“The printer we purchased this summer is probably the most advanced printer in North America. Management was at a trade show and the company was giving a demonstration. They bought it and we’ve been in the process of installing it this summer,” Luyet said. A team went to Germany where the machine is manufactured to be trained. Then several of the staff from Germany came to Harrison for the installation process. “We expanded our warehouse by 38,000 feet, and we have rented the former Emerson facility and added an additional 30,000 feet there,” Luyet said. The WestRock plant of Harrison has two printers, four cutters and six gluing machines — about $20 million of equipment. The Harrison team ships products to all 50 states as well as to Canada and Mexico. Click Read More below for additional information.

Sales of $1,103 million increased by $82 million or 8% compared to the same period last year, reflecting the consolidation of results from the Greenpac Mill beginning in the second quarter, improved pricing and sales mix in all four of the Corporation's business segments, and additional sales from recovery and recycling activities due to higher recycled fibre pricing. These benefits were partially offset by lower volumes in our North American operations, and the stronger Canadian dollar which resulted in a less favourable CAD/USD exchange rate. Third quarter operating income stood at $51 million , a slight improvement from $50 million last year. This performance reflects the inclusion of Greenpac in the current quarter, price increases mainly in Containerboard, and lower Corporate activities costs related to lower stock-based compensation expense. These were offset by higher raw material costs, and higher production costs in Containerboard and Tissue, due to freight and logistics, and increased use of outside contracting. Specific items recorded in the current period (please refer to the ''Supplemental Information on Non-IFRS Measures'' section for more details) decreased operating income by $2 million . On an adjusted basis, third quarter operating income stood at $53 million , down slightly from $55 million in the prior year period. Click Read More below for additional information.

Graphic Packaging Holding Company announced that its wholly-owned subsidiaries, Graphic Packaging International, Inc. and Graphic Packaging International Canada, ULC, have agreed to acquire the assets of Seydaco Packaging Corp. and its affiliates National Carton and Coating Co., and Groupe Ecco Boites Pliantes Ltée. Seydaco is a folding carton producer with a leading position in Canada focused on the foodservice, food, personal care, and household goods markets. Seydaco converts approximately 20,000 tons of paperboard annually and operates three converting plants located in Mississauga, Ontario, St.-Hyacinthe, Québec, and Xenia, Ohio. The business generated revenues of approximately $40 million and low double digit EBITDA margins on an LTM basis. Click Read More below for additional information.

Net sales of $1.1 billion increased 6% on an as reported basis. Currency had a positive impact on total net sales of 1%, or $13 million. As reported, net sales increased across all regions. Net income from continuing operations on a reported basis was $62 million, or $0.33 per diluted share, as compared to net income from continuing operations of $64 million, or $0.32 per diluted share, in the third quarter 2016. Net income in the third quarter 2017 was unfavorably impacted by $24 million of special items, including $9 million of restructuring and other restructuring associated costs, $7 million related to acquisition and divestiture activity and $5 million of tax special items. Net income in the third quarter 2016 included $17 million of special items, including $7 million of charges related to restructuring and other costs associated with our restructuring programs and $9 million related to tax special items. Click Read More below for additional information.

Forest Positive brings significant benefits for nature because it not only ensures net zero deforestation, but is also proven to promote biodiversity, improve water quality, and enhance the ability of forests to absorb carbon dioxide. The innovative RAFNXT+ range has a carbon potential that is up to 20% more carbon positive than standard paper labels. The RAFNXT+ range optimizes the use of raw materials, using less energy and water, and generating less waste during its lifecycle compared to standard labels. It provides a competitive edge for printers and brand owners alike in terms of both sustainability and efficiency, with fewer reel changes delivering savings in downtime and start-up waste, lower packaging and transportation costs, and increased storage capacity for both raw materials and finished stock. Click Read More below for additional information.

Stora Enso has joined forces with Microsoft to bring cloud-based intelligent packaging solutions to clients globally. Intelligent Packaging by Stora Enso utilizes Microsoft Azure, the leading cloud platform for business digitalization. The global and scalable cloud platform from Microsoft enables reliable and secure data collection and analytics for clients investing in innovative intelligent packaging solutions. Intelligent Packaging by Stora Enso integrates widely adopted RFID (Radio frequency identification) technology which enables the product to be tracked, traced and tamper-proofed throughout the entire supply chain. Moreover, the technology allows communication between the brand-owner and the end-user using an NFC (Near Field Communication)-enabled smartphone. Comprehensive data management and analytics capabilities are vital to all intelligent packaging solutions. Through the Microsoft cloud service, all data are collected for analytics to support and improve business efficiency. Click Read More below for additional information.

Billions of consumer packages are consumed globally every day, and the amount is growing. The Better with Less – Design Challenge is challenging packaging designers to create ever more environmentally-friendly, functional packaging solutions for everyday goods. The international competition jury includes renowned packaging design experts. Better with Less – Design Challenge starts 6 November, 2017. The international packaging design competition, organized by Metsä Board, aims to find new packaging solutions for some of the world’s most frequently used and fastest growing types of consumer packages. Billions of consumer packages are consumed globally every day, and as the population continues to grow, so will the number of packages. The high amount of plastic used in packaging is an international concern, in part because globally the plastic waste inputs into the oceans amount annually to almost nine million tonnes. Click Read More below for additional information.

UPM Raflatac and Mus Verpakkingen, a Dutch supplier of metal packaging and closures, have partnered to find a more sustainable alternative for can labeling. Historically, Mus's products have primarily been used in the paint and chemical markets, but today Mus provides a wide assortment of cans, closures and aerosols for the cosmetic and food industries, too. Together with UPM Raflatac, Mus has tested the new RafBio PE material in application. RafBio PE is a sustainable alternative to standard PE film and is made from sugarcane ethanol containing more than 80 % renewable plant-based raw material. This ecodesigned film material reduces greenhouse gas emissions and is recyclable within the same recycling streams as fossil-based PE. For the test series, Mus has labeled 1 liter cylindrical cans with RafBio PE Clear FTC 85 film. The plan is to use RafBio label material for other sizes, too, as the labeled range of cans goes from 125 mm to 5 liters. Click Read More below for additional information.

Multi-Color Corporation completed its acquisition of the Labels Division of Constantia Flexibles from Constantia Flexibles GmbH in a cash and equity transaction valued at approximately $1.3 billion (€1.15 billion). The combined annual revenues of the two businesses will be approximately $1.7 billion. The combination brings together Constantia Labels' high performing Food and Beverage business with Multi-Color's strong Home and Personal Care and Wine and Spirits platforms, as well as its emerging global position in Healthcare. The acquisition will provide additional growth opportunities for Multi-Color in Home and Personal Care through Constantia Labels' European operational footprint and assets, and for Constantia Labels in Food and Beverage through Multi-Color's US operational footprint and assets. The stronger combined footprint in Asia will provide further revenue opportunities. We are delighted to welcome Constantia's 2,800 associates to the Multi-Color team, as well as Mike Henry, current Executive Vice President and Head of Constantia Labels, who today becomes CEO-elect of Multi-Color and will be appointed Chief Executive Officer in January 2018.

Fourth Quarter 2017 Highlights: • Earned $0.76 per diluted share and $0.87 of adjusted earnings per diluted share. Our effective tax rate was 20.7%, and our adjusted tax rate was 28.4% • Generated net cash provided by operating activities of $494 million and adjusted free cash flow of $271 million • Achieved $80 million in year-over-year productivity and a run rate of $840 million of synergy and performance improvements since the merger. Full Year 2017 and Other Highlights: • Earned $2.77 per diluted share and $2.62 of adjusted earnings per diluted share • Generated net cash provided by operating activities of $1.90 billion ad adjusted free cash flow of $1.22 billion • Achieved $361 million of productivity year-over-year • Continued our portfolio transformation by: • Completing five acquisitions, including the acquisition of Multi Packaging Solutions International Limited (“MPS”). These acquisitions: º Advanced our strategy to provide differentiated, high value-added solutions to our customers and expanded our presence in attractive end markets º Created opportunities for meaningful synergies and performance improvements, and º Increased our vertical integration levels • Selling the Home, Health and Beauty business (“HH&B”) in April 2017. This sale resulted in a pre-tax gain of $193 million and generated net after-tax proceeds of approximately $1 billion. Click Read More below for additional information.

January–September 2017 (1–9/2016) • Sales were EUR 1,397.3 million (1,298.5). • Comparable operating result was EUR 139.1 million (104.7), or 10.0 per cent (8.1) of sales. The operating result was EUR 152.7 million (93.8). • Comparable earnings per share were EUR 0.27 (0.21), and earnings per share were EUR 0.30 (0.18). • Comparable return on capital employed was 10.6 per cent (8.3). July–September 2017 (4–6/2017) • Sales were EUR 478.6 million (474.2). • Comparable operating result was EUR 50.4 million (43.5), or 10.5 per cent (9.2) of sales. The operating result was EUR 60.6 million (46.9). • Comparable earnings per share were EUR 0.08 (0.09), and earnings per share were EUR 0.11 (0.09). • Comparable return on capital employed was 11.5 per cent (10.3). Click Read More below for additional information.

Lollicup® USA Inc. will halt all production on PS (polystyrene) hot cup lids starting the end of this year, and will only produce PP (polypropylene) hot cup lids. This unprecedented decision is based on Lollicup's move towards producing products that are recyclable, compostable, and more eco-friendly. "PP is more heat resistant than PS, more environmentally friendly, and leaves less of a carbon foot print," said Lollicup's founder and CEO Alan Yu. This decision could not be timelier, as the world's largest coffee chain has recently switched their lids from PS to PP, and the PS lids are on the Plastics Ban List. The list was made by four non-profit watch groups, whose influence has made significant changes in the industry already. Click Read More below for additional information.

Tony Smurfit, Group CEO, commented: “SKG continues to deliver, showing strong sequential progress with Group EBITDA margin at 15.1% for the quarter. “Total Group corrugated volumes grew 3% for the quarter. Corrugated volumes in Europe improved by 4% on a days-adjusted basis with strong demand in most areas of activity. In the Americas demand growth was 3% with growth in most markets. “In the third quarter, recovered fibre cost pressures remained, resulting in a headwind of almost €40 million for the quarter and €111 million for the year-to-date compared to 2016. SKG will continue to offset these cost pressures through further corrugated price recovery and ongoing efficiency improvements as we progress towards the year-end and into 2018. Click Read More below for additional information.

Transcontinental Inc. announced that it has acquired Les Industries Flexipak Inc., a flexible packaging supplier located in Montréal, Québec, employing 55 people. The company is a converter specialized in flexographic printing, lamination as well as bag and pouch making, and has other value-added capabilities. Les Industries Flexipak Inc. offers a wide range of flexible packaging products serving consumer goods companies, food processors and retailers across several markets including frozen fruits and vegetables, seafood, snacks, grains, nuts and beverage (shrink films). It is the first flexible packaging company in Québec to be awarded BRC Packaging certification, a standard recognized by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), with an AA grade. "I am excited to announce this fifth flexible packaging acquisition in North America – our first in the province of Québec – which marks yet another step in the development of our North American network," said François Olivier, President and Chief Executive Officer of TC Transcontinental. "This transaction extends our footprint to Eastern Canada by adding a Montréal-based facility equipped with a state-of-the-art platform, and gives us the opportunity to further develop our existing business relationships with retailers in the country. Driven by its belief in outstanding customer service and innovation, Flexipak has a strong family business culture that will naturally blend with ours. We are truly delighted to welcome Flexipak's employees to the TC Transcontinental family and look forward to growing our flexible packaging business with them." Click Read More below for additional information.

Cascades Inc. announced a $21-million investment in its Cascades Inopak (Drummondville) and Plastiques Cascades (Kingsey Falls) plants in order to acquire equipment enabling it to increase its production of food packaging, primarily for the fresh protein market. The Cascades Inopak plant in Drummondville will benefit from a $15-million investment. This will be used to expand the existing building and to install a high-performance rPET film manufacturing line that is unique in Canada and which includes a built-in, cutting-edge decontamination unit. This will make it possible to significantly increase the production capacity of Integral TM packaging, which is made from recycled PET, is recyclable and allows food in certain markets—such as fresh protein—to be kept for double the amount of time, thus radically reducing food waste. Nearly $6M will be invested in the Kingsey Falls Plastiques Cascades plant to modernize equipment, notably by adding a new extrusion line and two recycling lines, which will increase the production capacity by 25% and double the plant's internal recycling capacity. The Kingsey Falls plant produces EVOK ® , the first polystyrene foam tray in North America to contain at least 25% recycled materials. These investments will facilitate an eventual increase in this percentage and, by extension, further reduce the CO 2 emissions of products marketed by our customers. Click Read More below for additional information.

Evergreen Packaging, with support from KidsGardening, announced the launch of the spring 2018 Carton 2 Garden contest, the nationwide competition that invites students of all ages to repurpose milk and juice cartons in school gardens that teach math, science, arts, environment and sustainability. Now in its fourth year, the Carton 2 Garden contest underscores Evergreen Packaging’s commitment to championing sustainability, STEM-learning and healthy living. “The Carton 2 Garden contest gives thousands of students across the country the opportunity to not only learn more about gardening, but also teamwork, nutrition, sustainable practices and environmental stewardship,” said Katie Simmons, marketing manager at Evergreen Packaging. “We are thrilled to once again partner with KidsGardening, the leaders in the school garden movement, to equip contest entrants with educational materials that instill these important lessons and life skills. Each year the gardens grow more inventive, and we look forward to seeing the innovations that will be created for this year’s contest.” Click Read More below for additional information.

Laakirchen Papier AG said that the grade conversion project involving paper machine 10 at its mill in Laakirchen, Austria, is complete and PM10 is back in operation. The 10-week project converted PM10's production from SC paper to light-weight containerboard based on recycled fiber. According to the company, the machine project was finished on schedule. Click Read More below for additional information.

Tetra Pak has today launched the Tetra Fino® Aseptic 100 Ultra MiM, a new package that offers an opportunity for customers to produce liquid dairy and juice drinks using their existing production processes, and market them as ice creams and frozen products. ​The new package allows dairy and juice drinks to be produced and distributed in small carton pouches at room temperature, and subsequently turned into frozen products in shops or in a consumer’s home. This means producers can tap into the $72bn1 global ice cream market without the need for additional investment in production equipment and chilled distribution system. Want Want, a leading food company in China, is the first company to trial this product. Click Read More below for additional information.

Smurfit Kappa is now working with 70% of leading European e-retail brands, the packaging solutions company said today as it announced the new name for its e-retail offering – eSmart. This is the culmination of years of experience helping e-retailers optimise opportunities in the online sales space. eSmart guides companies through 12 key areas relating to the optimisation of e-retail processes, supply chain efficiency and delivering a superior consumer experience. Edwin Goffard, COO Corrugated Europe, says: “As online sales grow and consumer expectations evolve in an increasingly digitalised world, the pressure is on for brand owners and e-retailers to stand out from the crowd. Packaging plays a vital role in helping businesses grow profitably, manage supply chain complexity, and deliver the right brand experience.” Click Read More below for additional information.

