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