Neenah, WI – Outlook Group has once again won the Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce (WMC) Business Friend of the Environment (BFOE) Award for Sustainability. This 32nd Annual BFOE award highlights what Wisconsin companies are doing in the areas of sustainability, innovative technology and environmental stewardship.

For this year’s award, Outlook Group focused on printed flexible packaging films which have grown to be a leading packaging technology for brand owners, driven by consumer demand for more environmentally-friendly packaging.

In response to retailer and consumer demands, the flexible packaging industry has introduced a myriad of recycle-ready, compostable, and biodegradable material structures you see on store shelves today, each having their own set of pros and cons.

Outlook Group introduces packaging products that will biodegrade in a standard landfill environment and do not require consumers to change their recycling habits.

Biodegradable films are engineered to undergo an enzymatic degradation process that is initiated by the heat and pressure that are presented in an anaerobic environment that exists in U.S.-based landfills. Outlook Group’s “Oil2Soil” films perform the same as all standard flexible packaging materials, but will disappear in 5-6 years.

The enzymatic process breaks down the film into CO2, methane, and water, with many municipal landfills collecting methane to use as an energy source. As well, consumers simply discard their empty packages into their curbside trash container, the contents end up in a landfill, and the positive “end-of-life” story simply just happens. And while this is the simplest path to a positive “end-of-life” package, these films also represent only a modest 10%-15% upcharge when compared to “standard” films.

Outlook Group has been a 98% landfill-free manufacturing facility for over a decade. Sustainability is part of our DNA. Our products ensure a competitive continuous supply chain, using materials that convert with ease, and drive a positive customer experience. 

Jim Woller, Outlook Group’s Director of Market Development – Flexible Packaging, noted, “As producers and consumers are bombarded with the Three Rs – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – we like to remind them of the Fourth R – Reality. And the Reality is that infrastructure and cost make recycle-ready and compostable options unrealistic. Outlook Group’s Oil2Soil biodegradable films provide a sustainable product that actually is sustainable, even in Reality.”

About Outlook Group
Outlook Group partners with renowned brand owners to understand their needs and support their supply chains. OG offers innovative packaging solutions including labels, shrink sleeves, folding cartons, flexible packaging, fulfillment, and turnkey packaging solutions that serve the food & beverage, consumer products, health & beauty, over-the-counter, Class II medical device, retail, ecommerce and pet products markets.

In addition to G7 Master Printer Certification, Outlook Group is ISO 13485:2016 certified for medical device packaging, has earned SQF Level 2 certification for Safe Quality Food packaging, GMP compliant, a USDA warehouse registration facility and also FDA registered as a food and drug packaging facility. Outlook Group has two facilities located in Neenah, WI. For more information, contact us at 920-722-2333 | www.outlookgroup.com

J.S. McCarthy, a folding carton printer located in Augusta, Maine, is one of the oldest and largest sheetfed printers in the state. Established in 1947, the business is 100% employee-owned and has a well-known reputation for exemplary service, world class owner-operators and leading-edge technology and equipment. When combined, the result is a high-quality finished product. 

Established in the high-end commercial print and finishing market, the business has expanded to serve the needs of the growing folding carton market, with an emphasis on the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries.

J.S. McCarthy attributes this growth to strong direct mill relationships and strategic and continuous investment in technology such as a sheeter, two 41-inch eight-color presses and a range of BOBST equipment. The business operates from an expansive 150,000 sq. ft. facility, employing 160 individuals operating 24/7. 

J.S. McCarthy recognizes that, across the folding carton sector, there are a handful of key pressure points for which its experience in commercial printing brings key advantages. These include accessing and processing feedstock, reducing lead times, and exceeding service levels in challenging market conditions. 

The business uses multiple BOBST solutions, including two SP104-BM machines, which offer both die-cutting and hot foil stamping capabilities, designed to meet the needs of the folding carton market. With this technology in place, the business is able to die cut and strip in a simple, straightforward workflow.