Third Quarter 2017 Summary: • Reported sales increased 6% over the prior year driven by 3% core growth and a 3% favorable impact from exchange rates • Each business segment achieved core sales growth • Lower custom tooling sales negatively impacted the sales growth by 2% • Reported net income (9% of net sales) increased to $54 million (+1%) • EBITDA (19% of net sales) decreased to $118 million (-4%) • Profit margins were negatively impacted by operational challenges at our decorative facility in Europe, higher professional fees, raw material cost increases and certain currency transaction losses. Click Read More below for additional information.

Consolidated net sales of $868 million in the third quarter of 2017 were $92 million, or 12 percent higher than the 2016 third quarter. This increase was due to $57 million of higher prices and a more favorable product mix, and higher volume in the paper and packaging segment. Net sales in the distribution segment increased $8 million due to higher prices partially offset by lower volume. The Company's average mill selling price of $698 per ton in the third quarter of 2017 increased by $72 per ton, or nearly 12 percent, compared to the third quarter of 2016 due to higher domestic and export containerboard prices, and higher kraft paper prices. Net income of $30 million for the 2017 third quarter was $1 million lower than the 2016 third quarter. Click Read More below for additional information.

Compared to third quarter guidance, results were negatively impacted by ($.02) per share due to hurricane-related items at certain mills and corrugated products facilities, offset by a partial insurance recovery related to the DeRidder Mill incident of $.02 per share. In the Packaging segment, total corrugated products shipments with two less workdays were up 4.0% and shipments per day were up 7.3% over last year’s third quarter. Containerboard production was 996,000 tons, and containerboard inventory was up 7,000 tons compared to the third quarter of 2016 and up 20,000 tons from the second quarter of 2017. In the Paper segment, lower volumes in the third quarter of 2017 compared to last year were primarily due to the previously announced shutdown of market pulp operations at the Wallula Mill. Click Read More below for additional information.

"Our comparable net sales growth returned to 4% during the third quarter. In emerging markets comparable growth was 5% despite net sales still declining in India. At the end of the quarter our net sales in India started to grow again as the demand for flexible packaging began to recover from the impact of Goods and Services Tax (GST) implementation. Our profitability remained at a solid level but was affected by higher costs especially in the North America segment. In addition to costs related to major on-going investments the segment's distribution and resin costs were higher due to hurricane impact. The Foodservice Europe-Asia-Oceania segment's profitability held up well despite adverse product mix and the impact of weaker pound sterling on our UK business. The Flexible Packaging segment's net sales growth accelerated at the end of the quarter." Click Read More below for additional information.

U.S. Packaging net sales of $672.3 million for the third quarter of 2017 represented an increase of 2.2 percent compared to the same period of 2016. Compared to the prior third quarter, unit volumes were up approximately two percent. U.S. Packaging operating profit decreased to $99.6 million in the third quarter of 2017, or 14.8 percent of net sales, compared to $100.8 million, or 15.3 percent of net sales, in 2016. Compared to the prior year, profits were impacted by previously-negotiated contractual selling price reductions on select products, partially offset by manufacturing efficiencies and the benefits of increased unit volumes. Global Packaging net sales of $362.8 million for the third quarter of 2017 represented a decrease of 1.8 percent compared to the same period of 2016. Currency translation increased net sales by 0.5 percent. Organic sales decline of 2.3 percent reflects unfavorable mix of products sold, partially offset by sales price increases. Compared to the prior third quarter, Global Packaging unit volumes were relatively flat, comprised of weak volumes in the Company’s Latin American business, as anticipated, and offset by net volume growth in the remaining regions of the Global Packaging Segment. Global Packaging operating profit for the third quarter was $24.6 million, compared to $36.2 million for the same period in 2016. Compared to the prior year, lower profits in Global Packaging were driven primarily by the impact of the challenging economic environment in Brazil. Click Read More below for additional information.

AWPPW Local 675 and WestRock will be returning to the bargaining table November 6 and 7 to resume negotiations after union members rejected the Company's initial offer for a new Labor Agreement by 94%. Major items cited by the Union as causes for the overwhelming rejection by the membership include proposed seniority changes, increased medical cost, elimination of premium pay provisions and maintenance redesign. AWPPW Local President Bob Booth says "While the WestRock Covington mill consistently produces huge profits every year, WestRock refuses to treat the workforce fairly. No matter how dedicated and hardworking we all are and no matter how much money we make for WestRock the company wants concessions." Click Read More below for additional information.

Adjusted operating earnings in the third quarter of 2017 were $449 million or $1.08 per share compared with $270 million or $0.65 per share in the second quarter of 2017 and $380 million or $0.91 per share in the third quarter of 2016. Quarterly net sales were $5.9 billion in the third quarter of 2017 compared with $5.8 billion in the second quarter of 2017 and $5.3 billion in the third quarter of 2016. The year-over-year revenue increase was primarily due to the pulp business that was acquired in late 2016. Business segment operating profits in the third quarter of 2017 were $707 million, compared with $129 million in the second quarter of 2017 and $613 million in the third quarter of 2016. The second quarter of 2017 includes the impact of the Kleen Products settlement. Click Read More below for additional information.

Kruger officially dedicated Paper Machine No. 10 (PM10), which was completely rebuilt to manufacture 100% lightweight and high-strength linerboard at its Trois-Rivières Mill. Several dignitaries and project partners were present, including Luc Blanchette, Minister of Forests, Wildlife and Parks; Julie Boulet, Minister of Tourism ad Minister responsible for the Mauricie region; Jean-Denis Girard, MNA for Trois-Rivières; and Gene Kruger, Vice President, Business Development, Kruger Inc. Kruger invested $250 million in this project to completely rebuild PM10 for optimal results. Well before work got under way, Kruger’s engineers toured numerous manufacturing plants in North America and Europe to find the best technology for manufacturing 100% recycled lightweight and high-strength linerboard of the best possible quality. Commercialized as XTR, the new linerboard grades manufactured on PM10 meet increasing demand for ultra-light packaging without compromising on strength, performance or environmental footprint. Click Read More below for additional information.

Monadnock Paper Mills, Inc. (MPM), a family-owned manufacturer that delivers high-performance specialty papers for the technical, packaging and printing markets, today announced its Kona® portfolio of packaging substrates that is made with non-wood fiber from used burlap bags diverted from the landfill. Monadnock entered an exclusive licensing agreement with Arch Paper LLC and Whiting Paper Company for the production of a range of Kona paper and board products. Under a patented process, Monadnock is incorporating reclaimed burlap coffee bean bags into a variety of print and packaging substrates for the retail and hospitality markets. The roasted shades and variegated fibers impart a beautiful and natural aesthetic that is smooth to the touch and pleasing to the eye. Monadnock's Kona line includes stocks for hang tags, price tickets, folding boxes and wet-strength labels. They are all Forest Stewardship Council Certified and are manufactured carbon-neutral using Green-e certified renewable electricity. Click Read More below for additional information.

Net sales for the third quarter of 2017 were $1.27 billion, an increase of $127.3 million, or 11.2 percent, as compared to $1.14 billion in 2016. This increase was the result of higher net sales in the closures business due to the acquisition of the Dispensing Systems operations in April 2017 as well as in the plastic container business, partially offset by lower net sales in the metal container business. Income from operations for the third quarter of 2017 was $138.6 million, an increase of $16.2 million, or 13.2 percent, as compared to $122.4 million for the third quarter of 2016, and operating margin increased to 10.9 percent from 10.7 percent for the same periods. The increase in income from operations was the result of higher income from operations in the closures business due to the benefit from the acquisition of Dispensing Systems as well as in the plastic container business, partially offset by lower income from operations in the metal container business. Rationalization charges were $0.6 million and $7.8 million in the third quarters of 2017 and 2016, respectively. Click Read More below for additional information.

For the third quarter, earnings from continuing operations were $0.77 per share (diluted), up 13 percent compared with $0.68 per share in 2016, primarily driven by improved segment operating profit in Europe and Latin America, and lower interest and tax expense. Net sales were $1.8 billion, an increase of almost 5 percent compared to the prior year third quarter, primarily due to favorable currency translation. Price increased 1 percent on a global basis, while shipments were on par with the prior year. Earnings from continuing operations before income taxes were $172 million, an increase of 12 percent compared with the same period in 2016. Segment operating profit of reportable segments[1] for the third quarter of 2017 was $260 million, an increase of 10 percent compared with prior year. Notable gains were reported in Europe and Latin America which more than compensated for external weakness in North America. Europe benefited from a favorable sales mix, a currency tailwind and the receipt of an energy credit, as expected. The increase in Latin America was driven by a 7 percent increase in shipments including double-digit gains in Brazil and a reduction in total systems cost. Click Read More below for additional information.

Highlights: Graphic Packaging will create a leading integrated paper-based packaging company with approximately $6 billion of revenue and $1 billion of EBITDA post-synergies. Expands existing and builds new platforms for integrated growth in SBS foodservice markets and folding carton converting. International Paper Company's North America Consumer Packaging business valued at $1.8 billion. Targeting $75 million in synergies by the end of year three. Valuation of 8.6x Adjusted EBITDA and 6.3x Adjusted EBITDA post-synergies based on $210 million of Adjusted 2017 Estimated EBITDA. Transaction structured as a new partnership comprised of Graphic Packaging's existing businesses and International Paper Company's North America Consumer Packaging business. Graphic Packaging Holding Company will own 79.5 percent of the partnership and will be the sole operator. International Paper will own 20.5 percent of the partnership. Click Read More below for additional information.

Graphic Packaging Holding Company reported Net Income for third quarter 2017 of $47.3 million, or $0.15 per share, based on 310.9 million weighted average diluted shares. This compares to third quarter 2016 Net Income of $57.8 million, or $0.18 per share, based on 320.4 million weighted average diluted shares. Net Sales increased 3.1% to $1,137.6 million in the third quarter of 2017, compared to $1,103.7 million in the prior year period. When comparing against the prior year quarter, net sales were positively impacted by $29.7 million of improved volume/mix related to an acquisition and modestly positive core volumes, and $7.8 million of favorable foreign exchange. These benefits were partially offset by $3.6 million of lower pricing. Click Read More below for additional information.

Nosco, Inc., a subsidiary of Holden Industries, Inc., announced that it has acquired Gooding Company, Inc., a New York-based insert and outsert manufacturer with over 141 years of printing experience. Through the acquisition of Gooding, Nosco will add an additional manufacturing facility on the east coast that will help reduce lead times, lower packaging costs and provide an expanded portfolio of folded literature. Gooding was established in 1876 in Lockport, New York. In 1990, the company was sold to current president, Jerry Hace. Under Hace's leadership, the company began focusing on enclosures for the medical and pharmaceutical industries, in addition to other markets. "Over the years, Jerry Hace built a great team at Gooding that behaves very consistently with the employee-owned culture at Nosco," said Russ Haraf, Nosco President. "Gooding is a great company that will complement our On_Demand Solutions Center in Philadelphia very well – offering a full line of healthcare printed packaging solutions with best-in-class cycle times for the eastern portion of the U.S." Click Read More below for additional information.

Total boxboard production increased 3.3 percent when compared to September 2016, and decreased 6.3 percent from last month. Unbleached Kraft Boxboard production increased over the same month as last year but decreased compared to last month. Total Solid Bleached Boxboard & Liner production increased when compared to September 2016, but decreased compared to last month. The production of Recycled Boxboard increased compared to September 2016, but decreased when compared to last month.

WestRock Company was recognized for design excellence at the 74th annual North American Paperboard Packaging Competition. The company won 13 awards—the most of any entrant—including the prestigious Eco Award for its unique 8 pack designs for Budweiser and Bud Light’s 16 oz aluminum bottles. Sponsored by the Paperboard Packaging Council (PPC), the competition is judged by a panel of packaging experts. The awards recognize cartons that represent the best in converting excellence, innovation, and sustainability that the North American folding carton industry has provided its customers over the past year. The Eco Award recognizes an outstanding use of paperboard in replacing a non-paperboard substrate, creating extremely sustainable packaging, and/or fostering materials reductions or better cubing. Click Read More below for additional information.

The company reported net sales of $426.5 million for the third quarter of 2017, down 2.0% compared to net sales of $435.3 million for the third quarter of 2016. Net earnings determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP, for the third quarter of 2017 were $0.9 million, or $0.05 per diluted share, comparable to net earnings for the third quarter of 2016 of $0.9 million, or $0.05 per diluted share, as a $2.4 million tax benefit from Federal tax credits in the third quarter of 2017 more than offset a pre-tax loss of $2.2 million for the quarter. Excluding certain non-core items identified in the attached Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures, third quarter 2017 adjusted net earnings were $5.3 million, or $0.32 per diluted share, compared to third quarter 2016 adjusted net earnings of $2.4 million, or $0.14 per diluted share. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, or EBITDA, were $31.3 million for the third quarter of 2017 compared to $32.0 million for the third quarter of 2016. Adjusted EBITDA for the quarter was $37.6 million, up 9.7% compared to third quarter 2016 Adjusted EBITDA of $34.3 million. Click Read More below for additional information.

Net sales for the third quarter were a record $1.32 billion, an increase of $115.9 million, or 9.6 percent, from last year’s quarter. The improvement in sales was a result of higher selling prices, largely driven by rising raw material prices; sales added from acquisitions, net of divestitures; and the positive impact of foreign exchange. Gross profits were a record $250.9 million in the third quarter, an increase of $15.5 million or 6.6 percent, compared with $235.4 million in the same period in 2016. Gross profit as a percentage of sales declined to 18.9 percent, compared with 19.5 percent in the same period in 2016. The gross profit percentage reduction was primarily due to higher raw material and other operating costs offset by manufacturing and procurement productivity. Third-quarter selling, general and administrative expenses increased $8.7 million from the prior year to $130.3 million. This increase was driven by wage inflation and acquisition-related expenses. Click Read More below for additional information.

Containerboard production was essentially flat compared to September 2016. The month-over-month average daily production compared to August 2017 was 3.8% lower. The containerboard operating rate for September decreased from 97.2% to 95.9%, which was 0.9 percentage points lower than September of last year. Year-to-date production of containerboard for export is up 2.2%, with the September volume falling 13.6% below the same month last year.

Total Packaging Papers shipments were 222,200 tons, 3.4% lower than September 2016. Bag & Sack shipments were up 3.8% year-to-date, while Food Wrapping shipments were down 7.8% over the same period. The operating rate for September 2017 was 87.9%, while the year-to-date rate was 88.7%. Inventories were 168,300 tons, down slightly since August.

Net sales in the third quarter increased to $2,468 million compared to $2,326 million in the third quarter of 2016, reflecting increased global beverage, food and aerosol can volumes, the pass through of higher raw material costs, and $38 million of favorable currency translation. Income from operations was $347 million in the third quarter of 2017. Segment income improved to $358 million in the quarter over the $333 million in the third quarter of 2016, including a benefit of $5 million from currency translation. Net income attributable to Crown Holdings in the third quarter was $177 million compared to $183 million in the third quarter of 2016. Reported diluted earnings per share were $1.32 in the third quarter of 2017 compared to $1.31 in the 2016 third quarter. Adjusted diluted earnings per share were $1.41 compared to $1.33 in the third quarter of 2016. Through September 30, the Company repurchased a total of 6.2 million shares of its common stock for $339 million, including 1.1 million shares for $62 million during the third quarter. Click Read More below for additional information.

