Enews February 2024

Serviform America Acquires BG Consulting Services

February 13, 2024

Press release submitted on behalf of Serviform America

Serviform America, a fast-growing leader in the die making and die cutting manufacturing industries in United States and Canada, is excited to announce the successful acquisition of BG Consulting Services in Somers, CT on January 31, 2024.

Mark Doxtader, Serviform America’s CEO, shares, “This strategic move reinforces our commitment to enhance customer experiences and meet the increasing market demand for dependable service, parts, and new innovative machines like the new DieMilla, which replaces the Gerber Profile (https://www.serviformamerica.com/diemilla).”

BG Consulting Services, located at 75 Suncrest Dr. in Somers, CT, will now operate under Serviform America and continue business as BG Consulting Services, maintaining its brand, employees, website, office, service, and parts.

Serviform America will be working closely with existing BG Consulting Services customers and vendors to ensure a smooth transition over the next few months. Mr. Barry Gray will continue to provide excellent services to our customers for the foreseeable future and Ms. Melanie Wilcox will remain your point of contact for any service or parts-related support.

We are very excited about the synergy of these two companies, and the elevated level of service and support our customers and vendors will receive moving forward.

For any inquiries regarding this announcement, please contact the Serviform America corporate office directly at (844) 850-4732 or info@serviformamerica.com.

Taktiful Announces Participation and Platinum Sponsorship at the 2024 Print Embellishment Conference

February 13, 2024

Press release submitted on behalf of Taktiful

Taktiful, the renowned experts in digital embellishments, is excited to announce its participation at the upcoming Print Embellishment Conference, which will be hosted by The Foil and Specialty Effects Association (FSEA) in Dallas, Texas, from April 9 to April 11, 2024.This premier event is dedicated to showcasing the latest trends and technologies in the print embellishment industry. Taktiful is not only set to speak and host a tabletop exhibit but is also honored to be a Platinum Sponsor of the prestigious Gold Leaf Awards, celebrating outstanding print embellishment projects of the year.

Kevin Abergel, Founder of Taktiful, expressed his excitement about the conference, stating, “The Print Embellishment Conference is the perfect platform for us to share our passion for innovation and excellence in print embellishment. We are especially proud to support the Gold Leaf Award, which recognizes the incredible talent and creativity in our industry. This year, we’re also thrilled to introduce a new division at Taktiful, poised to revolutionize the market. While details remain under wraps for now, we promise it will be a game-changer.”

The conference will cover vital topics such as sustainability in embellishments, new digital technologies, embossing engraving technology, and the essential role of technical expertise in selling embellishments. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear from industry experts on brand packaging trends and design trends for embellishments.

Jeff Peterson, President of FSEA, commented on the significance of the event, “The Print Embellishment Conference is a key gathering for industry professionals to explore the latest innovations and trends. We are delighted to have Taktiful as a Platinum Sponsor and look forward to their contributions to the discussions on sustainability and digital technology in print embellishment.”

For more information on the Print Embellishment Conference and to register, please visit https://fsea.com/print-embellishment-conference/.

To learn more about the Gold Leaf Awards and submission details, visit https://fsea.com/gold-leaf-awards/.

To discover more about Taktiful and its innovative solutions in print embellishment, please go to taktiful.com.

New Head of Sales for POLAR Group

February 13, 2024

Press release submitted on behalf of POLAR Group

With effect from 1 February 2024, Oliver Becker will head the POLAR Group’s Sales, Service and Marketing departments. For decades, POLAR has specialized in the design of innovative and future-proof solutions in the print finishing industry. With around 350 employees worldwide at its sites in Hofheim and Shanghai (China), POLAR develops efficient systems for the automation of industrial cutting and die-cutting processes.

