• Gerresheimer Expands in the Global Pharmaceutical Plastic Business
  The Gerresheimer Group expands its activities in the pharmaceutical plastic business, with two strategically significant investments in the USA and Europe. This week the company is almost simultaneously opening a new research and development center for medical plastic systems in the USA as well as a new production center for pharmaceutical plastic packaging in Spain.  

• Crown to Invest in New Beverage Can Plant in Brazil
  Philadelphia, PA-based Crown Holdings, Inc. announced that its Brazilian subsidiary, CROWN Embalagens S.A., plans to build a new $60 million beverage can plant in Brazil. The new facility is expected to be operational in the second quarter of 2011 and will have an initial annual capacity of 700 million cans.

• Huhtamaki Sells its Rigid Plastic Consumer Goods Business in South Africa
  Huhtamäki Oyj has sold its rigid plastic production unit in Roodekop, South Africa, to Polyoak Packaging (Pty) Ltd. The annual net sales of the unit is some EUR 5 million and it currently employs some 55 people. The sold unit serves the local edible fats and dairy markets and has dedicated injection molding assets. 

Blow Mould Tooling

• Sutter Home Advances Sustainability with Ball’s 187mL PET Wine Bottle
  Sutter Home Winery, the number one producer of single-serving 187mL wines, is now using PET bottles from Ball Corporation for all 187mL wine bottles sold throughout the U.S.

• Ball Names Hranicka as Executive VP and COO for North American Metal
  Beverage Packaging Operations
  Broomfield, Colorado-based Ball Corporation announced that Michael L. Hranicka has been named executive vice president and chief operating officer for the company's North American metal beverage packaging operations.

• NADCA Announces the Winners of Its 2009 International Die Casting Design Competition
  Each year since 1973, NADCA has sponsored its International Die Casting Design Competition to showcase outstanding die cast designs while acknowledging the continuous contribution die casters provide to the manufacturing industry. 

Blow Mould Tooling

• FDA Approves Constar's new DiamondClear® Technology for PET Containers
  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given Constar the green light for its new DiamondClear^® oxygen scavenging technology for polyethylene terephthalate (PET) containers. Effective June 22, Constar began selling DiamondClear for packaging virtually all oxygen sensitive food and beverage products, including tomato ketchup, salsas, pasta sauces, table sauces, jams, jellies, ready-to-drink teas, juices, dairy, wine, and other alcoholic beverages. 

• La Seda de Barcelona Restarting Operations in El Prat de Llobregat
  La Seda de Barcelona, a company specializing in PET packaging solutions, has been given the green light to a production restart at its plant in El Prat de Llobregat. Industrial activity has been set out and will be gradually increasing to reach 100% of its installed capacity. 

• Rexam Pharma Packaging India Expands Activities
  After three years, Rexam inaugurated its new Bangalore plant on May 14.  Rexam Pharma’s new India facility is designed around a state-of-the-art, 1,000 sq. meter class 8 cleanroom that is fully compliant with cGMP standards and brings to India new technologies such as child-resistant closures and its internationally renowned Rispharm range for ophthalmology. 

• Portola Packaging Announces New President and CEO   
  Batavia, Illinois-based Portola Packaging, Inc .announced that Kevin Kwilinski has been hired as its President and Chief Executive Officer. 

• StackTeck Announces Plans to Increase Capacity
  StackTeck, a global supplier of multi-cavity injection molds including stack molds, molds for in-mold labeling, and packaging, has announced it will invest more than $1.5 million in new machine tools within the next year to increase capacity and improve lead times in its customers’ new product launches.  

• Rexam XD-11 Fine Mist Pump Selected by Korloff Paris
  The exclusive Korloff Paris has selected the Rexam XD-11 fine mist pump for its three new women’s fragrances. 

• Caravelle International Announces Acquisition of Quaker Plastic Corp
  Schuylkill Haven, PA-based Caravelle International, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cardinal Systems, Inc., announced the acquisition of the assets of Quaker Plastic Corporation, a leading manufacturer of extrusion and thermoforming products.  Quaker Plastic Corp. has built a reputation as a leader in the pool industry and custom extrusion market through its exclusive and innovative products.

• BERICAP Introduces the SuperShorty® Eco
  For a while now, BERICAP understood the necessity to develop light weight closures for the beverage industry in order to reduce the packaging cost for its partners and at the same time helping the environment by reducing the CO2 emission (Green House Gas effect), while using less raw material. 

• APEC Announces Expansion of Medical Manufacturing Facility
  Baldwin Park, CA-based APEC, A Division of Helix Medical, announced the expansion of its state-of-the-art medical device manufacturing operation in Baldwin Park, California. The facility expansion includes three new cleanrooms – a 10,000 square foot Class 100,000 cleanroom (ISO Class 8) for injection molding and assembly, a Class 100,000 assembly room, and a Class 10,000 assembly room (ISO Class 7).  APEC has also doubled the size of their metrology lab adding several pieces of leading edge equipment for color inspection, measurement, and additional software. 

• Emerson Opens New Dubai Facility and Strengthens Presence in Middle East 
  Emerson recently celebrated the official opening of its new regional headquarters in Dubai.  In its fiscal 2008, Emerson posted sales of US$868 million in the Middle East region. The company hopes to surpass US$1 billion in the region in the near future.

• Royal Technologies Will Build New Alabama Facility
  Hudsonville, MI-based Royal Technologies Corporation announced plans to construct a new manufacturing facility that will serve the company’s growing customer base in the Southeastern U.S.

• Cook Medical Launches New Interventional Radiology Business Unit
  Committed to broadening and reinvigorating the field of interventional radiology, Cook Medical just launched its Interventional Radiology Strategic Business Unit (SBU), which is dedicated to advancing the field of interventional radiology through significant investments in the development of new medical devices and technologies.

• MWV Will Close its Washington Court House, Ohio, Primary Plastics Packaging Facility     
  MeadWestvaco Corporation announced this week that it will discontinue its MWV Calmar pump and dispensing manufacturing and distribution operations located in Washington Court House, Ohio.  This action is part of the company’s accelerated strategic cost management program. 

• Polymer Corp. Acquired by Management and Prospect Partners, LLC
  Polymer Corporation, a leading manufacturer of low-volume, close-tolerance plastic parts and assemblies based in Rockland, Mass., announced that it has been acquired by Polymer’s management team and lower-middle-market private equity firm Prospect Partners, LLC, of Chicago, Ill. Polymer had been a portfolio company of the private equity firm North American Fund, also of Chicago.  

• PROCAP Finalizes Two Acquisitions  
  Procap, a global manufacturer of plastic caps and closures, announced last week that it has completed two key acquisitions.
   

Die Cast Tooling

• Master Chemical Opens New Manufacturing Plant in Tianjin, China
  Only five years after Perrysburg, OH-based Master Chemical began its first China operation, Master Chemical (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., and only a year after the establishment of Master Chemical (Shanghai) Technology Center, Master Chemical celebrated the start of a new manufacturing plant in Tianjin, China.