Brand owners will now have access to enhanced folding carton printing capabilities—including exotic inks and coatings—with an improved cost profile that will heighten their shelf presence. PaperWorks Industries has invested $3 million in a sheet-fed lithographic press at its Greensboro, N.C. facility which will enable many value-added enhancements in a single pass that traditionally take two- and three-passes to achieve. These include matte and metallic inks, specialty coatings and pigments—plus seven-color printing. The capability is driven by the press' unique configuration. "Brand owners and private label packagers are constantly looking for ways to grab the consumer's attention with eye-catching package design. Traditionally, carton printers would have to run the board through a press additional times to gain the heightened visual and/or tactile effects. However, earmarking additional funds for enhanced shelf impact may not always be feasible. Our new one-pass printing capability creates visual attributes in a fast and cost-effective manner," said Brandon Clairmont, senior vice president, packaging sales and marketing, PaperWorks. Click Read More below for additional information.

Global packaging leader Smurfit Kappa has introduced innovative new trucks which have increased capacity and slashed CO₂ emissions by 20%. The vehicles, which have been pioneered at the Piteå Paper Mill in Sweden, can handle heavier loads, resulting in a 30% reduction in the number of trips annually. Smurfit Kappa, which has amassed a wealth of experience in supply chain optimisation through its SupplySmart service, examined how it could streamline the Piteå supply chain. A team of logistics and sustainability specialists used this industry-leading expertise to optimise the supply chain and make it more efficient and sustainable. Click Read More below for additional information.

Amcor is expanding its leadership role in packaging innovation, product safety and sustainability in collaboration with customers and suppliers through membership of the Consumer Goods Forum (CGF). The CGF is a non-profit, global association that embraces retailers and manufacturers and is run by a board of chief executive officers – many of whom are Amcor customers. More than 400 companies from 70 countries are CGF members. With operations spanning the globe, Amcor welcomes the opportunity to continue to share our expertise and influence strategic agenda, adding the CGF to our roster of memberships with select global forums and associations.

CEO Per Lindberg comments on the development during Q3 2017: “We experienced a very strong market in the quarter, resulting in positive sales performance. Net sales were up 3% and volumes were up 1% on last year. Overall, we have had some difficulties with production availability in recent quarters, so we have established a new organisation to work proactively on both availability and quality at our facilities. I am confident that this will generate results over the coming years. Looking ahead, market conditions appear encouraging, and we see good opportunities for continued growth. In the longer term, we will have additional support from increasing demand for sustainable packaging solutions. In this respect, our major investments, which will start to deliver in 2018 and 2019, will make a significant positive contribution to our growth on this market.” Click Read More below for additional information.

"The perimeter of the store continues to experience solid growth as consumers are drawn to more fresh and natural options, with produce being the significant driver," said Sonoco Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Rob Tiede. "This growth is accelerating the need for brands to offer more convenient, on-the-go options that are easy to store, consume and dispose. Shoppers are also looking for ways to reduce food waste, so packaging has a big role to play in portion control and maintaining freshness." The newly expanded product line, which will be featured at the show, includes options ranging from flexible pouches and peel-reseal lidding, to rigid plastic trays, tubs and hinged containers. These formats are ideal for pre-cut produce, prepared salads and snack-packs, as well as whole fruits and vegetables. Click Read More below for additional information.

UPM Raflatac will launch a brand new product range for medical device and healthcare industry. New RPMD is a multi-faceted adhesive that is ideal for labeling medical devices. Selection of different face materials with new RPMD adhesive are specially designed for different medical device sub-segments such as sterilization wraps and bags, infusion bags and bottles, drug-device combinations like pens, auto-injectors and inhalers and blood donation labeling. RPMD adhesive combines excellent adhesion with a tight mandrel hold on glass and plastic and is sterilization resistant and migration safe. "In April 2017 the EU Commission formally adopted two new regulations on medical devices and in vitro diagnostic medical devices. One of the main regulatory updates is the implementation of a Unique Device Identification system (UDI) that provides a globally harmonized and consistent approach for the marking and identification of medical devices", comments Markku Pietarinen, Manager, Business Segments & Pharma, Specials EMEIA. "A UDI is a code printed on a label affixed to a device or its packaging, or even directly on the device itself, in both plain text and machine-readable format. All medical devices available in the EU must comply with the new regulations by April 2020, with the deadline for in vitro diagnostic devices falling two years later, in 2022." Click Read More below for additional information.

Wendy’s, Church’s Chicken and Taco Bell all honored North America’s Foodservice business unit with significant awards earned for delivering outstanding service and design. As three of the most globally recognizable quick-service restaurants in the industry, these are obviously great honors for our company. Wendy’s Golden Link Award - Awarded only once every two years, the Golden Link Awards recognize top supply chain partners. Huhtamaki was honored for their strong commitment to its partnership with Wendy’s and delivering excellent products at a fair price. Church’s Chicken Supplier of the Year - Huhtamaki collaborated with Church’s Chicken to globally source the paperboard used in producing the Church’s boxes and cartons. Yum! Brands/RSCS STAR Award for Taco Bell’s Packaging Supplier of the Year - During their Annual STAR Award ceremony, Yum! Brands and Restaurant Supply Chain Solutions (RSCS) chose Huhtamaki as Taco Bell’s Packaging Supplier of the Year. Click Read More below for additional information.

The PM6 machine, which has a production capacity of 100,000 tons of recycled containerboard per year, will facilitate greater integration within the Group’s converting plants and significantly increase the energy efficiency of the Los Reyes plant. The investment will enable Smurfit Kappa Mexico to produce high performance containerboard, contributing to the company's competitiveness in an ever-growing packaging market. The type of material produced by PM6 further strengthens Smurfit Kappa’s offering for the agricultural and electrical appliance sectors, where protecting products in the supply chain is key. Click Read More below for additional information.

The labeling market is one of the largest growth segments in the printing industry. The demand for digitally printed labels in particular is recording extremely dynamic and sustained growth. The level of customer interest in the latest labeling solutions from Gallus, a subsidiary of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg), was thus very high at this year’s Labelexpo trade fair in Brussels at the end of September. Numerous orders for the Gallus Labelfire digital label press as well as for the new Gallus Labelmaster platform are evidence of Heidelberg’s leading role in this market segment. “The labeling market is an important part of our growth strategy,” explained Rainer Hundsdörfer, the company’s CEO. “We’re focusing on the globally increasing demand for labels, produced both digitally or in the conventional way. We’re convinced that our Gallus range will provide a great amount of potential for Heidelberg.” Click Read More below for additional detail.

Jaholo, a special micro-embossing printing technology jointly developed by Janoschka and Amcor, produces prismatic and pattern movement effects which catch the eye. “Our customers want packaging that generates visual attention and engagement for their brands,” said Ilya Syshchikov, Vice President of Innovation and Strategy for Amcor’s folding carton business. “Jaholo creates a dynamic appearance, engaging consumers and enhancing their interaction with products.” By combining Janoschka’s integrated pre-press expertise with Amcor’s global printing and converting capabilities, the companies have industrialised Jaholo technology. Click Read More below for additional detail.

The Design of the Times competition celebrates in-store displays and digital activations, and recognizes their role in any successful shopper marketing initiative. The competition is sponsored by the Path to Purchase Institute, a global member community that champions shopper-centric thinking and practice that help define the ongoing evolution of consumer marketing and the overall shopping experience. “At WestRock, we know that packaging and merchandising play an important role in the shopper’s path to purchase,” said Pete Durette, president of Enterprise Solutions & Strategy for WestRock. “We’re proud of the recognition these awards represent. They are a testament to our commitment to combining our unparalleled industry insights with design and innovation capabilities to create solutions that drive real value for our customers.” Click Read More below for additional detail.

A packaging solutions supplier for large manufacturers has purchased a new four-color MetalStar 3 press from KBA-MetalPrint. The new MetalStar 3 four-color press line will include KBA UV curing, fully automatic plate change (FAPC), KBA CleanTronic Synchro for simultaneous washing of the blanket and impression cylinder, simultaneous roller wash (SRW), automatic camera register control (ACRC), sheet management system, inline Metalcoat 470 coater, and a double box stacker. The press will be installed in the first quarter of 2018. Commenting on the order, Sam Pernice Director of Sales & Service for KBA-MetalPrint in the USA said: “This particular customer is successful for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is their meticulous and professional approach when choosing their business partners. Their selection of the MetalStar 3 press is the culmination of very careful planning and due diligence. While we realize that there are other vendors from which to choose, we are honored that they have chosen to place their confidence and trust in our hands.” Pernice continued, “Coming on the heels of another order we received from them last year, we are especially gratified to receive this repeat business.” Click Read More below for additional detail.

Clearwater Paper Corporation provided an update on certain factors that are expected to negatively impact operating results for the third quarter of 2017 by approximately $8 to $9 million, based on preliminary results. The company is currently in the process of completing its financial closing procedures for the third quarter of 2017 and will report final results for the quarter on October 19, 2017. Several factors are expected to negatively impact the company's prior outlook for the third quarter. The planned major maintenance outage at the Lewiston, Idaho, mill is expected to cost an incremental $3 to $4 million as a result of higher than expected repair costs and lost production due to a three-day delay in the startup of the paper machines. However, the delay did not impact the new continuous pulp digester, which commenced start-up as scheduled at the end of the third quarter. Inclement weather caused by hurricanes in the Southeast delayed shipments to customers and contributed to higher transportation expenses and reduced revenues with a net impact totaling approximately $2 million. The expected relief in rising pulp prices in the latter half of the quarter did not materialize contributing to approximately $2 million of incremental expenses. Also, lower than expected case shipments of consumer products and lower converted paperboard shipment volumes are expected to negatively impact results by approximately $1 million. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Graphic Packaging Holding Company (NYSE: GPK), has announced that one of its wholly owned subsidiaries has acquired Norgraft Packaging, S.A. Norgraft is a leading folding carton producer in Spain focused on the food and household goods markets. Norgraft converts approximately 25,000 tons of paperboard annually and operates two converting plants located in Maliaño and Requejada in Cantabria, Spain. The business generated revenue of approximately $40 million on an LTM basis. "The announced transaction is consistent with our strategy to pursue acquisitions that allow us to grow our folding carton volume in attractive geographies and end-markets, improve our cost position, service our customers with excellence, and increase our mill to converting plant integration levels over time," said President and CEO Michael Doss.

Tetra Pak has strengthened its product offering for ice cream manufacturers with the acquisition of Big Drum Engineering GmbH, a leading supplier of filling machines for the industry. The deal further extends the company’s ability to provide end-to-end solutions for food and beverage companies around the world, and reinforces its global leadership in the sector. Tetra Pak already provides a full range of ice cream equipment, including raw material storage, mix preparation, continuous freezing and inclusion systems, as well as production solutions for moulded and extruded ice cream products. The acquisition of Big Drum will strengthen the company’s presence in the “filled” ice cream segment (e.g. tubs and cones) which represent approximately half of the global packaged ice cream market. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Sonoco announced it is implementing a price increase for all resin-based products sold in North America. The increase amounts by formulation are: CPET/PET – 15 percent, PE – 10 percent, PP – 5 percent. The increase, which impacts thermoformed, injection-molded and extrusion-molded products, is effective with shipments beginning October 15, 2017. “With the unfortunate events surrounding Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, we are seeing a significant inflationary spike affecting the entire industry, not just Sonoco,” said Jeff DiPasquale, vice president and general manager for Sonoco’s Global Plastics division. “The unprecedented occurrence of these natural disasters has greatly impacted the North American resin supply chain in terms of both production and distribution. We are doing everything possible to minimize the impact of this disruption to our customers.”

Electronics For Imaging, Inc. (Nasdaq:EFII) announced today the acquisition of Escada Systems (Escada), a leading provider of Corrugator Control systems for the packaging market. Based in the United Kingdom and with operations also in the United States, privately held Escada brings a strong reputation for innovation and vast experience in helping packaging companies to achieve greater productivity, quality and profitability. EFI is a market leader in providing a complete ecosystem for corrugated production, that includes the EFI Nozomi C18000, an ultra-high-speed single-pass LED inkjet press powered by the award winning Fiery DFE together with leading edge inks, and the EFI Corrugated Packaging Productivity Suite, the market's first end-to-end software offering for business management and manufacturing execution, which is gaining global momentum, serving corrugated packaging companies around the globe. The addition of Escada's technology and expertise will enable EFI to expand the Productivity Suite's value to sheet feeders and full corrugated box plants, to also include comprehensive control and traceability for the entire corrugation process. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Packaging Corporation of America announced that it has completed its acquisition of the assets of Sacramento Container Corporation and 100% of the membership interests of Northern Sheets, LLC and Central California Sheets, LLC in a cash-free, debt-free transaction. Funding for the $265 million purchase price came from available cash on hand. PCA Chairman and CEO Mark Kowlzan said, “Completing the acquisition of Sacramento Container, Northern Sheets and Central California sheets continues to further PCA’s strategic objectives. We welcome our new employees to PCA and look forward to quickly integrating these operations into our company.”

As part of its increased expansion in the Latin American pressure-sensitive label market, UPM Raflatac is pleased to announce it will be opening a new slitting and distribution terminal in Santiago, Chile in early 2018. This new terminal will allow UPM Raflatac to improve its service capabilities and offer an expanded range of paper and film products to customers in the Chilean market, particularly in the wine and craft beverage segments. Currently under construction in the Lo Boza industrial sector adjacent to Santiago International Airport, this brand new facility will join UPM Raflatac's growing Americas Terminal Network, which includes a number of facilities throughout North and South America. The new terminal will feature two meter-wide slitting capabilities and the company plans to have trimless offerings on select materials. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Cascades Inc. received on September 18th, 2017 the Platinum Supplier of the Year award in the Cleaning and Hygiene category at the Balpex Supplier Summit. This award is presented to a supplier that has achieved exceptional performance in its business sector. Cascades PRO TM , a Cascades Tissue Group division, earned this award and recognition thanks in part to an incredible effort rebranding its professional products intended for businesses, industries and institutions. It was in 2016 that Cascades Tissue Group launched a campaign to promote its professional products now grouped under the Cascades PRO TM brand. A major sales and marketing effort made it possible to increase awareness of the product line in a simplified manner. Click Read More below for more of the story.

International Paper announced it has entered into an agreement with The Prudential Insurance Company of America (NYSE: PRU) to purchase a group annuity contract and transfer approximately $1.3 billion of International Paper's U.S. qualified pension plan projected benefit obligations. The transaction will be funded with pension plan assets, and at the end of 2017, Prudential will assume responsibility for pension benefits and annuity administration for approximately 45,000 former employees or their beneficiaries receiving less than $450 in monthly benefit payments from the plan. The transaction is expected to close on October 3, 2017, subject to customary closing conditions. Click Read More below for additional detail.

PaperWorks Industries, Inc., a leading manufacturer of paperboard and specialized folding cartons, announced that C. Anderson "Andy" Bolton has joined the company as president and chief executive officer. Bolton has more than two decades of senior leadership experience with several multinational packaging companies. He brings to PaperWorks a significant track record in finance, sales, strategy, business development and executive management in flexible and rigid packaging. In his prior roles, he has served the needs of many market segments including personal and home care, beverage, medical, pharmaceutical and others. Click Read More below for additional detail.

