canadian packaging march 2015

IN THIS ISSUE: PACKAGING FOR FRESHNESS • METAL DETECTION • PRODUCT ID NOW

MARCH 2015 | $10www.canadianpackaging.com

PLENTY OF FISH Page 28

Publication mail agreement #40069240.

PAINT BY NUMBERSSpecialty paint business comes alive with made-in-Canada packaging lines

See story on page 13

CANADIAN PRODUCE MARKETING ASSOCIATION

TRADE SHOW PREVIEW MONTREAL, QUE

APRIL 15-17, 2015 page 18

p OFC cpac march 2015 OFC COVER nl A p OFC.indd 1 15-03-18 7:33 AM

http://www.canadianpackaging.com

http://issuu.com/action/page?page=13



FOR MORE INFORMATION CIRCLE 101

p IFC cpac march 2015 IFC AD p IFC.indd 2 15-03-10 7:15 AM

http://www.capmatic.com

IntelligentMotionTM

With its breakthrough design, the 9550 applies labels directly onto packs without the need for an applicator, while self-adjusting label placement accommodates varying line speeds, throughput and package sizes. Revolutionary Intelligent Motion™ technology targets zero unscheduled downtime as it precisely and automatically controls the entire system.

See the Videojet 9550 in action at PackExpo 2014 in Chicago.


p 01 cpac march 2015 AD p 01.indd 1 15-03-09 3:03 PM

http://www.videojet.com

(416) 298.8101 • (800) 268.5620 • www.atlantic.ca

Being in business for over 65 years isn’t what makes us a leader in the packaging industry.

It’s the hundreds of loyal customers, multitudes of innovative products, and the countless times we’ve delivered unrivaled customer satisfaction that does.

Corrugated Packaging Paper Bags Displays Supply and Inventory Management Recycling Mills

Add Ink (Decorative & Display)(416) 421.3636www.addink.ca

Color Pak (Pre-printed Linerboard)(416) 298.5518www.colorpak.ca

Mitchel-Lincoln Packaging Ltd.Montreal and Drummondville(800) 361.5727www.mitchellincoln.ca


p 02 cpac march 2015 AD p 02.indd 2 15-03-09 3:03 PM

http://www.atlantic.ca

http://www.addlink.ca

http://www.colorpak.ca

http://www.mitchellincoln.ca

MARCH 2015 • CANADIAN PACKAGING WWW.CANADIANPACKAGING.COM • 3

UPFRONT

It has been a long time com-ing, but the so-called 3D printing technology is finally

getting the worldwide attention of both business and public alike as one of the most promising

breakthrough technologies representing the future of tomorrow’s next-generation manufacturing.

Ironically, the technology itself is anything but new, having been both widely available and famil-iar to the manufacturing design community under the initial ‘rapid manufacturing’ and “autofab (automated fabrication)” monikers since the late 1980s.

What is new, however, is the widely reported push to deploy the technology’s additive manu-facturing modus operandi to create useful everyday objects with real mass appeal directly from CAD (computer-aided design) files in a hands-off process whereby powdered polymers and other materials are activated by lasers to form solid-state product layers on top of one another in pre-programmed shapes until the finished product is assembled in full—seemingly out of thin air.

With its potential to usher in a real era of mass customization and personal stay-at-home product design and assembly, 3D printing will undoubtedly impact countless goods-producing sectors in much more profound ways than could be conceived now.

Naturally, this includes packaging and its vast CPG (consumer packaged goods) global end-user client base, with the Italian division of global CPG powerhouse Unilever providing a textbook ex-ample of using 3D printing to cut lead-times for some product prototypes by 40 per cent.

Using proprietary PolyJet 3D printing technology developed by Minneapolis-headquartered 3D print-

ing supplier Stratasys Ltd., the Unilever plant re-cently produced injection mold tools for a range of popular household care and laundry products with a run of about 50 units for a wide variety of prototype parts—including bottle caps, closures and toilet rim blocks (picture below)—fabricated from the tough, durable Digital ABS plastic material.

“With Stratasys 3D printing technology, we can design and print a variety of injection molds for different parts that can undergo functional and consumer testing—all on the same day,” relates Unilever’s R&D and prototyping specialist Stef-ano Cademartiri. “Before, we would have to wait several weeks to receive prototype parts using our

traditional tooling process.“With 3D printing we’re now

able to apply design iterations to the mold within a matter of hours,” Cademartiri reveals, “enabling us to produce prototype parts in final materials such as polypropylene by

40 per cent faster than before. “Having previously outsourced our thermo-

forming requirements, we found that we were ac-cumulating significant labor costs and having to contend with lengthy lead-times,” Cademartiri re-calls. “However, since 3D printing these parts our-selves we’ve reduced lead-times in the conceptual phase by approximately 35 per cent.

“This technology has enhanced our overall manufacturing process—allowing us to evaluate our designs to eliminate those that are not suitable before committing to mass production.”

And while it will be some time yet before 3D printing becomes a mass production technology in its own right, given how fast it’s been catching on in the last couple of years, it would take Luddites of the last resort to bet against it happening sooner rather than later.

EMBRACING THE NEW DIGITAL AGE DIMENSION

MARCH 2015VOLUME 68, NO. 3

SENIOR PUBLISHERStephen Dean • (416) 510-5198 [email protected]

EDITORGeorge Guidoni • (416) [email protected]

FEATURES EDITORAndrew Joseph • (416) 510-5228 [email protected]

ART DIRECTORSheila Wilson • (416) 442-5600 x3593

[email protected]

PRODUCTION MANAGERBarb Vowles • (416) 510-5103

[email protected]

CIRCULATION MANAGERAnita Madden • 442-5600 x3596

[email protected]

ANNEX PUBLISHING & PRINTING INC.Vice-President Annex Business Media East

Tim [email protected]

President & CEO • Mike [email protected]

HOW TO REACH US: Canadian Packaging, established 1947, is published monthly by Annex Publishing & Printing Inc. 80 Valleybrook Drive, North York, ON, M3B 2S9; Tel: (416) 510-5198; Fax (416) 510-5140.

EDITORIAL AND ADVERTISING OFFICES: 80 Valleybrook Drive, North York, ON, M3B 2S9; Tel: (416) 442-5600; Fax (416) 510-5140.

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SUBSCRIPTION PRICE PER YEAR (INCLUDING ANNUAL BUYERS’ GUIDE): Canada $72.95 per year, Outside Canada $118.95 US per year, Single Copy Canada $10.00, Outside Canada $27.10. Canadian Packaging is published 11 times per year except for occasional combined, expanded or premium issues, which count as two subscription issues.

©Contents of this publication are protected by copyright and must not be reprinted in whole or in part without permission of the publisher.

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. Ca-nadian Packaging, its affiliates and assignees may use, reproduce, publish, re-publish, distribute, store and archive such unsolicited submissions in whole or in part in any form or medium whatsoever, without compensation of any sort.

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: [email protected] Mail to: Privacy Office, 80 Valleybrook Drive, North York, ON M3B 2S9

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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 Maga-zine Index by Micromedia Limited. Back copies are available in microform from Macromedia Ltd., 158 Pearl St., Toronto, ON M5H 1L3

3 UPFRONT By George Guidoni

4 NEWSPACK Packaging news round-up.

6 FIRST GLANCE New technologies and solutions for pack-

aging applications.

9 NOTES & QUOTES Industry briefs and company updates.

10 ECO-PACK All about packaging sustainability.

12 imPACt Monthly insight from PAC, Packaging

Consortium.

34 ANNOUNCEMENTS Industry and company updates.

35 EVENTS Upcoming industry functions.

35 PEOPLE Career moves in the packaging world.

36 CHECKOUT By Julie Saunders Joe Public speaks out on packaging hits

and misses.

FEATURES18 HISTORY OF GROWTH CPMA Annual Convention & Trade

Show preview.

19 FULL METAL JACKET By Steve Gidman

Metal detection vs X-Ray inspection.

20 SAFE COMFORTS

21 CELEBRITY ROASTS

22 REINVENTING THE VEAL By Andrew Joseph Innovative Quebec meat processor

offers a fresh new take on bacon perfection with a commercially viable and healthy alternative to pork.

27 ONWARDS TO VICTORY

28 FINE KETTLE OF FISH By George Guidoni Ontario fish processor lays foundation

for a thriving export business built by harvesting one of the most underrated and overlooked Great Lakes commer-cial fish species.

DEPARTMENTS & COLUMNS

COVER STORY13 PAINTING BY NUMBERS By Andrew Joseph Leading U.S. manufacturer of arts and crafts paints, gets a real bang for its buck

with installation of state-of-the-art filling-and-capping lines installed by a stalwart Canadian packaging machine-builder.

Cover photography by Laura Tarquino

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mailto:[email protected]



























NEWSPACK

4 • WWW.CANADIANPACKAGING.COM CANADIAN PACKAGING • MARCH 2015

SEAFOOD COMPANY AT TOP OF ITS PACKAGING GAME WITH NEW BRAND LAUNCHWhile it’s still a relatively small fish in a very big pond of a market dominated by multinational heavyweights with much vaster resources and geo-graphic reach, Ontario-based seafood processor Toppits Food Ltd. is clearly setting sail in the right direction for sus-tained future growth, having just launched a gluten-free line of high-quality frozen breaded fish caught or farmed exclusively in MSC (Marine Steward-ship Council)-certified waters.

Launched soon after opening up its first stand-alone Toppits Seafood Mar-ket retail outlet just north of Toronto in Vaughan, Ont., last December, the innovative seafood pro-

cessor’s new Toppits retail product family of glu-ten-free breaded fish comprises mouth-watering Toppits Black Pepper Cod, Lightly Seasoned Haddock,

and Savoury Lemon Sole to offer health-savvy Canadians a tasty alternative to traditional mass-produced frozen fish products.

“We are delighted to intro-duce Canadians to our deli-cious gluten-free breaded fish line that is certified by the Glu-ten-Free Certification Program (GFCP) and is also MRC-cer-tified as sustainable,” says com-

pany owner Heather Gremont.“The number of Canadians choosing to follow

a gluten-free lifestyle is increasing and we’re sure that Toppits’ tender f laky fillets will quickly become a family favorite.

“I believe it is well worth noting that we are the first in Canada to have a breaded cer-tified gluten-free and MSC-certified fish,” Gremont points out.

Processed in Canada, the Toppits brand gluten-free breaded fillets are made from 100-per-cent natural fish with no additives, according to Toppits, with the tender, f laky, hand-cut portions coated with lightly crisp gluten-free breadcrumbs seasoned just right to achieve a highly satisfying taste profile:• Bold highlights of back pepper for the Black

Pepper Gluten-Free Cod;• Delicate and crispy Lightly Seasoned Gluten-

Free Haddock with mild notes of garlic and onion;

• Light notes of a citrusy lemon zest for the Lightly Seasoned Gluten-Free Haddock.

Competitively priced with the conventional wheat-based breaded fish products, the gluten-

free fillets are packed in 400-gram retail boxes—supplied by Beresford Box Co. Ltd. of Waterloo, Ont.—featuring stunning product photography on the front panel to make an instant connection with the shoppers, according to Toppits vice-president of sales John Mauro.

“Consum-ers eat with their eyes first, making the design component very import-ant if you want to grab the consumers’ attention in the first place,” says Mauro, adding Toppits recently worked with a highly authoritative marketing consultant as part of a comprehensive strategic rebranding re-f lected in the new product packaging.

“The clean and crisp packaging graphics are well matched by eye-appealing product images that really make you want to try the product, with the light-blue splashes of color also helping to grab the

consumers’ attention,” Mauro told the Canadian Packaging magazine.

“Combined with the promin-ent Gluten-Free & MSC logos, this packaging really makes us stand out from the competi-tion,” says Mauro, adding the new products can be purchased at select retailers across Can-ada—including Sobeys, Metro,

Longo’s and Farm Boy—as well as at popular independent grocery retailers like Lady York, Battaglia Food Markets, Sharpe Market, Monastery Bakery & Delicatessen, The Gar-den Basket Food Markets and Yummy Market.

Portioned in individual breaded fillets weigh-ing an average of 100 grams, the three gluten-free products are also available in bulk 10-pound cases for foodservice establishments and institutions, ac-

cording to Mauro.Boasting product shelf-life of 24 months

from date of production, the fillets achieve their gluten-free credentials by using a special coating system comprised of corn, rice and potato, Mauro explains, as well as by being processed and pack-aged inside an officially GFCP-validated production facility.

Says Mauro: “The CFGP certification process incorporates more than just test-ing protocols to ensure certified products are gluten-free.

“Using proven food safety standards and an unbiased certification process, the GFCP delivers the only true global stan-dard for the production of safe, reliable gluten-free products,” he states.

“Moreover, all the ingredients are sourced from our trusted partners around the world to ensure that our highest measures of quality are consistently met,” he adds. “Having the MSG certification proves that we have the right standards and policies in place to work with fisheries, manufactur-ers, and customers to ensure that our fish stocks are traceable, healthy, and available for the generations to come.”

STAND-UP POUCHES HAVE TAKEN OVER

CASE PACKINGAutomatic accumulation loading and sealing for

a variety of pack patterns.

PALLETIZINGUse the Z.Zag to

automatically pick and place cases onto a pallet.

CASE ERECTINGThe Boxxer T-12 is one of the most economical and compact erectors

on the market.

STAND-UP BAGGING The Swifty Bagger is

engineered to open, fill, and seal a wide variety of

pre-made bags.