Oliver Becker holds a degree in mechanical engineering. Most recently, he was Head of Professional Printing Germany at Konica Minolta Business Solution Deutschland GmbH, where he was responsible for the corresponding business unit. With more than 20 years of management and leadership experience in the printing industry, he knows the sector inside out and is an expert in sales (nationally and internationally) with a broad range of experience.

In his new role, Oliver Becker will report directly to the POLAR Group management. “I am looking forward to the new challenge and the exciting tasks that await me at a traditional global market leader.”

Registration Now Open for the Print Embellishment Conference

February 13, 2024

Press release submitted on behalf of the Foil & Specialty Effects Association

The 2024 Print Embellishment Conference, sponsored by the Foil & Specialty Effects Association (FSEA) and Amplify Print, will be held April 9 – 11 at the Delta Hotels Dallas Southlake in Dallas, Texas. Registration is open, and early bird rates are available.

The conference offers a supplier trade fair, educational programming to address new technology and trends in the industry, and an awards reception where the recipients of the 31^st Annual FSEA Gold Leaf Awards will be honored. Conference attendees also will attend a plant tour with stops at Brodnax 21C Printers, where attendees will see both cold foil transfer and digital foil and coating technology, and Xplor Group, which specializes in laminating and spot and flood UV coating.

Networking: A supplier trade fair and welcome reception kick off the event, providing attendees with the opportunity to discover what’s new from supplier partners and network with peers. Peer exchanges continue throughout the conference, with programming designed to let attendees share their challenges and find solutions from others in the industry.

Educational Opportunities: From professional keynote speakers to print industry experts, educational content aims to give attendees knowledge that can be used to improve their operations. Programming will include Vicki Stull discussing the power of touch, Adam Peek speaking on sustainable packaging and Sabine Lenz educating the audience on trends in print and embellishments in 2024. The conference also will include several panel discussions on topics that include the importance of technical knowledge when selling embellishments, the latest technology and cost savings with foil stamping and embossing engravings, and trends in the trading card industry.

For more information – including detailed session descriptions, speaker biographies, travel information and easy registration – visit www.fsea.com/print-embellishment-conference or call 785.271.5816.

The Foil & Specialty Effects Association (FSEA) provides a wide range of resources to help print finishing companies remain profitable today and into the future. From tangible benefits offered through cost-saving programs to educational opportunities (conferences, webinars, case studies and articles) to green initiatives proving the sustainability of foil decorated paper/board, the FSEA strives to provide its members with ideas, data and solutions to grow in today’s marketplace. For more information, visit www.fsea.com.

Amplify is an exhibition and educational program spotlighting the print finishing value chain, held for the first time in May of 2022. The event welcomed print and packaging designers, commercial printers, print finishers, binders, mailers and creatives to connect with the equipment manufacturers and suppliers to those industries. From the exhibit hall to the educational program and beyond, attendees networked with all the key players in the finishing cycle, learned best practices, discovered emerging technologies and heard real-world success stories. The Amplify expo will return in 2025.

BindTech LLC Acquires Eckhart & Co.

January 31, 2024

Press release submitted on behalf of BindTech LLC

BindTech LLC has added to its expanding platform of book manufacturing with the acquisition of Eckhart & Co., based in Indianapolis, IN. Founded in 1918, Eckhart has been an important supplier to the trade publishing industry, providing hardcover, softcover, and mechanical binding services. In addition, Eckhart offers a number of custom and specialized services including rigid boxes, 3-ring binders, gilding, leather case manufacturing, and foil stamping to support the deluxe book and bible market segments.

With facilities across the country, BindTech has been growing its national footprint through targeted acquisition strategies to become the leading provider of book binding and book finishing services, as well as warehousing and fulfillment under the Publishers Storage & Shipping (PSSC) brand. The acquisition of Eckhart further strengthens BindTech’s position with book publishers and book printers.