UPM Raflatac has announced Henkel as the winner of the RafCycle® Award at Labelexpo Europe 2017 in Brussels. The RafCycle Award is presented in recognition of excellence in recycling and environmental performance. Henkel has demonstrated great commitment to improving the environmental performance of self-adhesive labeling and promoting the sustainability of the labeling business. Both Henkel and UPM share common values of driving sustainable business and the circular economy, including having the concrete target of zero waste to landfill. "We're very proud to receive the RafCycle Award, as it recognizes our commitment to working with partners along the entire value chain to create sustainable value," says Jens Hainmueller, Head of International Packaging Development for Henkel's Beauty Care business unit. "Our partnership with UPM Raflatac gives label liners a second life, as they can be recycled to produce new paper materials. It's a great example of how we use our technologies and expertise to develop future-oriented solutions with partners who share our commitment to leadership in sustainability." Click Read More below for additional detail.

Sonoco has leveraged its world-class RainGuard® technology, previously applied to its Sonotube® forms, to develop a new paper cartridge for adhesives, caulks and sealants designed to withstand inclement weather on construction sites. The cartridge can be used for traditional adhesives and sealants packaged in barrier fiber cartridges, and is now available for the entire adhesives and sealants market. “This cartridge was developed in response to customer feedback – we learned that people needed an all-weather solution for construction sites, especially for large, ongoing projects,” said William Long, division sales manager, Adhesives and Sealants, Sonoco. “This new cartridge is still gunnable after exposure to wet conditions, meaning that construction workers don’t need to pack up every time it rains.” Click Read More below for additional detail.

Evergreen Packaging® unveiled Sentinel™ Barrier Cupstock, a new retail packaging offering in the company’s Sentinel™ line of fiber-based products. Sentinel™ Barrier Cupstock is designed as a sustainable alternative to existing foil-lined paper cups and polypropylene cups. Potential end uses for Sentinel Barrier Cupstock include barrier cups to hold cereal, cookies, candy and other snacks. “As demand for sustainable packaging continues to rise, we’re committed to innovating our product lines to introduce new, cost-effective options to the food service and retail packaging industries,” said Chris Johns, Vice President of Paperboard Sales at Evergreen Packaging. “Our new Sentinel™ Barrier Cupstock leverages our deep barrier technology expertise to provide customers with a high performance, sustainable packaging option for the retail food cup market.” Click Read More below for additional detail.

Sealed Air Corporation announced price increases ranging from five to eight percent for the majority of its Food Care division’s North American products. The increases will be effective October 2, 2017. “Sealed Air has not had a price increase for Food Care products in North America since 2014, and we are working to minimize the cost adjustments and their impact on our customers,” said Karl R. Deily, President, Sealed Air Food Care; “However, notable increases in our input costs, including a 31% rise in the price of polyethylene since 2016, make changes to our prices necessary in order to continue to deliver the same level of value and innovation to our customers.” The price changes include a five percent increase on all shrink bags, rollstock products, food films and vertical pouch packaging, as well as a six percent increase on unpadded solid plastic trays and an eight percent increase on pre-padded solid plastic trays.

Highlights - underlying earnings unless otherwise indicated(1)(2) •Profit after tax (PAT) of US$701.2 million up 9.6%(3) on a constant currency basis; •Earnings per share (EPS) of 60.6 US cents, up 10.1%(3) on a constant currency basis; •Strong returns, measured as profit before interest and tax to average funds employed of 20.4%; •Strong free cash flow of US$245.3 million(4); and •Annual dividend per share increased to 43.0 US cents. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Tetra Pak's Packaging Material Converting Factory in Denton is getting ready for new technology to support the growth of its business in the U.S. and Canada. The plant's expanded capabilities are made possible through a sizeable €30-million investment in factory upgrades, including a new state-of-the-art laminator, that will ensure the facility is well positioned to meet the evolving needs of the U.S. and Canadian markets with a wider range of packaging formats. "Tetra Pak is pleased to make these upgrades, which will position our Denton factory as one of the most advanced in our global operations," said Carmen Becker, president and CEO of Tetra Pak U.S. and Canada. "This new technology will allow us to produce an expanded portfolio of packages out of this facility and better serve our customers." With this investment, Tetra Pak will be able to move some production from Mexico to Denton and offer noteworthy benefits to Tetra Pak customers, including improved service, reduced lead times and other logistical efficiencies. Click Read More below for additional detail.

The Dutch Beers and Collectors Association (BAV) has awarded the Dutch beer brewer HOOP Bier as the winner of the best and the most beautiful beer label 2017 at the Dutch BAV beer label competition. The competition is open for all beer brewers from the Netherlands. During the BAV Autumn Fair in September 16, an expert jury chose the Old Ale's label "Oudt Heyn and syn wyf" by HOOP Bier as the winner. The main contributors for the win were the design, appearance and the label mentioning recommendations for preferred food to partner the beer. The concept and design of HOOP Bier was made by PROUDdesign, an agency specialized in packaging and brand-design. Click Read More below for additional detail.

UPM Raflatac is extending its range of film face materials for the European market with a new plant-based material that provides a sustainable alternative to fossil-based films for a wide variety of end uses. RafBio PE 85 performs just like standard PE film, and its excellent flexibility makes it ideal for the squeezable bottles and contoured containers that are widely used in home and personal care applications. Part of the RafBio family of bio-based labeling solutions, RafBio PE 85 is the ideal choice for customers who are looking for a sustainable film face material that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions during its life cycle, compared to conventional PE, while still keeping products looking their very best. Made from sugarcane ethanol, the film contains more than 80% renewable plant-based raw material and is recyclable within the same recycling streams as fossil-based PE. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Mondi Neusiedler recently completed the certification process for food safety management and has been awarded the EN 15593 certification by the renowned Swiss certifier SQS (Swiss Association for Quality and Management Systems). Food companies are using the speciality papers and professional printing papers produced at Mondi Neusiedler for their food packaging to combine the excellent print quality, an exceptional environmental profile and highest hygiene standards. The papers are for example converted into bread sleeves, bags, liners, folding boxes or secondary packaging. “For such converting purposes optimal technical paper grades are required and customers can rely on our knowledge and paper qualities,” explains Johannes Klumpp, Marketing & Sales Director Mondi Uncoated Fine Paper. “Our customers are searching for a reliable partner and peace of mind when buying speciality papers for their food contact applications”, says Klumpp. “The certification fulfils exactly this need to ensure consumer safety as it independently proves Mondi Neusiedler complies with international standards in hygiene management. A quality our customers and end consumers can rely on every day”, he clarifies. Click Read More below for additional detail.

UPM Raflatac's experts welcome visitors to Labelexpo Europe on 25-28 September in Brussels. Under the theme 'Labeling a smarter future', we will be highlighting our innovative and sustainable label solutions together with the world-class service. RAFNXT+ product range marks the launch of a unique forest positive approach for sustainable labeling. Together with optimized raw material efficiencies, RAFNXT+ creates labeling solutions that delivers sustainability credentials that go way beyond the industry standard. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Containerboard production was 2.0 percent higher compared to August 2016. The month-over-month average daily production compared to July 2017 was 1.0 percent lower. The containerboard operating rate for August decreased from 97.9 percent to 96.9 percent, which was 0.8 percentage points higher compared to August of last year. Year-to-date production of containerboard for export is up 4.4 percent.

Total Packaging Papers shipments were 235,900 tons, 1.7 percent lower than August 2016. Bag & Sack shipments were up 5.5 percent year-to-date, while Food Wrapping shipments were down 8.5 percent over the same period. The operating rate for August 2017 was 90.3 percent, while the year-to-date rate was 88.8 percent. Inventories were 168,600 tons, down slightly since July.

Total boxboard production increased 2.9 percent when compared to August 2016, and increased 0.7 percent from last month. Unbleached Kraft Boxboard production increased over the same month as last year and increased compared to last month. Total Solid Bleached Boxboard & Liner production increased when compared to August 2016, but decreased compared to last month. The production of Recycled Boxboard decreased compared to August 2016, but increased when compared to last month.

A new generation of lightweight SuperEnd® beverage ends from CROWN Asia Pacific, a division of Crown Holdings, Inc., reduce metal use by over 10% when compared to conventional 202 diameter (52mm) ends. The Interchangeable SuperEnd® beverage end is compatible with seamer tooling used with other lightweight ends on the market. The lightweight nature of the ends means less aluminum is required for the manufacturing process, decreasing the amount of energy required during distribution. In addition, like all metal packaging, the ends are 100% recyclable and infinitely recyclable, making aluminum a permanent resource that underpins the circular economy, where materials can be used again and again with no loss in quality or physical properties. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Consumers want to purchase products that are healthy and taste good with the added advantage of being eco-friendly — from the ingredients to the packaging. More and more Grocery Shoppers are being more thoughtful about the products they buy and the type of packaging these products come in. The insights below identify some actions consumers are taking to lead a more sustainable lifestyle. see the infographic at: http://evergreenpackaging.com/wp-content/uploads/EP-SmartBrief-Ad-3_FINAL9.19.17.pdf

Smurfit Kappa, which celebrates 40 years of producing Bag-in-Box® packaging solutions, has experienced remarkable growth in Europe and particularly France where sales have tripled in the last 10 years. The rise in Bag-in-Box® wine sales reflects changes in consumer behaviour and social trends. The longer shelf life, ease of use and reduction in wastage has made it more attractive both to consumers and retailers. In addition to France, Smurfit Kappa Bag-in-Box® sales have also risen across the business, particularly in Argentina, Denmark, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the US. Launched in Epernay, France in 1977, the revolutionary Smurfit Kappa Bag-in-Box® packaging has continuously evolved over the years with the addition of innovative solutions including the Vitop® tap, high-specification filling machine systems and Pouch-Up® packs. Click Read More below for additional detail.

At this year's Pack Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada, UPM Raflatac is thinking outside the package through innovative technologies designed to educate brand owners on industry-leading packaging decoration methods that can elevate their brands. When paired with the right package, high quality label materials help brands stand out on the shelf and grab consumer attention - and UPM Raflatac's paper and film products for craft beer, food and beverage to home and personal care containers outshine the rest. Show attendees are invited to visit UPM Raflatac at booth 6363 in the Lower South Hall of the Containers and Materials Pavilion see their paper and film materials and sustainable packaging solutions in action! Click Read More below for additional detail.

Stora Enso has completed the divestment announced on 26 July 2017 of its 35% holding in the equity accounted investment Bulleh Shah Packaging (Private) Ltd. in Pakistan to the main owner Packages Ltd. The total cash consideration for the divestment of the shares is EUR 6 million. The loss on disposal amounts in total to approximately EUR 19 million and it will be recorded as an item affecting comparability in Stora Enso’s third quarter 2017 results. With this transaction, Packages Ltd. achieves full ownership of Bulleh Shah Packaging.

According to Paper + Packaging Board in their Farm to Box to Table initiative, corrugated has numerous benefits when it comes to transporting food from farm to store, including: •Corrugated Helps us be Efficient: Corrugated is sustainable, recyclable, renewable and efficient – helping save space. •Corrugated Keeps our Food Fresh: Growers choose corrugated because it’s renewable and helps food stay fresher, cleaner and better protected. •Corrugated Is Preferred for Food Transportation: Nearly half of all corrugated boxes made in the U.S. each year are used to transport food from farm to store. Click Read More below for more of the story.

During the night between September 5th and 6th, there was a fire in one of the buildings at BillerudKorsnäs’ production unit in Karlsborg. The production was stopped as a consequence of the fire but is now back to full speed after a successful work to make the unit ready for production. BillerudKorsnäs estimates that the impact from the fire on Q3 results will be approximately SEK 35 million. "Our teams and suppliers have made good efforts to overcome the consequences of the fire and we are glad that we can inform our customers of this quick start-up", says Per Lindberg, President and CEO of BillerudKorsnäs. The production unit in Karlsborg manufactures sack and kraft paper as well as market pulp for the Packaging Paper business area and has a production capacity of approximately 300,000 tonnes per year.

In an industry first, the new line uses an independently controlled horizontal cutter to slice the ice cream as it emerges from the extruder. This patented technology means the cutting speed stays consistently fast, irrespective of the line speed, ensuring a precise, clean cut even at low rates of production. By programming the cutter to operate at different speeds and movements, ice cream producers can also switch between multiple products on the same line, be they sticks, sandwiches, cones, wafer cups, candy bars or cakes, while maintaining the highest possible quality. With a capacity range of 5,000 to 18,000 products per hour, the line offers much-needed volume flexibility to medium-sized producers, allowing them to increase or decrease output without compromising efficiency. Click Read More below for additional detail.

“WestRock’s corrugated packaging business in Brazil continues to perform well, with strong relationships with customers in attractive growth markets,” said Steve Voorhees, chief executive officer, WestRock. “Our new corrugated packaging plant will enable our exceptional team in Brazil to serve these customers even better in the future, with a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility that will provide new capabilites and efficiences for our customers, and to further integrate the containerboard that we manufacture in Brazil.” The new facility will be located in Porto Feliz and will serve all industry segments and markets both in the highly developed Sao Paulo region, as well other growing areas in Brazil’s southeast region. Construction is expected to begin later this year and be completed in mid-2019.

The Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia supported by the Chilean Office of Indonesian Trade Promotion Center (ITPC), announced it has partnered with Asia Pulp and Paper (APP) to recently exhibit APP’s innovative food packaging and premium packaging boards at Espacio Food & Service 2017. The ITPC is a non-profit government organization under the Directorate General for National Export Development of Indonesia and the Espacio Food & Service event is known as one of the most influential food industry get-togethers in Chile and throughout Latin America. “This show was a great opportunity for us to demonstrate that Indonesian companies such as APP can take its rightful place on the world stage, delivering true innovation and industry market demand solutions,” said Ambassador Philemon Arobaya, Indonesian Ambassador to Chile. “Indonesia has so much to offer the world, and we are proud to bring just a small piece of it to Latin America.” Click Read More below for additional detail.

Used for filling Bag-in-Box® and Pouch-Up® products, the machine was produced by the BIB Equipment division of Smurfit Kappa Bag-in-Box. Smurfit Kappa’s automatic web filling machines offer high productivity and efficiency thanks to a number of innovative technologies including: • The revolutionary filling valve with separate vacuum and nitrogen circuits which decrease the oxygen pickup during filling • The “soft drop” of the bag reducing the number of leakers • The raised buffer tank which enables a better flow and more accurate filling. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Evergreen Packaging , a global leader in the manufacturing of refrigerated paper cartons, debuted a Fully Renewable Carton, part of their Renewable Plus Carton line featuring sugarcane-based polyethylene. Part of the Evergreen Packaging family of FreshHouse™ Cartons, the new Renewable Plus Cartons underscore the company’s commitment to developing sustainable packaging solutions from renewable materials. “Our new Renewable Plus Carton reflects our promise to continually innovate and create unique renewable packaging solutions that serve both customers and consumers,” said DeWitt Clark, Vice President of North American Packaging at Evergreen Packaging. “Customers can offer fully renewable carton options which leverage our industry-leading expertise in barrier extrusion technology. Consumers can feel good about purchasing products knowing that they’re purchasing packaging made from renewable materials.” Click Read More below for additional detail.

