Silgan Announces Record Fourth Quarter Results

Caraustar Industries, Inc. announced a minimum price increase of 9.0% on all protective packaging products. The increase will be effective with orders placed on and after July 19, 2018. The increase is in response to strong market dynamics and inflationary cost pressures in transportation (both inbound and outbound) and chemicals.

Novolex®, an industry leader in packaging choice, innovation and sustainability, announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the business of Flexo Converters USA, Inc. and certain of its affiliates. The transaction is expected to close within the next 60 days. Flexo is a manufacturer of stock, custom and recycled paper bags and sacks. It is headquartered and has a manufacturing facility in Meriden, Conn. and an additional plant in Monroe, Ga. Flexo’s eligible full-time employees are expected to join Novolex. Flexo products will be sold under the Novolex Duro® Bag brand. The addition of Flexo products to the Novolex portfolio will enable Duro to support customer demand through Flexo’s production capacity. Novolex has seen a significant increase in demand for paper bags as consumer purchasing patterns have shifted.

Ensuring that vaccine vials and their potentially life-changing contents remain safe, sterile and identifiable throughout their tightly controlled supply chain is no easy task, and taking risks is not an option. With the new extended 360 Service offering, Metsä Board, part of Metsä Group, is testing the paperboards and simulating packaging designs used by pharma manufacturers to package and protect vaccine doses, providing absolute confidence that the materials are up to the task. COVID-19 and other vaccines are typically stored and transported in extremely cold conditions, which can be as low as -70 degrees Celsius, before being thawed out ready for administration. The secondary paperboard packaging must be able to withstand these temperature extremes and protect the vials throughout the entire process. When a converter is producing packages for cold-chain transportation they have to be 100% certain that the materials they are using are appropriate. This is where Metsä Board’s in-depth testing and simulation capabilities are extremely valuable for the pharma industry.