GPD Foodpackaging installs two fully automatic BOBST MASTERFOLD 75 folder-gluers for the annual production of 750 million pizza boxes and more.

At its brand-new and highly efficient Smart Factory in Rinteln, Lower Sayony, GDP Foodpackaging GmbH & Co has been producing food packaging on a grand scale since January 1, 2022. This includes the production of 750 million boxes for frozen pizza, which are processed on two MASTERFOLD 75 folder-gluers from BOBST. Both high-speed machines – equipped with robotics and fully automated – are currently still put into operation and are installed with an EASYFEEDER 4 pre-feeder and a CARTONPACK 4 automatic packer with an integrated CASE ERECTOR. The MASTERFOLD 75 reaches operating speeds of up to 600 m/min and is not only the folder-gluer highest capacity, but the most automated high-performance line for the manufacture of folding carton boxes on the market.

“The MASTERFOLD 75 from BOBST is the best folder-gluer to meet the demands at our new plant in Rinteln. It is established on the market and has a reputation among packaging manufacturers the world over for reliable high performance”, is how Bärbel Wetenkamp, Chief Operating Officer at GPD Foodpackaging, explains why they saw no alternative to this folder-gluer. “What’s more, the exceptional versatility and very short setup times of the MASTERFOLD 75 support quick production changes – another crucial advantage of the machine.”

The MASTERFOLD 75 and its EASYFEEDER 4 and CARTONPACK 4 peripherals reliably work with a wide range of different packaging materials, another important criteria for GPD Foodpackaging. “The plans for our new plant focused on attaining significant savings, in particular in energy and paper consumption, as compared to conventional packaging manufacture. One way to achieve this is by replacing virgin-fiber paperboard with recycled paperboard,” explains Bärbel Wetenkamp. The two MASTERFOLD 75 lines in Rinteln will work with blanks of GD2 chromo duplex board at grammages from 200 to 500 g/m2.

When it comes to production, GPD Foodpackaging is breaking new ground at this plant in several ways. It uses a web-fed offset printing system with rotary inline die-cutting specially set up for paperboard printing and unique in Europe. It works with food-safe, EB-curing ink, and its higher-than-average printing speed provides for impressive productivity.

The tried and true technology of both BOBST folder-gluers earn them their rock-solid position in this innovative and fully automatic production process. Bärbel Wetenkamp: “Customers are impressed with our relying on this high-end technology for processing the blanks of finished packaging.”

The smooth interaction of the MASTERFOLD 75 with its peripheral devices ensures that the plant can count on maximum productivity from an uninterrupted folding and gluing process. The EASYFEEDER 4 pre-feeders ensure quick, smooth and consistent delivery of blanks into the feeder of the folder-gluers, preventing production stops. At the end of the MASTERFOLD 75 lines, the CARTONPACK 4 automatic packers gently fill shipping boxes with up to 200,000 units of packaging per hour, all while providing GPD Foodpackaging with various packing options. GPD can save the settings of individual production orders in the MATIC control of its folder-gluers and retrieve them at any time for repeat orders, further shortening the setup time of these orders.

Moreover, plant management can access the machine data at any time via BOBST’s productivity apps, and use them for analysis and process optimization. “We look forward to working with these high-end machines. They fit right into our revolutionary production process”, is how GPD Foodpackaging CEO Henning Diedrich peers hopefully into the future.

“BOBST is championing a drive to profoundly transform the packaging industry by making the entire production chain more agile and sustainable. The primary cornerstones are digitization, connectivity, automation, and sustainability. With the new plant in Rinteln, GPD Foodpackaging is taking a big step toward packaging production that is in line with BOBST’s vision of the future. The high level of automation, productivity and reliability of our MASTERFOLD 75 lines will provide ideal support for this innovative process”, says Hans Dreistein, a Sales Manager at Bobst Meerbusch and contact person for GPD Foodpackaging.

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.