UPM Raflatac has further expanded its range of guaranteed, globally available, and compliant pharmaceutical and healthcare label materials for the medical device and healthcare industries. Today there are over 500,000 types of medical and in vitro diagnostic medical devices available in the EU, with a medical device meaning anything from a contact lens or sticking plaster to an x-ray machine or hip replacement component. In vitro diagnostic medical devices include things like HIV blood tests, pregnancy tests, and blood sugar monitoring systems for diabetics. The new RPMD (Raflatac Permanent Medical Device) adhesive range includes labeling solutions for drug/device combination products like insulin pens, auto-injectors, and inhalers, as well as blood donation labeling, sterilization pouches for medical devices, and infusion bags and bottles. Combining selected paper and film face materials with an RPMD adhesive ensures excellent adhesion with a tight mandrel hold on glass and plastic, as well as sterilization resistance and migration safety - both common requirements in medical device and healthcare labeling. Click Read More below for additional detail.

​Lecta brings out a new Adestor hot-melt adhesive for packaging applications.​​​ Adestor HM300 is a permanent hot-melt adhesive with a very high tack especially formulated for high-speed air-blow labelling. It performs well at low temperatures and can be used at room temperature of -5ºC. Its immediate strong adhesion makes it ideal for rough and curved surfaces. The new HM300 adhesive is available in a range of different paper and film face stock. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Method and global packaging leader Amcor have combined to introduce a new package with a significantly enhanced sustainability profile for Method’s dishwasher-cleaning product. The product, Power Dish, is now delivered to consumers in a reclosable polyethylene (PE) stand-up pouch – developed and produced by Amcor – with a carbon footprint that is up to two-thirds smaller than the package it replaced. The attractive, functional packaging contains 20 percent post-consumer recycled (PCR) resin, and is itself more easily recycled. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Cascades Inc., leader in the recovery and manufacturing of green packaging and tissue products, invites the media representatives to a press conference during which the Minister of Economy, Science and Innovation, Dominique Anglade , the Minister responsible for the Centre-du-Québec region, Laurent Lessard , President and CEO of Cascades, Mario Plourde , President and Chief Operating Officer of Cascades Containerboard Packaging, Charles Malo , and Drummondville Mayor Alexandre Cusson , will inaugurate the expansion of the Drummondville corrugated packaging plant, an investment of $ 26.4 million. Dignitaries, customers, suppliers and employees will join them for this expected event.

NEENAH Packaging will showcase its premium packaging products and custom capabilities at this year’s Packaging Innovations & Luxury Packaging show (F75) at Olympia, London, September 13-14, 2017. Making its name by partnering with industry leading brands to successfully build brand equity and help drive financial results, NEENAH Packaging will showcase its market-changing and custom solutions at this show. Market-changing packaging to be featured at Packaging Innovations: Tech giant Amazon has changed the game when it comes to the world of gift cards. Neenah has helped Amazon to elevate the gift card experience for both the buyer and gift recipient through creative packaging solutions and was instrumental in providing Amazon with a strategic assessment for its gift tag products and meeting the company’s ROI objectives. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Sealed Air Corporation announced the acquisition of Fagerdala Singapore Pte Ltd., a manufacturer and fabricator of polyethylene foam. Sealed Air will acquire 100 percent of Fagerdala shares for approximately $100 million in cash. The sale is expected to close in October of 2017. Fagerdala, established in 1983 with headquarters in Singapore, has 14 manufacturing facilities, employs more than 1,300 people in China, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Mexico and the United States, and generated $80 million in sales in 2016. Sealed Air plans to leverage Fagerdala’s manufacturing footprint in Asia, expertise in foam manufacturing and fabrication, and commercial organization to grow sales in the consumer electronics, medical equipment and devices, automotive, temperature assurance, and e-commerce fulfillment sectors. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Crown Holdings, Inc. announced that it will build a new plant in the Valencia region of Spain to produce aluminum beverage cans. The location of the facility, Parc Sagunt, is approximately 10 miles north of the city of Valencia, and was selected based on its close proximity to key customers as well as the excellent local infrastructure and transportation links. The Company currently operates two steel beverage can plants in Spain, in Agoncillo and Seville, and will be constructing the new facility to meet the growing demand and preference for aluminum beverage cans in the Iberian region. Click Read More below for additional detail.

The company ranked among the top 1% of the 30,000 companies that were assessed on a range of criteria across environment, labour practices and human rights, sustainable procurement and fair business practices. EcoVadis provides supplier sustainability ratings for global supply chains in companies such as BASF, Johnson & Johnson, Nestlé, Renault and Veolia. This achievement follows on from Smurfit Kappa reaching a sustainability target earlier in the year when it reached full chain of custody certification for its entire raw material supply chain, helping its customers to meet their own sustainability and environmental targets. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Stora Enso’s consumer insights show that customers value packaging that is easy to use and that protects the freshness of their groceries. 6 out of 7 customers say that the single most important thing is that the packaging keeps the products fresh. What else is important to them?

Graphic Packaging Holding Company (NYSE: GPK), today announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Graphic Packaging International, Inc., will close its coated recycled paperboard mill in Santa Clara, California by year end. This decision was made as a result of a thorough assessment of the facility's manufacturing capabilities and associated costs in the context of the Company's overall mill operating capability. The closure will affect approximately 120 employees.

The competition, organized by Stora Enso, is now open for registration on recreatepackaging.com until 22nd December 2017. Taste is visual, and an appealing package can alter not only the general impression but also the perceived taste of a food product. The Recreate Packaging by Stora Enso is a design competition that seeks new packaging ideas and solutions based on renewable fibre-based materials. This time, the designers’ task is to rethink food packaging to make the whole product experience appealing, fun and enjoyable for kids.

A decade or so ago, Ben Miyares, a regular contributor to this magazine and President of The Packaging Management Institute, was teaching a module for our on-line Packaging Masters Program Course “The Value of Packaging” at Michigan State University. We had just started PTIS and believed that packaging value was very understated and that there were big opportunities ahead. The Miyares module was about packaging being bigger than an “industry”—he referred to it as an “economy.”

In the beverage industry, smart companies have been responding to the clean label movement for years. But did you know that shoppers, especially Millennials, consider the packaging as an extension of the ingredient list? Are you giving them the clean packaging they’re looking for?

Electronics For Imaging on Tuesday said Complete Design & Packaging (CDP), an independent corrugated packaging provider in Concord, N.C., will be the first U.S. business in to install EFI's Nozomi C18000 single-pass LED corrugated packaging press. CDP, which was founded by Howard Bertram in 2002, will use the six-color press for "cost-effective, high-quality, direct-to-board digital printing that extends client brand presence in retail corrugated packaging," according to a press release from EFI.

As reported in the media, during the night between September 5 and 6th, there was a fire in one of the buildings at BillerudKorsnäs’ production unit in Karlsborg. The fire started late in the evening on September 5th in and was isolated to one building. . The fire has been extinguished. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. The production in Karlsborg has been stopped while the damage is being investigated.

BillerudKorsnäs invests in the area of cold chain packaging as it acquires a minority holding in the innovative company Vericool Inc., headquartered in California. The company’s solutions enable sustainable and compostable packaging solutions for unbroken cold chains in the grocery and pharmaceutical market, intended as an alternative to non-sustainable packaging solutions, such as polystyrene (EPS).

Smurfit Kappa, leader in complete Bag-in-Box® packaging solutions, will be attending the PACK EXPO event from 25th - 27th September 2017 at the Las Vegas Convention Centre. Smurfit Kappa will showcase its unique expertise in complete packaging solutions with its Bag-in-Box®, Pouch-Up®, Vitop tap and filling machines. Adapted for the food and beverage industry and also non-food industries such as automotive, agrochemical and pharmaceutical, these innovations show many advantages in terms of shelf life, cost, sustainability and consumer convenience.

A new infographic from the Flexible Packaging Association highlights how flexible packaging can help keep food fresher and prevent food waste. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, approximately 40% of food is not consumed. The annual amount of food waste is 36 million tons, which is worth $162 billion.

Greif is pleased to report that our steel, plastic, fibre drum and chemical filling services that were impacted by Hurricane Harvey are returning to operation. Operation may be limited depending on access to transportation, raw material, or other external services like export shipping Ports. We will keep the safety of our people as the top priority as we resume operations and meet our customers’ needs.

There’s high anticipation for this upcoming fall season at Foremost Graphics in Michigan and it’s not due to college football. That’s when the 100-employee firm will move its fast-growing packaging division from an old multi-floor furniture factory to a newly remodeled state of the art 80,000 sq ft facility outside of Grand Rapids and install its first-ever KBA Rapida 106 41-inch sheetfed press. Along with the press, new ERP software and additional material handling equipment will provide improved workflows and shared resources with its existing corporate headquarters in the city of Walker, MI. “We’re at an exciting crossroads in our packaging business. We’ve invested millions of dollars in new equipment, including the KBA press, as well as in a new facility,” says Paul Kelly, president of Foremost Graphics. “Our goal is to facilitate the strong expansion in the packaging segment of our business, where we see equal growth opportunities in market segments including health and beauty, automotive and food processing for our national client base.” Click Read More below for additional detail.

Neenah’s paper-based gift card offering is now significantly strengthened by the recent acquisition of a state of the art lamination asset from Hazen Paper. Hazen Paper is a world-class paper converter whose expertise and products enjoy wide acceptance in this growing market segment. As part of this asset acquisition, more than 25 experienced employees will join the Neenah team to ensure a smooth transition. Brands such as Amazon, Facebook and Ben & Jerry’s have chosen paper gift cards over plastic. The list of brands making the switch from plastic to paper gift cards grows longer every day. Paper cards eliminate the need for fossil fuel-based production, and keep toxic plastic gift cards out of the landfill. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Atlantic Packaging Products, Ltd., of Scarborough, Ontario, Canada, is pleased to announce the formation of a strategic partnership with York Container Company (YCC) of York, Pennsylvania. Details and terms of this partnership are not being disclosed. Stephen Tansey, President and representative of YCC's shareholders, commented "York Container is committed to growth and providing innovative solutions to our customers. We have enjoyed robust growth over the past several years, but we believe that in order to take our plans to the next level we need to partner with a like-minded company to expand geographically and extend our capabilities to a broader customer base. After an evaluation of our various options, we are thrilled to join forces with Atlantic. This is the best possible outcome for all of our stakeholders, in particular, our customers and employees." Irving Granovsky, Chairman of Atlantic Packaging, describes the rationale for this transaction: "Atlantic is always looking for progressive and well-managed companies to team up with. We feel York Container is a wonderful addition to our partnership portfolio." Click Read More below for additional detail.

Evergreen Packaging announced the launch of the Fall 2017 Made By Milk™ Carton Construction Contest. This year's contest theme – Sports – invites students to build milk carton creations inspired by games and recreation, from archery to ziplining, amateur to Olympic-level. Classroom teams can win up to $5,000 by building novel creations from empty milk or juice cartons repurposed from their school lunches. The deadline for submissions is November 15, 2017. "Now in its sixth year, the Made By Milk™ Contest gives students of all ages the opportunity to express their creativity while building design skills, teamwork and awareness of environmental issues including sustainability," said Katie Simmons, marketing manager at Evergreen Packaging. "We can't wait to see how students across the country will translate this year's Sports theme into imaginative carton creations." Click Read More below for additional detail.

Oliver Printing & Packaging Company, a leading provider of print, display and packaging services, announced the acquisition of Pohlig Packaging, a packaging manufacturer based in Richmond, Virginia. Pohlig Packaging is a manufacturer of folding cartons, micro-fluted corrugated boxes and setup boxes, serving the food and grocery, consumer products, automotive aftermarket and healthcare markets. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Mondi will show how its packaging solutions are addressing industry and consumer trends at the 2017 PACK EXPO trade fair in Las Vegas. “Industrial customers and consumers today are sophisticated and demanding,” says Georg Kasperkovitz, CEO Mondi Consumer Packaging. “Whether for their own customers or themselves as end-users, brand managers prefer packaging that is convenient and that helps with the buying decision. Producers of consumer goods, food, animal feed and seed are asking the packaging industry for solutions and materials that are easy to use, increase brand recognition, differentiate at the point of sale, and build trust with consumers.” At PACK EXPO, Mondi will show how it is using its capabilities to meet customer needs in the North American market and addressing these trends with its wide range of packaging solutions, including flexible packaging, bags and pouches, barrier coatings, technical films, and industrial bags. With a focus on food and beverage packaging, Mondi’s booth will feature a special product discovery area allowing visitors to discover how Mondi’s products touch millions of lives, every day.

Packaging Corporation of America announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire substantially all of the assets of Sacramento Container Corporation, and 100% of the membership interests of Northern Sheets, LLC and Central California Sheets, LLC in a cash-free, debt-free transaction for a cash purchase price of $265 million. The Company has also announced that it will discontinue production of uncoated freesheet (UFS) and coated one-side (C1S) grades at its Wallula, Washington mill in the second quarter of 2018 to begin the conversion of its 200,000 ton-per-year No. 3 paper machine to a 400,000 ton-per-year high-performance 100% virgin kraft linerboard machine. The acquisition transaction is structured as a purchase of assets resulting in a full step-up of the assets to fair market value. Under the terms of the agreement, PCA will acquire full-line corrugated products and sheet feeder operations in McClellan, California and Kingsburg, California. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Amcor’s CEO Mr Ron Delia said: “Amcor’s strong full-year results reflect the progress we have made on our strategic investments and the benefits of our broad mix of geographic exposures. Underlying PBIT and EPS grew 9 and 10 percent respectively on sales growth of 4 percent for the year, and cash flow was at the high end of our expectations. “Balanced earnings growth from a variety of sources again demonstrated the resilience of Amcor’s business and management teams. Earnings were up strongly in both the Flexibles and Rigid Plastics segments, driven by organic growth and acquisitions. Across developed markets, earnings grew at rates which exceeded overall market growth. In emerging markets, we delivered increased earnings in the face of difficult conditions in several countries. Click Read More below for additional detail.

With a culture of innovation, Dominion Packaging of Richmond, VA selected the latest technology in flexo printing to produce premium folding carton packaging for the tobacco, food and beverage markets when deciding its print direction. Its formula for success lies in the combination of state-of-the-art machinery and a market-focused strategy to provide exceptional product appeal. A key driver – to offer quality packaging at a modest cost – led the company to develop new technology using a flexo press operation capable of replacing jobs that were previously printed on both gravure and offset presses. The advancement is based on the successful installation of a TRESU Flexo Innovator press (FI1400-10, 55-inch, 10-units). The new Innovator is a flexographic in-line press equipped with rotec® High Speed Sleeves and rotec® Atlas Adapters from Flint Group. This particular combination of sleeves and adapters provides optimal control of plate bounce by absorbing press vibrations and providing added stability, thus permitting the press to run at faster speeds while still allowing for a solid kiss impression. Click Read More below for more of the story.

Soyuz, based in Moscow, produces corrugated packaging for a range of sectors and has approximately 300 employees. Smurfit Kappa already has three plants in Saint Petersburg, Russia producing paper-based and Bag-in-Box® products for customers across Europe. This acquisition enables Smurfit Kappa to further strengthen its position in Russia and broaden its offering to its multinational and local customers. The acquisition also establishes Smurfit Kappa as the leading international corrugated packaging supplier in Russia. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Total Packaging Papers shipments were 230,900 tons, 4.7% higher than July 2016. Bag & Sack shipments were up 6.1% year-to-date, while Food Wrapping shipments were down 9.5% over the same period. The operating rate for July 2017 was 88.4%, in line with the year-to-date rate of 88.6%. Inventories were 173,100 tons, up slightly since June.