POWDER FILLING The Star Auger is

designed to weigh/fill powders, granules, spices, and more.

Requiring only one operator, fill & seal stand-up pouches, erect, load & tape cases, then palletize with this complete line

by Eagle Packaging.

FROM PRODUCT TO PALLET

T:1.305.622.4070 LAS.VEGAS MIAMI TORONTO MONTREAL

Showcasing over $2,000,000 of finished packaging machinery inventory, the Paxiom System Center is the perfect environment for testing your product on one of our many packaging solutions.


Gluing Systems · Quality Assurance Systems · Camera Verifi cation Systems

So your production process runs reliably.Our gluing and quality assurance systems guarantee 100 % reliability and fl exibility when producing six-packs. Baumer hhs – so things go really well for you and your customers.

NO MORE INSIDE GLUING!

The precise control and Xcam camera verifi cation of the gluing process effectively prevent inside gluing.

That‘s why you‘re set up perfectly with us.

baumerhhs.comBaumer hhs Corp.10570 Success Lane | Dayton | OH 45458 | Tel. 937 8863160 | Fax 937 8863161 | [email protected]

Shawpak Systems Ltd is pleased to announce Mr. Andy Vieira has joined the Shawpak Systems Team as Technical Sales – Product Inspection for the region of Quebec and the Maritimes.

This will further the Technical Sales resources within these regions specializing on the METTLER TOLEDO Product Inspection Product Line, HI-Speed CheckWeighing, and Safeline Metal Detection and X-Ray Inspection Systems.

Mr. Vieira brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience for Product Inspection within the Food and Pharmaceuticals Industry, with the METTLER TOLEDO Product Line and will be a good addition to the existing Quebec based Shawpak Team.

Announcement:

Andy Vieiratechnical Sales – Product [email protected]

www.shawpak.comwww.mt.com

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http://www.shawpak.com

http://www.mt.com

http://www.baumerhhs.com

STAND-UP POUCHES HAVE TAKEN OVER

CASE PACKINGAutomatic accumulation loading and sealing for

a variety of pack patterns.

PALLETIZINGUse the Z.Zag to

automatically pick and place cases onto a pallet.

CASE ERECTINGThe Boxxer T-12 is one of the most economical and compact erectors

on the market.

STAND-UP BAGGING The Swifty Bagger is

engineered to open, fill, and seal a wide variety of

pre-made bags.

POWDER FILLING The Star Auger is

designed to weigh/fill powders, granules, spices, and more.

Requiring only one operator, fill & seal stand-up pouches, erect, load & tape cases, then palletize with this complete line

by Eagle Packaging.

FROM PRODUCT TO PALLET

T:1.305.622.4070 LAS.VEGAS MIAMI TORONTO MONTREAL

Showcasing over $2,000,000 of finished packaging machinery inventory, the Paxiom System Center is the perfect environment for testing your product on one of our many packaging solutions.


p 04-05 cpac march 2015 Newspack p 04-05.indd 5 15-03-10 1:44 PM

http://www.eaglepm.com


FIRST GLANCE

payback and living up to the company’s renowned Never Obsolete Commitment guarantee.Fortress Technology Inc. 402

CLEAR ADVANTAGESThe new Profile Advantage metal detection system from Mettler-Toledo Safeline is claimed to offer an effective and long-awaited solution to the so-called ‘product effect,’ which is the electrical signal detected in some foods with high moisture levels, high salt content, or metalized film packaging. According to the company, the system’s sophis-ticated inspec-tion algorithm all but removes this problematic phenomenon from the process—resulting in up to 50 per cent improvements in detection sensitivity levels—regardless of packaging material—in chal-lenging applications such as wet, warm or chilled food. Unlike conventional metal detectors that simply capture and store the active product sig-nal, the Profile Advantage modifies the signal dur-ing set-up to ensure that the food product presents itself as if it were a dry product. Once production starts, the detection algorithm is applied to each of the products that pass through the detector to achieve much higher levels of detection sensitivity and an optimal detection envelope for the poten-tial contaminants.Mettler-Toledo Safeline 403

A BAND-AID SOLUTIONDeveloped specifically to eliminate the need to use adhesives and lines typ-ically found on most com-mon pressure-sensitive labels, the new Bandall band labeling technology from Banding Systems, Inc. is designed to apply a label


FIRST GLANCE

STANDING TALLDesigned for X-Ray inspection of high-speed can, jar, bottle and composite lines as well as other upright container formats, the new Tall PRO XSDV system from Eagle Product Inspection uses high-performance dual-view X-Ray technol-ogy to offer end-users with limited line space an ideal solution for their product inspection needs. Distributed in Canada by PLAN Automation, the dual-side view detection coverage provides an

added measure of inspection by ana-lyzing and process-ing two images per container, thereby improv-ing the probability of detecting hard

to find contaminants such as glass shards (includ-ing glass contaminations within glass containers); metal fragments (including metal within foil and metalized film packaging); mineral stone; calcified bone; and some plastic and rubber compounds. Well-suited for inspecting products packaged in foil or metalized film at line rates in excess of 1,000 pieces per minute, the Tall PRO XSDV X-Ray inspection system is engineered for achieving with superior foreign body detection in a broad range of packaging types, including tall rigid glass, metal, ceramic and plastic containers; cartons and boxes; pouches; and bags and sacks.PLAN Automation 401

SENSITIVE SUBJECTDeveloped for use on the Phantom or Stealth metal detection systems manufactured by Fortress Technology Inc., the company’s new FM software is claimed to achieve at least a 40-percent improve-ment in detection performance of these installed in the field, providing customers with even quicker ROI (return-on-investment)

as a complete band around the package, providing users with all the convenience and advantages of a one-step process that paves the way for the maxi-mization of graphic area, material reduction, lower cost and greatly improved production efficiencies.Banding Systems, Inc. 404

METAL METTLEDeveloped in response to the food industry’s rapid deployment of food safety technologies at continu-ously higher levels of detection capability, the new RAPICON metal detector con-veyors from Sesotec (formerly S+S Inspection) boasts fully-modular com-ponents, standard reject systems and a full range of aperture sizes. According to the company, RAPICON’s fully-welded construction with C-SCAN GHF or GLS metal detection technology provides an optimal food safety platform from which detection of the smallest pieces of metal is possible without adding a risk for bug traps or harborage points into the process, thereby ensuring full compliance to the latest FSMA (Food Safety Modernization Act) regulations.Sesotec Separation and Sorting 405

WELL WORTH THE WEIGHTDesigned to surpass the highest sanitation stan-dards in applications requiring packaging ready-to-eat meat into stand-up pouches, the new

all-in-one, stainless-steel solution from WeighPack Systems Inc. combines the company’s high-efficiency Swifty Bagger model horizontal bagger for pre-made bags with an incline infeed conveyor in a highly hygienic configuration featur-ing solid steel angled frames to eliminate water and particulate build-up; full welds and magnetic safety switches in place of key holes and exposed threaded screws to ensure water-tight doors and panels; and extended plexiglass over-cover with fully welded bottom-cover on the Swifty Bagger to protect the components from water infiltration during washdown—thereby keeping the inside of the bagger as clean as possible.WeighPack Systems Inc. 406

Our systems are providing the highest degrees of accuracy in food and non-food plants across the country.Our system solutions are available at the most attractive price points with service plans on everything we install.Our range of machinery is the widest in the marketplace, ensuring you get the right system installed for your needs.

Proven around the world.

Weighing & Counting Solutions…

RJP Packaging Inc.• 905-319-7562• [email protected]

Call Ray Perry today for a list of satisfied customers or for a quote. You’ll be glad you did.

multihead combo weighers – linear weighers – checkweighers – metal detectors – VFFS machines – conveyor

“Service First”

C

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CM

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CMY

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p 06-08 cpac march 2015 First Glance p 06-08.indd 6 15-03-10 1:48 PM


http://www.fortresstechnology.com

Industry-leading Freedom® and ProBlue Liberty™ tankless hot melt systems, provide a revolutionary technology that gives you the maximum prevention against char buildup.

Freedom® System� Tankless melter with MiniBlue® II SureBead® applicator minimizes char throughout

the system and reduces downtime due to nozzle clogs

ProBlue Liberty™

� Tankless melter designed with a ProBlue® footprint melts only what you need, when you need it

Go tankless and see your packaging line evolve. Contact your Nordson representative, or call (800) 463-3200 to go tankless.

Nordson.com/HotMelt© 2014 Nordson Corporation All rights reserved.

tankless hot melt systems, provide a revolutionary technology that gives you the maximum prevention against char buildup.

applicator minimizes char throughout

tankless hot melt systems, provide a revolutionary technology that gives you the maximum prevention against char buildup.

applicator minimizes char throughout

Products Improve As They Evolve.

Nordson melters are no exception.

Products Improve As They Evolve.


p 06-08 cpac march 2015 First Glance p 06-08.indd 7 15-03-11 10:58 AM

http://www.nordson.com/hotmelt

Our systems are providing the highest degrees of accuracy in food and non-food plants across the country.Our system solutions are available at the most attractive price points with service plans on everything we install.Our range of machinery is the widest in the marketplace, ensuring you get the right system installed for your needs.

Proven around the world.

Weighing & Counting Solutions…

RJP Packaging Inc.• 905-319-7562• [email protected]

Call Ray Perry today for a list of satisfied customers or for a quote. You’ll be glad you did.

multihead combo weighers – linear weighers – checkweighers – metal detectors – VFFS machines – conveyor

“Service First”FOR MORE INFORMATION CIRCLE 108

p 06-08 cpac march 2015 First Glance p 06-08.indd 8 15-03-11 10:59 AM


strong growth in sales and employment over the course of last year. Scheduled for completion in March of 2015, “The primary goal for the expan-sion project and for the additional hiring we are doing is to ensure continuous improvement in on-time delivery performance and product quality for our customers,” says company president Scott Lang, adding the expansion will provide about 4,000 square feet of new production space for the Fremont plant.

MARCH 2015 9

NOTES & QUOTES

Digital prepress equipment and systems supplier Esko North America has completed a US$1-million expansion of its Esko Innovation Center at the com-pany’s headquarters in Miamisburg, Ohio, with a special ceremony attended by its senior management team and local township officials. Now housing the company’s soft-ware support group, customer train-ing and demo centers, marketing and business development, human resources and administration person-nel, the 33,500-square-foot building currently employs about 80 people to support the company’s growing North American client base, while serving as a hot spot for demonstrating new ideas and solutions, experimenting with new processes, and producing samples for packaging, wide-format and com-mercial print products. “The process of building our new demo facility took months of careful planning and we are very proud of the end result, as well as how effectively our staff will be able to work with our customers in what we believe is an exceptional showplace for the direction of graph-ics communication and packaging,” says Esko Americas president Jon Giardina.

The Canadian Printable Elec-tronics In dustry Association (CPEIA) is a new industry group formed earlier this past fall with a mandate to bring together key Canadian and international players in industry, academia and govern-ment to build a strong domestic printed electronics (PE) sector through im plementation of critical development strategies to facili-tate growth through networking, stimulate R&D and investment, build a strong PE supply chain, and drive the broad adoption of PE technologies by end-use customers. Headquartered in Ottawa, CPEIA is the result of a three-year initia-tive by the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) to drive the growth of a strong PE domestic sector, which currently comprises about 50 Canadian com-panies with significant business interest in PE technologies, which can be used to manage inventory,

track items as they are shipped, monitor environ-mental conditions and turn any form of packaging into a smart device with labeling and tagging solu-tions that are capable of wireless communications. “A few years ago, many PE applications would have been considered science fiction, but not any more,” says CPEIA’s executive director Peter Kal-lai, citing a multitude of business growth oppor-tunities enabled by PE technologies for industries such as packaging, printing, advanced manufactur-ing and microelectronics. Tel. (613) 795-8181; or go to: cpeia-acei.ca

Industrial robotic systems in te grator Motion Controls Ro botics, Inc. has commenced an expansion of the company’s current 57,000-square-foot head quarter facility in Fremont, Ohio, to accommodate new office space, a new machin-ing center, and new cleanroom robot service and refurbishment areas necessitated by the company’s

Flanked by visiting local township officials, Esko Amer-icas president Jon Giardina (second from left) and Esko North America director of marketing Keri Blackburn cut the ceremonial ribbon at the newly-expanded Esko In-novation Center in Miamisburg.

Krones Machinery Co Ltd 6285 Northam DriveSuite 108Mississauga, ON L4V 1X5, Canada +1 905-364-4900 www.krones.com

Krones helps Steam Whistle do one thing really, really well – package Canada’s premium pilsner Steam Whistle Pilsner offers the style and flavour of the great pilsners of Europe, yet is brewed fresh locally at their indepen-dent, Canadian brewery. Crafted under the watchful eye of the Czech-born Master Brewer, this golden-coloured Bohemian pilsner is made using only four all-natural ingredients, a distinctive recipe, traditional methods, and a whole lot of passion.