According to BindTech CEO, John Helline, “We are excited to add a respected business, such as Eckhart, to the BindTech family. Their reputation and expertise help to keep BindTech at the competitive forefront of the publishing supply chain. Importantly, our growing platform of book finishing, warehousing, and fulfillment – along with our heavy investments in technology designed to support our publishing customers – allows us to offer creative, integrated solutions utilizing our broad platform.”

Chris Eckhart, President of Eckhart & Co., added, “Personalized service combined with extensive production capabilities and combinations has allowed Eckhart & Company to continue a pace of steady growth through the years. Partnering with BindTech, and utilizing their considerable resources, will help to accelerate our growth and put us in a solid position for many more years to come.”

With the addition of Eckhart, the combined BindTech/PSSC facilities now have over 400 employees and a manufacturing and warehouse footprint of over 400,000 square feet with locations in Nashville, TN; Churchill, TN; Macedonia, OH; Phoenix, AZ; Indianapolis, IN; Fitchburg, MA; Ypsilanti, MI; and, Ann Arbor, MI.

Metsä Board’s Ultralight Pizza Box Concept Wins 2024 WorldStar Award

January 18, 2024

Press release submitted on behalf of Metsä Board

Metsä Board, part of Metsä Group, has been selected as one of the winners in the 2024 WorldStar awards for their ultralight pizza box concept developed together with Adara Pakkaus and other industry experts. A total of 435 entries from 41 countries were included in this year’s competition.

The awarded ultralight pizza box solution, made of MetsäBoard Natural WKL Bright, uses considerably less material than traditional solutions without compromising rigidity, function or print quality. The pizza box was about 38% lighter and, according to the life cycle analysis, the pizza box’s carbon footprint was up to 50% lower than those of traditional solutions made of recycled fiber. The environmental impact comparison was carried out on material and its production.*

The ultralight packaging concept was created in co-operation with a leading expert of the packaging industry. Packaging manufacturer Adara Pakkaus produced the corrugated material and printing of the pizza box with Marvaco supplying the flexo printing plates. The graphics were designed by Futupack. Researcher and expert on ECG Expanded Gamut printing, Dr Kai Lankinen, provided input on the graphic design, prepress, and flexographic printing requirements.

The World Packaging Organization (WPO) has been organizing the WorldStar awards since 1970 to recognize the best in packaging innovations from across the globe. The objective is to bring forth advancements in packaging design and technology especially in response to new challenges and global trends such as sustainability.

Only packaging solutions that have been previously awarded in a recognized national or regional competition are eligible to participate. Previously, Metsä Board’s pizza box concept was awarded a 2023 ScanStar, a competition organized by the Nordic packaging industry associations.

* Metsä Board follows process category rules for processed paper and paperboard which are based on ISO 14040/14044 life cycle assessment standards when assessing environmental impacts of its paperboards. For comparative assertions external datasets from Sphera have been utilised. These datasets represent typical products on the EU markets. Comparison excludes paperboard converting processes. Climate Change methodology used in the assessment was EF3.0 Climate Change – Total.

Paperboard Packaging Council Names Emily Leonczyk Executive Director and Vice President

January 5, 2024

Press release submitted on behalf of the Paperboard Packaging Council

The Paperboard Packaging Council (PPC) has promoted Emily Leonczyk to Executive Director and Vice President. A servant leader with a strong business and nonprofit association management career—including five years in the paperboard industry—Leonczyk will oversee PPC’s operations while facilitating stakeholder collaboration and driving strategic initiatives.

Leonczyk has served PPC since 2018, first as Director of Marketing and Communications followed by a promotion to Director of Operations. Notably, her role in overseeing the 2018 rebrand of PPC underscores her contribution to shaping a modern-day vision for the organization. Leonczyk was also crucial in guiding PPC through the COVID-19 pandemic, including the successful transition to virtual events and the subsequential resurgence of in-person engagement to pre-COVID numbers.

“I am honored to serve as the Executive Director and Vice President of PPC, and grateful to the entire PPC community for their support and trust,” said Leonczyk. “It’s my commitment to listen and respond to the needs of our members and empower our passionate and hardworking team to elevate the industry for the benefit of all.”