Containerboard production was 5.2% higher compared to July 2016. The month-over-month average daily production compared to June 2017 was 1.7% higher. The containerboard operating rate for July increased from 96.3% to 97.9%, which was 2.8 percentage points higher compared to July of last year. Year-to-date production of containerboard for export is up 6.3%.

At drinktec 2017, Graphic Packaging International (GPI) will reveal a new packaging machinery system and state-of-the-art robotic integration capabilities for the beverage industry, along with other industry-leading machinery and carton solutions. For the first time, the company will demonstrate ReShape™, a revolutionary technology capable of creating virtually any pack configuration seamlessly with one piece of packaging equipment. With ReShape, beverage manufacturers can reinvent, reimagine, and ReShape their cartons to produce the shapes and configurations they need today, along with unique structures for the future. "ReShape opens up many options in beverage packaging," said Doug Hicks, Director of GPI's Packaging Machinery Division. "The system can both internally and externally nest primary containers to create a variety of shapes and sizes with the potential to use less fiber. Also, unique handle designs deliver added comfort and strength." Click Read More below for additional detail.

Metsä Board, the leading European producer of premium fresh fibre paperboards and part of Metsä Group, is pleased to announce that its revolutionary new paperboard cup design, ‘Lidloc’, has been selected as a finalist in the prestigious 2017 PPI Awards. The Lidloc design was chosen for the Packaging Innovation category, clearly reflecting how it has broken new ground in paperboard cup design. The design has a patent pending and is based upon an extension to a standard cup structure that folds and locks into an integrated lid. This innovative design completely removes the need for a separate plastic lid and will re-invent how paperboard cups are produced, consumed and recycled. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Total boxboard production increased 2.9 percent when compared to July 2016, and increased 6.5 percent from last month. Unbleached Kraft Boxboard production increased over the same month as last year and increased compared to last month. Total Solid Bleached Boxboard & Liner production increased when compared to July 2016, and increased compared to last month. The production of Recycled Boxboard decreased compared to July 2016, and decreased when compared to last month.

The Group’s consolidated sales rose slightly from EUR 1,142.2 million to EUR 1,150.3 million. Both divisions contributed to this rise. At EUR 102.1 million, operating profit was EUR 8.7 million or 7.9 % below the value for the first half of the previous year (EUR 110.8 million). Thus, the Group's operating margin was at 8.9 %, following 9.7 % in the first six months of 2016. Financial income of EUR 1.3 million (1st half of 2016: EUR 1.6 million) was offset by financial expenses of EUR -2.9 million (1st half of 2016: EUR -3.2 million). Owing to the deconsolidation of the Tunisian packaging companies, a one-off expenditure of EUR 2.3 million was incurred due to the accumulated foreign currency translation, which is reported under “Other financial result – net”. Click Read More below for additional detail.

At this year's Phoenix Challenge Foundation college competition promoting the flexographic printing industry, Clemson University utlilized UPM Raflatac's new Raflex MDO film labels as part of their team's successful entry. Partnerships with local manufacturers are very important to the university, and with two UPM Raflatac factories less than 100 miles from Clemson's campus, collaboration has never been easier. Raflex MDO films balance the best performance properties of PP and PE for maximum functionality and shelf appeal, which was key to the team's entry. Each year, participating teams are given a prompt and must work with a client/partner to fit into their packaging and promotional needs using flexography. In this year's challenge, Clemson's client/partner was the Flexographic Technical Association (FTA). Clemson's goal was to promote the FTA to younger generations and reinforce their scholarship program. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Second Quarter 2017 Highlights (as compared to second quarter 2016): * Revenue increased 4.3% to $210.2 million primarily due to an increase in average selling price including the impact of product mix, additional revenue from the Powerband Acquisition(1), and the non-recurrence of the South Carolina Commissioning Revenue Reduction(2) in the second quarter of 2016. * Gross margin decreased to 22.5% from 25.7% primarily due to the non-recurrence of South Carolina Flood Insurance Proceeds(2) of $4.5 million recorded in the second quarter of 2016. * Net earnings attributable to the Company shareholders ("IPG Net Earnings") decreased $3.5 million to $10.2 million, primarily due to a decrease in gross profit and an increase in selling, general and administrative expenses (“SG&A”), partially offset by a decrease in manufacturing facility closures, restructuring and other related charges and income tax expense. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Metsä Board is delighted to announce that eight cartons using its paperboards have been shortlisted for the finals of the 21st European Carton Excellence Awards (formerly the Pro Carton ECMA Awards). With all the successful entries submitted by Metsä Board customers, there are finalists in Save the Planet, Most Innovative, Beauty & Cosmetics, Food & Beverages and Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals categories. The Awards will be presented at the ECMA Congress on 21 September in Salzburg and the winners will appear on www.procarton.com at midnight on 21 September. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Amelco Industries Ltd is one of the leading suppliers of raw materials and machinery for the manufacture of innerspring mattresses in the south-eastern Mediterranean and Middle East area. The company works hard to ensure that its products are the best they possibly can be – and with Mondi`s support it has now optimised the packaging for its mattress innersprings. With Mondi’s Advantage MF SpringPack Plus speciality kraft paper, the company exceeded customer and logistics expectations, while in addition it has set a new world record in innerspring packing together with Mondi`s Speciality Kraft Paper team. In order to enhance the loading capacity of the containers used during transportation, innerspring units are roll packed. Amelco made its first roll-packing machine more than 25 years ago, while by endorsing new customer needs and expectations, as well as its customers’ feedback, the machine has progressively been evolved to the version that is now been offered on the open market. Costas Georgallis, owner of Amelco Industries Ltd, explains: “We test our machine prototypes in real working conditions – e.g. with technical support from Mondi – and improve them before we release them to our customers who asked us to maximize the number of spring units packed in each roll. Together with Mondi`s speciality kraft paper experts we realised that controlling the paper tension was a major factor in achieving a successful result. We therefore had to use the best and strongest spring pack paper on the market – which is Advantage MF SpringPack Plus from Mondi. To us, there is no other packaging material that can match Mondi`s SpringPack Plus grade for roll-packing as it is the best suitable material to compress and roll-pack the springs in a safe way and without putting them at risk to be damaged.” Click Read More below for additional detail.

For the second quarter ended June 30, 2017, net sales were $12,812,000 down 9.5% from net sales of $14,151,000 for the Second Quarter 2016. For the six month period ended June 30, 2017, net sales were $28,171,000 down 4% from net sales of $29,355,000 for the same period of 2016. The second quarter net loss was ($526,000) or ($0.15) per share basic, ($0.14) per share diluted, compared to a 2016 second quarter net loss of ($83,000) or ($0.02) per share. For the six month period ended June 30, 2017, there was a net loss of ($468,000) or ($0.13) per share compared to a net loss of ($76,000) or ($0.02) per share for the same period of 2016. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Pratt Chairman Anthony Pratt has been named as the 6th most influential person in the world of pulp, paper and packaging by our industry’s leading information provider. RISI compiled the annual power list for the July/August issue of Tappi’s Paper 360 magazine after polling pulp and paper industry experts from around the globe to determine the top 50 industry executives wordwide. Anthony, who ranked 23rd last year, shot up 17 places as his U.S. company continued to show rapid growth. The entry reads: “The company’s go-getter global chairman received a standing ovation from President Donald Trump at an event in New York City in May after pledging to invest in the US. ‘I’d like to pledge another US$2 billion over the next 10 years, doubling our rate of investment, to create an additional 5,000 high-paying manufacturing jobs mainly in the Midwest,’ Pratt said. During the past couple of decades, the Australian billionaire has spent about US$2.5 billion building Pratt Industries into the sixth largest US containerboard producer, with four recycled containerboard mills and more than 60 box plants generating US$3 billion in sales. The Midwest has been a major area of recent investment, but recent speculation has been on Pratt Industries’ future expansion plans in the West, where the company bought Robert Mann Packaging. Pratt has talked of plans to build a US$1 billion corrugated box business in California and possibly add a mill on the West Coast. More recently, he mentioned plans to build a ‘high-tech, robotic’ box plant in California for more than US$70 million that could be capable of producing 135,000 tons/yr of corrugated.”

Q2 2017 Highlights • Sales of $1,130 million (compared to $1,006 million in Q1 2017 (+12%) and $998 million in Q2 2016 (+13%)) • As reported (including specific items) • Operating income of $48 million (compared to $31 million in Q1 2017 (+55%) and $65 million in Q2 2016 (-26%)) • OIBD 1 of $104 million (compared to $78 million in Q1 2017 (+33%) and $112 million in Q2 2016 (-7%)) • Net earnings per common share of $3.41 (compared to net earnings of $1.70 in Q1 2017 and net earnings of $0.38 in Q2 2016) • Adjusted (excluding specific items) 2 • Operating income of $51 million (compared to $28 million in Q1 2017 (+82%) and $65 million in Q2 2016 (-22%)). Click Read More below for additional detail.

Cascades Inc. announces that it will close its packaging plant in Maspeth, New York, as part of the Corporation's modernization and optimization efforts in the Northeastern United States. "To support our future development and better serve our customers, we are announcing today that the Maspeth plant's output will gradually be redeployed to our other facilities. This decision was necessary as the current site has reached its physical limits. This transition will be seamless for all of our customers. The property has already been put up for sale for US$72 million," said Charles Malo, President and Chief Operating Officer of Cascades Containerboard Packaging. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Net sales of $1.1 billion increased 3.0% on an as reported basis. Currency had a negative impact on total net sales of 0.7%, or $7 million. As reported, net sales in North America increased 9%. Asia Pacific declined 2% while Latin America and EMEA declined 4% each. Net income from continuing operations on a reported basis was $29 million, or $0.14 per diluted share, as compared to net income from continuing operations of $2 million, or $0.01 per diluted share, in the second quarter 2016. Net income in the second quarter 2017 was unfavorably impacted by $40 million of special items, including $18 million of tax expense and $18 million of charges related the pending sale of Diversey. Special items negatively impacting the second quarter of 2017 also included costs incurred related to the sale of Diversey, and restructuring and other restructuring associated costs. Net income in the second quarter 2016 included $72 million of special items, including charges related to ceasing operations in Venezuela, restructuring charges and other costs associated with our restructuring programs, and a loss on the remeasurement of our Venezuelan subsidiaries. Click Read More below for additional detail.

President and CEO Kari Jordan: “Metsä Group’s profitability in 2017 has improved from the previous year. The most significant reasons for the improved result are the clearly higher volumes in paperboard deliveries and the increased price of pulp. Metsä Group’s key development projects aiming for profitable growth are progressing according to plan. The construction of the bioproduct mill in Äänekoski, which has proceeded on schedule and on budget, is nearly completed, and the mill’s start-up will begin in mid-August. Pulp deliveries to customers will start at the beginning of September. The new production line at the Kerto® LVL mill in Lohja will likewise start up in August. The construction of the birch plywood mill in Pärnu, Estonia, and the work of converting the old paper machine hall at Äänekoski into a birch veneer mill are proceeding well. The Husum paperboard mill’s new extrusion coating line started up in April, and the related quality feedback from customers has been good. In June, we began work on rebuilding the baking paper machine at the Düren mill in Germany. The new machine will also allow us to expand our cooking paper business in the future. After years of stagnation, Finland’s economy has started to pick up. For this growth to continue, our country needs investments. Metsä Group and Finland’s forest industry in general have met this need. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Peter Oswald, Mondi Group chief executive, said: “Mondi delivered a robust performance in the first half of 2017, with revenue up 8%, underlying operating profit of €497 million and a return on capital employed of 18.7%, reflecting management’s ongoing value focus and the strength of our business model. Profitability was down on the comparable prior year period, mainly driven by a significantly lower forestry fair value gain in South Africa and the impact of mill maintenance shuts. We continue to drive growth through our capital investment programme. During the period, we commissioned the second phase of our major investment in the ongoing development of our world-class facility in Poland, while good progress is being made on the modernisation of our kraft paper facility in Czech Republic. The integration of acquisitions completed during 2016 and early 2017 is on track. These acquisitions enhance our geographic reach and product portfolio in Corrugated Packaging and Consumer Packaging. The market outlook remains broadly positive. We saw strong demand across Packaging Paper and Corrugated Packa ging in the first half and successfully implemented price increases across certain paper grades, the full effect of which is anticipated in the second half. The second half of the year will be impacted by planned maintenance shuts at a number of our mills and the usual seasonal downturn in Uncoated Fine Paper. While we continue to see some inflationary cost pressures, we remain confident of making progress in the year and continuing to deliver industry leading returns." Click Read More below for additional detail.

Berry Global Group, Inc. (NYSE:BERY) today reported results for its third fiscal 2017 quarter, referred to in the following as the June 2017 quarter. “This continues to be an exciting year for Berry as we celebrate our 50th year in business while also achieving a milestone in the quarter with our placement into the Fortune 500. We achieved quarterly records for net sales and operating EBITDA and continued our work integrating the AEP acquisition. Adjusted free cash flow improved 20 percent, and adjusted net income per diluted share was also 13% higher at 93 cents,” said Tom Salmon, CEO of Berry.

Cascades Inc. (TSX: CAS), the leader in recuperation of recyclable materials and in manufacturing of green packaging products and tissue paper, announces an investment of $80 million USD for the construction of a new containerboard packaging plant in Piscataway, New Jersey, United States. This new plant, which will create 120 jobs, will manufacture corrugated packaging products and will be among the most modern of its kind in North America. It will begin operations in the second quarter of 2018. Once all equipment is installed, total annual production capacity will be 2.4 billion square feet. Ultimately, this represents an increase in the integration rate of approximately 5%. The facilities will have a surface area of more than 400,000 square feet.

Project M Plus has designed the label and packaging for Atlantico rum, distilled and blended in the Dominican Republic. To elevate the product and the brand, the designers capitalized on their love of the Caribbean, taking their cues from the culture and lifestyle — including “the beautiful ceramic tiles found throughout the islands, the sun at Golden Hour, the salt on your skin to the salt on your rim.

The company reported net sales of $429.7 million for the second quarter of 2017, down 1.6% compared to net sales of $436.7 million for the second quarter of 2016. Net earnings determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP, for the second quarter of 2017 were $8.0 million, or $0.48 per diluted share, compared to net earnings of $20.9 million, or $1.21 per diluted share, for the second quarter of 2016.

WestRock Company ("WestRock") (NYSE:WRK), a leading provider of differentiated paper and packaging solutions, today announced results for its fiscal third quarter ended June 30, 2017. “Our WestRock team delivered strong earnings and cash flow, and grew our differentiated packaging business by completing the acquisitions of MPS and U.S. Corrugated, which have expanded our presence in attractive markets and increased our vertical integration,” said Steve Voorhees, chief executive officer. “We increased our daily box volumes over the prior year by 5.7%. While we continue to face a challenging cost environment, we are focusing on areas within our control – serving our customers well and driving synergy and productivity improvements across our company.”