How is this brewmaster know-how and brewery freshness retained until it reaches you? With the assistance of Krones’ TFS filter, Lav-atec bottle washer, VOC can filler, and Modulfill bottle filler. All this ensures quality through zero-bacteria control, minimum oxy-gen pickup and accurate fill heights. Just some of the measures that Steam Whistle takes to be the worthy reward at the end of your day.


p 09&34 cpac march 2015 N&Q p 09&34.indd 9 15-03-10 7:31 AM

http://www.krones.com

Despite being widely scorned and vilified as one of the most serious new repeat environmental of-fenders of this decade so far, the supposedly un-

recyclable single-serve coffee pods are in fact finding a use-ful second life in Canada—thanks to a progressive waste recovery program jointly conducted by office supplies distributor Grand & Toy, an affiliate of global office prod-ucts giant Office Depot, Inc., and Toronto-based re-

cycling specialists TerraCycle Canada, Inc.First launched last year on trial basis in southern

Ontario, the five-month K-Cup Pack program’s resounding success has prompted both partners

to not only widen the program to nationwide basis this past January, but also to extend it to include other commonly-used office supplies and

computer accessories.“We originally launched

the pilot program based on stakeholder feedback that we received from our associates, suppliers and customers who identified waste and recycling as our most important sustain-ability issue,” says Grand & Toy’s sustainability manager

Serguei Tchertok.“At Grand & Toy, sustainability has long been

an important part of our business, and with this newly-expanded program, our customers now

have an opportunity to conveniently divert more waste from the landfill by recycling products that are considered waste by most municipalities.

“This is just one more step in our ongoing commitment to promote sustainability and minimize the adverse en-vironmental impacts of our operations,” says Tchertok, explaining that in addition to the coffee capsules, the pro-gram will also collect mixed office supplies like binders,

pens, pencils, staplers, scissors, file folders, etc., as well as computer accessories like keyboards, computer mice, web cameras, wires and cords.

Each of the three types of office waste has its own specially-designated col lec tion box that can be purchased from Grand & Toy to collect the items described on the box label. (Pictures above)

All the Zero Waste Boxes come with a pre-paid UPS shipping label for direct for-warding of the collected recyclables to TerraCycle’s warehouse in Ajax, Ont.

Ultimately, it will be sent for processing that employs mechanical and manual sort-ing techniques to separate the collected waste into metals, fibers and plastics.

After sorting, the metals are smelted to prepare them for the recycling stage; fibers from paper waste and wood-based products are recycled or composted along with any other organic materials; and plastics undergo extru-sion and pelletization to be molded into new products made from recycled plastic, covering a full gamut from park benches to plant pods and outdoor waste bins.

In addition, any salvageable electronic waste is refurbished and reused, with all the data wiped from the applicable e-waste, according to TerraCycle.

“Canadians are among the world’s top recyclers, so we’re thrilled to see the growing demand for more Zero Waste Boxes,” says TerraCycle’s chief executive officer Tom Szaky, who founded the company in 2001.

Says Szaky: “Grand & Toy was the first Canadian retailer to support this innovative solution, and we’re pleased to continue working with them to offer even more recycling opportunities to Canadians.

“We are confident that this program will continue to grow,” Szaky concludes.

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COVER STORY

ANDREW JOSEPH, FEATURES EDITOR PHOTOS BY LAURA TARQUINO

While the history of the company is a little hazy on whether the owners read a how-to book it published on how to create busi-ness success, what is undeniable is that Plaid Enterprises, Inc.

of Norcross, Ga. has had 38 years of continuous successful growth, and is now considered a manufacturing leader of quality arts and crafts products for the retail segment.

When Plaid began operations in 1976, it did so as a family-run business with three employees publishing how-to books, expanding its domain between 1977 and 1989 to include products relating to: general crafts; home decorating; and paints and coatings.

The privately-held international investment holding firm Dyson Kissner-Moran Corporation purchased Plaid in 1989, which provided Plaid with growth opportunities thanks to DKM’s capital support structure.

Nowadays, the can-do know-how of Plaid has evolved the company into a firm with over 350 employees in the United States—and a sourcing office in Shenzhen, China—with over 5,000 SKUs (stock-keeping units) distributed in over 50 countries.

“Plaid manufactures and markets do-it-your self products for customers worldwide, offering artist and craft acrylic paints and much more,” Plaid chief executive officer and president Mike McCooey told Canadian Packaging maga zine during a re cent interview.

PAINTING BY THE NUMBERSAmerican arts and crafts paint manufacturer gets inspired performance from

state-of-the-art Canadian filling and capping equipment

From left: Plaid Enterprises, Inc. chief executive officer and president Mike McCooey; chief financial officer and chief operating officer John Michalek; and plant director Norman Thomas find good cheer with the turnkey Capmatic filling and capping line installed at the company’s 270,000-square-foot production facility in Decatur, GA.

Plaid Enterprises manufactures and packages 20 of its own bestselling brands of arts and crafts paints such as Folk Art, Apple Barrel, Mod Podge and other labels.

p 13-17 cpac march 2015 cvr sty p 13-17.indd 13 15-03-10 6:44 AM

COVER STORY


Besides the arts and crafts paints, the 270,000-square-foot Decatur, GA.-facility lo-cated in the suburbs of Atlanta also manufactures stitchery kits, liquid adhesives and stencils, fashion products, jewelry, glues, and needlecrafts; decoup-age products; products in areas such as faux finishes and glass crafts to new artists and markets, includ-ing home improvement; and soy paints and stains, and tools and accessories for decorative painters, home decor enthusiasts, and creative crafters.

But for Plaid, it certainly appears as though paint is where its current success lies, producing several million gallons a year of acrylics for fabric, wood, glass, ceramic, plastic, and metal projects; books, tools, and accessories for crafting.

“Roughly 80 per cent of what we manufacture is actually our own brands,” explains McCooey, cit-ing the brands Folk Art and Apple Barrel, as well as Mod Podge, Plaid, Delta Creative, Bucilla Needle-

work Products and Stencil Decor. “The Plaid prod-uct portfolio currently offers 20 leading brands.”

McCooey adds that it’s not that hard to find Plaid brand products. Along with the distribution in over 50 countries, across North America, it can be found in such national movers as: Walmart, Target, Michaels, HomeDepot.com, Lowes, HSN (Home Shopping Network) and The Shopping Channel, Amazon, Ebay, Kroger, various dollar stores and many more.

ONLINE WONDERBut despite the proliferation of eager consumers waiting to snap up the arts and crafts materials from these businesses, Plaid and its social media partners also has a growing online presence (www.plaidonline.com), with over one-million followers across a variety of social media networks including 600,000 Google+ fans, 145,000 Facebook follow-

ers, 72,000 newsletter subscribers and an astound-ing 400,000 unique visitors to its daily blog that features original content from its Plaid craft design team, as well as craft experts and guest bloggers.

“We use social media outlets to provide our fol-lowers and fans with daily ideas, inspiration and reci-pes, which of course helps drive retail performance,” mentions McCooey. “We even have Plaid Craft TV, 200 videos and counting of web-based craft pro-gramming with 36,000 subscribers on YouTube.”

While the company is social media savvy, it is also undeniably busy, operating its paints produc-tion facility 24/7, with no real cyclical peaks or valleys.

And yet, says McCooey, only a very small por-tion of its product is actually sold on-line, noting that Plaid’s low selling point of each SKU doesn’t usually warrant a consumer wanting to pay the additional shipping and handling costs.

A side view of the No. 8 production line at Plaid, equipped with Capmatic’s Accurofill bottle filler, an Alpha chuck capper and an accumulation table.

The Capmatic SortStar bottle unscrambler is specifically designed to handle a wide range of plastic bottle sizes without the operator needing to resort to change parts.

After plastic bottles are filled on the Accurofill, they are swiftly conveyed to an Alpha model capper—both manufactured by the Montreal-headquartered Capmatic Ltd.

An Accurofill filler, designed and manufactured by Capmatic, is used to package a range of four- to 32-ounce arts and craft paint bottles at an average of 40,000 units per day.


http://www.plaidonline.com

http://www.plaidonline.com


COVER STORY

location, the pallet is placed into an overstock area.

Key to Plaid’s im pres sive production line efficiencies is a turnkey unit from Capmatic Ltd., that helps it achieve fill-ing of a range of four- to 32-ounce bottles at an average of 40,000 units per day.

At the same time of the Capmatic pur-chase, Plaid also acquired new bundling equipment manufactured by Polypack Inc., consisting of an ILB24L-P multi-pack shrink bundler that can wrap any configuration of bottles, boxes, and odd-shaped items with its no-transfer wrap-

ping that allows unstable-product multipacks to be produced; and a Polypack gantry case loader for the shrink bundler.

“Prior to our Capmatic line purchase, we did not have such a wide range of bottle filling applica-tions,” relates Michalek.

Headquartered in Montreal, Capmatic designs and manufactures high-quality customized pack-aging equipment from semi-auto to fully-auto-matic systems and complete packaging lines.

Plaid purchased a complete turnkey system con-sisting of Capmatic’s: • SortStar bottle un scramble; • Accurofill 8H (eight head) piston filler; • Alpha chuck capper; • an accumulation table; • LabelStar System 3-Top label application station;• LabelStar System 1-Wrap around labeler;• BeltStar re-tourquer;• and an induction seal machine manufactured by Enercon Industries.

“With business being good and the future bright, we needed greater capacity, as well as a need to improve our quality control and productivity,” says McCooey. “It’s why we contacted Capmatic and then added our line No. 8, installing it during the last week of January 2015.”

According to Capmatic application engineer Domenic Imperiale, the project was virtually trouble-free right from the beginning.

“After Plaid’s director of continuous improve-ment Arturo Gomez contacted us with a request for quality filling and capping equipment, I traveled to their facility to review their set-up and to analyze the issues they were having,” explains Imperiale. “I then created a report detailing what Capmatic

“We are considered a major supplier in the craft industry,” relates McCooey. “Most of our product is sold directly to retailers, and it is important that we are cost-efficient to meet their pricing goals.”

At Plaid, raw materials are received either pallet-ized or in tankers, and then common base paints are made some 2,000 gallons at a time and then stored until needed.

“We have base storage tanks ranging in size from 3,000 to 6,000 gallons,” says Plaid chief financial officer and chief operating officer John Michalek, adding that most of its paints are common base.

“As for the unique batches, we make those one at a time in the 24 to 300 gallon range,” he notes.

After unique or common base paint is made, the batches are then tinted. Quality Assurance person-nel then approves the batches after checking vis-cosity, pH, WPG (weight per gallon) and color.

After approval, these batches are moved to the packaging line for filling, with Michalek saying that Plaid tries to limit the wait for filling between 12 to 18 hours maximum.

The packaging process involves a stand-up unit or unscrambler standing the bottles upright in the line, filled, capped, induction sealed, cap re-torqued, cap dot labeling, bundling, inner pack la-beling, erecting and packing of corrugated cases, sealing the full cases, and then adding a master car-ton label to the side and top of the box.

“The top labels on the master carton have a read-able barcode, and is used by our team of order pickers to ensure the correct product is readied for customer delivery,” states Michalek.

After cartons are hand-stacked on pallets, shrinkwrapped and then sent to the warehouse, where if not directly sent to a product-pulling

could do to improve their production, reduce labor costs and improve the quality of their packaging to better support and supply their clients.”

He says he proposed Capmatic’s SortStar bottle unscrambler that requires no change parts; a cus-tom-designed Accurofill filling machine that allows Plaid to perform product changeovers in five min-utes or less; and an Alpha capper with a dual cap feeding station to minimize downtime.

“We also worked on the overall equipment lay-out to provide the minimum footprint, taking into account operator needs, while making the line as efficient as possible,” relates Imperiale.

The Capmatic SortStar bottle unscrambler is spe-cifically designed to handle a wide range of plastic bottles. According to Imperiale, it uses a centrifu-gal disk and adjustable guides directly controllable through the Rockwell Automation Allen-Brad-ley brand HMI (human-machine interface) to al-low it to run a variety of bottles without the need for any change parts. Any and all mechanical ad-justments are equipped with numeric counters for easy and repeatable changes.

Though specially-designed, Plaid’s Capmatic Ac-curofill is indeed constructed from a base Capmatic automatic volumetric piston filler with specialized rotary valve systems that gives it the capability of filling liquids, semi-viscous and viscous products, such as: shampoo, cosmetic cream, cough syrup, chunky peanut butter, salsa, food product, petrol-eum gel, oil, and, of course, paint, which was spe-cifically why Plaid purchased it.

The Accurofill also utilizes a Capmatic vision sys-tem to ensure the product corresponds to the cor-rect bottle format.

For capping, the Alpha monoblock-style system was selected—a single-indexing multi-station platform which can be configured to handle many different applications. The machine is designed to work with free-standing containers or with the use of a puck system.

Although capping was the preferred method of closing system for Plaid, Imperiale says the Capmatic Alpha can also provide plugging, and crimping/R.O.P.P. (Roll On Pilfer Proof ) closing systems.

Says Gomez: “We like the Alpha’s low profile de-sign. It’s easy for our crew to clean and maintain. As well, it comes with removable stainless steel ac-cess doors on the front and back of the machine which gives, should we require it, quick and easy access to all internal hardware and electrical con-trols—it’s a wonderful design.”

According to Imperiale, the BeltStar retorquer

A Capmatic LabelStar System 1-Wrap wraparound inline la-beling system places product labels around the round bottles at high throughput speeds.

A Polypack ILB24L-P multipack shrink bundler featuring no transfer is used by Plaid to wrap unstable product multipacks of paint bottles.

Plaid utilizes an iCON small-character laser coder manufactured by ID Technology, capable of printing up to four lines of text.


COVER STORY


caps are securely on, with no chance of leakage,” explains Imperiale. “It basically helps reduce re-jects and improves line efficiency.”

The line also utilizes a labeling unit—two ac-tually. The LabelStar System 1 is an inline labeling system that easily wrap applies labels around round


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capping system offers quality performance and maximum controllability for impeccable profi-ciency with regards to inline capping without the use of conventional spindles.