About GPD Foodpackaging Rinteln
GPD Foodpackaging GmbH & Co. KG, headquartered in Bielefeld, Germany, is building a state-of-the-art production plant on more than 65 hectares of land in Rinteln (northwest Germany) for the manufacture of packaging for food and, in particular, for frozen products. The plant is unique in all of Germany and combines innovative technology with intelligent process optimization to create a highly automated smart factory, furnished with its own logistics center and direct motorway access.

www.bobst.com

Innovia Films (Innovia), a major producer of highly differentiated speciality films announces the opening of a new 6.2 metre multi-layer co-extrusion line at its site in Płock, Poland. The state-of-the-art line will be dedicated to manufacture low-density polyolefin shrink film for shrink sleeve labels and tamper evident applications.

The film forms the basis to produce sustainable floatable shrink sleeves.  This facilitates easy separation of labels from PET, HDPE and PP bottles and containers in the recycling process to enable bottle-to-bottle circularity.  This shrink sleeve material is mainly for use within the Food, Beverage and Home & Personal Care industries.

Innovia to market the film under the brand RayoFloat™

“The opening of the line concludes our strategic investment into a high-performance shrink film, that enables more circularity when it comes to packaging – an important goal for consumer goods companies,” says Simon Huber, Managing Director, Innovia UK and Poland. “The new capacities will allow us to supply label and sleeve converters with high-quality floatable shrink sleeve material that has the potential to revolutionise the market and the way packaging is decorated to move towards more sustainable choices” continued Huber.

RayoFloat™ APO is a clear, uncoated shrink film that floats, as its density is <0.93 g/cm³.  The film is also glossy, scuff resistant and printable, with a controlled TD shrinkage up to 70%.  RayoFloat™ has been endorsed by the European PET Bottle Platform EPBP, although this film is perfect for use on a variety of HDPE and PP containers too. 

CCL Label markets the polyolefin labels under EcoFloat™

CCL Label has been partnering with multinational brands to develop recyclable PET containers for bottle-to-bottle recycling in a closed loop. Polyolefin sleeves are also a recycling-friendly match for PP- and PE-based packaging as they stem from the same plastics family.

“In recent years we have seen big changes in the market. Brands are increasingly following Design for Recycling guidelines and are re-creating their packaging to meet recycling targets. Labels can make a huge difference here, the functional properties of label materials can support recyclability and re-usability,” says Günther Birkner, member of the Management Team at CCL. “The goal of our investment in Poland is to significantly increase the capacity in polyolefin shrink films which were hardly available so far. Through our global network of CCL Label sites, we are able to convert the recycling-friendly material into EcoFloat sleeves and supply those with short turnaround times to packaging lines. This initiative will enable our customers to boost the recyclability of their packaging!”

As EcoFloat™ sleeves are made from low density polyolefins, they make the difference in the crucial sink/float recycling step at PET recyclers. The sleeve material floats and this allows for a clean separation from the heavier PET flakes that sink to the bottom of the washing tanks. This easy separation forms the basis of the yield of high-quality PET flakes that can be used in bottle-to-bottle recycling, closing the loop. EcoFloat™ has been endorsed by the European PET Bottle Platform EPBP.

“Our investment is part of our commitment to boost plastic recycling and take steps towards a circular economy as stated when we signed the Global Commitment of the New Plastics Economy led by the Ellen MacArthur foundation. In future, governments will set targets for recycling rates in municipal waste. Reaching these will not be feasible without investing in new technologies for packaging materials that support ‘Design for Recycling’. As a floatable, low density polyolefin sleeve, EcoFloat™ fulfills the requirements as defined in packaging design guidelines,” concluded Birkner. 

www.innoviafilms.com

About Innovia:
Innovia Films is a major producer of highly differentiated speciality 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 relationships, R&D and excellent service.

About CCL Label:
CCL Label is the world’s largest converter of pressure sensitive and extruded film materials for decorative, functional and information labels.

UPM Raflatac and the Finnish Paperworker’s Union signed a business specific collective labour agreement on April 22, 2022. As a result, the Paperworker’s Union’s strike at the Tampere factory in Finland ended on the same day and employees returned to work on April 25. The production ramp-up has proceeded as planned. Production volumes reached normal levels during the first week after the strike.