On April 20 PCA’s sheet plant in Roanoke, Virginia, hosted 35 students from Virginia Tech’s packaging program for their annual Plant Tour and Social Day. Students toured the box plant, watched a presentation about PCA and enjoyed lunch with employees. In addition to the Plant Tour and Social Day, PCA Roanoke is proud to partner with Virginia Tech in a number of other ways. The plant has hired a number of interns from the Packaging School, some of which have gone on to become PCA employees after graduation.

Digital print for packaging and displays has many benefits and is ideal for customers who are looking for alternatives to traditional offset printing which is a plate or tooling driven process. It offers a way to professionally brand protective packaging and in-store signage and displays with custom print without the need for large production runs. Digital printed packaging, labels, and displays is a fast-growing market – and for good reason – it offers many benefits to the customer including: •Cost Effective: Digital print requires no die-cut tooling or print plates which can be an unexpected upfront expense for the customer or out of range cost for smaller businesses. •Small Production Runs: Digital print allows for production of small volume jobs and print runs. •Universal Application: Digital print has a universal application and prints on any substrate including metal, plastic, wood and corrugated paper. Click Read More below for additional details.

Sealed Air Corporation announced that it is implementing a price increase on all products in its North American Product Care division. The increases will be effective September 1, 2017. The price adjustments are the result of escalation in resin costs of over 7% since the start of the year with over 9% of additional increases expected to be announced in the near term. Other raw materials costs have also been on the rise including chemical components (MDI/Polyol) which are up 15% since the start of 2017, and recycled paper and corrugated up with Old Corrugated Container (OCC) costs climbing more than 50% year-to-date with further increases expected. Click Read More below for additional details.

Second Quarter & Half Year Key Points: *Group revenue growth of 5% for the first six months with strong demand in most markets. *Second quarter EBITDA of €292 million with increased sequential EBITDA margin of 13.9%. *Kraftliner demand robust with additional €50 per tonne price increase implemented in the third quarter. *Containerboard price increases feeding through to corrugated price recovery. Click Read More below for additional details.

"With half of the year behind us, expected strong business performance through the second half and favorable non-operational tailwinds, we are raising our guidance on our full-year earnings performance." Net sales in the second quarter of 2017 were $1.8 billion, similar to the prior year second quarter. On a global basis, the 1 percent increase in price was offset by modestly lower sales volume and adverse currency translation. For the first half of 2017, the net sales increase of more than 50 basis points reflects a stronger first quarter and softer second quarter which was partly due to higher shipping days in the first quarter. Click Read More below for additional details.

WestRock Company announced that it is expanding its consumer packaging portfolio with the acquisition of Hanna Group Pty Ltd (Hannapak), one of Australia’s leading providers of folding cartons to a variety of markets, including beverage, food, confectionary, and healthcare. The acquisition will build on WestRock’s established and growing packaging business in the region. “Hannapak has built an outstanding folding carton business in Australia based on their superior capabilities and customer service,” said Steve Voorhees, chief executive officer of WestRock. “We have a strong relationship with the company and the Hanna family based on an 18-year partnership as one of our key converting partners in the region, and we are excited about the clear cultural and operational fit between the two companies. This acquisition expands our geographic footprint to better serve global and local customers, and will enable us to improve WestRock’s beverage packaging business in the region while expanding our participation to a variety of other attractive end markets.” Click Read More below for additional details.

MillerCoors has named CROWN Beverage Packaging Mexico as its 2016 Packaging Materials Supplier of the Year. Crown’s facility in Monterrey, Mexico supplies MillerCoors with crowns and aluminum roll on closures for glass bottles. “CROWN Mexico has been a longtime supplier to MillerCoors’ operations in the United States, consistently providing us with excellent quality bottle crowns and great customer service throughout the years,” said Tod Galloway, Vice President, US Head of Regional Procurement, MillerCoors. “They continuously strive to innovate with us and help grow our brands, all at a competitive cost within the industry. 2016 was a particularly strong year for CROWN Mexico, and as such, they were presented our Packaging Supplier of the Year Award. We are fortunate to have such a long-standing and reliable partner.” Click Read More below for additional details.

International Paper Company announced that it has priced $1.0 billion of 4.350% senior unsecured notes due 2048. The notes were issued at a public offering price of 99.898%. The offering was made pursuant to an effective shelf registration statement. International Paper intends to use the net proceeds from this offering, together with available cash and other borrowings, to make a voluntary cash contribution to its pension plan in the aggregate amount of $1.25 billion by September 15, 2017.

As a result of its customer focused research and development, Mondi’s technical films business has created and introduced a water soluble film for the smart and convenient packing and dosing of powders, tabs and granulates. Dissolving completely in water, the film is ideal for single doses of dry materials, such as dishwasher and laundry tabs or bath salts. The water soluble film is an example how customers benefit from Mondi’s synergized research and development strategies having its core competencies in areas such as plastic films, packaging, paper and coating brought together under one roof. The film offers excellent sealing and deep drawing properties, provides an effective barrier to oxygen and is completely soluble even in cold water. Consumers are also protected from direct contact with the contents, which adds an extra layer of safety. Customers can bolster their sustainable credentials too, through the environmental benefits water soluble films provide compared to standard plastic films. In addition to reducing overall packaging waste, the films are also considered to be biodegradable, non-toxic and non-inhibitory. Click Read More below for additional details.

Following the recent decision of the Supervisory Board of Papierfabrik August Koehler SE, the globally active paper specialist will have invested approximately half a billion Euro in growth by 2020. “We’re able to do this thanks to our position of strength and exceptional business developments in the past,” explains Kai Furler, CEO of the German family-owned company. More than €300 million is also being directed to the Kehl production facility, where Koehler will be creating more than 100 new jobs over the next two years. The primary investment is going to a leading global technology in the form of a specialty paper machine with Yankee cylinder. The off-machine coater will be equipped with multiple cutting-edge coating application technologies in order to help shape attractive market segments in the sector of flexible packaging. The total capacity will be well over 100,000 tons a year. That represents a clear commitment to paper and board, says CEO Kai Furler, as well as the largest individual investment in the company’s 210-year history. Click Read More below for additional details.

Second Quarter 2017 Summary: • Reported sales were in line with the prior year. • Excluding the negative impact from changes in foreign currency exchange rates, core sales increased 1% as robust core sales growth in the Pharma and Food + Beverage segments offset a decline in Beauty + Home. • Reported net income (11% of net sales) increased to $65 million (+10%) primarily due to a lower effective tax rate. • EBITDA (20% of net sales) decreased to $124 million (-7%) primarily due to decreases in business in certain markets and higher raw material costs. • Reported earnings per share were $1.01 compared to $0.91 reported in the prior year (+11%) and $0.90 in the prior year when adjusting for changes in currency exchange rates (+12%). Click Read More below for additional details.

Cascades Inc. announces that it has reached an agreement to sell all of its shares in Boralex to the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (the Caisse) for an amount of $ 287.5 million. Cascades was formerly a majority shareholder in Boralex, but has gradually had its ownership stake in the company diluted to 17.3% as Boralex has grown over recent years. Over the last several months, Cascades management has undertaken an in-depth assessment, and has evaluated the Company's alternatives with regards to its investment in Boralex. As a result of this analysis, management made the strategic decision to monetize its investment and selected the Caisse to complete this major transaction. Click Read More below for additional details.

Second Quarter Operating Highlights: Consolidated net sales of $823 million in the second quarter of 2017 increased by $38 million, or 5 percent, compared to $785 million for the 2016 second quarter. Revenue growth in the paper and packaging segment resulted from higher prices and volume. The Company's average mill selling price of $661 per ton in the second quarter of 2017 increased by $37 per ton, or about 6 percent, compared to the second quarter of 2016 due to higher domestic and export containerboard prices, higher specialty paper prices and a more favorable product mix. Revenues in the distribution segment increased $8 million, mainly due to higher prices. Operating income of $41 million for the 2017 second quarter decreased by $2 million, or 5 percent, compared to the 2016 second quarter. Click Read More below for additional details.

Bemis Company, Inc. reported financial results for its second quarter ended June 30, 2017. Refer to the reconciliation of Non-GAAP measures detailed in the attached schedule, including adjusted earnings per share, adjusted EBITDA, and net debt referenced in this release. “Total company profits were less than expected this quarter due to the impact of the challenging economic environment in Brazil. Sales volumes declined sharply in Brazil versus our run rates as consumers, retailers, and our customers reacted to the latest political instability. In our U.S. business, profits were in line with the expectations we shared last quarter,” said William F. Austen, Bemis Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “During June, we initiated a restructuring and cost savings plan to better position the Company in the current environment and for the long term. These efforts are progressing well to create a more agile, streamlined, and efficient business that continues to be successful over the long term.” Click Read More below for additional details.

Stora Enso has today signed an agreement to divest its 35% holding in the equity accounted investment Bulleh Shah Packaging Ltd. (BSP) to the main owner Packages Ltd. The transaction is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2017. The cash consideration for the divestment of the shares is EUR 6 million. The loss on disposal amounts in total to approximately EUR 19 million. These will be recorded as items affecting comparability (IAC) in Stora Enso’s third quarter 2017 results. Click Read More below for additional details.

Net sales for the second quarter of 2017 were $1,021.8 million, an increase of $147.2 million, or 16.8 percent, as compared to $874.6 million in 2016. This increase was the result of the acquisition of Dispensing Systems in April 2017 and higher net sales across all of the businesses. Income from operations for the second quarter of 2017 was $75.2 million, an increase of $7.5 million, or 11.1 percent, as compared to $67.7 million for the second quarter of 2016, while operating margin decreased to 7.4 percent from 7.7 percent for the same periods. The increase in income from operations was the result of the net benefit from the acquisition of Dispensing Systems and higher income from operations in each of the businesses. The decrease in operating margin was due primarily to the negative impact from the purchase accounting write-up of inventory of Dispensing Systems and acquisition related costs in the quarter. Rationalization charges were $3.0 million and $5.0 million in the second quarters of 2017 and 2016, respectively. Click Read More below for additional details.

Sonoco ThermoSafe has launched a new range of reusable, universal solutions for the pharmaceutical and biologics markets. ChillTech® is a pre-qualified range of 2°C to 8°C PCM systems providing exceptional temperature control from 2 days up to 6 days for payloads from 4L to 40L. ChillTech® utilizes Sonoco ThermoSafe's patented Zero Bench-Time® technology, where systems can be packed-out straight from the freezer, saving customers space, time and money. Similar shippers on the market are qualified for just 4-days and typically use high-value components, which translate into higher costs for customers. These shippers also typically need time outside of the freezer prior to packing out, making Sonoco ThermoSafe's Zero Bench-Time technology a real benefit. Each ChillTech solution has the same pack-out configuration and is used year-round, regardless of season. In addition, following Sonoco ThermoSafe's philosophy to Embrace Simple®: simply change the outer insulated shipper to switch shipment duration from 48 hours to 96 hours to 144 hours. Click Read More below for additional details.

Sonoco announced it has completed the acquisition of Clear Lam Packaging, Inc., a family-held developer and manufacturer of flexible and forming plastic packaging films, for approximately $170 million in cash. Founded in 1969, the Elk Grove Village, Ill.-based company is projecting 2017 sales of approximately $140 million and operates state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Elk Grove Village and Nanjing, China, with nearly 400 total employees. Clear Lam is a technology leader in the development, production and conversion of high barrier flexible and forming films used to package a variety of products for consumer packaged goods companies and retailers, with a focus on structures used for perishable foods. Clear Lam President and CEO James Sanfilipo and other key members of its management team are expected to remain with the company. Clear Lam’s financial results will be added to Sonoco’s Consumer Packaging segment. Click Read More below for additional details.

April-June 2017 compared with April-June 2016: · Net sales EUR 576.9 million (EUR 561.0 million), showing a gain of 2.8%. Comparable net sales increased by 1.8% at constant currency rates. · Comparable EBITDA EUR 77.4 million (EUR 77.3 million), representing 13.4% (13.8%) of net sales. · EBITDA* EUR 75.0 million (EUR 76.0 million). · Operating result* EUR 43.3 million (EUR 42.5 million). · Net result* EUR 27.5 million (EUR 23.7 million). · Earnings per share* EUR 0.28 (EUR 0.25). · Comparable EPS excluding merger related items (PPA) EUR 0.39 (0.25). · Net cash flow from operating activities EUR 41.2 million (EUR 89.1 million). Click Read More below for additional details.

Highlights: Q2 Net Sales were $1,094.7 million versus $1,103.2 million in the prior year period. Q2 Net Tons Sold were 733.9 thousand tons versus 721.9 thousand tons in the prior year period. Q2 Earnings per Diluted Share were $0.14 versus $0.24 in the prior year period. Q2 Adjusted Earnings per Diluted Share were $0.15 versus $0.19 in the prior year period. Q2 Net Income was $42.0 million versus $77.8 million in the prior year period. Q2 Adjusted EBITDA was $170.6 million versus $195.2 million in the prior year period. Returned $42.8 million to stockholders in Q2 through dividends and share repurchases. Click Read More below for additional details.

Carolina Container LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of New-Indy Containerboard LLC, has acquired Dixie Reel & Box Company, a complete manufacturer of corrugated packaging and a provider of packaging solutions. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Dixie Reel & Box Company is based in Charlotte, North Carolina and has been in business for over 40 years, most recently operating as a division of Lone Star Container, based in Dallas, Texas. Click Read More below for additional details.

Lecta will exhibit at the Munich's next Drinktec trade fair, the world's most prestigious platform for the beverage and liquid food sector. From September 11 to 15, it will present and exhibit its innovations in specialty paper labels for this sector, within this excellent platform for launching new products and developments. Visitors will discover the exceptional quality and versatility of three of Lecta's product lines: Metalvac metalized papers, the wide range of Adestor self-adhesive materials and Creaset one-side coated papers. Metalvac, Lecta's high-vacuum 100% recyclable metallized paper, will be presented at Drinktec in the form of a new catalogue. The sample book is made up of three folders that correspond to the brand's three application segments: wet-glue labels, pressure-sensitive labels and tobacco and packaging. Each​ multi-lingual folder (ES/EN/IT​/FR) contains technical specifications and product samples in different colors and finishes. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Evergreen Packaging Equipment is introducing its NEW QL-30 and QL-30ESL gable top packaging machines. Designed for low-volume production capacity, the QL-30 can handle fill volumes of 6 to 32 oz (180 ml to 1 liter), and fills quarts/liters up to 3,000 cph (cartons per hour) with a single stage bottom-up fill system. Allen Bradley PLC controls and servo driven technology provide repeatable package performance and automatically controls fill volumes and profiles based on product and carton size. Infinite fill adjustments allow for less downtime with quick and easy changes in carton size or product.

Crown Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CCK) today announced its financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2017.

Sonoco (NYSE:SON), one of the largest diversified global packaging companies, today reported financial results for its second quarter, ending July 2, 2017.

Go into virtually any major grocery, drug, club, or hardware store today, and you almost certainly will come across a package that has been handled by Sterling Contract Packaging, Inc. Sterling CPI, of Moore, SC, is one of the largest providers of contract packaging services in the Southeast, providing complete turnkey solutions—from product and package procurement through to the point of distribution—for non-regulated consumer products.

Following the successful launch of the Draft Latte, a distinctive crafted coffee drink using Crown’s InnoValve technology, La Colombe Coffee Roasters and CROWN Beverage Packaging North America, a business unit of Crown Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CCK) (Crown) (www.crowncork.com), have partnered again to bring another unique experience to coffee lovers everywhere. The MiniVault, a pre-portioned single-use can, delivers café quality ground coffee to consumers in a vessel that is both convenient for at-home use and extends the shelf life up to five times.