“It utilizes servo-driven belt systems to provide an accurate amount of torque, ensuring the paint

After filling and capping, a Capmatic LabelStar System 3 labeler is used to apply a top-dot adhesive label onto bottle caps for additional branding impact.

A Cognex vision system inspects and verifies the label positioning inside a Capmatic LabelStar System 1 labeler.

Line operator Oscar Rozales monitoring the HMI (human-machine interface) control panel on the SortStar bottle unscrambler.

bottles. It utilizes a feed screw, star-wheel indexing and a dual belt separator to provide extremely ef-ficient label application.

As part of its quality assurances programs, Plaid uses an iCON small-character laser coder from ID Technology, a division of Pro Mach on the Cap-

matic LabelStar to apply specific lot code data, as well as a vision system manufac-tured by Cognex Corporation to en-sure proper label alignment, and a reject system for any defective containers—all purchased via Capmatic for use with the filling/packing line.

A Capmatic LabelStar System 3 labeler is utilized near the end-of-the-line to apply labels to the top of caps and to the side of the master cartons filled with bottled paint product. It is capable of applying labels at speeds up to 250 per minute, but as Gomez admits, Plaid doesn’t require such speed at this juncture. Yet.

Keeping things green in more than a color scheme is also very important for Plaid, ac-cording Plaid director of operations Nor-man Thomas, saying the company has gone through great pains to ensure it is not merely compliant with sustainability issues, but exceeds them where possible.

“About seven years ago, Atlanta suffered through a drought,” begins Thomas. “Water is a major component in our paint, and any prolonged period with a water shortage would be devastating to our business.

“To avoid future instances of a pro-



http://www.bizerba.com

COVER STORY

longed drought affecting our produc-tion, we put down a well.

“Obviously the drought was not long, and since we never had to rely on the well water for our paint, we utilize it instead in our washdown routine and clean-up processes,” explains Thomas.

He adds that all of Plaid’s washdown water is recaptured and then sent to its own water treatment operation where the water is treated to pull the solids out before releasing it into the county sewage system.

In another example of keeping things green, Thomas says it recycles its cartons.

“We purchase our bottles from a local manufacturer and have them shipped to us in returnable cartons.

“Each carton contains 750 bottles and each carton is recycled in excess of 20 times before it needs to be re-placed,” explains McCooey.

For Plaid, it saves some 66,600 car-tons from ending up in the trash and landfill, and only has, as Thomas notes, had to replace a small number of cases each year.

All in all, Plaid Enterprises is ex-treme ly pleased with its new filling and packaging line from Capmatic.

“Our continuous growth every year for 38 years has certainly put us in an enviable situation, as it proves con-sumers enjoy our high quality arts and crafts products,” sums up McCooey.

“Our new Capmatic line provides us with an upgrade on line efficien-cies and capacity, as well as production speeds while enhancing our over-all quality assurance guidelines.

“We’re certainly in a great place right now for our current and future produc-tion requirements.”

MARCH 2015 17

Capmatic Ltd. 465Polypack Inc. 466Enercon industries 467Cognex Corporation 468ID Technology, LLC (Div. of Pro Mach) 469Rockwell Automation Inc. 470Schneider Electric Canada 471

For More Information:

Plaid Enterprises chief operating officer John Michalek (left) and plant director Norman Thomas examine filled arts and crafts paint bottles being conveyed to the high-perform-ance LabelStar System 3 top cap labeling unit.Plaid plant employee David Hall operating Capmatic’s LabelStar System 1 inline bottle

wraparound labeling system.

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PRE-SHOW REPORT

HISTORY OF GROWTHCanadian fresh produce business has plenty of reasons to cheer at upcoming

jubilee industry showcase

Staying fresh and relevant for 90 years is a remarkable display of shelf-life excellence and resilience.

And it wouldn’t be stretching the truth to claim that this proud historical track record making a visit to Montreal’s stunning Palais des congrès de Montréal fair grounds next month is a must-attend occasion for any forward-thinking pack-aging company hoping to capitalize on promising business opportunities in Canada’s multibillion-dollar fresh produce sector.

As a host venue to the 90th Annual Convention and Trade Show of the venerable Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA), the glamorous exhibition center will be a buzz of activity from April 15 to 17, 2015, as the Ottawa-based CPMA will mark its 90th year of representing and promoting the diverse interests and agendas of its broad-based membership comprising leading Canadian growers, importers, exporters, whole-salers, retailers, packaging suppliers and other key stakeholders of a burgeoning fruit-and-vegetable marketplace generating over $4 billion to Canada’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth each year.

Featuring over 275 already-confirmed exhib-itors, this year’s event is poised to attract over 3,000 participants from all segments of the produce sup-ply chain and to showcases produce from around the world.

Organized under this year’s theme of Educate, Innovate, Create, the country’s largest fresh-pro-duce event will provide a unique forum for indus-try leaders to build key business relationships in Canada through a combination of education and networking opportunities, according to the CPMA chairperson Bernedette Hamel of Metro Richielieu Inc.

“In this day and age, we are regularly faced with challenges to the various aspects of our business,” states Hamel.

“To overcome these challenges, we rely on edu-cation, creativity and innovation to consistently find new and effective ways to move our products from field to fork.

“At this year’s convention, our new and excit-ing ‘Learning Lounge’ will offer opportunities to learn more about innovation and creativity in the produce industry.”

States Hamel: “We have reached a momentous milestone and are proud to be celebrating our 90th year serving the pro-duce industry in the vibrant city of Montreal,” Hamel states.

“Our commemorative 2015 Convention and Trade Show will provide an invaluable and carefully conceived business-to-business platform that has consistently supported the development, success and sus-tainability of our industry.

“Being the largest of its kind in Canada, it really is the must-attend event of the year!”

In addition to the show itself, “The CPMA team will deliver innovative and thought-pro-voking business programs on

topics that are essential to our industry’s success,” says 2015 convention chair Jim Di Menna of JD Marketing Inc.

“Beyond the business program, our entertain-ment and hospitality program will continue to provide a more casual forum for conversation and collaboration,” Di Menna adds.

Here is sampling of some the event’s highlights:• Chair’s Welcome Reception, toasting and cele-

brating CPMA’s 90 years of serving the produce industry;

• New ‘Learning Lounges’ located throughout the trade show f loor hosting a broad array of highly-informative educational sessions and seminars;

• Keynote presentation by Ron Tite, a renowned marketing professional and bestselling author recently named to the Top 10 Creative Canadians list complied by the Marketing Magazine. Titled Telling Your Story, Tite’s presentation will offer an insightful view into the art of connecting with real people in real situations to achieve real out-comes to capture best practices, close a sale, and grow the business;

• An Interactive Panel of renowned thought-lead-ers representing some of North America’s leading retailers and foodservice distributors addressing the Implementing Fresh Everyday growth strategy.

Moderated by Reggie Griffin, former senior vice-president of The Kroger Company, the interactive panel will feature: • Teri Miller, category manager of produce at Food Lion;

• Pierre Dandoy, vice-president of operations at QC Market Store, Loblaws;

• owner Mike Longo and Pat Pessotto, vice-presi-dent of fresh merchandising at Longo’s;

• Oleen Smethurst, general merchandise manager for produce at Costco Wholesale Canada;

• André Gagné, vice-president of merchandising at Metro Banner Ontario, Metro Richelieu;

• Rich Dachman, vice-president of produce at Sysco.

For more information on the 2015 CPMA Annual Convention and Trade Show, please go to: www.cpma.com

The 90th edition of the CPMA Annual Convention and Trade Show is epected to draw over 3,000 visitors over the course of the tree-day event at Montreal’s Palais des congrès de Montréal, with over 250 exciting exhibits showcasing the latest technologies and solutions for the country’s fresh-produce industry.

The colorful and outgoing Freggie CPMA show mascot was created to promote the group’s children’s healthy eating programs, designed to empower kids to take responsibility for making healthy food choice through better nutritional awareness and education.

p 18 cpac march 2015 CPMA p 18.indd 18 15-03-10 7:05 AM

http://www.cpma.com


BY STEVE GIDMAN

Although metal detection is often portrayed as an ‘old’ technology—in contrast to the ‘new’ X-Ray systems—metal detection

hardware and software is evolving all the time and offers food producers many benefits.

In most food applications, for example, there is some sort of ‘product effect’ on the detector, which the equipment must factor into its operation.

With most of today’s metal detectors, this ‘phas-ing’ or calibration is an automatic process, simpli-fying the integration of a system into a line.

And with fewer, and often less technically skilled line operators becoming the norm in the food industry, the importance of this element of simpli-city cannot be overstated.

This also hold true also for the human-machine interface (HMI), which are becoming more intui-tive all the time.

As might be expected, the sensitivity of systems has also improved.

For example, Fortress Technology’s latest FM software can improve performance in most appli-cations by at least 40 per cent, thanks to an algo-rithm which factors in both time and amplitude with any given detection signal.

This responds to increased demands from retail-ers for the ability to detect ever-smaller metal contaminants.

In recent years, retailers have become more risk-averse when it comes to food safety and quality, increasingly imposing their own, often more strin-gent protocols and standards on their suppliers.

As well as ensuring that the required form of inspection is in place to the necessary specification, the retailers’ ‘safety net’ will also often include

assurances about regular system checks to ensure that all QA (quality assurance) systems—including metal detection—are functioning correctly.

Consequently, some retailers will put pressure on suppliers, or potential suppliers, to invest in X-Ray contaminant detection.

Being able to demonstrate the reliability and improved sensitivity of installed metal detectors (with FM software, for example) may be one way that suppliers can resist this sort of pressure.

So why choose metal detection over X-Ray? The answer will de pend on the application, as

X-Ray remains far more expensive, both in terms of capital cost and running costs.

A company could easily expect to pay in the region of $90,000 to $120,000 to install new X-Ray, technology compared to between $8,000

and $30,000 for metal detection, depending on the size and complexity of the application.

The challenge for product manufacturers is to know as much about potential sources of contamination as possible before select-ing the type of inspection equipment.

Obviously, if your poten-tial contamination is all or mostly metal-based, it makes sense to consider metal detection as a first option.

On the other hand, for some products where the risk comes from a range of contaminants or non-metal contaminants, an X-Ray system might be advisable.

In either case, here are five top tips to keep in mind when investing in a metal detector for the first time, or

upgrading an existing system to the required levels:

1. Do not overlook testing procedures and record-keeping.

In food environments, testing requirements are becoming increasingly complex.

We advise running detection and rejection of test

samples on an hourly basis, at the beginning of a product run or at a shift change, and whenever any settings are updated or changed.

To that end, always check the industry standards and auditing requirements for testing frequency and procedure.

2. Consider installing metal detectors at specific checkpoints along the manufactur-ing process.

Leaving it until the end of the production line could result in high levels of ‘false rejects’ and unnecessary disposal of good product and packaging.

To that end, an area survey prior to delivery and installation is a highly recommended practice

3. Auto-testing devices are useful when sys-tem access and positioning or environmental con-ditions hinder testing.

4. Investigate system compatibility before making an investment.

Our company’s “Never Obsolete Commitment” is a parts, service and backward-compatibility program that enables customers to upgrade any existing Fortress detector to help food processors remain compliant.

5. Foil challenges.Generally speaking, metal detectors are capable

of phasing out and running products packaged in laminate foils with a good level of sensitivity.

However, pure aluminum foil found in pack-aging such as an oven-ready tray, may be too chal-lenging, thereby necessitating the use of a ‘ferrous in foil’ metal detector.

Steve Gidman is president of Fortress Technology Inc., Toronto-headquartered manufacturer of metal detection systems for the global, food, beverage, pharma-ceutical industries.

Fortress Technology Inc. 416For More Information:

FULL METAL JACKETMetal detection technology stays well in tune with the times to remain a highly viable and effective product inspection option

Using vastly upgraded software and much more intuitive human-machine interfaces enables continued use of existing Fortress metal detection systems well after their initial field installations, often providing a very cost-effective alternative to X-Ray inspection.

METAL DETECTION

p 19 cpac march 2015 Fortress A p 19.indd 19 15-03-10 7:06 AM


FOOD SAFETY

SAFE COMFORTSWest Coast frozen pasta producer enjoying vastly improved comfort levels with

successful X-Ray system installation

A well-made lasagna is arguably one of the greatest Italian comfort foods to earn itself long-enduring worldwide fame and uni-

versal affection, and Surrey, B.C.-based Zinetti Food Products Ltd. takes much pride in keeping that tradition alive by producing a line of high-quality frozen lasagna and other pasta entrées re-tailing in the frozen food sections of Costco retail stores across Canada and the U.S.

Well-regarded in the private-label frozen foods segment for its unwavering commitment to pro-ducing great-tasting, high-quality meals, the pri-vately-owned company has taken its well-earned reputation and impressive record for food safety up several notches a few months ago with an installa-tion of a model X33 X-Ray food inspection system manufactured by Mettler-Toledo Safeline, part of the product inspection business of global supplier of industrial and laboratory scaling and measurement technologies Mettler-Toledo International Inc.

“I spoke with a few of the leading X-Ray ma-chine suppliers, and they had the best experience with Mettler-Toledo,” says Zinetti Food mainten-ance manager Ash Engele. “We sent samples to three suppliers, and they were the first to get all the important data back to us.

“The slam-dunk came when my friend, Jeff Smith from Mountain Pacific Machinery, said that Mettler-Toledo was the best and explained why, covering all the details with us to ensure we had a perfect fit, and then sold us the X33 system.”