“We are pleased that a new business-specific agreement is now reached with the Finnish Paperworkers’ Union, enabling us to better serve our customers in the future. The agreement allows for additional production flexibility at our Tampere factory and gives us the ability to better respond to demand peaks. Increased capacity utilization also opens future opportunities for employment,” says Antti Jääskeläinen, Executive Vice President, UPM Raflatac.

The agreements made between the Paperworkers’ Union and other UPM businesses will result in improved supply security for the global label industry. However, the tight raw material and logistics situation, which has been constrained since early 2021, is expected to continue impacting the global label industry supply chain. UPM Raflatac will closely monitor the situation and keep customers informed on the availability of impacted products.

UPM Raflatac
UPM Raflatac is leading in sustainable labeling through our innovative self-adhesive label materials and services. We offer high-quality paper and film label stock for branding and promotion, informational labels, and labels with functionality. We operate a global network of factories, distribution terminals and sales offices. Our company employs around 3,000 people and made sales of EUR 1.7 billion (USD 1.9 billion) in 2021. UPM Raflatac is part of UPM. Find out how we are labeling a smarter future beyond fossils at www.upmraflatac.com.

An ideal solution to control liner variation, the AccuAdjust paves the way for fully-automated anvil control

Oak Brook, IL – Maxcess, a global leader in innovative products and services for web handling applications, today unveiled the RotoMetrics AccuAdjust Dual Adjust Anvil. Featuring easy-to-use digital controllers on the front of the die stack, quick installation into a press and automation-ready motors that ship with the unit itself, the AccuAdjust paves the way for fully-automated anvil adjustment upgrades that are ready when you are.

“We designed the new AccuAdjust from the ground-up with our global R&D team to give customers an intuitive and powerful tool to control liner variation that our customers are seeing on a daily basis,” said Nadine Powell, Global Product Manager for RotoMetrics, a Maxcess Brand. “With shortages in skilled labor, liner variation changes and material supply issues that every press operator is facing, the new AccuAdjust will be a welcomed solution to cut perfect labels, while reducing scrap from common liners such as PET, Glassine and Kraft.”

Featuring easy-to-access dual-adjustable controllers on the front of the die stack and backed by a global service and support infrastructure to ensure you are taken care of after installation, the new AccuAdjust provides customers with an adjustable anvil that is both easy-to-use and extremely accurate. In addition, since each AccuAdjust unit comes plug-and-play ready for RotoMetric’s upcoming RotoAdjust automation system for greater operator control, enhanced productivity, and Industry 4.0 analytics to run smarter, customers can be confident in future-proofing their investment with a product that can easily adopt further automation when they are ready.

See the new AccuAdjust in action now: AccuAdjust-In-Action

Visit www.Maxcessintl.com or call 1-844-MAXCESS to learn more about controlling liner variation today. 

About Maxcess: Maxcess helps its customers maximize productivity through innovative products and services worldwide. By combining more than 400 years of global service and support across the storied product brands of RotoMetrics, Fife, Tidland, MAGPOWR, Webex, Valley Roller and Componex, Maxcess offers an unrivaled network of application experts and automated, end-to-end web handling solutions to help you work better, faster and smarter. Visit them online at www.maxcessintl.com

Mills River, NC – UPM Raflatac, a global supplier of innovative and sustainable labeling materials, today announced the UPM Raflatac OptiCut™ Direct Thermal (DT) Linerless product line has been qualified on the new Epson OmniLink® TM-L100 liner-free compatible thermal label printer. This will enable Epson and UPM Raflatac to offer improved linerless label performance for OmniLink TM-L100 users in the hospitality segment.

“UPM Raflatac has developed both our assets and products to meet the needs of the fast-growing DT Linerless market. This incredible partnership with Epson will allow more end-users to benefit from the efficiencies, high performance, and sustainable design of our OptiCut products,” stated Brinder Gill, Sales Director, UPM Raflatac Americas.

In addition, UPM Raflatac is poised to meet strong growth in demand for DT Linerless material, despite supply chain disruptions common in many markets.

“Our new production line investment has increased our production capacity by 100 million m2, and we can support our customers through our global distribution network. This enables us to face the fast transition to DT Linerless in the market.,” said Gill.

