Renaissance Mark buys Mail-Well label division: The Denver-based company owned by Greg Mosher and Arsenal Capital Partners sealed the deal May 22. Terms were not disclosed. Mail-Well's label entity, which employs 1,450 people, will operate under the name Renaissance Mark, which, with $220 million in annual revenues, is reportedly the second-largest company in the $10 billion North American prime-label converting market.

Israeli firm acquires Xeikon France SA: Tel Aviv-based Koonras Digital Printing Systems Ltd. (KDPS) buys digital black-and-white printing system manufacturer Xeikon France S.A., May 20—renaming the company Nipson SAS. Xeikon France, which employs 268 people, had been under creditor protection since November last year. As part of the deal, Nipson America, Inc. has been formed, and will from its Chicago headquarters assume all of the marketing, sales, and support responsibilities for the line of digital presses sold in North America.

RadTech 2002 draws 2,500 industry professionals: The biennial conference and exhibition—covering all things "radiation curing"—was held April 28-May 1 in Indianapolis. "We increased our number of exhibitors and the square footage of the exhibition," says Show Manager Anne Goyer. Attendees came from 24 foreign countries, continuing the event's strong international flavor.

Corrugated converter adds dieboard makers: Container Graphics Corp. installs two rotary, laser dieboard systems from Data Technology (Wilmington, MA) recently at its Modesto, CA, and Neptune, NJ plants. The units feature 2,200-watt lasers cutting different rotary-cylinder sizes and board lengths up to 120 in. for steel-rule dies.

H.C. Miller Press to rep PCMC In-Line Systems: Tim and Cindy Glass will act as independent agents for Webtron 750 and X-10 in-line flexo presses, helping customers order capital equipment, parts, service and upgrade packages. To kick off the arrangement, Miller Press will sponsor an Internet auction for a new PCMC 8-color Webtron 750 press. More info: www.hcmiller.com/press

Lamart Corp. expands facilities: The converter of custom coated and laminated flexible substrates refurbishes a 15,000-sq-ft building adjacent to its manufacturing complex in Clifton, NJ. Its present facility was strained under increased product demand the past six months.

Moplefan Group agrees to purchase Aussie PP-film business: The Terni, Italy, converter of BOPP materials will acquire 100 percent of the shares of Shorko Australia Pty. Ltd. Shorko is said to be the largest maker of BOPP films in Australia. It produces 20,000 metric tons/yr at its plant located between Melbourne and Sydney.

Blisters will make up more than 20 percent of primary pharmaceutical packs in the next four years, says a new Freedonia Group study. Convertible display cartons will reportedly see the fastest gains in use as shipping containers.

Nearly $5 billion of packaging machinery is expected to be purchased in 2002—a predicted increase of 1.5 to 2.5 percent over last year, according to the latest PMMI Customer Purchasing Plans study. About 65 percent of respondents say they'll increase or spend about the same amount on new packaging machinery as they did in 2001.

Once consumer and industrial-goods companies determine that the economy is truly recovering, says PMMI president Charles D. Yuska, "they will revise their capital-equipment budgets upward. The study offers optimism for machinery makers (and by extension, converters) for recovery of the economy but also warns that the market is taking a 'wait-and-see' mentality." Fifteen percent of respondents cite expanding capacity as a primary reason for new orders.