• Tapemaker to nearly double plant size: Rockland, MA-based specialty-tape and foils converter Venture Tape Corp. breaks ground on a major new addition at its headquarters manufacturing facility. The $16 million expansion calls for construction of a 100,000-sq-ft addition to Venture's 134,000-sq-ft location, the company's second significant expansion in two years and the largest to date for the 24-year-old firm. The addition will accommodate new capital expenditures including two new coating lines. The remaining space will be used for finished goods processing and storage. The addition is expected to be complete in May 2004.
• Diemaking operation to die for: Trinity Laser, Inc., opens an advanced diemaking operation, featuring the latest laser, rule bending, samplemaking and CAD/CAM equipment at its Carlstadt, NJ, headquarters. Highlights of the plant include a new Fast Trak laser dieboard-cutting system and an M3000 samplemaker from Data Technology, Wilmington, MA; an automated Easy Bender ruling system from Adams Technologies, Inc., Littleton, CO; and CAD/CAM software from Cimex Corp., Belchertown, MA.
• Digital displays Down Under: Reservoir, Australia-based package printer Visy Displays installs a CORjete flatbed-inkjet, digital press at its plant near Melbourne. Supplied by Scitex Vision, Netanya, Israel, the press has already enabled the company to expand into new markets, while offering new services to existing clients. Visy Displays also installed a flatbed, CAD-operated digital diecutter alongside the CORjet, so displays and packaging can be quickly scored and die-cut.
• Midwest converter a Mecca of new systems: Midlands Packaging Corp., Lincoln, NE, expands its package-printing and converting capabilities with the recent installation of a new Rapida 105 sheetfed-offset press, supplied by KBA North America, Williston, VT. The 41-in., 6-color system has inline hybrid-UV coating. Midlands also installed a new Signature Compact 70 folder/gluer from American Intl. Machinery, Oak Creek, WI. It will allow the converter to fold carton blanks as small as 2 x 2-3/16 in.
• A smart buy: Sheeting-machinery maker Rosenthal Manufacturing, Inc., Northbrook, IL, completes its acquisition of Smart Slitters of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Smart Slitter's operations are now housed in Rosenthal's state-of-the-art manufacturing facility. The purchase of Smart Slitters will let the company deliver enhanced slitting solutions to customers in markets already served by Rosenthal.

Four converter member companies of the Tag & Label Manufacturers Institute, Inc., were awarded the prestigious TLMI "Best Managed Company Award" , also known as the Eugene Singer Award, at the Institute's recent 2004 Converter meeting, held in Puerto Rico.

The "Best Managed Company" award is given annually by TLMI, Naperville, IL, North America's leading trade association serving the tag and label industry. TLMI represents more than 140 converter member companies with combined sales totaling more than 50 percent of the industry's annual sales.

Awards are given in four categories, based on annual sales volume. Those honored included Driscoll Label Co, Fairfield, NJ; Consolidated Label Co., Longwood, FL; Graphic Solutions, Inc., Burr Ridge, IL; and Belmark, Inc., DePere, WI.

Driscoll Label was honored in the "small" company category (with sales of less than $6 million).

These awards recognize excellence in business management, measured by defined business ratios calculated through the TLMI Management Ratio Study. They encourage new and innovative methods of improving productivity and efficiency.

In other TLMI Converter meeting news, the Board of Directors approved the applications of 13 new companies for membership. Eight new member companies are converters, and five are suppliers.