UPM Raflatac OptiCut products not only offer excellent adhesion and repositionability, but customers can also make informed choices as the carbon footprint of the UPM Raflatac Linerless product line was recently certified by the Carbon Trust, a global climate consultancy driven by the mission to accelerate the move to a decarbonized future.

“In today’s everchanging environment, liner-free thermal label printing provides flexibility to meet a variety of business demands,” said David Vander Dussen, product manager, Business Systems, Epson America. “With this new qualification, UPM Raflatac has demonstrated its commitment to delivering high quality media solutions for liner-free printing, underscoring the reliability customers can expect when using OptiCut DT media with the OmniLink TM-L100.”

Click here to read more about UPM Raflatac’s linerless labels »

UPM Raflatac
UPM Raflatac is leading in sustainable labeling through our innovative self-adhesive label materials and services. We offer high-quality paper and film label stock for branding and promotion, informational labels, and labels with functionality. We operate a global network of factories, distribution terminals and sales offices. Our company employs around 3,000 people and made sales of EUR 1.7 billion (USD 1.9 billion) in 2021. UPM Raflatac is part of UPM. Find out how we are labeling a smarter future beyond fossils at www.upmraflatac.com.

High-performance curing and corona solutions enable printers to confidently achieve consistent, flawless quality at maximum speeds 

St. Louis, MO — Baldwin Technology Company Inc. will showcase its latest high-performance color management, surface treatment, LED-UV curing, inspection, defect detection and Industry 4.0-based analytics solutions at Print4All (pavilion 9, booth G15 H16), which is taking place May 3 to 6 at Fiera Milano in Italy.          

Printers are under unprecedented commercial pressures because of paper shortages and energy costs. Technologies that help printers and converters minimize paper, ink, time and energy waste have never been more in demand. Simultaneously, the need for flawless, sustainable printed products drives the industry to technologies that support outstanding results. Plus, burgeoning demand for flexible packaging and labels has put pressure on printers and converters to produce them at the highest quality and the fastest possible speeds.

Customers seeking solutions are gravitating to Baldwin and its LED-UV curing technology. One of its latest advances—which will be on display at Print4All—is the XP Quatro Series™ LED-UV curing module with one head and two frequencies for broader applications. It is designed to economically and efficiently cure LED-formulated printing inks and coatings on sheetfed and web offset printing presses, as well as on larger-format flexo presses and digital print engines. The XP Quatro Series LED-UV enhances print quality, while operating at top speeds, driving increased productivity and profitability.

Italy’s ACM Flexible Packaging selected Baldwin as its LED-UV partner and became the first flexible film converter to offer all LED-UV curing in a narrow to mid-web format. This partnership established LED-UV printing as a growing production standard in flexible packaging and labels. Today, ACM is a 100% LED-UV, non-mercury facility.

“Together with Baldwin’s technology, we proved that LED-UV could dramatically improve the printing process and make narrow web food-grade cured packaging a reality,” said Antonio La Franceschina, Co-Founder of ACM. “With LED-UV, we can ensure rapid and uniform drying, so we are able to reduce production cycle timing and more quickly satisfy all customer requests.”

Baldwin’s Print4All booth also will showcase Industry 4.0 and industrial Internet of Things-enabled technologies that work together to achieve greater uptime, productivity and automation. Featured solutions pair sensor-gathered data with operational data from Baldwin equipment to gain live, actionable insights to improve production monitoring, so printers and converters can achieve new levels of color consistency with fewer defects and greater assurance of curing. On May 3 at 3 p.m. at Arena Jobs (pavilion 9), show attendees can learn more about the advantages of Industry 4.0 during “Sell more, more profitably with IIoT,” a presentation hosted by Simon Blake, Chief Marketing Officer at Baldwin.

“Data will drive the next great advantage of the graphics industry,” said Steve Metcalf, Chief IoT Officer at Baldwin. “Shorter print runs and more customization are just two challenges facing the industry and testing efficiency. Comprehensive, connected data—from inspection to color to curing—will give everyone the information needed to make decisions to sell more print, profitably.”

Other highlights in Baldwin’s booth include the Corona Slim treatment system, which ensures the exact dyne levels needed for perfect uniformity in application, and the Guardian PQV 100% Print Inspection, which provides complete print quality verification from prepress through production, reporting and archiving.