In charting the course for the potential challenges and opportunities ahead, Leonczyk underscores her commitment to thoughtful listening and cross-industry collaboration. She believes this approach will enable PPC to tailor its programs and initiatives to meet the evolving needs of its members and the industry.

“My goal is to have the systems in place so that we can be agile, assess the impact of our programs, and ensure they positively impact our members,” she explained.

Sustainability takes center stage in Leonczyk’s vision, including both the promotion of paperboard as a renewable and recyclable packaging material as well as the development of a viable future workforce. She is passionate about equipping PPC members with the tools to champion the sustainable value of paperboard packaging while nurturing the next generation of industry leaders.

PPC President Ben Markens will continue to serve as the association’s chief staff officer, owning overall vision and strategy. He expressed his confidence in Leonczyk’s capabilities: “Emily’s leadership and dedication have been evident throughout her time with PPC, and her background in trade association management, business development, and marketing positions her well for the new role. I am sure that her approach will take the organization to new heights, provide an elevated experience for members, and ultimately lead us into the future.”

“I’m excited to see Emily step into this role and support our vision for the future,” said Laura Brodie, Chair of PPC’s Board of Directors. “Her commitment to engaging the next generation aligns seamlessly with our goals, and we look forward to her continued contributions.”

Not only is Leonczyk’s appointment significant for PPC, but it also highlights the power of women in the paperboard packaging industry. Stepping into the future, Leonczyk and Brodie represent a dynamic leadership duo that reflects the industry’s commitment to diversity and progress.

“As a woman in a leadership role, I feel a deep responsibility to empower and support other women in the industry. Collaborating closely with Laura and other women leaders, we aim to inspire positive change and drive the industry forward,” said Leonczyk.

To understand the nuanced needs of PPC’s diverse membership, Leonczyk plans to embark on a series of member plant visits across the country. Furthermore, leveraging technology such as the newly implemented PPC Member Portal, she aims to create a collaborative environment and facilitate the sharing of valuable insights and best practices. Leonczyk extends an invitation for conversation, expressing her eagerness to connect with PPC members, stakeholders, and the broader community.

“I want to hear from our members and encourage everyone to get to know our team,” said Leonczyk. “We’re here, energized, excited to try new things, and ready to increase PPC’s value to all.”

To learn more or get involved with PPC, visit paperbox.org.

Industry Influencer: Christine Yardley

December 11, 2023

Christine Yardley believes the world of art and design often pushes the boundaries of what’s possible with print. And she loves to push those boundaries. The industry veteran, who now serves as president of Print Panther Direct, a commercial print services company located in Oakville, Canada, has worked hard to make sure her company is poised to be a part of the print evolution.

PostPress posed questions to Yardley to tap into her embellishment expertise, get her thoughts on emerging trends and discover how Print Panther Direct pushes the boundaries of print.

What excites you the most about the print and embellishment industry?

Evolving our print to meet our clients’ needs is both what excites us and keeps us in our leadership position. Being able to offer specialty inks and embellishments pushes our business beyond commodity print. Beyond CMYK.

We want to print print that matters. If that can create or recreate a brand – then we have succeeded.

How did your career develop in the print industry?

I did not start out owning a printing company. I was a typographer. I loved and breathed typography. That abruptly changed in 1984, and I remember thinking we had lost an art form. But technology won out and today I see that in the printing industry as well. Digital embellishments have defined our business. Technology is winning again. But this time I am so ready for it. I guess practice makes perfect.

You’ve said embellished print is next-generation print. Explain what you mean by that.
Next-generation print is technology driven but at the same time evokes emotion. It maintains and sustains a true sense of purpose. Better print, better future.

