Toronto, Canada-based converter CCL Industries, Inc. (www.cclind.com), agrees Jan. 10 to acquire the sleeve-label making business of Illinois Tool Works, Inc., for about US$123 million in cash.

ITW produces shrink-film sleeve labels for the European and North American markets in two factories at its Decorative Sleeves Div. in the UK. In addition, the ITW Auto-Sleeve Div. has facilities in Austria and Brazil that produce primarily stretch-film sleeve labels for markets in Europe and the Americas, respectively. The Brazilian operations include a sales, service and distribution arm that handles the North American market from Twinsburg, OH. Together, these businesses had sales of approximately US$102 million last year.

Pewaukee, WI-based J&H Printing Solutions, Inc. (www.jandhprinting.com), completes installation of two 13-in. JH1300 narrow-web, flexographic printing presses at label and ticket printer Grupo Etimex S.A. de C.V. of Monterrey, Mexico. J&H supplies flexo presses and other converting equipment manufactured in China. One press at Etimex is an 8-color press capable of printing on thin-gauge films (down to 18 microns). The other press is a 6-color system specified for pressure-sensitive substrates.

“The addition of the two JH 1300 presses gives us a new dimension of quality, versatility and productivity,” says Jorge Martinez, Eitmex chief executive officer. “We were very pleased with the quality and workmanship of the JH machines. The exceptional value that the machines represent led us to purchase, not only the one press we were planning on buying, but a second press as well.”

Milwaukee-based converter of ID products and specialty materials Brady Corp. (www.bradycorp.com) acquires Asterisco Artes Gráficas, Ltda. (www.etiquetasasterisco.com.br), in Saõ Paulo, Brazil. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Founded in 1980, Etiquetas Asterisco is a leading manufacturer of industrial high-performance labels. It specializes in custom film labels for the electronics, automotive, pharmaceutical and other industries.

Says Matt Williamson, president of Brady Americas, “This acquisition expands our capabilities in Brazil and allows us to offer a broader range of labels to customers there, as well as to existing customers throughout Latin America.”

Brady opened W.H.B. do Brasil, Ltda., as a sales and marketing office in 1996, and established manufacturing in the region in 1998 with the acquisition of VEB Sistemas de Etiquetas, Ltda., in Saõ Paulo. In 2002, it expanded its operations in Latin America with a second manufacturing facility in Manaus, Brazil.

Norfolk, UK-based label converter Decorative Sleeves is reportedly the first European shrink-sleeve manufacturer to include a film made from renewable resources in its product line. The company is currently running customer trials using biodegradable, corn-based polylactic acid (PLA) shrink film.

The PLA film has a further environmental benefit in shrink applications as shrinkage can be achieved at lower temperatures, thus requiring less energy consumption, the converter says. Lower shrinkage temperatures can also help to reduce the size of tunnels and increase throughput.

“PLA film is an important addition to our range,” says Decorative Sleeves sales director Jon Cowan. “Clearly the environmental issue is becoming increasingly relevant in all sectors of packaging.”

Labelstock provider UPM Raflatac's (www.upmraflatac.com) new European film-lamination line is now fully operational and delivering to label converters, the company says. The Tampere, Finland, pressure-sensitive lamination line doubles UPM Raflatac's labelstock production capacity for films in the region and further strengthens its position in the growing film-labelstock market.

“This sizeable investment in new production capacity shows our continued commitment to serving our customers and meeting their growing needs for high-quality film products,” says Jan-Erik Forsström, UPM Raflatac senior vice president, Europe.

The new lamination line converts thinner films for the various demanding needs of brand owners in the personal-care and beverage industries, among others, the company says.