ABOUT BALDWIN TECHNOLOGY COMPANY INC.

Baldwin Technology Company Inc. is a leading global manufacturer and supplier of innovative process-automation equipment, parts, service and consumables for the printing, packaging, textile, plastic film extrusion and corrugated industries. As a total solutions provider, Baldwin offers our customers a broad range of market-leading technologies, with a focus on improving the economic and environmental efficiency of production processes. Through a global footprint of 21 company-owned locations and an extensive network of partners, our customers are supported globally, regionally and locally by dedicated sales and service team members who add value by forming long-term relationships. Baldwin is privately owned by BW Forsyth Partners, a Barry-Wehmiller company. For more, visit baldwintech.com.

Warren Packaging, is a family-owned and operated company located in Ontario, California and has been in business since 1999. They provide custom labels, corrugated boxes, and folded cartons.

Owner and President Phil Warren, who after 30 years in the box and packaging industry, understood that a particular need was not being fulfilled by one company alone. Business of all sizes were forced to utilize multiple suppliers for their custom labels, corrugated boxes, and folded cartons. Phil decided to take on the challenge of making all these options available under one roof, and that roof became Warren Packaging. To help make his vision a reality, Phil brought in a team he knew would possess the same level of determination – his family.

Over the past several years, Warren Packaging has continuously increased facility size and capabilities to manage the growing volumes and demand, while developing new and innovative packaging for current and future customers. Phil says, “We believe that a great product deserves great packaging, and that is what we consistently strive to provide.”     

To provide the best quality and service to their customers, Warren Packaging focuses on Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement. One critical aspect of Lean they focus on is eliminating wasted time and material. “We constantly continue to improve our facility and manufacturing practices in order to provide the highest quality labels, corrugated boxes, and folding cartons,” says Phil.

In that spirit, Warren Packaging added the Domino N610i digital UV inkjet press in July 2021.

To discuss their label business, the growing demand for digital printing, and why they chose Domino, we caught up with the team at Warren Packaging… Phil Warren (owner and President), Phil Warren Jr. (Vice President), and Mike Dittenber (Business Development Manager).

Describe the labels that Warren Packaging produces, and sectors served.

“We produce high quality pressure sensitive labels for many applications including bottles, clamshells, storage containers, boxes, bags, and produce PLUs to name a few. Industries and markets that we serve are nearly unlimited, but include produce, beef jerky, meat, storage, cleaning products, chocolates, syrup, pastries/baked goods, laundry soap, and more. We utilize a variety of materials and finishes to meet and exceed the needs of our customers… from white BOPP or semi-gloss to silver or clear materials with gloss, matte, or more customized finishes. We utilize flexo presses as well as the Domino digital press, which gives us the ability to offer high quality labels at competitive pricing at any quantity,” says Phil.   

Tell me about your customers’ needs, requirements, expectations.

Phil Jr. says, “Our customers hold us to a high standard regarding quality as well as lead times, while also expecting competitive pricing. This requires us to focus on continuous improvement to maximize our efficiencies in production, upgrading and maintaining our equipment, as well as building strong relationships with suppliers to keep our costs and material lead times where we need them.” 

How has COVID-19 impacted your business?

“COVID-19 has had both positive and negative impacts on our business over the last 2 years. The packaging industry in general has seen significant growth, however it has forced us to get creative and become even more efficient as we have been faced with issues such as operating lean in terms of staffing, and receiving supplies and materials when needed to maintain our lead times and stay on schedule,” says Phil.

What does Warren Packaging do better than anyone else?

Mike says, “Aside from what makes us stand out the most… which is the ability to offer corrugated boxes and folding cartons in addition to labels… what we do better than anyone else is develop our customers’ packaging alongside with them, rather than offering limited options. We move quickly in our development stages so the customer can make decisions and get their products to market.”

What is most important that you want your customers & prospects to know about Warren Packaging?

Mike continues, “The most important thing about Warren Packaging is our focus on packaging development and continuous improvement in all three areas that we specialize in: Labels, Corrugated Boxes, and Folding Cartons. We will consistently be a supplier with the ability to offer high quality designs to finished products at competitive pricing.”

