Langley Group Takes Over Sheetfed Division of manroland
AUGSBURG, GERMANY—Feb. 1, 2012—An investor solution has been found for the sheetfed business of manroland AG currently in insolvency proceedings. The privately owned British engineering group, Langley Holdings, has emerged as the investor behind a takeover of the sheetfed printing equipment division, its production facilities (including all real estate in Offenbach), and the international marketing organization active in more than 40 countries (www.manroland.com).
“I am very pleased with the solution which will provide a long-term perspective to the Offenbach location and the sheet fed printing business,” said Werner Schneider, Insolvency Administrator. Roughly 840 employees in Offenbach will be retained according to the present staff planning. In addition, Langley takes over the international marketing organization.
“Tony Langley, sole shareholder of the Langley Group, is well known as a long-term investor who acts strategically. We are convinced that a lasting perspective has been found for manroland’s sheetfed printing business,” Schneider continued.
“We foresee very good economic prospects for manroland sheetfed following the recent re-structuring,” said Langley, “This is a world-class business with an excellent reputation and it’s production and research & development facilities are superb; everything one expects of the very best of German engineering.”
Langley already operates two successful technology divisions in Germany in the field of capital equipment—the Piller Group and Claudius Peters Group. In 2011, Langley Holdings achieved revenues of approximately €500 million, with a profit before tax of some €76 million.
All contracts have been signed today. The execution of the transaction is subject to approval of the German cartel office which is expected within the next weeks.
About Langley Holdings
Langley Holdings is a diverse privately owned UK based engineering group, specialising in capital equipment technologies that are either outright leaders in their field, or niche players. Two of its principal operating divisions are located in Germany and one in France, with several smaller businesses in the U.K. The group has a network of over 30 subsidiaries in 17 countries and currently employs around 2,500 people worldwide.
Source: Langley.
Spinnaker Coating Is Employee-Owned
TROY, Ohio—Spinnaker Coating, LLC, a manufacturer of adhesive coated papers and films, announced that the company has become an S Corporation ESOP, effective February 1, 2012. In the transaction, prior investors sold 100 percent of their ownership interest to a newly created Employee Stock Ownership Trust, allowing current and future employees to gain a beneficial ownership interest in the company without any personal investment.
Effectively, the ESOP is a qualified retirement plan which, based on company performance, could generate significant retirement benefits for Spinnaker’s approximately 250 employee owners.
Commenting on the announcement, Louis A. Guzzetti, Jr., Chairman and CEO of Spinnaker, said, “This transaction will give our employees a financial interest in the success of the business, making the positive bonds between Spinnaker teammates even stronger than they are today. It represents a very tangible way to reward those who have played the critical role in Spinnaker’s success since we purchased the assets of our predecessor company out of bankruptcy in 2002. Today, we are a robust competitor in the pressure sensitive industry, based primarily on our customer-driven culture that places service at the top of our priority list. Delivering unparalleled service requires great employees who are focused and dedicated to the business at hand. That clearly describes our team, and we are thrilled to be able to provide this benefit to them.”
Guzzetti, who will continue in his current position, also noted: “In light of the challenges facing American workers, an ESOP is an excellent way in which to assure the continuation of our world-class customer service model, help retain valued employees, and enhance our company’s productivity and profitability. We expect the ESOP to increase the retirement security of our employee owners, particularly if we continue on the growth path we have enjoyed the last several years.”
Dan Potts, who has been with Spinnaker for 27 years, explained the reasons for his enthusiasm about the ESOP: “Throughout my career with Spinnaker, we have had more than our share of ups and downs. In addition to periods of success, there were definitely times when my family and I were concerned about my job and our future—which I imagine is the way a lot of families in America feel today. With the creation of an ESOP, I know that all of us on the shop floor will feel confident that our jobs aren’t going to disappear. We look forward to becoming even more productive members of an organization that we know, by their actions not just words, truly values everyone who works at the company.”
Guzzetti concluded, “We want to express appreciation to our friends and neighbors in Troy, which has been our home since 1928, and to affirm that we are committed to remaining and growing in a community that has been fertile ground for our business for so many years.”
