are Covinax 324-39, 379-05 and 418-02. All three are also FDA compliant under 21CFR 175.105.
Covinax 324-39 is a vinyl acrylic co-polymer for general purpose permanent pressure sensitive adhesives on tapes and labels. It is used for corrugated substrates, polyolefin films, glass and metals and is easily converted into rolls or sheets without sticky edge problems. This formula can be transfer-coated on most rod, gravure or roll coaters.

The second FPL-certified product, Covinax 379-05, is an acrylic adhesive for permanent pressure sensitive applications, including pharmaceutical label applications requiring adhesion to curved or irregularly shaped surfaces. The balance between peel and shear strength also renders this formula easily convertible to rolls or sheets. It is specifically designed to be transfer-coated on slot die coaters and can be used on most rod or roll coaters.

Food packaging manufacturers use the third certified product, Covinax 418-02, an acrylic emulsion polymer, for low- and freezer-temperature labels on food packaging materials.

“Franklin International was one of the first major adhesive manufacturers to focus on environmentally friendly products more than two decades ago and remains committed to them today,” says Mike Witte, manager of the division’s pressure sensitive adhesives business. “Our partnership with the University of Minnesota, pursuit of certification and active focus on development of additional recyclable formulas are important ways for our company to have a positive impact on the environment.”

Arjobex, a manufacturer of synthetic papers, has announced the complete redesign of its website: www.polyart.com. Polyart, the company’s principal product, is a high-density polyethylene film with a matte clay coating on both sides.

“With this new website we want to give printers and converters the tools to become more familiar with our synthetic paper Polyart, in order to develop new applications with high added value,” says Fernand Garcia de Cruz, global marketing director for Arjobex.

Cruz says that the website upgrade is intended to give visitors “a new design easier to navigate through, helpful pictures and lists of synthetic paper applications, a detailed presentation of the Polyart range for label applications, environmental information, new practical advice to print and convert Polyart, and product information in five languages.”

Arjobex, headquartered in Issy-les-Molineaux, France, has a North American office in Charlotte, NC, USA.