Why digital?  What were the drivers for adding digital?

Phil Jr. says, “The first driver would be flexibility to run various quantities and multiple SKU items with the best quality possible. Another is the savings we are able to pass onto our customers for new items or changes to existing items. Finally, with the new technology of digital printing in both the label and box industry, we have made it a point to maintain our position as a leader in new development and technology in the industry… to be able to offer the best options to our customers in relation to both quality as well as pricing.”

Why Domino?

Phil says, “We first found out about Domino sometime in 2018 or 2019.  We felt Domino would be a strong partner as we continue to grow, due to their innovation and continued growth in the market.”

When was the Domino N610i installed and how has it performed?

Phil Jr. says, “The press was installed in July 2021.  We have been able to move 30% or more of our flexo work to our Domino, which has allowed us to produce more work in a shorter time span.  It has been a tremendous asset to our production floor.”

Have you noticed any changes in the types of label jobs you run or projects you pursue due to the capabilities of the Domino N610i?

Mike says, “Yes, we have been able to pursue new projects that previously we were either not competitive on due to press efficiency, or the tooling and changeover would create complications and unnecessary costs to us and the customers.”

What production & business benefits have you realized?

Phil Jr. says, “By having the Domino, we have been able to increase output by moving jobs to this press that we previously ran flexo. This has been a huge asset for us and our customers.  It has also allowed us to produce quicker turnaround for our customers, while providing us less costs and better profitability. We’ve seen an increase in the bottom line due to efficiency of this press, and the ability to hit the silver and clear market that we had not be able to before we had the Domino.”

Tell me about the cost justification for acquiring the Domino N610i?

Phil Jr. continues, “We had realized after looking through our jobs that a digital press would be a huge asset to our company.  Many of our jobs are in the 5000-to-20,000-foot run lengths with multiple versions, as well as constant art changes.”  

What has been your level of satisfaction with Domino as a company, and what do you foresee moving forward?

Phil says, “We have been highly satisfied, and we hope to purchase more equipment from Domino in the future.”

Is there a Domino Difference?  If yes, what is it?  

“The Domino Difference for us means high-quality with quick lead times at competitive pricing,” concludes Phil Jr.

Domino is a leading manufacturer and distributor of digital printing and product identification solutions.  Celebrating its 44th year in business, Domino is a global organization with world headquarters in the UK, and North America headquarters in Gurnee, IL.  Domino has 25 subsidiaries, representation in over 120 countries, and over 3,000 employees worldwide.  For more information on Domino digital printing, please visit dominodigitalprinting.com  

TLMI announces that the association has appointed a new Scholarship Evaluation Committee made up of both converter and supplier members. The Committee’s primary directive is to evaluate incoming TLMI scholarship submissions from students in the industry, ultimately deciding which applicants will receive association scholarships. Kristen Shields, President of Graymills, is the Scholarship Committee Chair and she is also the Co-chair of the TLMI’s Workforce Development Committee.
 
The association provides scholarships to candidates that fall within one of three categories including two-year college degree programs, four-year college degree programs and full-time employees of TLMI member companies. The association also provides one graduate-degree program scholarship annually to a full-time employee of a member company who is pursuing a graduate degree. Scholarship selection is based on academic achievement, a demonstrated interest in the label and packaging industry, a statement of goals, and a personal interview.
 
The Scholarship Committee and Evaluation Panel consists of the following association members:

• Kristen Shields, Graymills (supplier – new to the committee)

• Scott Pillsbury, Rose City Label (converter – longstanding member of the committee)

• Dave Nieman, All Printing Resources (supplier – new to the committee)

• Beth Smith, StickerGiant (converter – new to the committee)

• Mark Turk, International Label & Printing Co. (converter – new to the committee)

The final due date for students to submit is May 15, 2022. The Committee will be evaluating all applications throughout May and the winners of the 2022 Scholarship Awards will be announced in early summer. Historically, four to six scholarships are awarded to students on an annual basis totaling around $30,000 in monies awarded.
 