Menasha Packaging Acquires The Strive Group
NEENAH, Wis.—Menasha Packaging Company announced that it has acquired The Strive Group of Chicago. Both companies are family-owned and privately held. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
According to Mike Waite, president of Menasha Packaging, “The acquisition of Strive will enhance our merchandising supply chain model and strengthen our geographic coverage. Customers are increasingly turning to companies that can manage their entire merchandising process and the addition of Strive to Menasha Packaging will improve our offerings and strengthen our competitive position.”
The acquisition will make Menasha the largest independent in-store promotional solutions provider to retailers and CPGs in the United States, as well as strengthen its traditional packaging business.
“The Strive acquisition,” said Jim Kotek, president and CEO of Menasha Corporation, “broadens our market penetration and the ability to provide more products and services to our customers. We believe there is an excellent strategic fit between the companies; we both are Midwest-based, family-owned companies with strong cultures and values.”
Menasha Corporation is the parent of Menasha Packaging; its other businesses are ORBIS Corporation and LeveragePoint Media.
Both Menasha Packaging and Strive focus on the food, household and personal care markets and provide significant design, manufacturing, fulfillment and logistics expertise to their customers. In addition, Menasha Packaging has a strong retail relationship focus with key retail partners across the U.S. that provides an integrated approach. Menasha Packaging’s highly successful Retail Integration Group assists channel-leading retail partners and CPGs with ideation, execution and tracking of their merchandising strategies. Strive has a similar model, called the Integrated Merchandising Supply Chain, which is a collaborative approach that enables customers to develop methods and practices to improve the supply chain and merchandising processes to improve efficiency and speed to market.
Strive is headquartered in Chicago, where it has a corrugated products manufacturing facility. In addition, it has eight fulfillment operations, including six that are located within its customers’ distribution centers, and four design/sales centers across the country.
RockTenn Opens New Recycling Facility
NORCROSS, Ga.—RockTenn announced the opening of a new single-stream recycling facility in Memphis, Tenn., expanding the company’s recycling capabilities and increasing its presence and service capabilities.
The new 150,000 square-foot facility will complement RockTenn’s established single-stream recycling plants in Chattanooga and Knoxville. The automated, single-stream system allows designated recyclable materials to be fully commingled during collection instead of separated into different bins, a process that offers significant benefits to homes and businesses.
The opening of the Memphis plant, as the first single-stream facility in the city’s metropolitan area, represents a key investment in RockTenn’s Recycling and Waste Solutions growth plan. This is RockTenn’s ninth single-stream system within its 39 recycling facilities. The company will continue to expand its recycling powers nationwide in the upcoming year in order to reinforce its commitment to provide easy recycling solutions to better serve customers worldwide.
“We are investing in new facilities across the country to support demand and provide full-service solutions through innovative technology. Our growth is focused on making recycling easy by increasing our single-stream capabilities and supporting our customers’ sustainability initiatives across the country,” said Mike Oswald, senior vice president and general manager, RockTenn Recycling and Waste Solutions.
RockTenn’s 39 Recycling and Waste Solutions facilities partner with vendors across the United States to provide innovative ways to recycle items that are not mainstream. The company’s Recycling and Waste Solutions employees are dedicated to managing waste streams, recovering recyclables and finding new life for old items, in addition to educating companies and communities about the importance of recycling and reducing the amount of materials that enter landfills.
Rollprint to Convert Pouches in Clean Room Facility
ADDISON, Ill.—Rollprint Packaging Products, Inc. is expecting to be the first sterile packaging manufacturer to convert pouches in a certified clean room environment in the United States. The company announced the construction of a 6,000 sq. ft. clean room expected to be fully operational in the second quarter of 2012.
The ISO Class 8 clean room will be enhanced via Rollprint’s vertical integration, which means that the rollstock from which the pouches are made is also produced at the same facility in Addison, Ill. No other pouch manufacturer has both vertical integration and clean room capabilities in the United States, making it another “first” for Rollprint.
By definition, a clean room environment has a controlled level of contamination that is specified by the number of particles per cubic meter at a specified size. “We started preparing for this two years ago with investments in vision systems, web cleaners and other equipment and procedures to minimize particulates in our film converting area. We wanted to properly address upstream criteria before taking the next step,” said Dwane Hahn, vice president of sales and marketing, Rollprint.
The upgraded capability has been driven by customer demand for domestic supply that has been produced in a clean room environment. Pharmaceutical, medical device and diagnostic/life science manufacturers are constantly looking for ways to reduce the number of contaminants that come in contact with their products.