Seven years ago, when we embarked upon our embellishment journey, we were not thinking about tactile engagement, emotional connection, perceived value or packaging psychology. I am quite certain most printers did not think about it. We just knew our clients wanted more. And technology was a great place to start in wanting more for the printed page.

What trends are emerging in design and production that will influence the future of the print and embellishment industry?

Brands will continue to strive to reinforce their connection with their consumers, and the ones that innovate and stay current and relevant with all the facets of their brand are the ones most likely to keep succeeding. The physical appeal of print must communicate its relevance with its contemporary look and tactile feel. We live in an age where people expect change and “newness” to keep them engaged. Embellished print engages.

Talk about the digital printing process Giclee and how Print Panther Direct is using it with digital embellishment.

We work with artists and designers who continually explore embellishment techniques to create visually stunning and thought-provoking pieces. Giclee prints are extremely high-quality, archival-grade, digital prints that use an ultra-fine inkjet printing process to produce images of intense color and vibrancy. Embellishment with digital foils and spot varnish add another dimension to giclee prints, making each print a unique and collectable, stunning piece of artwork.

Which markets are growing the use of embellishments in print? What is influencing that growth?

The science behind the focused power of embellished print is a multifaceted field that combines design, psychology and marketing. Understanding the influence of print – especially when enhanced with embellishments – can shape consumer behavior and drive brand success no matter the industry. Brands now are understanding that.

What are your predictions for the print industry in the next five to 10 years?
I was reading an article I wrote for www.EATPRINTLOVE.com back in 2018. An excerpt mentions that the volume of digital print enhancement and embellishment printing was growing at a rate of 27% CAGR from 2015 to 2020 and was expected to reach 25 billion pages of embellished printing by 2020. With the pandemic, I am not sure that happened. Regardless, [the quoted report] also found that profit margins on digitally embellished pieces range from 50% to over 400%! This should excite any printers reading this right now, as it stands to radically transform the growth rate of their businesses.

One of the reasons for this opportunity is simply to add value to digital print pages, but there is an interesting synergy between digital print and CMYK+ special effects. CMYK+ allows high-value effects to be done affordably in shorter runs and with quicker turnarounds than with conventional methods. The personalization capabilities of digital print also make it possible not only to add the special effect, but also to make each printed piece unique. So, I guess my predictions have not changed in the last five years. They still hold true. High-value effects = happy clients and additional profit.

How does having the right equipment change your business?

Print Panther Direct has built a great team of young people with transformative ideas and no fear of technology.

The acquisition of our new Konica Minolta MGI JETvarnish 3D Evolution with its larger sheet size opens up exactly the kinds of opportunities we like to seize and our clients like to take advantage of. Brands always will be about their emotional pull as well as their physical appeal, and the two should be inexorably linked.

Just as their emotional appeal must keep abreast of the latest consumer insights, so the physical appeal, has to communicate its relevance with its contemporary look and tactile feel. We live in an age where people expect change and “newness” to keep them engaged.

What inspired you to create your black tux with silver holographic foil?

I love the bling; I am not an overly blingy person though. So having fun with the gold foil dress I did during the pandemic and now the more serious business black tux with holographic is just about putting a little fun into the workday. I remember when we first acquired our Xerox Iridesee Press with fluorescent pink specialty ink – the staff all donned “Hot Hot Hot” T-shirts and we danced to the song “Hot Hot Hot” by Arrow. When the artist was asked why he wrote this song, his reply was, “‘Feeling Hot Hot Hot’ makes you forget that there’s a volcano and remember there’s fun to be had.” That is why I do what I do. There is fun to be had.

From Print to Finishing: 4.0

December 11, 2023

Submitted by Messe Düsseldorf

Continuously networked, digitally controlled, quality-monitored, fully automated, vertically integrated from the sensor to the cloud, and horizontally integrated across company boundaries – these buzzwords summarize the most important technology trends on the way to Industry 4.0. What is more important for users is what concrete benefits they will derive from this. Answers can be found by looking at the economic development in the print and packaging industry:

Cost pressure and competition are increasing.
The globalization trend continues.
Customers are becoming more aware of quality and the environment.
Run lengths are falling, large orders are being called off in batches as required.
Demand for individualized/personalized print products is increasing.

