By George Thibeault, Jr.
President, Constantia Hueck Foils LLC
Immediate Past Chairperson, FPA Board of Directors

It has been an honor to serve again as the Chair of the Flexible Packaging Association Board of Directors. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the members of the Board of Directors and the association for their hard work, time and support. My second tenure as chair was just as gratifying as my first. FPA is a strong association that will continue to excel under the guidance and leadership of James E. Love, III, chairperson of the FPA Board of Directors and vice president of International Business for Printpack Inc.

This past year was filled with many accomplishments for the association. During 2008, FPA provided members with great opportunities to engage in rewarding networking events and educational programs-and obtain valuable industry data and information that is beneficial to all FPA members.

FPA remained engaged in the discussion of sustainability and dedicated numerous resources to promote the sustainable benefits of flexible packaging to consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies, retailers and the packaging industry. FPA published two brochures that focused on the many quantitative and environmental advantages of using flexible packaging. FPA actively participated in the Wal-Mart Sustainable Packaging Task Group while dedicating a full section of its website (www.flexpack.org) to sustainability and the sustainable activities of FPA members. FPA conducted an in-depth market research study that focused on energy consumption and savings in flexible packaging manufacturing. This study also examined end-of-life challenges for flexible packaging including recycling and waste-to-energy opportunities. The full results of the market research will be available in spring 2009.

Since raw materials cost and availability remain an important issue for the industry, FPA recently published its bi-annual Polyolefins Market Report. The report, which was prepared exclusively for FPA by Chemical Market Associates Inc. (CMAI), focuses on polyolefin resins, important issues and trends, and provides an overview on the U.S. economy and an outlook on the world energy supply.

FPA honored industry innovation and advancement through the 2009 FPA Flexible Packaging Achievement Awards Competition. In its 53rd year, the competition highlights the evolution of flexible packaging and the packaging solutions provided for a variety of products. This year, 24 outstanding flexible packages were honored with a total of 27 Achievement Awards, which were also presented during the 2009 FPA Annual Meeting. You can view all the winning packages and competition entries by visiting the FPA Flexible Packaging Achievement Awards & Innovation Showcase, which is available online at www.flexpack.org.

The Association awarded $15,000 in academic scholarships to printing/packaging school students who successfully completed summer internships with FPA converter members, including: American Packaging Corp., CL&D Graphics, Pliant Corp., Technipaq Inc. and Constantia Hueck Foils LLC. The FPA Flexible Packaging Academic Scholarship & Summer Internship Program is not only a rewarding experience for the students, but for FPA members as well. The interns bring to their summer positions great ideas, a strong work ethic and a fresh outlook on the industry, all of which greatly impacts our companies and the industry.

FPA continued to provide solid data on the financial and economic performance of the industry. Many of the FPA reports-including the Compensation, Earnings, Operating Ratio and Injury Incidence Rate reports-yield industry-specific information that is only available to those members who participate in the surveys. Another great benefit of FPA membership is the FPA State of the Industry Report, which is also is a key source of data for Wall Street, financial analysts and the flexible packaging industry.

FPA also proactively worked with several federal agencies including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to positively advance industry positions on several important industry issues. The FPA Environmental Committee made great progress over the past year, which included major victories on Risk & Technology Review of additional control requirements for printing and publishing, and VOC [volatile organic compounds] control technique guidelines for flexo printing, and paper/film/foil coatings. These accomplishments allow the industry to avoid unfavorable cost increases and compliance roadblocks.

Thank you for your ongoing support of the association and its programs. Remember, FPA is your association-the more actively involved and committed you are, the greater the benefits for you and the industry!

Association activities update

FPA is pleased to welcome the following companies as members of the Flexible Packaging Association:

• Ampacet Corp., an associate member, is a global manufacturer of color and additive masterbatches. Ampacet Corp.’s FPA official representative is Robert Fielding, senior vice president and general manager North America. Ampacet’s FPA alternate representative is Peter LaRusso, strategic business manager of films.

• Bayer MaterialScience LLC, an associate member, offers Dispercoll U polyurethanes for formulating high-performance adhesives and print-receptive coatings, which contain no solvents, making them odorless and environmentally friendly. Bayer MaterialScience’s FPA official representative is James Thompson-Colón, marketing manager. Bayer’s FPA alternate representative is Jeffrey Dormish, manager.