Since purchasing the SP104-BMs, J.S. McCarthy further invested in BOBST solutions including two EXPERTFOLD 110 folder-gluers, a VISIONFOLD 110 folder-gluer, and an EXPERTCUT 106 PER flatbed die-cutter with a second on order, scheduled to be online in late 2023.

EXPERTCUT 106 PER provides the versatility, reliability, and productivity that packaging converters need to compete. Alongside effortless precision and perfect stripping, waste removal and batch alignment for blanking, EXPERTCUT features a highly productive workflow, enabling job changeovers in under eight minutes.

Hailed as the ‘ultimate all-rounder’ in folding-gluing, the VISIONFOLD 110 line delivers consistent quality and handles an impressively diverse range of box styles. The machine processes multi-fold packaging with a choice of left, right or simultaneous folding. With exceptional stability and precise folding, VISIONFOLD is a durable, cost-efficient, and high-speed solution for the folding carton market. 

Jon Tardiff, President at J.S. McCarthy, explained: “We first expanded into the folding carton market around 17 years ago, and it now accounts for between 60-70% of our business. Our goal is clear; we aim to not just meet the printing needs of our customers, but exceed expectations in quality and speed, time and again. To do that, we invest in market-leading technology.

“We work closely with BOBST, particularly on our VISIONFOLD. At the time it was the only one in the world with a scoring shaft – and it may still be. We use it for a lot of our high-volume greeting cards and self-mailers where we are scoring and plow folding in line. We are currently operating three BOBST folder-gluers, with plans to add a fourth in the near future. 

“Ultimately, we have a reputation for stellar customer service, and that’s something we’ve worked on over many years. We bring a commercial print mindset to the packaging world, and with investments in our technology, we can consistently elevate our service level even further.

“One of the biggest benefits BOBST offers to the business is productivity.” Jon continues: “When we switched from our previous machines to BOBST equipment, we saw a huge leap forward in how much we were able to accomplish in the same timeframe. We’re talking 30-50% improvements in a lot of cases. The IT and digital integration are also a big jump forward for us from a productivity standpoint. 

“Something that particularly impressed us about BOBST was the training available on both the die-cutters and folder-gluers, which I cannot say enough about. There is a huge amount of market knowledge, and if a machine can run at 9,000 sheets per hour, they will train you to run it at 9,000 sheets per hour! With a constant point of contact and regular site visits, they’re constantly pushing productivity. We are also impressed with the durability of BOBST equipment. The machines are built to last and perform at a top level, so the lifetime value is fantastic and that’s quality that you can rely on. Our blanker runs for close to four shifts now, and it’s just made to do it.”

The productivity advantages offered by J.S. McCarthy’s BOBST equipment portfolio, including EXPERTCUT and VISIONFOLD, became even clearer during the pandemic.

“As COVID-19 brought a labor crunch, we struggled to find people for the hand stripping of blanks. BOBST EXPERTCUT technology allowed us to remain productive and profitable with fewer people. For example, we’d need up to 20 people air-chiseling and removing waste to keep up with our plant. Instead, we’re doing it with a blanker.

“BOBST is built to last and to perform every single day. You get what you pay for and, with BOBST, that’s productivity and throughput. It performs as advertised, and to be honest, I think it does even more than that.”

About BOBST
We are one of the world’s leading suppliers of substrate processing, printing and converting equipment and services for the label, flexible packaging, folding carton and corrugated board industries.

Founded in 1890 by Joseph Bobst in Lausanne, Switzerland, BOBST has a presence in more than 50 countries, runs 19 production facilities in 11 countries and employs more than 5 800 people around the world. The firm recorded a consolidated turnover of CHF 1.563 billion for the year ended December 31, 2021.

Leading developer of inks and coatings for the Packaging and Label industries, Flint Group Packaging has announced the appointment of Terry Davis as Vice President of Strategic Accounts, Flexible Packaging North America.