The next-generation X33 features a new 20-Watt X-Ray generator that dramatically reduces power use and energy costs while maintaining the same high detection sensitivity, compared to the 100-Watt generator utilized on previous system ver-sions. Moreover, the X33 model also improves

sanitation with its redesigned styling and eases use with its new graphical user interface.

According to Mettler-Toledo, the X33’s outstanding detection sensitivity helps iden-tify metal, glass, bone, stones and other dense foreign material for quick removal of contamin-ated products from the production line, while also measuring gross mass for portion control, inspect-ing for packaging defects, and checking seal integ-rity.

ROUGH START“We first started looking for an X-Ray system several years ago,” Engele recalls. “We installed a unit from another supplier on a trial basis in 2008, but after get-ting a lot of ‘false rejects’ we decided it wouldn’t work for us, putting the whole idea on the back burner.

“However, we decided to revisit it last year,” says Engele. “I spoke with Mettler-Toledo, who assured me their systems could easily handle our products.”

Says Engele: “Given our past experience, we wanted a supplier that had a local technician, which was why we decided to go with Mettler-Toledo.

“Their local service tech is very knowledgeable,” Engele extols. “He installed the unit, set it up for our products, and trained us to use it.

“It’s good to know that if we run into any issues we can’t solve, he can be here quickly to get us back up and running.”

Engele explains that Zinetti Food Products se-lected an X3302 model that is wider than the standard X33 unit, so that it could handle the com-pany’s entire range of products.

With its 400-mm wide belt, the X3302 system is employed to inspect Zinetti’s large three-kilogram family-size meals, as well as the 300-gram single-serve meals.

“Sometimes we run the same product for an en-tire shift and sometimes we have several products to run at once,” Engele relates.

“This X-Ray system is the easiest machine on our line to change over,” Engele states. “It takes just a few seconds on the control panel to select the next product from memory and it’s calibrated at the push of a button—without actually having to send product through.

“Moreover, the touchscreen interface is very easy to use: our operators like the icons and the product lists and images, finding the X-Ray system very straightforward,” Engele relates.

“And we also like the different levels of password protection, whereby an operator cannot uninten-tionally create or delete a product,” says the plant’s HACCP coordinator Azin Kad. “That’s because it’s only our engineers and quality assurance per-sonnel who are allowed deeper access into the con-trols.”

OUTSIDE HELPAdds Engele: “Because we rely on a lot of outside vendors for ingredients, the possibilities that there could be a stone or shard of glass making its way into the final package are endless.

“And as we continue to grow and put more prod-ucts out for the public to consume, our risk corres-pondingly increases along with our volume.

“But our new X-Ray system gives us another critical layer of protection,” Engele asserts. “It rep-resents another important step towards ensuring optimal food safety performance.

“It give us and our retail customers real confi-dence that we’re maintaining the highest product quality levels,” Engele sums up.

“At Zinetti Food Products, we go above and be-yond making great tasting foods that people enjoy, so it’s only natural for us to make sure our food is safe to keep them coming back for more.”

For More Information:Mettler-Toledo Safeline 411

Installed last year at the Zinetti Food Products pasta processing facility in Surrey, the X3302 X-Ray product inspection system from Mettler-Toledo has enabled a marked improvement in quality control performance at the plant’s packaging line, which uses the user-friendly system to inspect the company’s full range of frozen products, from three-kilogram lasagna (inset on left) to 300-gram single servings.

p 20 cpac march 2015 Mettler Toledo p 20.indd 20 15-03-10 11:36 AM


PACKAGING FOR FRESHNESS

Headquartered in Maspeth, N.Y., Eldor-ado Coffee Roasters roasted its first coffee beans in 1980. At the time, com-

pany president and owner Segundo Martin saw an opportunity to use new packaging technology to provide high-quality coffee to local consumers.

Acting on knowledgeable expert advice offered by his Colombian-born wife and enjoying access to the finest coffee beans anywhere, Martin had a hunch that combining this top-quality product with improved, cost-effective packaging would re-sult in a winning formula.

He was absolutely right, of course. Segundo’s idea was to utilize Bosch’s recently intro-

duced one-way valve technology to sup-ply coffee in a f lexible package made on a VFFS (vertical form/fill/seal) machine. At the time, f lexible packages made from standard VFFS machines were not

often used for coffee be-cause of how it degasses

after roasting.The gases would

expand the package, causing the sealed bags to ex-

plode. To release the pressure, a fila-ment could be sealed into the end seams, but this approach allowed oxygen to enter the package—re-sulting in spoilage and lower-quality coffee.

The solution lay in applying a one-way valve, which released the pressure while blocking oxygen ingress, keeping the coffee fresh and f lavorful for consumers.

Segundo reached out to Bosch Packaging Technology for a fully integrated valve applicator with one of its VFFS machines.

As a result, in 1983, Eldorado received the first Bosch VFFS system in the U.S. that automatically applied an outside valve—laying the foun-dation for a partnership that has allowed both companies to grow together.

“In the more than 30 years we’ve been using the Bosch machine, it has never let me down,” states Segundo. “With its high productivity and reliability, the machine has helped the company achieve such prof-itability that it has been one of the most valuable investments I have ever made.

“In fact, the Bosch bagger is still on our production f loor, running and helping our company grow.”

After years of solid business growth and expansion, in 2013 Eldorado needed to add capacity for its f lexible packaging formats in both pillow bags and gusseted stand-up packages.

By this time, the company’s bag sizes ranged from small, two-ounce bags of ground coffee to five-pound bags of whole bean coffee.

The latter was a result of growth in the company’s food service business in which Eldorado provides and services coffee ma-chines, coffee and other consumables to foodservice establishments.

The new packaging system Segundo had in mind for Eldorado needed a feedback

loop between the checkweigher and the auger, so that any changes in coffee density would be auto-matically and immediately compensated for by the auger.

The goal was more consistent and precise fill weights in each package, reducing the give-away volume and keeping Eldorado running as effi-ciently as possible.

Therefore, it was critical that the packaging ma-chinery be f lexible, highly efficient and fully inte-grated between the auger, bagger and checkweigher.

Based on the established and trusted partnership, Segundo inquired about Bosch’s new, highly f lex-ible SVI 4020 AR intermittent-motion bagger. The SVI 4020 had a maximum bag width of 400-mm, allowing it to handle the large and small bag sizes in both pillow and gusseted stand-up formats.

Seeking a single-source solution provider, El-dorado placed Bosch in charge of the entire system, after which it proceeded to integrate a Spee-Dee model 3600 servo auger, an Ishida checkweigher, a

Markem-Imaje model SmartDate X40 printer, and nitrogen gas f lush sys-tem into its SVI 4020 verti-cal bagger. (Picture left)

Naturally, Bosch first tested the system at its plant in New Richmond, Wis., to ensure the filling accuracy and speeds that Eldorado needed before installation at the com-pany’s facility.

“The result has been great,” extols Segundo, noting that the feed-

back loop from the checkweigher has resulted in a 10-percent reduction in giveaways as a result of en-abling the nitrogen gas f lushing to reach the residual oxygen target —plus the bagger runs at high speeds.

Over the years, Eldorado has invested in addi-tional machinery to package coffee in different formats, including cans, which are filled at the company’s second facility in Philadelphia, Pa., ac-cording to Segundo.

“We couldn’t be happier in having our original Bosch bagger running alongside their next gen-eration bagger,” Segundo says, adding he looks forward to taking Eldorado’s unique partnership with Bosch Technology to the next level in the coming years as his company continues to grow its business and client base with the new packaging formats.

Bosch Packaging Technology 413


Dayton, Ohio-January 22, 2015 - Baumer hhs, a product innovation leader in the packaging industry, is pleased to announce the appointment of Chris Raney as hhs President. In addition, Baumer hhs welcomes new sales personnel, Rob Bradshaw, to accommodate demands of continuous growth. Chris Raney brings over 25 years of relevant industry experience to his new role, as President of Baumer hhs, with more than 10 years in the folding carton market in North America. He has worked for Bobst in various roles in the UK, Switzerland and in the USA, where from June 2002, he was Vice President of the Folding Carton Business Area. Most recently Raney was VP Packaging for Heidelberg USA, Inc. He has extensive experience in leading and building strong sales and service organizations to ensure that the company excels and delivers world-class customer-focused performance. “We welcome Chris’ experience and leadership to the Baumer hhs team,” said Detlef Engling, Managing Director. “In his new role as President, he will provide leadership and guidance to our team. His results-oriented approach and ability to think strategically will help hhs continue to grow profitably, while extending our track record of innovation and exceeding our customers’ demands.” Raney is thrilled to be a part of Baumer hhs, building on a great brand with significant opportunities for growth in the industry. Chris is looking

forward to strengthening the business in some key areas that affect customers on a day to day basis. He also states, “The good news is that I will be able to continue to work with the people that I know and count as friends!” Rob Bradshaw will be based in Illinois as the Midwest Sales Manager and will lead Midwestern region sales efforts. He comes toBaumer hhs after 14 years with Support Products, most recently as Vice President & General Operations Manager. Bradshaw has more than twenty years of experience as a sales professional within the industry. “Rob’s background is outstanding,” added Engling, “He is already familiar with some of our products and key customers, which is a plus.” Bradshaw’s entire career has been spent in the printing industry and he looks forward to continuing that tradition by providing the best solutions to Baumer hhs’ current and future customers.

Baumer hhs Names New President and Sales Representative

Chris Raney, President

Rob Bradshaw,Sales Representative

CELEBRITY ROASTSUpscale coffee roaster thrives through the years with top-notch product

excellence and valuable technology input from its innovative packaging partner

p 21 cpac march 2015 Bosch p 21.indd 21 15-03-10 7:08 AM


PACKAGING FOR FOOD SAFETY

REINVENTING THE VEAL Innovative Canadian meat processor pioneering veal bacon as a healthier and tastier

alternative to traditional pork staple

ANDREW JOSEPH, FEATURES EDITOR PHOTOS BY PIERRE LONGTIN

Citing an eastern European heritage, a Can-adian meats processor takes old-world products and brings them into the 21st

century making them available to a wider swath of consumers across the globe thanks to a daring change in ingredient philosophy.

Known as Les Ailments Edelweiss Foods, until 2012 the privately-owned Laval, Que. com-pany was known as a processor of European-style of pork products such as bacon, ham and sausages, but realized the way the company was set-up, ex-panding its customer base was going to be difficult, owing to the main fact that the meats processing industry is highly competitive and dominated by a few companies across Canada.

Realizing it couldn’t immediately compete with the deep pockets of the competition, Edelweiss owner and general manager Bohdan Lozynsky realized that simply having high-quality meat products was a great start but hardly enough to al-low doe the growth he wanted.

“When I purchased Edelweiss Foods in 2012, it was already a well-established business—two in

fact,” Lozynsky told Canadian Packaging during a recent interview.

Edelweiss itself was founded in 1982 after the merger of two Montreal-based companies that had individually established a well-respected reputa-tion for their European-style deli-meat products since 1938.

“Great products, respect and reputation are all very important to us at Edelweiss, but you can only chew on respect and reputation for so long until you need to stand up and forge your own reputa-tion,” explains Lozynsky.

At the time of the Edelweiss purchase in 2012, Lozynsky notes that it was processing lots and lots and lots of pork, even offering three types of ham.

But despite inheriting an established sales base, Lozynsky was correct in his observations that the Canadian pork industry was rife with competition, and that he needed to try and establish a separate identity for the company in order to take that next step forward.

His answer was, in 2012, to begin creating products Halal-certified products of meats people wanted to eat but were restricted from indulging in because of religious doctrine.

“As anyone in the meats processing business can

tell you, there is a lot of competition in the pork segment, and while I’m not afraid of a challenge, I’d prefer a challenge where there was a good chance I could come out as a market leader,” en-thuses Lozynsky.

“We currently have 23 products we created that have been approved under the strict guidelines of the ISNA Canada for the Halal Certification Agency,” states Lozynsky adding that the company has indeed reinvented itself.

“We were known for our quality Eastern Euro-pean-style products, but now we are now perhaps better known for our quality and unique Halal-style Eastern European meat products.”

Despite popular opinion, the term ‘halal’ isn’t just a food issue—it’s the Arabic word for ‘permis-sion’ and relates to any object or action permissible for a Muslim to utilize according to Islamic law.

One of those key permissions is the inability to eat bacon, as the Islamic religion forbids to con-sumption or pork products.

“That’s why we began to offer a real meat alterna-tive—a tasty veal bacon, that we process and pack-age on behalf of our customers,” notes Lozynsky.

According to Lozynsky, Edelweiss Foods does not create foods to sell under its own brand, rath-er it is a processor and packager of products for a wide range of customers who ship and sell various meats products throughout Canada, the U.S. and the Middle East.

Edelweiss Foods is situated within a 15,000-square-foot processing plant operated by a total of five skilled employees—a small operation, perhaps, but thanks to what Lozynsky says is an incredibly positive reaction to his veal bacon, he might soon have to start thinking about increasing the size and scope of the business.

Lozynsky says that about 85 per cent of Edel-weiss Foods’ private label production is on behalf of Écolait Ltd, the largest milk and grain-fed veal production and processing company in the prov-ince of Quebec, with the two companies entering

Holding onto the very well-received Vivo ... bien élevés brand of veal bacon produced and packaged on behalf of Ecolait, Edelweiss Foods general manager Bohdan Lozynsky says he is impressed but not surprised at the positive consumer response to his Halal-certified meats, including the Old Fashioned Smoked Meat Beef Brisket slice (inset above) sold under the Myriam brand label.

p 22-26 cpac march 2015 Edelweiss p 22-26.indd 22 15-03-10 1:54 PM



quired resources to help this value-added, milk-fed veal product meet the standards we set in terms of quality, health and great taste.”