Sonoco (NYSE:SON), one of the largest diversified global packaging companies, today announced that Philippe Guillemot has been named to its Board of Directors. Guillemot, 58, was chief operating officer of Alcatel-Lucent SA, Boulogne-Billancourt, France, prior to its acquisition by Nokia Oyj in 2016. Before his tenure with Alcatel-Lucent, Guillemot was chief executive officer and board director of Europcar Group from 2010 to 2012, Guyancourt, France; Chairman and CEO of Areva T&D, Paris, from 2004 to 2010; group executive vice president, Faurecia SA, Paris, from 2001 to 2003; and group vice president, Valeo, Paris, from 1998 to 2000; and held several global executive positions with Michelin from 1983 to 1998.

Greif, a global leader in industrial packaging products and services, announces the expansion of its Houston, Texas, footprint by making a multimillion-dollar investment in an intermediate bulk container (IBC) manufacturing facility. The existing 100,000 square foot building is located in Baytown, Texas, and is scheduled to be operational during the second quarter of 2018.

KapStone Paper and Packaging Corporation (NYSE: KS) announces the recent release of its fifth annual sustainability report which shows ongoing progress towards meeting its 2020 sustainability goals. Conforming to the Global Reporting Initiative's (GRI) G4 rigid and voluntary standards, the report details accomplishments along with areas for improvement necessary to meet those goals. KapStone Paper and Packaging Corporation CEO and President, Matt Kaplan, states: "Operating in a sustainable manner is core to doing business the right way. As we look ahead to meeting our 2020 goals, we are inspired by the great work of our employees and know by reaching higher, we will position ourselves to achieve our goals."

On July 13, 1937 the first Krispy Kreme kitchen opened in Old Salem, North Carolina. Founder Vernon Rudolph purchased the still-used secret yeast doughnut recipe from a French chef in New Orleans and began selling the pastries to local grocery stores. The smell from the kitchen was so enticing to passers-by that Rudolph decided it was in his company’s best interest to start selling the doughnuts directly to customers on the street. So, he cut a hole in one of the building’s outer walls and started selling doughnuts directly to customers on the street. Seven years later in 1944, the doughnut display cases we’re so familiar with today were brought into Krispy Kreme stores for the first time.

Imagine walking into the liquor store on a Friday night. You look past the brews you’ve already tried for something new. You spot a silver and gold capsule of a can, with a strange goggled figure on the label. The copy tells you this beer was formulated to fuel your journey through the multiverse, and it contains a sci-fi album as the soundtrack. To get the album, there’s a special hashtag. By tweeting it, you’ll receive a message telling you what you’re doing right now in a parallel reality, and a link to the music. Curiosity piqued, you bring it home, crack it open, take out your phone, and experience audio, visual, touch and taste in a single moment in time.

The global biodegradable paper packaging materials market is forecast to grow at a CAGR of close to 11% from 2017 to 2021, according to a new market study from Technavio. The study covers the present scenario and growth prospects for global biodegradable paper packaging materials and also lists bioplastic packaging materials and paper packaging materials as the two major application segments, of which bioplastic packaging materials dominated the global market in 2016, accounting for 54% of the market share in 2016.

Smurfit Kappa held its eighth Innovation Event this year in Paris. More than 250 customers came to the “Packaging and Perspectives” event, which took a look at how packaging will be affected by supply chain and network fragmentation using a variety of media. Alongside the conference, visitors had the opportunity to participate in an interactive live session with two Smurfit Kappa design teams tasked with developing complete shelf ready packaging and display solutions in real time. The designs that were created were based on votes from the customers.

Following “The Easy Way”, Flint Group Flexographic Products expands its product range with a further inherent flat top dot flexo plate, which provides significant fluting reduction on various corrugated boards from fine to rough flute. Holding the finest highlights, the nyloflex® FTC Digital plate offers outstanding print quality - sharp and defined elements with precisely reproduced text and codes, inviting printers to push the boundaries of print resolution in corrugated postprint. Furthermore, the new flexo plate features excellent ink transfer, resulting in very smooth solids with even ink laydown, which allows for high and consistent print quality on a variety of substrates. “With a continuing trend for lower quality liners due to cost reasons, however, uncompromised requirements for quality printing, printers, retailers and brand owners demand good quality in corrugated postprint, both for superior liners and more challenging materials,” says Dr. Eva Freudenthaler, Vice President Technology, Flint Group Flexographic Products. “With the development of nyloflex® FTC plate, we therefore had two focal points with regard to print quality - to reduce the fluting effect across many different liner qualities and to further enhance the quality of fine highlight screens in corrugated postprint - while at the same time keeping it simple for the pre-press operation by providing a plate that can be processed like any normal digital printing plate.” Click Read More below for additional detail.

Mondi Industrial Bags, in collaboration with its customer and cement producer LafargeHolcim, has created SPLASHBAG – a paper-based solution designed to satisfy the need of dealing with materials that are often exposed to wet conditions or environments. The product has been developed as a direct response to the customer’s packaging needs in this area, and is suitable for the protection of moisture-sensitive filling goods, including building materials, chemicals and pharmaceuticals. Having successfully launched in Europe, the product is now gaining traction in many other markets around the world. Based on Mondi`s Advantage Protect sack kraft paper – a grade that offers both a water-repellent surface and high wet tensile strength – the bag maintains high strength even in wet environments. Thanks to its bespoke benefits, within the last year SPLASHBAG has quickly gained global recognition – from Azerbaijan and Bulgaria to France and La Réunion. The key to SPLASHBAG‘s success lies in its enhanced sack kraft paper properties – absorbing less moisture than conventional paper bags and maintaining both integrity and product quality. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Sonoco-Alcore S.a.r.l. announced it will again raise prices for paper-based tubes and cores, effective from shipments beginning on 24th July 2017. "Prices of coreboard continue to rise, driven by fundamental changes in recovered paper markets. As this trend continues, we are forced to keep pace and apply a further increase to our tubes and cores," said Karsten Kemmerling, Director of Sales and Marketing - Tubes and Cores, Europe. "We continue to invest in our operations to generate manufacturing productivity, but this will not cover the significant increase in material costs. The outlook for the second half of this year could well be a further tightening of material availability and inevitably further price increases for our base raw material."

The Protective Solutions division of Sonoco, North America’s leading provider of protective packaging, components and material handling solutions, has released its Cost of Damage Calculator, a robust online tool designed to calculate the real cost of damage to businesses when shipping their products. With packaging an essential part of the supply chain, determining how best to ease risk for product damage throughout the entire process is paramount. The calculator successfully breaks down the customer’s e-commerce and retail damage to show the percentage of damage, number of units, total cost and the percentage of profits this affects. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Cascades Flexible Packaging, a Cascades unit that specializes mainly in the manufacture of flexible plastic packaging for the food market, has earned the IFS PACsecure certification, which is recognized by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI). IFS PACsecure is one of the world's leading food safety standards for primary and secondary packaging materials. Cascades Flexible Packaging passed the independent evaluation with a score of 99.16%. The plant, based in Mississauga, Ontario , proved that its processes and products comply with global packaging materials safety standards notably in terms of maintenance, hygiene, traceability, management commitment and food defense. "Although the [Cascades Flexible Packaging IFS PACsecure certification] program is young, it has been well developed and a strong commitment to the standard is evident," states the final audit report. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Color-Logic--the leader in metallic color communication and decorative effects--has certified Platinum Recycled Cast Coat, a luxury carton stock offered by Midland Paper, for use with the Color-Logic process. Discussing the certification, Mark Geeves, Color-Logic Director of Sales and Marketing, said : "The new Midland stock for carton applications, in combination with Color-Logi c BEST Silver ink and software, is a game changer for luxury packaging applications. The samples submitted for certification--produced by a Midland client--have the smoothest glass-like surface of any cast coat we have seen." Also commenting on the certification, Mike Jacobson, Midland Paper Senior Vice-President Sales, said: "We knew our new Platinum Recycled Cast Coat stock would provide exceptional print quality. After tests with the Color-Logic software and BEST silver ink, however, we now know our customers can enjoy dramatic effects at an economical production cost. What can be done with five ink colors--and the fact that all the decorative effects can be done at the design stage with no post finishing necessary--opens up new markets for our new recycled board." Click Read More below for additional detail.

Dole GO Berries!™, which utilizes Sonoco’s packaging, was awarded Best New Packaging as part of the Produce Innovation Awards at United Fresh 2017, an expo dedicated to innovation in produce and fresh foods. The berries are packaged in 3-packs of fun, snack-sized containers that offer snap, rinse and go convenience. The ventilated packaging promotes increased airflow around the berries, aiding cooling and improves freshness, while also making rinsing easy for consumers. “Nearly half of people snack three or more times a day, and Sonoco has developed a suite of solutions – ranging from pouches to composite cans to single-serving plastic tubs – that protect food on the go, while also offering convenience to busy consumers,” said Pete Gioldasis, director of marketing, Sonoco. “Our latest solution for Dole is exciting because it’s a great way for consumers to take fresh and healthy food on the go.” Click Read More below for additional detail.

Adestor HM300 is a permanent hot-melt adhesive with a very high tack especially formulated for high-speed air-blow labelling. It performs well at low temperatures and can be used at room temperature of -5ºC. Its immediate strong adhesion makes it ideal for rough and curved surfaces. The new HM300 adhesive has been designed for use in the food industry and is available in a range of different paper and film face stock. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Graphic Packaging Holding Company announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Graphic Packaging International, Inc., has completed the previously announced acquisition of substantially all the assets of Carton Craft Corporation and its affiliate Lithocraft, Inc.

In order to ship summer produce like peaches, tomatoes, and berries safely, it’s important to partner with a packaging company that understands the unique needs of agricultural packaging. Each crop requires special handling and unique packaging design in order to ensure food safety and minimize loss. The following considerations are key to ensuring successful shipping from farm to store. •Ventilation: allows heat to escape and accelerate cooling •Protection: reduce loss through successful package design •Water Loss Reduction: maintain freshness by reducing the potential for water loss. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Smurfit Kappa’s SupplySmart service has reached 50,000 supply chains, taking optimisation of packaging to a new level. The industry-leading service uses evidence-based analytics and insights, to work with businesses to benchmark risk and optimise efficiency in their supply chain. SupplySmart is the first service of its kind that combines big data from over 50,000 supply chains in over 30 countries with creative solutions, expert knowledge and years of practical experience. The service enables businesses to reduce logistics costs, streamline production and lower packaging costs without compromising on performance. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Sonoco-Alcore S.a.r.l. today announced it will again raise prices by a further €50 per tonne (£40 / tonne) on all recycled paperboard grades sold in the Company's European regions. The price change is effective with shipments on or after 17th July 2017. "Demand for raw materials has continued to rise throughout the year as a result of China's "National Sword" initiative, new capacity within the paper packaging sector, and the European economy currently being stronger than we have seen in recent years. The resultant continued increase in raw material costs are again unsustainable and we now have no choice but to pass these increases through into the market," said Phil Woolley, Director - Paper Europe.

Intertape Polymer Group Inc. announced the completion on July 1 of the previouslyannounced transaction to acquire substantially all of the assets of Canadian Technical Tape Ltd. (d/b/a “Cantech”), a North American supplier of industrial and specialty tapes based in Montreal. The expected aggregate purchase price is approximately $67 million (as updated from the previously-communicated purchase price of $63 million due to certain purchase price adjustments), subject to further post-closing adjustments. All amounts in this press release are denominated in US dollars. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Sappi Limited is pleased to announce that it will bolster its Packaging and Speciality Papers Business through the acquisition of the barrier film technology of Rockwell Solutions Limited (Rockwell Solutions). The transaction will mean that Rockwell Solutions will become a subsidiary of Sappi Europe. Sappi is one of the world’s leading producers of speciality papers and carton board with a strong presence in meeting the increased global demand for sustainable barrier paper solutions. Commenting on the transaction, Thomas Kratochwill, Vice President Sales and Marketing, Packaging and Speciality Papers for Sappi Europe said “By gaining access to the barrier film technology of Rockwell Solutions Sappi will be able to accelerate the development of our own solutions and be able to offer our customers an even wider range of barrier coated packaging solutions.” Click Read More below for additional detail.

Stora Enso has today signed an agreement to divest the business and assets of its Swedish subsidiary Stora Enso Re-board AB, a producer of rigid paperboard for expositions and displays, to Culas AB, which is partially owned by the current managing director of Stora Enso Re-board AB, John-Åke Svensson. “Stora Enso’s focus within packaging is on developing and delivering fibre-based solutions throughout the value chain. Re-board delivers a niche product and we believe that a new owner can better give this business the attention it deserves and develop it further,” says Peter Torstensson, SVP and Head of Corrugated Nordics, Stora Enso’s Packaging Solutions division. Click Read More below for additional detail.

The project consists of building a state-of-the-art recovery boiler by 2020 and a new steam turbine by 2022. This equipment will reinforce the industry-leading position that Smurfit Kappa Nettingsdorf currently holds, by virtue of having the lowest energy consumption in the paper industry. The new boiler will produce energy out of biomass, reducing CO₂ emissions at the Nettingsdorf mill by 40,000 tonnes, which represents a 1.5% reduction in Smurfit Kappa Group’s total CO₂ emissions. Smurfit Kappa recently announced in its 2016 Sustainability Development Report that it has already cut CO₂ emissions by 23%, well on the way to meeting its 2020 target of 25%. Click Read More below for additional detail.

An Elkhart-based manufacturer of cardboard boxes already working to expand its operations in Elkhart is expanding elsewhere through a merger with another box-maker. In a deal announced Tuesday, July 7, Welch Packaging Group is merging with American Corrugated Products, a Columbus, Ohio-based company that specializes in packaging for the automotive industry. “American Corrugated Products has a mix of custom packaging solutions built on strong design capabilities which fits the Welch model like a glove,” Welch founder and CEO Scott Welch said in a statement. “This expands the talent, design and niche products that we can bring to our customer while broadening our automotive industry expertise. American Corrugated Products customers will greatly benefit from Welch’s geographic coverage and product capabilities.” Combined, the companies have 900 employees across six states. Welch Packaging was founded in Elkhart in 1985 and has facilities in Elkhart, Marion, Indianapolis, Chicago, and three Ohio plants in Columbus, Cleveland and Toledo. American Corrugated has plants in Jackson, Mich.; Evansville; Morehead, Ky.; Columbia, Tenn., and Dyersburg, Tenn. A statement from Welch Packaging did not specify how or if the companies’ leadership would be consolidated or how the merger might impact the people currently working at the companies. Calls and emails to a Welch company spokesperson for comment were not returned Tuesday afternoon. Welch Packaging has grown significantly in the last few years through the acquisition of other box-making companies. In May 2014, it acquired Go Packaging LLC in Lombard, Ill., and in March 2014 it bought Marion-based Indiana Corrugated. In November 2013, officials announced the acquisition of Nova Packaging, also in Marion. http://www.elkharttruth.com/news/business/2015/07/08/Elkhart-s-Welch-Packaging-group-merges-with-Ohio-based-American-Corrugated-Products.html