To support the business’ strategy, Terry will be responsible for driving the sustainable long-term growth of key flexible packaging accounts in the North American market.

With more than 33 years of ink and coating experience, Terry is a well-known industry figure. Working alongside both local and regional sales and service teams, Terry will lead the refinement and execution of the company’s customer strategy while further developing executive-level relationships with strategic accounts.

Nicki Kerrigan, VP & GM Flexible Packaging at Flint Group Packaging in North America, said:  “I’ve known Terry for many years and always appreciated his integrity and approach to the business. Terry has extensive knowledge in the packaging sector, and his experience will be extremely beneficial to our flexible packaging customers here in North America. We are delighted to welcome him to our team.”

Terry Davis commented: “Flint Group Packaging has an outstanding reputation in the package printing industry, and I recognize significant advantages in Flint Group’s differentiated value proposition. I look forward to building upon the foundation the company has constructed and further developing essential connections with its customers.

“I’m excited about joining Flint Group at this time in my career and contributing to the company’s growing success.”

For more information on Flint Group and its activities, please visit www.flintgrp.com or email deanna.klemesrud@flintgrp.com.

Flint Group is dedicated to serving the needs of the global Flexible Packaging, Paper & Board, Narrow Web and Publication industries, both conventional and digitally printed. The company develops, manufactures and markets an extensive portfolio of printing consumables and equipment, including: a vast range of conventional and energy curable inks, coatings and additives for Flexographic, Gravure & Offset applications; pressroom chemicals and printing blankets. Furthermore, Flint Group designs and manufacturers digital printing presses for labels, corrugated packaging, document and commercial applications. The company is a leader in colour management solutions which are supported by a Global Colour Centre to ensure colour consistency and standardisation. Flint Group strives to support its customers through a relentless focus on developing: innovative products, exceptional levels of service and the security of supply. Headquartered in Luxembourg, Flint Group employs some 6,200 people. Revenues for 2020 were €1.7 billion. On a worldwide basis, the company is the number one or number two supplier in every major market segment it serves. For more information, please visit www.flintgrp.com

The innovative semi-solid film has an enhanced yield and opacity compared with solid white films.

Innovia Films has developed a high yield, semi-solid, glossy white BOPP film, Rayoface™ JB. This 47 micron film, designed for pressure sensitive labelling (PSL) applications, combines some of the advantages of cavitated and solid films into a semi-solid film. JB47 has a coating receptive surface to allow customers to add their own printable topcoat and has EU and FDA food compliance.

Rayoface™ JB is particularly suitable for use within a wide range of market segments such as Household and Personal Care, Food and Beverage, and other consumer packaged goods sectors.

Produced at Innovia Films Poland, on their advanced technology 5-layer BOPP line, JB is a superior performance product. Compared to a solid white film it has much better opacity and higher yield. The glossy film surface has excellent

compatibility to top-coatings and PSL adhesives and importantly also has EU and FDA food contact compliance.

Stephen Weber, Key Account Director, explains “The semi-solid nature of JB47 means it has some of the advantages of a cavitated film whilst still behaving closer to a solid film. It has the glossy white, high opacity appearance of a cavitated film and a higher yield than a solid white film. Combined these features make JB47 an aesthetically and economically attractive film.”

Rayoface™ JB is available now, so to find out more, contact your local Innovia Films Sales Manager or email labels@innoviafilms.com

About Innovia Films
Innovia Films is a major producer of highly differentiated specialty Biaxially Oriented Polypropylene (BOPP) films using proprietary ‘Bubble’, Stenter Technology and Cast manufacturing processes. 