Print and Finishing 4.0 provide the right answers to these challenges. Automated, inline, quality-monitored data and process chains simultaneously guarantee maximum efficiency and maximum quality. Inspection systems detect minute color and position deviations in print, embossing or finishing at every stage from artwork to postpress and find missing dots, commas and faulty characters across all languages.

Where the human eye cannot keep up at all or only slowly, image processing ensures process reliability, precision and efficiency when setting up new print jobs. Startup waste and misprints can thus be reduced to a minimum. This fully automated makeready of new jobs and the seamless linking of previously separate work steps to form continuous process chains are the keys to successful, high-quality production, despite falling run lengths. The more intelligent and autonomous the print and packaging technologies, the less dependence there will be on the experience of qualified specialists, which only is accessible to a limited extent in many places.

Thanks to international standardization efforts, machines and systems from different suppliers usually now can communicate smoothly. The Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture (OPC UA) provides the appropriate framework that is being recognized by more and more industries and players. Where a continuous flow of data from prepress to postpress is ensured, process linkage quickly follows suit. Instead of the usual stagnations between individual process steps, the duration of which depended on employee availability, a continuous production process is established. Capacity utilization increases, the need for storage space decreases and monotonous tasks, such as breaking out punched folding boxes, no longer have to be done by hand.

At the same time, data-based processes increase flexibility. Finishing 4.0 solutions compete with the claim to produce error-free from the very first copy – and thus to reduce to a minimum the expensive rejects of the already printed, cut and finished intermediate products at the end of the 4.0 process chain.

But this only covers part of the novel structures. In the background, sensors along the process chain continuously collect machine and production data. Some of this data is processed decentrally and cost-efficiently with edge computers close to the production line in order to feed the information obtained back to the control and regulation systems in the process without any loss of time. The larger, less time-critical part of the data flows into the cloud for further use and now increasingly AI-supported analysis.

Analogous to this vertically integrated data chain, horizontal integration ensures close organizational networking of the players along the value chain. This allows previously separate competencies and know-how to be brought together. Users, suppliers of production hardware and software, developers of a wide variety of substrates and consumables, and research institutes form cooperation networks to jointly further develop print and packaging technologies and process chains and better align their respective products and processes. In addition, data integration and networking create the necessary transparency for efficient recycling and longer machine service lives, for proactive maintenance, refurbishing – and thus for the transition to the circular economy.

Last but not least, horizontal integration paves the way for simplified digital order processing, accounting, costing, personnel and order planning, benchmarking, inventory management and much more.

A final important aspect concerns the operation and service of print, packaging and finishing technologies. As the database continues to grow, the effort required to integrate new human-machine interfaces (HMI) and workflow solutions is decreasing. Via smartphone or tablet, operators, service specialists, production planners and managers can access current machine and production data at any time. They carry the control station of the smart process chain with them at all times. Whether it’s troubleshooting or planning maintenance and repairs; an overview of spare parts, consumables and operating material availability; documentation; track and trace functions or forwarding printed rolls and sheets to finishers and postpress – in the process world of Print, Packaging and Finishing 4.0, all that’s needed for manufacturing execution is the mobile device in a pocket. This also is an effective antidote to unproductive downtime in analog, highly segmented production.

Meanwhile, the trend is toward HMI solutions that support operators and assemblers in maintenance procedures and repairs via augmented, mixed or virtual reality (AR/MR,VR). Especially where skilled workers are scarce, this use of data and digital networking also opens up potential for a highly productive print and packaging world of the future.

Source: Messe Düsseldorf. For further information about drupa 2024, contact Messe Düsseldorf North America; telephone: 312.781.5180; email: info@mdna.com; visit www.drupa.com.