“There is a big difference between ‘clean room environments’ that some manufacturers claim they have, and actual clean room certification. In a few months time, we expect to be able to announce to the industry that we have met the rigorous certification criteria and are producing pouches in our clean room,” Hahn explained.
The cleanroom will house five production lines capable of producing a variety of pouch structures for which Rollprint is known. This includes header bags, chevron, vented, three-side weld seals, corner peels, etc.
“Many of the packaging structures used today for pharma and medical device applications—such as film and foil header pouches, coextruded, peelable heat-seal films and silicon oxide/aluminum oxide composites—were first introduced to the industry by Rollprint. The new clean room capability builds on that legacy,” said Hahn.
Blue Spark Technologies Opens Battery Printing Facility
CLEVELAND, Ohio—Blue Spark Technologies, a leading supplier of thin, flexible, eco-friendly printed batteries, announced it has opened a new high-volume printing and production facility located in West Bend, Wisconsin. The new facility extends Blue Spark’s capability to produce large volumes of its line of disposable, flexible carbon zinc batteries to meet growing demand for printed electronics that power innovations in commercial and industrial packaging.
Blue Spark’s ultra-thin carbon zinc batteries are used as a power source in a host of traditional and printed electronics applications—a market which industry analyst IDTechEx predicts will rise from $2.2 billion in 2011 to $44.25 billion in 2021.
Commenting on the expansion, Blue Spark Technologies’ president and CEO John Gannon, notes: “Our investment in the new Wisconsin facility demonstrates our operational readiness to support wide range market adoption of thin printed batteries that bring ‘power to packaging.’ As one of the pioneers in the research, development and commercialization of printed battery technology, Blue Spark is positioned to help lead the way in bringing new and unique battery-powered applications to the mass market. Working with our global technology partners, we are continuing to grow and to open new markets by providing innovative, cost-effective solutions designed to improve productivity and profitability, as well as brand management and supply chain security.”
Some high-value solution applications using Blue Spark’s thin printed batteries include: interactive packaging for consumer goods, such as food and pharmaceutical products; battery-assisted RFID and RF-linked sensor solutions for product, asset, and people tracking; “smartcards” that provide transactional authentication and security; and a host of interactive printed media products, such as books, magazines, posters, greeting cards, and apparel.
Matt Ream, VP of marketing, adds: “Growing customer demand and analyst predictions of accelerated growth in the worldwide market for printed electronics was a key factor in Blue Spark Technologies’ decision to invest in expanding our production capabilities. Current capacity of the new West Bend plant is estimated at upwards of 300 million batteries per year, depending on the product being produced. It’s an exciting time for Blue Spark—a milestone for our company and an opportunity to add new jobs and boost economic growth right here in the U.S. heartland.”
Suppliers Signing Up for CPP EXPO 2012
PARAMUS, N.—All Foil, Inc., Anilox Roll Cleaning Systems, Atlas Converting N.A., Blower Application, Dalmec, efi, InterGroup, Midway Rotary Die Solutions, Monarch Imaging, Muller Martini, Rossini, Siemens, and Wilson Manufacturing are the latest additions since the New Year to join the dozens of converting/package printing equipment and supply companies that have previously reserved space to exhibit at CPP EXPO 2012.
CPP EXPO 2012 will be held April 18-19, 2012 at the I-X Convention Center in Cleveland, Ohio. Citing a regional approach as “very attractive”, exhibitors are anxious to partake in an event that allows them to bring their solutions to the backyards of some of the leading converting operations serving the high concentration of CPGs in the area.
“CPP EXPO 2012 increasingly continues to capture the interest of the entire converting and package printing communities. The interest and enthusiasm is generated as CPP EXPO’s agility allows us to craft programs and forums that make sense—not only for the supplier but for the buyer,” says Leo Nadolske, CPP EXPO president.
Nadolske continues, “I am delighted to welcome our new exhibitors to CPP EXPO 2012. By joining companies such as All Foil, Inc., Anilox Roll Cleaning Systems, Atlas Converting N.A., Blower Application, Dalmec, efi, InterGroup, Midway Rotary Die Solutions, Monarch Imaging, Rossini, Siemens, and Wilson Manufacturing, our exhibition continues to create an exciting environment for this near $100 billion market.”