• Uniplast buy is complete: Schaumburg, Ill.-based Pliant Corp. finalizes its acquisition July 16 of Uniplast, a converter of multi-layer packaging films, industrial films and cast-embossed films in the U.S. and Canada. The move supports Pliant's strategy for growth and increases its presence in the Canadian film market.

• PAC ONE up for sale: The Dunwoody, Ga., flex-pack maker retains Mesirow Financial July 16, a Chicago investment banking firm, to help increase shareholder value, including possibly selling the company. PAC ONE has also restructured its New Hope, Minn., facility away from lower margin, non-core customers in an effort to reduce operating costs and increase quality and productivity. PAC ONE converts printed and unprinted plastic films for the food processing, medical and retail/household goods markets.

• Cypriot converter opts for OMET press: A new 24-in., mid-web OMET Multifilm press finds its way this month to packaging converter Elefteriades in Cyprus. The versatile system prints a variety of materials from plastic films and paper to paperboard up to 12 micron. Elefteriades is a broad-based manufacturer of flexibles, labels and cartons.

• Century Marketing turns to digital labels: The Bowling Green, Ohio, converter becomes a major provider of digital labels via its new Indigo Omnius WebStream digital offset-color press. In full production since May, the press is helping CM build its overall business. "We've actually seen our flexo business grow since the Indigo press has been here," says gm Bob Petrie. "Because the WebStream can produce prototypes at low cost, with quick turnaround, we've been able to add value to larger business quotes."

• UV-inks center opens: Environmental Inks and Coatings Corp. opens a new 12,000-sq-ft facility in Morganton, N.C., for R&D and production of UV inks and coatings. The new building is dedicated to the company's UV product lines, which include materials for flexo, letterpress, rotary screen and flatbed screen applications.

• Scholle goes Latin: Multi-national flex-pack converter Scholle Corp., which specializes in bag-in-box products, establishes Scholle Limitada, a new business operation in Latin America. Headquartered in Vinhedo, Brazil, the 69,000-sq-ft plant will begin operations in early 2002.

Ultraviolet systems make up 85 percent of the market for radiation-curable coatings, inks and adhesives, says a new study by Skeist, Inc. Overall dollar value is growing about 8 percent/yr and should reach a total volume of 23 million gallons by 2005.