Industry Briefs

Two packaging companies have agreed to a partnership. The collaboration between Qualis Packaging and The Filling Station (both of Flemington, NJ) would supply turnkey set box, small container filling, and vial on card perfume, and tube filling . . . . Three of Alcan Packaging’s (France) plants have received ISO 15378:2006 certification for producing pharmaceutical packaging. Glass plants in Authon and Lucenay, and the Montreuil Bellay plant for flexible beauty products, received the certification, which rewards high standards in designing, manufacturing, and supplying primary packaging materials for medicinal products. This brings the three plants up to the same certification as several other Alcan plants. . . . Baxter International Inc. (Deerfield, IL) was recognized as one of the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World by Innovest Strategic Value

Circle Packaging's plant in De Pere, WI.

Advisors, an international investment research and advisory firm. Baxter is one of four healthcare companies globally, and the only U.S. healthcare company, to have been recognized in the Global 100 each year since the list was first published in 2005. The company also released a new Code of Conduct that reinforces its commitment to strong business ethics and integrity. . . . ISO 9001:2008 certification has been given to Catty Corp. (Harvard, IL). Catty underwent process inspection and document examination during the certification process. The company trained internal auditors to standardize and maintain ISO practices. . . . Thermoforming plastics processing company T.O. Plastics (Clearwater, MN) has opened a 57,000-sq-ft facility in Otsego, MN. The company says increased customer demand and changing market trends necessitated a larger, more technically advanced facility. . . . Rutgers University (Piscataway, NJ) has created an RFID testing and research center for optimizing technologies and to test pilot applications. The lab is suited to test actual cases or containers to determine optimal tag orientation and placement, validate industry mandates and reading performance, monitor temperature and performance of perishable supply chains, and undertake RFID pilot trials to fulfill retailer requests. . . . The Laetus division of Hapa & Laetus Inc. (Rockaway, NJ) has partnered with King Sales & Engineering to exclusively represent Laetus Packaging Security Systems in the Western United

Catalent has invested in a 10-color press.

States. The partnership produces a combined experience of more than 110 years providing packaging and security systems.  . . . Tompkins Pharmaceutical Rubber Corp. (South Plainfield, NJ) will renovate facilities to CGMP standards. The upgrade will add cleanroom capabilities, Liquid Injection Molding (LIM) presses, and equipment investments. Phase one renovations entail major changes to the layout and expansion of the South Plainfield, NJ, factory. . . . NatureWorks has $1 million and 18 months to transform its former pilot plant in Savage, MN, into an Ingeo bioresin applications laboratory for commercial grade compounding, sheet extrusion, thermoforming, injection molding, and fiber spinning. . . . BioConvergence LLC (Bloomington, IN) is celebrating its third anniversary. During its growth, it has attracted more than 40 life sciences professionals and retained 99% of its more than 100 clients. . . . Sentry Logistics Solutions (Indianapolis) has changed its name to Sentry BioPharma Services Inc. An increased focus on biopharma industries led to the name change, which includes a new logo and Web site, www.sentrybps.com. . . . Seal pouching and sachet machinery manufacturer Circle Packaging (De Pere, WI) celebrates 50

Koch's new facility in Pfalzgrafenweiler, Germany.

years in business this year. The company offers multilane, four-sided horizontal and vertical form-fill-seal machines. . . . Alcan Packaging Singen GmbH (Singen) has joined forces with Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) to offer pharmaceutical packaging customers new solutions to print short packaging runs. The companies say they can provide this digitally, cost-effectively, reliably, and at a high level of quality, by, for example, providing traceability of individual pharmaceuticals to the end user. . . . Catalent Pharma Solutions (Somerset, NJ) has purchased next-generation 10-color KBA RAPIDA 106 printing press for its Printed Components facility in Dublin, Ireland. This is part of an ongoing investment in the Dublin plant to support the growth of its European Printed Components business. . . . Blister packaging, form-fill-seal, and end-of-line collating and cartoning systems provider Koch Packaging Systems (Towaco, NJ) has opened its newly constructed headquarters and manufacturing facility in Pfalzgrafenweiler, Germany. The new building includes a 64,000-sq-ft manufacturing floor and 24,000 sq ft of office and administrative space. The headquarters consolidates the company’s two previous buildings. ■