The company holds a leading global position in the markets for high performance coated films, tobacco overwrap, labels and security films.Innovia employs >1400 people worldwide and has production sites in Australia, Belgium, Germany, Mexico, Poland and the UK.The company is focused on high-quality value-added products, strong customer relationship, R&D and excellent service

www.innoviafilms.com

Rochester, NY and Lawrenceville, GA – Durst Image Technology and Vanguard Digital Printing Systems are proud to announce that they have received seven coveted PRINTING United Alliance 2022 Pinnacle Product Award across multiple Output Device Categories.

Output devices are judged by measuring color charts and then comparing them to industry specifications. “This is the only competition I know of that reports on the percentage of Adobe RGB a printer can hit,” said Dawn Nye, Program Manager for Pinnacle Awards, PRINTING United Alliance. “Some categories were decided by tenths of a point, so fierce was the competition this year.”

The following products won 2022 Pinnacle Product Awards:

• Durst P5 Tex iSub: awarded Roll-to-Roll Direct Disperse Ink on Textile category

• Durst Delta SPC 130: awarded Single Pass printer category

• Vanguard VR6D-HS: awarded UV/Latex Flatbed ($100K – $200K) category

• Vanguard VR6D-HS: awarded UV/Latex Flatbed + White ($100K – $200K) category

• Vanguard VR5D-E: awarded UV/Latex Flatbed (under $70K) category

• Vanguard VKH900-HS: awarded RTR/hybrid/flatbed new technology category

• Vanguard VKR3200: awarded Roll-to-Roll UV (over 80 in.) category

Becky McConnell, Marketing Manager of Durst North America commented, “We are always happy to take part in the Pinnacle Product Award competition, as it allows us another opportunity to highlight our exciting technologies – and we couldn’t be more proud to have won so many awards this year.”

“The Pinnacle Product Award competition represents the best of the best among commercial hardware, software, consumables, and industrial and screen equipment,” Weiss said. “Congratulations to all the winners.”

www.durstus.com

Century Printing & Packaging (CP&P), a family-owned label converting company located in Greer SC, has invested in one of the newly launched Mark Andy Digital Series iQ digital hybrid presses. The Digital Series iQ combines the servo platform and technology from Mark Andy’s popular Evolution Series with the Domino N610i UV-inkjet engine and is firmly targeted at the middle section of the label market where it offers a perfect blend of speed, print quality, and cost-effectiveness.

Established by Neil, Ben, and Don Waldrop in 1997, CP&P started with a Comco Cadet producing two and three-color flexo work. Don and Ben were originally in a textile related business together, and Neil joined after working at the PrintCon Center at Clemson University. Neil recalls: “It was very basic at the beginning, working from a converted bathroom, but it gave us a glimpse of what the future might hold and the confidence to invest and grow the business.” Hopes and plans were nearly brought crashing down when the company’s move to a new 16,000 sq.ft. factory in 2001 coincided with the tragic events of 9/11. “Nobody knew how this would affect the country or the business world, and it was a case of digging deep and focusing on a supplying a quality product with customer service to match,” he added.

 From these humble beginnings, CP&P has grown into a leading converter of quality labels for a range of markets including newspapers, nutraceutical, chemical, and the food and beverage sectors. From a staff of eight in 2001 the company has grown to employ 26 and now has five Mark Andy flexo presses: three 10” 2200 models and a 13” Performance Series P5, in addition to the new Digital Series IQ. All the flexo presses are eight-color and use water-based technology with UV on the last station for lacquer. “We prefer to work with water-based inks because of the labels we produce for the food industry – and our products are now supplied to 34 States in the US as well as exported to Canada and Australia,” he explained.

The new Digital Series iQ is CP&P’s second Mark Andy digital press, the company having installed a Digital One toner-based line back in 2019. The Digital Series iQ can be configured with up to seven UV inkjet colours (CMYKOV +WW) and converting components integrated to meet each customer’s specific requirements. Print stations, semi rotary vertical die cutting, cold foil, and inline slitting are common options. The CP&P press has a four-color digital capability with three flexo units and Mark Andy’s award-winning QCDC die-cutting unit. It has a production speed up to 230ft/min (70m/min) in high-speed mode and 164 ft/min (50m/min) in high-quality mode, while print resolution is 600 x 600dpi across its 13” (330mm) web.