PPC Announces 2023 North American Paperboard Packaging Competition Winners

December 11, 2023

Submitted by the Paperboard Packaging Council

The Paperboard Packaging Council (PPC) has announced the top winners of its 80th annual North American Paperboard Packaging Competition. In a news release about the awards, PPC said these folding cartons and rigid boxes represent some of the best paperboard packaging manufactured by North American converters over the past year.

Paperboard Package of the Year

WhistlePig Piggybank
Submitted by WestRock
Many people have fond childhood memories of saving up change to spend on candy at the corner store. With the WhistlePig Piggybank folding carton, WestRock has taken this nostalgic trope and instead put the treat inside of the package – and this time, it’s something for the adults. The bespoke packaging, comprised of a removable lid and secure base, holds the unique pig-shaped glass bottle while a sleek black sleeve with precisely cut windows accentuates the bottle’s graphic design.

Folding Carton of the Year

Wander & Ivy Single Varietal Sets
Submitted by the Mill Rock Packaging
Mill Rock Packaging successfully fulfilled its customer’s goal of elegance, simplicity and efficiency with the Wander & Ivy Single Varietal Sets. The attractive, modern package is composed of .024 SBS paperboard from Clearwater and is designed to securely hold four glass bottles while presenting a premium image.

Rigid Box of the Year

Hardins Creek Clermont Tube
Submitted by TPC Printing and Packaging
TPC Printing and Packaging was tasked with finding a sustainable and economical replacement for the previous Hardins Creek tin tube packaging. TPC Packaging’s Hardins Creek Clermont Tube offers a sustainable, cost-effective and visually striking solution. The proprietary tube rolling process eliminates the need for other materials beyond the lid, aligning perfectly with the customer’s goals.

Innovation of the Year Award

EnduraGrip™
Submitted by WestRock
WestRock’s innovative EnduraGrip™, a fiber-based plastic replacement, not only prioritizes sustainability and strength but also presents a breakthrough solution for packaging. Costco sought an eco-friendly alternative to plastic clips and shrink film, and EnduraGrip™ delivered, effectively replacing single-use plastics in multi-packs with its surprisingly robust design.

Richard DePaul Award for Creative Design & Converting

Single-Dose Syringe Folding Carton
Submitted by Colbert Packaging Corp
Colbert Packaging Corporation’s Single-Dose Syringe Folding Carton sets a high standard for functionality and sustainability in pharmaceutical packaging, an area where precision and information are of utmost importance. The customer’s aim was to create a more patient-friendly and sustainable packaging solution. Collaborating closely with the customer product team, Colbert Packaging created a multi-layered, fully recyclable solution.

Sustainability of the Year Award

Unilever Skip Laundry Detergent Capsules
Submitted by Graphic Packaging International
Graphic Packaging International’s Unilever Skip Laundry Detergent Capsule container is a prime example of sustainable packaging innovation. Crafted from 100% recyclable materials, the cartons feature GT4 ESK Fully Sized FSC from Smurfit Kappa for the lid and KR CrownBoard Craft 460 g FSC from Billerud Korsnas for the base.

Judges’ Award

Tome Gift Set
Submitted by Pacific Southwest Container
Pacific Southwest Container’s Tome Gift Set for Soap Cauldron is an example of packaging creativity that transforms a product into a full experience for the consumer. Soap Cauldron’s founder sought a captivating package that would enchant customers, and PSC rose to the challenge by creating a realistic book cover crafted from SFL E flute and 10 pt SBS-23M-35 L from PSC.

For over 90 years, PPC has served as the premier North American association for converters of paperboard packaging and their suppliers. PPC works to grow, promote and protect the paperboard packaging industry while providing its members with resources and tools to compete successfully in the marketplace. Learn more about the winners and see all the winning entries at www.paperbox.org/programs/carton-competition.