TLMI President, Linnea Keen, comments, “I want to thank each member of the TLMI Scholarship Committee. After a year-long hiatus, we have new energy and resources being put into the TLMI Scholarship Program and the association remains extremely committed to helping our members navigate mounting workforce challenges and finding young talent to recruit. We have a number of converter and supplier members who have hired scholarship winners in the past and these now-professionals are tremendous assets to the companies they work for. Workforce Development is one of the top priorities of TLMI’s renewed Strategic Plan and academic scholarships remain a critical way that the association is assisting both our members, and the greater printed packaging industry.”

 In 2022, the year Great Little Box Company/Ideon Packaging (GLBC) celebrates its 40th anniversary, you might wonder…is this company really so “little” these days?

Today, almost 500 people call GLBC their employer. These talented professionals work across two divisions: Retail Packaging (including labels and folding cartons) and Corrugated & Industrial Packaging (including, corrugated boxes, displays, protective packaging, and shipping supplies). In addition to its 250,000 square foot facility in Richmond, BC, the company has distribution locations in Kelowna, Victoria, and Abbotsford, British Columbia, and in Everett, Washington. And GLBC has a continent-spanning reputation. Its widely admired people-first culture earns the company consistent recognition as one of Canada’s best managed companies and top employers.

But despite the growth, the name still fits. And that’s because it captures an attitude that the GLBC team never intends to drop. Just ask Christine Tindall, VP of Human Resources and daughter of founder Robert (Bob) Meggy.

“Did you ever read The Little Engine That Could? I feel that’s what our company culture is all about. When we started out, there were bigger, faster, stronger engines, but we tried harder and cared more. My mom (Margaret Meggy) would say, ‘You have to give your dad credit. He beat everyone on management.’ I didn’t understand what she meant when I was 10 years old, but I get it now.”

It was 1982 when Bob Meggy launched Great Little Box Company. “I was working for a packaging company, and I figured, ‘I could do better’, so when another small packaging company went into receivership, I bought it. We had one salesperson, one guy who could operate the machines, and me.”

1982 was the year of ET the Extraterrestrial, Michael Jackson’s Thriller, and the start of the Falkland Islands War. It was also a time when surging interest rates were shuttering businesses left, right, and centre.

“When we were launching, interest rates were over 20% for at least 7 months,” says Margaret, who used to do the books while the kids played nearby. “I remember one of our competitors saying that it was as if someone had turned the economy’s taps off. It was such a tough time to get something going.”

For Bob, doing better than the guy before him meant weathering a nasty recession while managing people in a particular way. “We started building the culture from day one. It’s about treating people fairly and as equals.”

It’s one thing to be treated like an equal. But it’s another thing to be treated like a friend, with genuine curiosity and warmth. According to Margaret, “Bob always drew people in; that was just his personality. He would have President’s meetings when he’d meet with every person in the company, eight people at a time. That was especially helpful for the many employees who had immigrated from other countries and felt shy about putting up their hand at a monthly meeting. In Bob’s office, they felt free to speak up.”

Tyler Martinuk has worked for GLBC for 36 years, as a die-cutting machine operator. It’s not hard for him to put his finger on why he never looked for a different job somewhere else. “When I started working here, I had gone through a few jobs already. I chose to stay here because they treated me so well, the comfort level was high, and it was exciting to be part of a company that was always growing.”

Indeed, GLBC was always growing. The years between 1984 to 1998 were the company’s first period of expansion. During this time, GLBC made its first move to a larger facility, and opened its Victoria, BC, Kelowna, BC, and Everett, WA, branches.

Packaging Specialist Christine Bilodeau started working as a packaging specialist for the team in 1994, so she experienced this phase—and every one since.

“When I started out, we were handed pagers. Different times. It’s been a wild ride! In the early days, we were a small group, so you’d see the whole company often. Obviously, it’s harder to get everyone together now. But overall, throughout all this growth, the company has held true to its roots. Putting employees first. Including them. Letting them know about everything that’s going on, and where we’re headed.”

During this period, Bob and his leadership team were cracking the code of what building a great (little) company entails. Christine (Tindall) puts it succinctly: “There were two things that were always really important to my dad: culture and growth.”