Though seasoned professionals now, with 25 years of hard work and experience in-house, Neil Waldrop says one of the company’s assets has always been an open-minded approach. “We had no previous print industry experience to draw on so had no pre-conceived ideas. We just kept investing in the latest and best technology we could afford and the Digital One and Digital Series iQ are the latest examples of that.”

Speaking for Mark Andy, Sales Manager John Baer explained the logic behind CP&P’s investment in the Digital Series iQ. “Basically, we focused their attention on the cost to print/job estimation data that we had on file and made available to them. In simple terms, we took their book of business from the previous year and compared all the jobs they ran on their flexo presses with the same jobs costed on a Digital Series iQ. Long story short, running most of the jobs on the Digital Series iQ proved to be more profitable than traditional flexo – even on a Mark Andy flexo press!”

The decision to consider digital capability was based on CP&P’s assessment of a market that was showing clear signs of a shift in demand. Shorter runs lengths, JIT delivery, faster turnarounds, consistent quality, and more added value were among the pressures the company was feeling from its customer base, which is diverse in both size and number. “We invested in the Mark Andy Digital Series iQ press to give us a more competitive space where digital printing is becoming a requirement. It allows us to combine our flexo knowledge with the new technology of inkjet to get vibrant colors with UV inks that provide a high level of consistency and durability,” he explained.

While the Digital One offered a single-pass inline process, the Digital Series iQ takes that a few stages further, and CP&P view the hybrid concept as the most cost-effective way forward in a market where a mix of flexo and digital print will continue to be in high demand. The new press offers a wider range of substrate capabilities and the possibility of grouping jobs together, whether short or long, to give more scheduling flexibility. This has been a key part of CPP’s strategy to deal with the supply-chain challenges all converters have faced in 2021 and 2022.

“We have made a significant investment in this press to position ourselves for growth and to meet customer expectations with the highest technology available in the industry. After four weeks of setup and tremendous support from Mark Andy’s technical team, our press operators were very comfortable with the new technology. In addition, our production and pre-press departments have made it a seamless effort to deliver consistent quality and results for our customers,” he added.

As product consistency is so important, Neil Waldrop has high praise for the durability of the inks used on the Digital Series iQ. With no experience of fade or rub-off, he says there is seldom a need to apply lacquer or lamination to obtain a high-class finish. With a typical order consisting of 42 SKUs in run lengths from 150ft to 3000ft, the lack of plate costs and reduced waste levels on the digital press make it a very competitive tool. Around 85% of CP&P’s work is straight repeat, so color consistency is vital, and while VDP work represents only a small part of the company’s business today, it’s predicted to grow as more customers become aware of its usefulness and applications.

One thing Neil Waldrop stresses is the need for regular cleaning and maintenance to ensure optimum performance with the Digital Series iQ. The benefit is rapid turnaround of high-quality labels with minimal waste and downtime – all of which has allowed CP&P to increase its production volume and variety. “We like to keep all our presses fully scheduled at least one week ahead – and this is no problem with the Digital Series iQ! The seasonality of some of our work is ideally suited to a digital hybrid line, and the new Mark Andy is a perfect fit for that,” he concluded.

www.markandy.com

BOBST’s Advanced Register Control for Precision Printing and ECG in Gravure has been judged “Best of the Best” in the Technical Innovation category of the 2022 Golden Cylinder Awards. The coveted award was presented to Kurt Oegerli, Sales Manager, Bobst North America Inc., at the ceremony held on 26 September, during the AIMCAL 2022 R2R Conference, taking place 26-29 September, in Orlando, FL, USA.

