Beyond The Headlines: Graphic Packaging Holding Company decommissions its longest-running machine, Arnold Bread uses PCR for bread bags

06 Oct 2023 --- This week in industry news, Graphic Packaging Holding Company has closed its recycled paperboard machine in the US. Meanwhile, Arnold Bread released a 30% post-consumer recycled (PCR) bread bag, and Tremco Construction Products Group acquired the RPM International wall system fabrication segment.

In brief: Business news
Graphic Packaging Holding Company announced it will permanently decommission the K3 coated recycled paperboard (CRB) machine in Kalamazoo, US. The K3 machine is one of three CRB machines at the Kalamazoo facility and is the company’s longest-running machine. K3 ceased operation on July 1, and the announcement reflects the decision to shut down the 125,000 metric tons of recycled paperboard per annum machine permanently.

Independent Commodity Intelligence Services (ICIS), a global source of commodity intelligence, launched its Pyrolysis Oil Pricing Indexes to help satisfy the increasing consumer demand for the pricing of chemical recycling outputs. ICIS is the first market player to provide this pricing index, which will be part of ICIS’ Mixed Plastic Waste. The mixed plastic waste pricing service currently includes the key feedstocks for pyrolysis oil — mixed polyolefin bales and high plastic content refuse-derived fuel bales. Introducing a pricing index for pyrolysis oil will give visibility across this key chemical recycling chain.

Advanced Semiconductor Engineering (ASE) launched an Integrated Design Ecosystem (IDE), a collaborative design toolset optimized to boost advanced package architecture across its VIPack platform. ASE’s IDE enables design efficiencies up to 50% and “sets new standards for quality and user experience.” Integrating novel package design tool capabilities into ASE’s workflow has reduced cycle time while lowering customer costs.

Edwin Zayas, VP of Operations Bacardi Corporation (center left), with Puerto Rico Governor Pedro Pierluisi (center right) at the ribbon cutting ceremony for a new CHP system at the Bacardi rum distillery in Puerto Rico. In brief: Product launchesArnold Bread launched North America’s first bread bag that uses 30% PCR content, produced from FDA-compliant PCR resins. Featured across the brand’s Organic line of products, each PE bag provides another way for the Arnold brand to foster real change across the industry. The new bags are certified and independently verified by SCS Global Services, reduce the use of fossil fuels and lower the carbon footprint of the packaging compared to previous bags.

In brief: Acquisitions
RPM International’s wall system fabrication segment (the Fabrication Business) of NOW Specialties has been acquired by RPM’s Tremco CPG and is now part of Tremco Construction Products Group. The Texas-based Fabrication Business is a leading wall system fabricator specializing in Metal Composite Material and Aluminum Composite Material panels and has annual net sales of approximately US$20 million. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed, and NOW’s installation business was not part of the acquisition. The wall systems are manufactured off-site and installed at the building location, offering customers improved efficiency, quality and construction times compared to traditional methods.

Atlas Holdings closed the previously announced acquisition of the Herff Jones Graduation Business from Varsity Brands. Atlas also announced the promotion of Ron Stoupa, who begins today as CEO of the now independently operated company. Stoupa joined Herff Jones as chief marketing officer in 2021 and was promoted to president in October 2022. Atlas operates in sectors such as metals processing, packaging, paper, power generation, printing, pulp, supply chain management and wood products.

Imperial Dade, a distributor of foodservice packaging, industrial, and janitorial supplies, announced the acquisition of The Janton Company and G&L Supply. The transaction represents the 74th acquisition of Imperial Dade under the leadership of Robert and Jason Tillis, chairman and CEO of Imperial Dade. Financial terms of the private transaction were not disclosed.

In brief: Alcohol developments
Bacardi, the “largest” privately held international spirits company, celebrated the opening of its new Combined Heat & Power (CHP) system in Puerto Rico, which will cut GHG emissions of the Bacardi rum brand in half. Bacardi marked the opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the premium rum distillery in Cataño, US. The new CHP system replaces fuel oil with propane gas, shifting the site to cleaner energy. The system will generate 100% of the energy used at the campus, including the distillery, offices and the Casa Bacardi visitor center — one of “the most” visited tourist destinations on the island.Ishida’s QX-500 tray sealer received the Innovative Packaging Machinery category at the PPMA Awards. 

Three Olives Vodka announced an AI-powered party builder, “The Generager,” an interactive digital platform designed to take customers’ vibrant and boldest party must-haves and blend them into one curated party theme. The Generager AI creation follows the reinvented vodka recipe for Three Olives and its new packaging look that launched over the summer. Three Olives Vodka is now zero sugar, low calorie and gluten-free inside a vibrant and simple new bottle and label design. 

In brief: Awards
Tetra Pak’s professor Anne L’Huillier was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics 2023. Professor L’Huillier works at Lund University, Sweden, the company’s research and innovation partner. She joined a relatively small community of female scientists who have won the Nobel Prize for Physics since its inception in 1901. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences recognized L’Huillier’s work, creating ultrashort light pulses alongside laureates Pierre Agostini and Ferenc Krausz. Their research has unlocked the ability to study rapid electron processes in attoseconds. This research offers potential for various fields, including electronics and medical diagnostics.

The high performance and environmental sustainability benefits of Ishida’s introduced QX-500 tray sealer were recognized by winning the Innovative Packaging Machinery category at this year’s PPMA Awards, celebrating the best in UK packaging equipment design and manufacturing. The Innovative Packaging Machinery Award recognizes companies that have engineered or adopted a solution that has led to significant productivity improvement and cost reduction.

By Sabine Waldeck