Initially available only at METRO and IGA supermarkets in Quebec, the popularity of the tasty, high-end veal bacon—it doesn’t have that catchy name yet—vacon?—has gone through the barn roof, and Edelweiss now has shipping requests from all over North America and the Middle East.

Without any sales in the bank at the time, Maillet was extremely positive about the veal bacon prod-uct: “This wonderful and tasty endeavor is just the beginning, and other equally innovative veal prod-ucts will soon be available.”

Maillet obviously knew what he was talking

provide the meats they want us to process—using traditional methods where we smoke the meat, place it in a warehouse to cool, slice and then pack-age it,” relates Lozynsky.

The Vivo veal bacon product contains just five percent fat per portion and over eight grams of protein.

“Along with it being gluten-free, low-fat and containing the lowest amount of sodium possible, the veal bacon actually possesses an average shelf-life from 55 to 60 days,” Lozynsky notes. “It’s a healthy and tasty alternative to regular bacon.”

According to a press release from the time of the Vivo debut, Écolait president and chief executive officer Mario Maillet states: “We used all the re-

into a complex ownership-partnership deal at the end February 2015.

Based in St-Hyacinthe, Écolait had in September of 2014 entered into a 10-year collective agreement with the Atlantic Veterinary College at the University of Prince Edward Island to evolve its animal welfare practices into a global standard, establishing the Vivo ... bien élevés brand.

As of late February, Écolait and Edelweiss have entered into a partnership to produce other excit-ing new Halal-certified meat brands.

The first product offered under the brand is the Vivo bacon made from veal, that Lozynsky proudly states will ring true with all bacon lovers.

“Edelweiss processes the meats—our customers

A machine operator changes settings on the user-friendly HMI (human-machine inter-face) control panel used to program and operate the Repak RE15 thermoformer.

A Bizerba Scaleroline A550 automatic industrial slicer provides integrated weighing technology for high-precision portioning of the Edelweiss veal bacon products.

An Edelweiss employee placing pre-weighed portions of veal bacon by hand into a bottom pocket of film on the Reiser Repak RE15 form/fill/seal thermoforming machine.




about, because Lozynsky wasn’t about to sit on his laurels, and has continued to expand and change menu, but notes, however, that the key is that they are all Halal-certified.

The 23-product list of Halal-certified products produced by Edelweiss are:

veal bacon, beef bacon; veal chicken mortadella; beef and chicken pepperoni; beef brisket centercut; smoked turkey; smoked chicken; chicken wieners; veal chicken wieners; beef chicken wieners; old-fashioned smoked meat; beef salami; veal burger patties; smoked turkey breast; smoked chicken breast; smoked duck breast; beef loin; roast beef (inside); beef spencer; beef roll; veal roll; veal pep-peroni and veal loin.

“While we still process pork for long-time cus-tomers, 90 per cent of our production now revolves around veal, beef and chicken, and we are con-tinuing to switch our products to become further Halal-certified,” relates Lozynsky.

Regardless of what is being processed, all Edel-weiss customers provide the meat.

“While some cus-tomers ask that we follow their own re-cipes, 85 per cent of them utilize a recipe we created specific-ally for them,” explains Lozynsky, adding that customers also submit all packs and labels for Edelweiss to incorpor-ate into the packaging process.

One of the key pieces of equipment utilized by Edelweiss is the Rei-ser Repak RE15 it pur-chased in May 2014.

Reiser is known with-in the food processing industry as a specialist in the manufacture of form/fill and seal ma-chinery, as well as new forming technologies, offering deep-draw machinery that pro-vides the user with effi-cient packaging options while contributing sav-ings in film consump-tion and quality of ser-vice and maintenance.

While all the Repak features are important, Lozynsky says it provides exactly what he needs right now while offering fu-ture growth for his company.

“We chose the Repak RE15 because while it gives us exactly what we need for our present needs, it also gives us the f lexibility to increase our production rates as future demand requires,” ex-plains Lozynsky.

“On the Repak RE15, the quality of the seal it provides has contributed to a longer shelf-life of our products,” he adds, noting that he also ad-mires the speed it lends the entire production line. The Repak RE15 is constructed of stain-less steel and has been designed to provide ex-cellent food safety even during the mun-dane but very necessary operation of cleaning. Designed with rounded edges, the Repak thermo-formers are designed and manufactured with angled edges to avoid the accumulation of water, cleaners or particulates, allowing for a complete washdown.

Other excellent features of the Reiser Repak RE15, include:

• Easy access for maintenance;• Quick and simple product changeover that

helps save on labor costs while making on-time deliveries;

• Although all Repak’s can be automatically loaded, Edelweiss manually loads its RE15;

• A simple-to-use and operate HMI (human-machine interface) touchscreen;

• Flexibility to integrate the thermoformer with all brands of labeling and data coding print systems.

“Our veal bacon product is considered a higher-end product, and customers like Écolait need the packaging and packing we provide to be of a very high quality,” notes Lozynsky. “We get that from the Reiser Repak RE15.”

The Reiser Repak horizontal form/fill and seal packaging machines are multi-talented, able to produce vacuum and modified-atmosphere pack-ages (MAP) from f lexible and semi-rigid materials, as well as Vacuum Skin Packages (VSP), and pack-ages with formed top webs.

The Repak machines use the rapid air forming method to maximize the distribution of film into the critical areas of a package, such as corners. This allows the operator the option of thinner and less expensive forming films while also achieving higher cycle times through the use of shorter vac-uum and ventilation times.

Standard on all Repak models, is its 4-Point lift-ing system on the forming and sealing dies, that allows it to have extremely powerful film sealing pressures. The so-called ‘kinetic central close sys-tem’ has the die-set balanced centrally where the optimal distribution of force can be realized.

“I am also a fan of the Repak RE15’s small foot-print, but the machine’s operation and hygienic as-pects are so good, that it’s like having a very high-end packaging machine at my disposal,” relates Lozynsky.

According to Reiser, the RE15 and RE20 ver-sions of the Repak, are indeed designed and manufactured to the same standards as the lar-ger, higher-end pieces, utilizing the same die lift technology, the same frame design, and the same operator interface—they are simply more compact machines with different cycle rates.

“The Reiser people have impressed me with their excellent level of service,” extols Lozynsky. “Their very experienced technicians treat us and our equipment the right way.

“Within the meats packaging industry, they have a very good reputation, and have done everything to maintain that with Edelweiss,” says Lozynsky. “I am very happy with Reiser.”

Other equipment utilized by Edelweiss at its fa-cility includes:

A close-up view of veal bacon slices entering the Reiser Repak RE15 thermoformer for final sealing.

Portioned or whole, all packaged smoked meats pass through a Sesotec metal detection unit as part of Edel-weiss Foods’ stringent quality assurance program.

The Edelweiss facility employs a Handtmann VF 200 vacuum filler for the filling, por-tioning and linking many types and recipes of sausages.

Packs of veal bacon await application of exterior brand packaging after being hermetically sealed in clear film packaging supplied by Norstar.




• A metal detection unit manufactured by Sesotec (formerly S+S Separation and Sorting Technology);

• Festo pneumatics to power the rejection system placed after the metal detector;• Pre-printed corrugated f lats by Norampac, a division of Cascades Canada ULC;

• Norstar Corporation rollstock film utilized by the Repak RE15. • Bizerba Master top and bottom labeler and weigher, and a Bizerba A550

automatic slicer; • Handtmann VF 200 vacuum filler utilized specifically by Edelweiss for

sausage filling, portioning and linking; • Reiser Fomaco meat injector for use for all types of curing, marinating and

tenderizing applications. It features a Schneider Electric Magelis control panel;

• Corrugated cartons supplied by Norampac, a division of Cascades Canada ULC.

Lozynsky admits that as a new owner, the prospect of altering the path of the established Edelweiss Foods was indeed a daunting one, but the quick and recent success the company has enjoyed has moved all doubt far to the side.

“Being known as a pork processor creating European style products was a comfort zone for Edelweiss, but in order to progress, one has to step outside the comfort zone from time to time,” explains Lozynsky.

“But now we have carved out a reputation as a creator of Halal-certified products, including beef, chicken and veal.

“The global Islamic community is huge,” sums up Lozynsky, “so there is a large market out there for us to cater to. Along with great customers like Écolait who are receptive to our new concepts and product designs, we are getting requests from national poultry processors who want to work with us to develop muscle (beef ) products for them.

“The future looks pretty good for Edelweiss.”

Reiser (Canada) Ltd. 475

Se sotec Sorting Technology) 476

No rampac (Div. of Cascades Inc. 477

Norstar Corporation 478

Bizerba Canada Inc. 479

Handtmann Canada Ltd. 480

Schneider Electric Canada 481


After product is packaged, it moves to a Bizerba Master weigher and top and bottom labeler before exiting through a Sesotec metal detection unit (left).

Incorporating a Magelis industrial display unit (inset) from Schneider Electric for user-friendly process monitoring, the Reiser Fomaco meat injector is used for curing, marin-ating and tenderizing meat prior to slicing.

Edelweiss utilizes corrugated cartons supplied by Norampac, a division of Cascades to ship its product to customers.

ABBEY PACKAGING EQUIPMENT LTD.5030 South Service Rd. Burlington, Ontario L7L 5Y7Tel: (905)681-3010 Toll Free: (800)361-5919 Fax: (905)681-3018Sales: [email protected] Service: [email protected]

Packaging Solutions: Inspection Solutions:

Our Mission isYour Success

Weighing & Filling:• Combination (Multi-head) Weighers• High-speed customized weighing and mixing solutions• Distribution, product transfer and loading systems

Vertical Form Fill & Seal:• SmartPacker Vertical Bag makers• High quality, high speed solutions• Intermittent and continuous models• All bag styles• Twin tube up to 500 bags/minute

Horizontal Pouch machines:• Pre-made pouch machine (up to 80ppm)• Full range of form/fill/seal solutions• Liquids, solids, powders, pour spouts• Cartoning & case packing

Horizontal Wrappers & Baggers:• High-speed wrappers; low maintenance• Bread/bun baggers• Infeed systems to single file product

Specialty Coffee Solutions:• Pod making and capsule filling• Entry level to high speed applications• Turn-key solutions including cartoning• Vacuum packaging/brick packs

X-Ray Contaminant Inspection:• Stable, versatile performance• Industry leading performance down to to 0.2mm detection capabilities• Dual-X Poultry bone detection

Checkweighing Solutions:• Full range of models for all wet or dry applications• Standard and High Accuracy models• Compact combination checkweigher/metal detectors

Metal Detection:• DuAL WAVE & Easy setting• Full featured machine; small footprint• High sensitivity and stability

Package Inspection:• Leak inspection for plastic containers• Vacuum and pressure inspection for rigid containers• Fill height monitor & dud detectors• NEW Vision Inspection Solutons

Metal Detection:• Full range of solutions including free-fall, conveyorized, pipeline, and pharma/tablet• High sensitivity and stability





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PRODUCT ID NOWPRODUCT ID NOW

Beer is never just beer for folks running the Victory Brewing Company in Downtington, Pa.

Founded in 1996 inside a local pub in the pic-turesque Chester County, about a half-hour drive west of Philadelphia, the privately-owned micro-brewer has grown in proverbial leaps and bounds well befitting its authenticity-oriented philosophy.

Nowadays operating two brewery produc-tion facilities with a combined 312,00 square feet of production space, Victory Brewing pro-duced an impressive 125,713 barrels of beer last year, while ramping up production at its newer, 212,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art plant in nearby Parkesburg, which has capacity to produce over 600,000 barrels of beer annually.

Employing over 60 full-time people, Victory Brewing’s growing product portfolio comprises 12 year-round beer brands—including the color-fully-named Victory HopDevil, Prima Pils, Golden Monkey and Storm King Stout—and nine seasonal and specialty beers like Moonglow Weizenbock, Winter Cheers, Summer Love Ale and Mad King’s Weiss, among others.

Bottling most of its output in 12-ounce, 22-ounce and 750-ml glass bottles, Victory Brewing currently distributes its products throughout 35 states in the U.S., while also exporting some of its artisan beers to select Canadian and overseas markets, including the U.K, Germany, Australia, Sweden, Japan and Singapore.

“We’re going to continue on expanding in double digits for the foreseeable future,” states director of brewery operations Adam Bartles, citing projected annual growth rates of 20 to 30 per cent over the next several years.

Founded by a couple of life-long friends who met each other on a school bus in 1973 as fifth-grade students, Victory Brewing’s success is largely cred-ited to the company’s unwavering focus on prod-uct quality, traditional craftsmanship and the use of best all-natural ingredients.

“By coupling technology with the highest-quality ingredients such European malts, whole f lower hops and 45 unique yeast strains, with commitment to quality, our customers have come to expect the best from Victory Brewing Company,” Bartles asserts, noting each of the company’s beers boasts its own distinctive taste profile and personality.

As Bartles explains, a big part of a quality beer enjoyment experience revolves around making sure that each brew is enjoyed just at the right time and moment.

“Some beers we want to be enjoyed as fresh as pos-sible, while others taste very good after they are laid down and aged for several years,” Bartles explains.