Bob suspected that these two goals were, in fact, two sides of the same coin. “If you treat people right, they treat each other right,” says Christine. “They treat vendors right. They treat customers right. That’s how growth happens.”

So, when Bob got advice to cut management costs and simply push sales harder, he didn’t listen. Instead, he continued fostering genuine warmth in whatever way he could. And he also discovered the power of transparency and open communication.

“The best thing I ever did was start running open books in the nineties,” he says. “I’d teach every employee how to read a financial statement. Every month, we’d review the books together. When you’re profit-sharing, it means people can see when they’ve made a few extra hundred bucks in a month and that’s exciting. Everyone feels and acts like an owner.”

Open communication was also key to the innovation that was gradually making GLBC a packaging company of note. At monthly meetings that included the entire company, creative ideas circulated freely.

Brad Tindall, Bob’s son-in-law and GLBC’s President since 2015, puts it this way: “If you put five people in a room and tell them to come up with innovative ideas, that’s a tall order. But if you have hundreds of people who are always encouraged to think creatively and share what they come up with, then as a manager you just have to become a good listener.”

From the late nineties to 2017, another phase of growth saw GLBC moving again, this time to the 250,000 square foot, built-to-spec facility on Mitchell Island that it still calls home. The company also expanded its offerings to include its Folding Carton and Label divisions. Finally, it acquired several other smaller companies.

One of those companies was Action Box. Pamela MacRury had been working for Action Box for five years when she suddenly became a GLBC employee. “When GLBC acquired Action Box, not much changed. We didn’t lose customers. They saw that they were going to keep getting great service and a quality product.” Pamela, who is now the Abbotsford Branch Manager, quickly came to appreciate the people-first culture she’d become part of.

“I’m so proud of the way GLBC cares for people. When Abbotsford flooded in 2021, we had an employee who was stranded and couldn’t get to work for weeks. They used up all their sick time and still couldn’t make it in. I called up HR and asked what we could do for this employee in these crazy circumstances. They just paid him. No questions asked.”

When Christine and Brad Tindall took on leadership roles for the company, they were clear on their mission. “What was really important to us was continuing that legacy that Bob & Margaret started,” says Brad. “How could we inject our energy into this legacy and keep building it for a new, changing market?”

It wouldn’t be long before they would find out.

2020 was the year COVID-19 transformed life for people across the world. And it was also the year GLBC scaled up like never before in its already-impressive history of growth. With the acquisition of Ideon Packaging, the company became a true one source supplier, with new digital printing and packaging capabilities unlike anything else in the North American market.

Ideon partner and current VP of the Corrugated & Industrial Packaging Division Matt Dwane recalls the transition of 2020 as both surreal and—ultimately—gratifying.

“GLBC was our main competitor. Beating them was a rallying point for us. So, when this merger came together it felt weird at first. But then you realize that their people are just like yours. You’re all doing the same kind of work, all trying as hard as you can to succeed. And the transition was relatively smooth, thanks to Brad and Christine’s leadership. It eventually became clear that our companies were a perfect fit and could really evolve together.”

Of course, evolving during this time included adapting to pandemic conditions. In a context of social distancing, how could GLBC maintain its culture of connection?

“Before COVID, we would all take trips together—the whole company—to Las Vegas or Mexico,” says Bob. “I remember hundreds of people dancing together on the beach in Mexico. During COVID, Christine had a creative idea for how to replace the idea of the trip by having employees purchase something that would bring them joy today. We had a great year, so every employee got a bonus of $1,200. But you had to spend it on something you really wanted, something personal. Lots of people bought bicycles and camping gear.”

With the worst of the pandemic over, those opportunities for connection are on the rise. Brad and Christine both look forward to facilitating those connections—this time with a 500-person-strong team—and feel gratitude for what was never lost.

“We’re grateful for the fact that people tell us today that their favourite part of the job is their co-workers, and it’s the same answer people gave 20 years ago, when the company was so much smaller,” says Brad. “The fact that the essence of the company is still intact even after all of this growth is collectively our greatest achievement so far.”

Tyler, after 36 years with GLBC, echoes Brad’s gratitude: “The best thing about work is the people. It’s always been that way. We started out as one big happy family and it’s just expanded over the years.”

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