Frontline

Staff -- Converting Magazine, 1/1/2001

Fuji Seal buys Owens-Illinois: Japanese developer of shrink-wrap seals and labels, Fuji Seal, Inc., has purchased U.S. plastic-label manufacturer Owens-Illinois Labels, Inc., as the first step in expanding its U.S. shrink-wrap labels market. Fuji Seal acquired a 100 percent stake in the Kentucky-based firm on Dec. 15 from its parent firm Owens-Illinois Inc., headquartered in Ohio.

Mitsubishi installation: New Horizon Graphic, Inc., Hauppauge, N.Y., installs a six-color, 28-in. Model 1F-15 sheetfed offset press from Mitsubishi Lithographic Presses, Lincolnshire, Ill. The unit joins two other Mitsubishi presses already online.

A commercial printer, New Horizon is seeing converted products such as point-of-purchase displays, labels and coupons for pharmaceutical companies now making up an increasing percentage of its business.

Filmquest acquires Plystar: Filmquest, St. Charles, Ill., through its affiliate Plystar, has acquired Panaflex Packaging, Cuthbert, Ga. The purchase is part of a Filmquest corporate strategy to become a full-service provider as a merchant converter of polyester film. Panaflex is a high-tech plastic bag-making company producing products for institutional, consumer and industrial markets.

Foilmark gets kudos: Foilmark, Inc., a converter of holographic security and packaging products, has received three major awards from the Intl. Hologram Mfrs. Assn. and Reconnaissance Intl. The awards, bestowed on Foilmark's HoloPak Div., include "Best Hologram of Show," "Best Integrated Holographic Project" and "Holographic Package of the Year."

Next Generation Films buys W & H extrusion line: Next Generation Films purchases a 103-in.-wide, three-layer Varexw blown-film extrusion line from Windmoeller & Hoelscher Corp., Lincoln, R.I. Scheduled to be running by summer 2001, the line features an Optifilr P-2 automatic blown-film die and will produce between 8-10 million lbs of coextruded product a year.

GB Packaging stays accident-free: The folding-carton division of Green Bay Packaging Inc. has achieved seven years without a lost-time injury accident.

With more than 90 employees, the Green Bay, Wis.-based facility designs, prints and manufactures folding cartons, trays, packaging and displays for a range of products and commercial account customers.

Alan Leeson, president of Spectrum Label Corp., has been selected as the 2001 Converter of the Year for CMM International. Leeson is being recognized for his years of dedication to advance the flexographic printing industry. Spectrum Label Corp., Hayward, Calif., is involved in health and beauty labels and pouches, pharmaceuticals labeling, wine labeling, spiral labeling, food pouches, flexible packaging and shrink film packaging.

Considered one of the industry's most prestigious honors, the Converter of the Year award is presented to a converter, supplier, educator or consultant who has significantly advanced converting technology, business practices, industry education or standards development.

CMM International, April 23-26, 2001, Chicago, is a package/printing show with more than a million sq. ft. of the newest machinery, products, supplies and services. For more info, visit www.cmmshow.com.

About 20 polymer types yield a myriad of specialty flexible packaging films sold into 36 major end-use markets. In addition to coextruded and extrusion-coated resins, composite specialties may also use monolayer films as components in the structure.