“That’s why we put the date on every bottle we fill,” says Bartles, stressing the importance of using only the highest-quality product coding and mar-keting equipment at the brewer’s packaging lines that’s available in the marketplace.

SHARED MOMENTS“In the craft beer industry, we often share our experience with different vendors with each other,” says Victory Brewing’s director of engineering Steven Galliera, recalling how he approached Paso Robles, Ca.-based Firestone Walker Brewing Company for advice on selecting the optimal date-coding technology for his company’s needs.

“They told us that we should take a serious look at the equipment supplied by Domino Printing Sciences,” Galliera relates.

Founded in 1978, the Cambridge, U.K.-headquartered Domino Printing Sciences plc enjoys a glowing global reputation for the develop-ment and manufacture of high-quality coding, mark-ing and printing technologies, as well as its worldwide aftermarket products and customer services.

Offering one of the most comprehensive port-folios of complete end-to-end coding solutions spanning primary, secondary and tertiary appli-cations to meet the compliance and productivity requirements of manufacturers across many indus-

tries—including food, beverage and pharmaceut-ical—Domino supplies a broad array of innovative inkjet, laser, print-and-apply and thermal-trans-fer overprinting technologies for the applica-tion of variable and authentication data, barcodes and unique traceability codes onto product and packaging.

After evaluating all the available options, Victory Brewing ultimately selected Domino’s advanced model D320i laser coders to handle its high-prior-ity date coding task. (Middle photo)

Capable of producing unlimited lines of text in any orientation, and in many fonts and sizes, Domino’s D320i scribing laser is managed by the company’s proprietary intuitive remote TouchPanel controller that allows the printer to be located virtually any-where on the production line to apply permanent, highly legible codes onto a wide array of materi-als, at low to high production speeds, with superior dependability, according to the company.

“One of the key reasons we chose Domino is the reliability and repeatability of their laser technol-ogy,” Galliera agrees.

“That’s very important to us because we don’t want to lose any production time during the prod-uct changeover since we know we have customers that are eagerly waiting for our product to arrive,” says Galliera, adding that the laser’s inherent versa-tility was also an important selection factor.

“Because we utilize 12-ounce bottles, 22-ounce bottles and 750-ml bottles here at Victory Brewing, one of the challenges we had to overcome was to install the laser to be able to incorporate all those different sizes while applying the ‘enjoy by’ date onto the bottle labels,” he explains.

“To help meet this challenge, Domino engin-eers came up with an ingenious design—a cus-tom-engineered stand that has a graduated X and Y axis—to allow us to have a repeatable numer-ical solution for each of those bottles when per-forming our changeovers,” Galliera states, adding the experience has ensured that Domino remains the brewer’s supplier of choice for its future prod-uct coding needs.

As Bartles concurs, “With the Domino laser, and the repeatable code placement we have now, it’s one less thing for us to worry about as we continue to focus on expanding our production capabilities and growing our markets.”

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p 27 cpac march 2015 Domino p 27.indd 27 15-03-10 7:11 AM


PACKAGING FOR SHELF-LIFE

FINE KETTLES OF FISHA Great Lake bottom-feeder surfaces as a prized catch for an innovative Ontario fish

processor thriving in the lucrative overseas export markets

BY GEORGE GUIDONI, EDITOR PHOTOS BY JOHN PACKMAN

With his Big City upbringing and a rewarding Bay Street career as a private equity finance specialist, John Neate

may seem like the proverbial fish out of water in his new role as president and chief executive officer of the Great Lakes Food Company in a small southwestern Ontario town of Chatham, about a one-hour drive from the Windsor-Detroit border crossing to the U.S.

But by his own admission, the affable 42-year-old hockey dad could not be happier about his decision to leave the suit-and-tie world of high-stakes cor-porate finance behind in favor of running a truly unique fishing business with a niche product that is enjoying extraordinary growth potential and con-sumer demand in the highly lucrative markets in China and Japan.

Focusing exclusively on fishing, processing and packaging of the tiny, but widely abundant Lake Erie fresh-water rainbow smelt, which made its way into the local water back in the late 1800s at the height of the Great Lakes regional trade boom.

CELEBRITY SKINWhile proceeding to turn a fairly ordinary small-town commercial fishery into Canada’s largest smelt processor, Neate has dramatically revamped the tiny minnow’s historically unheralded commercial significance with a new-found celebrity status as a low-priced, plentiful source of protein with all the good-for-you health attributes of the more renowned Great Lakes fish staples like perch and pickerel.

“We call our smelt the ‘Lake Erie candy’ because it has a very mild taste, unlike the more ‘fishy-tasting’ salt-water sardines, so it goes down very nicely on one’s plate whether it’s seasoned, battered or just fried straight up,” says Neate, recalling how

Great Lakes Food Company president John Neate is joined by production manager Helen Hamm in the reception area of the company’s smelt processing and cold storage facility in Chatham, Ont., where the company packages several variations of Lake Erie fresh-water smelt under its flagship Great Lakes Smelt label for a fast-growing foodservice and retail customer base in the lucrative U.S., Chinese and Japanese markets, as well as for Canadian-based grocery retailers such as Loblaws and Sobeys.

p 28-33 cpac march 2015 Great Lakes p 28-33.indd 28 15-03-10 11:37 AM



As it stands for now, though, Great Lakes Food is already by far the largest single quota-holder of the lake-wide annual allowable smelt catch harvested by the company-owned f leet of five trawling boats.

With two windows of opportunity throughout the year to make its annual catch—a brief fishing season starting in the middle of March after the fish has spawned and a longer July-October time-frame accounting for about 75 per cent of the yearly haul—the company’s f leet head out from its docks at Port Dover daily as early as 5 a.m., using radar and sonar guidance technologies to locate the most promising schools of smelt ready for harvesting.

With the Chatham plant situated a good two-and-a-half-hour drive west of Port Dover, the boats aim to make it back ashore with the catch by 2 p.m.

This allows just enough time to truck the fish in large insulated totes to the Chatham plant—a former VersaCold cold-storage warehouse pur-chased in 2013—so that it can place the catch in-side the on-site IQF (individually quick-frozen) freezer room by 6 p.m. daily.

“We freeze about 140,000 to 150,000 pounds of smelt on average daily during our busy season,”

the marketing, distribution and pricing of our prod-uct,” he explains. The company’s big breakthrough in China came about two years ago when Great Lakes Food took a chance to exhibit at a large local seafood trade show, Neate reveals.

STEALING THE SHOW“We just turned up the fryer right at the booth and the crowds just swarmed us from then on until the end of the show,” he cheerfully recalls.

“We probably gave out over 1,500 samples of smelt over the course of three days!”

This deft display of being in the right place at the right times has paid off in spades for Great Lakes Food, which relies on export markets for about 95 per cent of its revenues.

“At the moment Japan remains our biggest over-seas market, but I won’t be at all surprised if China eclipses it by the end of this year,” Neate states.

“They can’t seem to get enough of our product, and we can’t catch enough of it here to fill their in-satiable demand for inexpensive, but high-quality protein.”

all other nearby fish processors thought he was “absolutely crazy” when he decided to stop pro-cessing perch, pickerel and other more traditional species in order to focus exclusively on smelt.

“Being very high in vitamins like B12, calcium, iron and all the other good nutritional stuff that you get from eating fish, what made smelt such an attractive business proposition is the fact that it is such a value-priced source of protein, compared to other fish,” he explains.

“The boat price of perch and pickerel is over 10 times higher than that of smelt,” points out Neate, crediting this price differential for the company’s dramatic market share gains in China in the past couple of years, where the company’s Great Lakes Smelt brand is widely retailed throughout the country’s Sam’s Club grocery outlets.

“In China everything is about price, price, price,” says Neate, who started up a local Chinese subsidi-ary about three years ago to enable Great Lakes Food to sell its smelt directly to local retailers.

“By law, Chinese retailers have to buy from Chi-nese vendors, so we invested the time and money to open up a company there in order to better control

The pack room’s line workers constantly inspect raw frozen smelt making its way toward the packaging area to remove any broken or deformed pieces of the processed smelt before they make their way up to the automatic weighscales located overhead.

Manufactured by Key Technology, the fully-automatic, stainless-steel multihead weigh-scales dispense the processed smelt into precise one-pound portions that are fed in continuous sequence down to the Acceleron vertical from/fill/seal bagging machine below.

After being conveyed upwards on an incline conveyor powered by heavy-duty Nord Gear motors, the bulk smelt is dumped onto a vibratory conveyor from Eriez Magnetics to shake off any excess moisture before reaching the automatic weighscales.

The high-speed, fully-automatic Acceleron bagging machine from Triangle Packaging Machinery uses pre-printed rollstock plastic film supplied by Chantler Packaging to fill and seal perfectly forme one-pound bags of smelt at running speed of one bag per second.




All of the filled corrugated shipping containers, supplied in pre-printed blanks by Georgia-Pacific, must pass the high-precision metal detection test performed by a custom-built, pre-calibrated large-aperture Eriez Xtreme metal detector.

says Neate, noting it takes an average of 60 indi-vidual smelts to make a pound of finished, ready-to-cook product.

Upon arrival to the 54,000-square-foot-facility the fish is unloaded into a high-volume hopper and placed onto shaker tables to get rid of excess water and loose ice used to keep the fish cold dur-ing transport.

The fish are then individually quick-frozen and place in cold storage for two days.

Once removed from storage, the fish are graded by size for its various markets.

The smelt is then placed again inside cold stor-age until they are packed inside the plant’s 3,700-square-foot packing room for packaging.

GOOD VIBRATIONSOnce there, the smelts are laid down and transferred in bulk upwards via an incline vibratory conveyor from Key Technology to the automatic, multi-head weighscales overhead, which dispensed it in precise, one-pound loads down to the Acceleron model rollfed pouchmaking machine—manu-factured by Triangle Packaging Machinery Co.—which automatically fills and seals the smelts into one-pound bags at one bag per second.

The one- and two-pound bags are then poly-packed to fill the company’s five- and 10-kilogram bulk packs.

Throughout the process, plant personnel con-stantly inspect the continuous product f low to re-move any deformed, mangled or undersized pieces of fish off the line before reaching the Acceleron vertical form/fill/seal bagger.

Neate explains that both the size and type of product variables are largely determined by the end market destination.

“Our markets have changed over the years,” Neate told Canadian Packaging or a recent visit to the lively 54,000-square-foot Chatham operation, which employs up to 60 people during the busy peak season during the summer months.

“We used to sell lots of H&G (head and guts re-moved) smelt to traditional Italian, Portuguese and Greek ethnic food markets in North America, but their younger generations just don’t eat as much smelt as their parents did.

“Instead we now sell a lot of ‘whole round smelt,’ looking just the way it does when it’s caught, to the growing markets on the West and East Coasts of the U.S. that have big pockets of population of Asian descent, with California being our biggest market in North America.”

Similarly, both the Japanese consumers like their smelt eaten with both the heads and guts still at-tached, Neate relates, whereas Chinese consumers prefer their smelt to be degutted but with heads still on, with bigger-sized smelts always preferred over the average smelt length of three to four inches.

Equipped with an Accuglide three-tape head, the 3M-Matic case-sealing machine from 3M Company applies strips of 3M’s Tartan 369 clear tape onto the filled five-kilogram boxes of product just prior to the final metal detection test.

The high-strength Tartan 369 clear case-sealing tape from 3M ensures a durable seal for shipped product.




“The thing about bigger smelt is the fact that it has a lot more guts in it, which can make the fish taste bitter.

“Therefor the Chinese market prefers to have the guts removed,” Neate relates, adding he is constantly impressed by the many cooking techniques that Chi-nese consumers use to prepare their smelts, from bar-bequing them on skewers to steaming to deep-frying in breaded batter.

As the sealed bags of product start making their way down the line for secondary packaging, an automatic box-erecting system, manufactured by Combi Packaging Systems, forms the corrugated shipping boxes from f lat blue-and-white blanks—decorated with the company’s branding logos and graphics—supplied by a Georgia-Pacific box-making plant based across the border in Michigan.

CODE OF CONDUCTTo look after its product coding and traceability needs, the pack room employs a SmartDate X40 ther-mal transfer coder from Markem-Imaje for inline coding of the rollstock bags, with a model PZ Pilot Pro inkjet coder from Squid Ink Manufacturing utilized to apply all the required product information onto the five- and 10-kilogram corrugated shipping carriers that are manually loaded with finished one-pound bags by the packaging line operators.

The loaded and coded cases then pass through a model 3M-Matic case-sealer manufactured by the 3M Company—equipped with the Accuglide three-tape head for secure sealing—and make their way to the final, and most critical, quality

assurance test executed by the plant’s recently-purchased, high-performance Xtreme series metal detection system manufactured by Eriez Manu-facturing Co. of Erie, Pa.

While a large portion of the plant’s processing and packaging equipment was acquired second-hand from a mothballed Campbell Soup Com-pany plant, according to Neate, “Metal detection

is the one thing you don’t mess around with in the food business.

“This is something you really must buy brand new and pre-calibrated for your specific applica-tion needs,” says Neate, pointing out that the Xtreme metal detector plays a critical role in the plant’s ad-herence to a strict HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) food safety protocol.

A heavy-duty vibratory conveyor from Eriez Magnetics is one of the key pieces of pro-cessing equipment employed at the Great Lakes Food plant’s pack room in Chatham.

The high-performance Xtreme series metal detection system at the Great Lakes Food plant was custom-engineered with an extra-large aperture to enable a full metal inspec-tion of the larger 10-kilogram boxes used to ship product to the Chinese market.