What makes the system unique

The new advanced register control system consists of a new set-up and advanced functions of BOBST’s automatic register control, Registron®. One of its main advantages is that the press operator can make a correction immediately after the color is printed, without having to wait for the images to be displayed on the web viewer. An additional benefit for the efficiency of gravure technology is realized during job changeovers: downtime for press set-up is greatly reduced and consequently, so is the waste that is generated in the process.

Furthermore, the new advanced function of the register control is the technical innovation that enables easy and controlled handling of ECG printing in gravure, by controlling the register on the whole printed surface, enabling a reel report of the register quality.

Commenting on the award, Jonathan Giubilato, Gravure Product Manager at BOBST said: “We are proud of this latest achievement that brings gravure to the forefront of the packaging industry transformation, and for the potential ahead to improve the operations of our gravure customers. The enhanced agility on print cycles enables the quality of gravure to become sustainable and profitable also in the case of short run production, bridging the gap that conventionally confined the quality of gravure to higher production volumes”.

About BOBST
We are one of the world’s leading suppliers of substrate processing, printing and converting equipment and services for the label, flexible packaging, folding carton and corrugated board industries.

Founded in 1890 by Joseph Bobst in Lausanne, Switzerland, BOBST has a presence in more than 50 countries, runs 19 production facilities in 11 countries and employs more than 5800 people around the world. The firm recorded a consolidated turnover of CHF 1.563 billion for the year ended December 31, 2021.

Ahlstrom-Munksjö has started to operate under the business name Ahlstrom as of today, October 3, 2022. The company has completed the ownership reorganization of its Decor business and thus proceeded with its plan, announced in May 2022, to change its name to Ahlstrom. The divested Decor business continues as an independent company under the well-recognized Munksjö name.

In June 2022, Ahlstrom-Munksjö announced its intention to accelerate the pace of its strategy execution and set a goal to become the preferred sustainable specialty materials provider through a clearly defined purpose, sharper strategic focus and ambitious sustainability targets. A new operating model and reporting structure, effective as of July 2022, was implemented to effectively carry out the work.

President and CEO Hans Sohlström says: “This is a natural step for us as the name Ahlstrom has more than 170 years meritorious history. We are serving five growing markets and are leading the development in all these areas among the top companies. We will continue to operate through 38 plants in 13 countries and with some 7,000 employees who represent more than 50 nationalities.”

“Our strategic ambition for 2025 is to become the leader in combining fibers into performance materials. All we do will serve our purpose to Purify and Protect, with Every Fiber, for a Sustainable World. It is now our turn to take Ahlstrom to the future and transform it to the Preferred Sustainable Specialty Materials Company.”

The change of the business name to Ahlstrom is accompanied by a renewed logo where the symbol remains the same and the name is changed to Ahlstrom.

In line with the name change, the company’s web address has been changed to www.ahlstrom.com. Email addresses will be formed correspondingly (firstname.lastname@ahlstrom.com). The legal company names will remain unchanged until they are changed later country by country in compliance with local legislation.

The name change to Ahlstrom will not affect the company’s customers or sales, strategy, structure, reporting or commitments.

The Decor business continues with the name Munksjö. Its offering consists of decorative surface materials for building material industries. Munksjö is the only international brand focused exclusively on decor paper.

For additional information, please contact:

Krista Tötterman, Communications Manager, Ahlstrom, tel. (+358) 10 8884722, email: krista.totterman@ahlstrom-munksjo.com

Ahlstrom in brief
Ahlstrom is a global leader in combining fibers into sustainable specialty materials. Our purpose is to Purify and Protect, with Every Fiber, for a Sustainable World. Our vision is to be the Preferred Sustainable Specialty Materials Company for all our stakeholders. We serve five growing and distinctive end markets, which form the basis for our five divisions: Filtration, Food & Consumer Packaging, Healthcare, Building Materials, and Technical Materials. Our pro forma net sales 2021 for continuing operations amounted to EUR 2.6 billion and we employ some 7,000 people. Read more at www.ahlstrom.com