A high-performance PZ Pilot Pro model inkjet case-coder from Squid Ink Manufacturing applies all the required product traceability information onto the side of each passing carton filled with one-pound bags of frozen fresh-water smelt.

An overhead view of a line worker positioned on the mezzanine level performing visual inspection of bulk smelt to ensure optimal product consistency and appearance.



32 MARCH 2015

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“There are plenty of opportun-ities throughout the process for tiny metal particles to get into the pack-age along the way, and this system from Eriez helps us ensure that there isn’t any metal ending up with any of the fish we ship to our customers,” Neate proclaims.

Perhaps even more noteworthy, Neat is quick to single out Eriez’ design and engineering staff for cus-tom-building this particular Xtreme series model to handle the plant’s unique application requirements—specifically of being able to perform a full metal detection test on the ex-tra-large-sized, 10-kilogram boxes used for shipping bags of smelt to the Chinese market.

BIGGER BOX“At the time, Eriez did not have a model that would fit the larger box dimensions that we needed, but they took on the challenge, did some redesign work, and came back to us with a custom-built metal detec-tor with a much larger aperture that would easily handle the new 10-kilo box dimensions.

“I believe we are the first company in Canada to use such a large-aper-ture metal detector, and we are mak-ing very good use of it,” Neate states, praising the system’s user-friendli-ness, high sensitivity levels, and easy programmability.

“We never have any false readings from this metal detector,” he says, “and our line staff enjoys working with it because it has proven to be highly reliable and easy to operate.

“Whenever the alarm goes off, the box is immediately removed off the line, opened up and carefully in-spected by our line operators to find out the cause of the problem—even if that means opening up every single bag inside the box to find it.”

Says Neate: “You really can’t put a price on the value of having a reliable metal detection technology in place

Company president John Neate inspects one of the many highly-stacked loads of prod-uct being kept at a perfect freezing temperature of -18°C inside the plant’s expansive cold-storage warehouse while awaiting shipment to foodservice and retail customers.

Left: A loaded roll of high-barrier plastic film being quickly spliced inline and separated into individual one-pound bags to be filled and sealed at a high throughput speed inside the Acceleron bagging machine.

Left: A Baldor Electric motor powers the roller conveyor transferring loaded boxes of product towards the Eriez Xtreme series metal detec-tion system station located at the end of the pack room’s packaging line.


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Eriez Manufacturing Co. 450Georgia Pacific LLC 451Combi Packaging Systems LLC 452Squid Ink Manufacturing Inc. 453Triangle Packaging Machinery Co. 4543M Canada Co. 455Key Technology, Inc. 456Markem-Imaje 457Chantler Packaging Inc. 458Baldor Electric Company 459Nord Gear Limited Canada 460

in the context of how not having it can negatively your business in terms of potential product recalls, brand image problems, unhappy customers, and all those other bad things that can happen because you did not address this issue seriously enough from the outset.”

Neate says this thoughtful attention to detail and a willingness to invest in high-end packaging equipment and materials has facilitated a highly effect-ive, smooth-running, high-throughput process of producing high-quality, one-pound bags of fresh-water, wild-caught rainbow smelt boasting two-year shelf-life.

“Our success in the high-end Japanese market did not come about by acci-dent,” Neate points out.

“They have highly-demanding specs when it comes to product quality, so our success in serving that market says volumes about the quality product we produce here with this technology.”

All in all, Neate says he has no re-grets whatsoever about diving into the commercial fishery business, despite its highly competitive nature.

WORLD VIEW“It’s a small business, but it has a lot of ‘Big World’ issues in terms of dealing with multiple currencies, multiple lan-guages, and multiple operating juris-dictions,” Neate concludes.

“And despite the competition, there are a lot of good, down-to-earth people in the local fishing industry to make you feel that you are truly doing some-thing worthwhile and important that really helps make a difference in many people’s lives.

“At the end of the day, we are sup-plying the world with affordable, high-quality protein, and that for me is as rewarding a way to earn a living as any-thing else out there.”

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Premier Tech Chronos, Riviere-du-Loup, Que.-based manufacturer of automated bagging equipment and machinery for bulk product pack-aging and handling applications, has completed the acquisition of Almeida Martins, Brazilian manu-facturer of robotics-based material handling sys-tems, which will operate as part of the company’s Industrial Equipment Group unit. Founded in 1993, Almeida Martins has completed over 800 system installations throughout Brazil, offering Premier Tech Chronos significant business opportunities in a growing market, according to the company. “Pre-mier Tech Chronos and Almeida Martins share a common mission to enrich the lives of our clients, and make each client’s experience as seamless as pos-sible,” Premier Tech Chronos says. “This acquisition will considerably improve our capabilities to better serve global accounts in Brazil and reinforce the brand recognition. Together, we expect to achieve much more in the years to come for our customers in need of packaging line solutions.”

Domino Group managing director Nigel Bond poses with plant management team at the company’s new manufac-turing facility in Manesar, India.

Cambridge, U.K.-headquartered product cod-ing and marking technologies group Domino Printing Sciences plc has formally commenced operations of a brand new 4,000-square-foot facil-ity—dedicated to the manufacture of inks and printers for coding and marking applications—located in a leading business hub in the Delhi-Mumbai industrial corridor in India, where the company has operated since 1996. Employing about 35 people, the new factory replaces two separate former locations located about 25 kilo-meters apart, according to Domino, which took about three years to build the new plant in order to adhere to strict ‘green building’ specifications.

“Environmental performance is a crucial part of Domino’s evolution, and by designing an environ-mentally sound factory, we can continue that pro-cess,” says Domino managing director Nigel Bond, who presided over the opening ceremony high-lighted a ceremonial cracking of a coconut to sym-bolize the Indian custom of bringing health and success. “As a result, our energy consumption will reduce dramatically, while our employees benefit from increased natural light and a cleaner environ-ment,” says Bond, adding that the operation will also benefit from a more efficient and simplified process by housing separate divisions at one site. Says Bond: “The facility will have improved tech-nologies and processes that will allow for a seam-less approach—from manufacturing through to the final logistical stages.”

Eclipse Automation, supplier of custom-designed automated manufacturing equipment based in Cambridge, Ont., has commenced oper-ations of a new, 15,000-square-foot facility near the company’s headquarters in order to improve its customer service capabilities, according to company president Steve Mai. “The new facility is the next step in expanding service offerings that will allow a greater focus into manufacturing capabilities and establish a more refined footprint at our head office location—leading to greater efficiencies in meet-ing our customers’ turnkey automation needs,” says Mai, noting the new building will house the com-pany’s machining, service and software departments.

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The Carton Council of Canada (CCC), Quebec City-headquartered industry associa-tion representing the country’s leading manufacturers of paper-board cartons for packaging appli-cations, has appointed Isabelle Faucher as the group’s managing director.

Baumer hhs, German-headquartered manu-facturer of camera verification and quality assurance systems for gluing applications in the corrugated, fold-ing-carton, pack-aging and other manufacturing industries, has appointed Chris

Raney as president, and Rob Bradshaw as sales managed for the midwestern U.S. region.

Baldor Electric Company, Fort Smith, Ark.-based manufac-turer of industrial electric motors, has appointed John Malinowski as the company’s senior industry affairs manager.

Ecologic Brands, Inc., Oakland, Ca.-based manufacturer of paper bottles and jars made from recycled fibers, has appointed Sarah Bird as chief commercial officer and Bruce McKay as vice-president of sales.

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EVENTS PEOPLE

March 23-26Chicago: Automate 2015, industrial automation technologies exhibition by the Association for Advancing Automation (A3). Concurrently with the ProMat 2015 material handling and logistics exhibition by MHI. Both at the McCormick Place. To register, go to: www.AutomateShow.com or www.promatshow.com

March 23-27Orlando, Fla.: NPE 2015, national plastics exhibition by SPI: The Plastics Industry Trade Association. At Orange County Convention Center. To register, go to: www.npe.org

March 24-27Cologne, Germany: Anuga FoodTec, international food processing and packaging technologies exhibition by Koelnmesse GmbH. At Koelnmesse fairgrounds. To register, go to: www.anugafoodtec.com

April 11-12Vancouver, B.C.: CHFA West, natural health and organics industry show-case by the Canadian Health Food Association, with pre-show conference on April 9-10, 2015. At the Vancouver Convention Centre, West Building. To register, go to: www.chfa.ca

April 15-17Montreal: CPMA 2015, annual confer-ence and trade show of the Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA). At Palais des congrès de Montréal. To register, go to: www.cpma.ca

April 21-22Montreal: 2015 Canadian Printable Electronics Symposium (CPES2015), by the Canadian Printable Electronics Industry Association. At Institut des communications graphiques et de l’imprimabilité. To register, go to: www.cpeia-acei.ca/symposium/

April 21-22Mexico City, Mexico: Label Summit Latin America, conference and table-top show by Tarsus Group Limited. At World Trade Center. To register, go to: www.labelsummit.com/mexico

April 21-24Barcelona, Spain: Hispack 2015, inter-national packaging exhibition by Fira de Barcelona. At Gran Via Exhibition Center. To register, go to: www.hispack.com/en/

April 28-29Chicago: 2015 Reusable Packaging Forum, conference by the Reusable Packaging Association. To register, go to: www.reusables.org

April 28-30Toronto: SIAL Canada 2015, food and beverage products showcase by Imex Management, concurrently with SET Canada 2015 food and beverage tech-nology exhibition. Both at the Direct Energy Centre. To register, go to: www.sialcanada.com

June 16–18, 2015Toronto Congress Centre | Toronto, Ontario

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p 35 cpac march 2015 EVENTS/PEOPLE p 35.indd 35 15-03-10 7:14 AM

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In the depths of winter gloom and despair, it often seems that the thought of a

hot cup of tea is the only thing that really gets me going to face another chilly day out. Unlike

some tea aficionados who are exclusively devoted to one particular tea brand or brand family, I enjoy experimenting with new tea experiences, but only if the packaging—especially the graphic treat-ment—is up to the task of convincing me to give the product a try at the retail level. And it’s not just about having a nice-looking box—the indi-

vidual tea-bags also play a critical role in this endeavor. For example, the Bettys & Taylor Group’s imported Taylors of Harrogate Yorkshire Gold Orange Pekoe paper-

board boasts has a gorgeous illustration of the English farming countryside to convey the sense of rich history and tradition that go into a perfect English cuppa, but the unmarked and unwrapped filtered paper tea bags inside the box come across as disappointingly cheap by comparison, making it something of a letdown.

At the other end of the graphics spectrum, the TAZO Awake English Breakfast Tea uses its contemporary graphics and photographs of isolated ingredients on a white background in a freshly understated way, saving some of its packaging splash for the individ-ual paper wrappers for the filter bags—thereby providing a truly engaging personal experience with every tea break.

With its dark palette and large box seeming more well-suited to marketing coffee rather than tea, the

Tetley English Breakfast brand from Tata Global Beverages com-pensates for the lack of individual wrappers for the filter tea-bags by packing its tea blend inside circular-shaped tea-bags that eas-ily conform to the shape of the

standard tea-cups—thereby providing a refreshing change from the standard square- shape that dom-inates the bulk of tea-bags out in the marketplace.

Likewise, the unusual fabric pyramid shape of Unilever’s Lipton Lemon Ginger Herbal Tea brand— purported to provide more room for proper infusion and a superior taste—also deserves credit for bending the rules is such a creative man-ner. Alas, while the tea-bag are lovely both in look and feel, their individual elegance are a mismatch for the fairly pedestrian ‘me too’ graphics on the paperbox in which they’re served up, with cluttered imagery and text adding up to less than the sum of its parts.

The main drawback of buying tea bags without individual wrappers is the lack of confidence that a product will retain its optimal freshness while

it’s still in use and circula-tion. However, the Bengal Spice Herbal Tea brand from Celestial Seasonings effect-ively addresses this concern with the use of a waxed paper liner for the box with a reseal-able fold-over edge, which at

least creates the impression of something being done to preserve product freshness and taste to greater extent. As for the playful, fanciful and exotic graphics enveloping the box—enhanced

with informative product descriptions on the side panel—it’s all icing on the cake for a truly tasteful packaging execution.

On the other hand, I can’t help but feel a bit of “green guilt” when using the individual foil-lined paper wrappers used to overpack the individual tea-bags of the Stash White Chocolate Mocha Black Tea from the Oregon-based Stash Tea Company—not being able to recycle them in my residential Blue Bin. That said, the paper-box in which they are packed has a rich and appealing color palette enhanced by bold and powerful text let-tering, while its clever structural design offers a choice of extracting one wrapper at a time from a small opening on the side of a panel or using a folded lid along the edge for full access to the box contents.

In stark contrast, the leprechaun-green cartons of Irish Breakfast 100% Pure Black Tea from Twinings of London is outfitted with a highly functional open-close lid that employs a special has a locking

mechanism from front tabs that projects forward from the box edge—making an audible click every time you open and close it. This little tactile touch is a very comforting feature for this premium product, whose lovely landscape illustration works

much better on the individual tea-bag wrappers than it does on the box, where it seems a little lost on the front panel’s monochromatic palette and a bit overwhelmed by the accompanying text.

Julie Saunders is a freelance writer living in Toronto.

CHECKOUT JULIE SAUNDERS


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122 Mettler Toledo IBC

107 Nordson 7

115 Regal Power Transmission 26

116 Reiser 32

108 RJP Packaging 8

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123 Veritiv OBC

102 Videojet 1

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