• CDF Corp., an associate member, designs, engineers, manufactures and distributes innovative flexible packaging solutions for industry specific applications. CDF Corp.’s FPA official representative is Amanda Verash-Morris, marketing, and the FPA alternate representative is Joe Sullivan, president.

• Color Resolutions International LLC, an associate member, custom formulates inks for flexible packaging, understanding the demand for high-impact colors with good adhesion, chemical resistance, scratch resistance and economical application on high-speed presses. Color Resolutions International’s FPA official representative is George Sickinger, president and CEO, and the FPA alternate representative is Joe Schlinkert, director of technology.

• Diversapack LLC, a converter member, is a manufacturer and converter of flexible films and contract manufacturer with fully integrated packaging solutions and is ISO 9001:2000 certified in facilities. Diversapack’s FPA official representative is Woodrow Hall, president, and the FPA alternate representative is Alan Kristel, chief operating officer.

• M33 Integrated, an associate member, is a logistics solutions provider that generates cost savings to manufacturers through a web-based transportation management system that enables group buying opportunities. M33 Integrated’s FPA official representative is Andy Williams, director of sales, and the FPA alternate representative is Sammy Riddle, senior partner.

FPA Publishes Bi-Annual Polyolefins Market Report

The cost and availability of raw materials is an important issue for the flexible packaging industry. To assist FPA members through these challenging economic times, FPA recently published its Bi-Annual Polyolefins Market report. The report was prepared exclusively for FPA members by Chemical Market Associates Inc. (CMAI) and is based on CMAI’s Polyolefins Market Update presentation given during the 2008 FPA Fall Executive Conference.

The report focuses on key issues and trends that are expected to drive the evolution of the flexible packaging industry in the near future, examines high-, low- and linear-low-density polyethylene, and regional competitiveness. The report also provides an overview of the U.S. economy and an outlook on the world’s energy supply. All FPA members have received an electronic PDF copy the report. FPA members can also view and download copies of the report by visiting the Members Only section of the FPA website, www.flexpack.org. An update to the Bi-Annual Polyolefins Market Report will be published in spring 2009.

FPA Holds Successful 2009 FPA Safety Conference & Environmental Summit

The 2009 FPA Safety Conference & Environmental Summit was a great success. Held recently at The Tradewinds Island Grand Resort in St. Petersburg Beach, Florida, the events provided regulatory updates and guidance on complying with flexible packaging industry-specific environmental and safety regulations.

The Safety Conference & Environmental Summit brought together industry environmental, health and safety professionals for content-rich presentations and networking opportunities with officials from government agencies including the Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Chemical Safety Board.

Special thanks are given to FPA members for their support and to Flint Group, Glenroy Inc. and Sun Chemical Corp. for their generous sponsorship of the Safety Conference & Environmental Summit networking events.

Presentations from the 2009 FPA Safety Conference & Environmental Summit can be downloaded from the Members Only section of the FPA website, www.flexpack.org.

Be sure to mark your calendars for the 2010 FPA Safety Conference & Environmental Summit, Feb. 10-12, 2010, in St. Petersburg Beach, Fla.

2009 Flexible Packaging Achievement Awards: Honoring Industry Advancement & Innovation

Recently, the Flexible Packaging Association honored the innovative advancements and achievements of the flexible packaging industry with the presentation of the 2009 FPA Flexible Packaging Achievement Awards. This year, the competition received 113 entries. Of those entries, 24 packages were honored with Achievement Awards.

Special thanks are given to the 2009 judging panel: Lisa McTigue Pierce, editorial director, Flexible Packaging magazine; Michael Richmond, Ph.D., co-founder of Packaging & Technology Integrated Solutions; and Keith Vorst, Ph.D., associate professor, California Polytechnic State University, for their time and participation.

The winning entries of the 2009 competition are great examples of the innovation taking place within the flexible packaging industry. New and unique developments in printing, design, technology and sustainability are providing flexible packaging solutions for a variety of products.

View all the winning packages and competition entries by visiting the 2009 Flexible Packaging Achievement Awards & Innovation Showcase on the FPA website, www.flexpack.org. The Showcase is also available in hard copy and includes color photos and package descriptions.

FPA's 2009 Student Flexible Packaging Design Competition

First place honors for FPA’s 2009 Student Flexible Packaging Design Challenge were awarded to California Polytechnic State University students, Kim Akahori, Jessica Chan, Tim Van Blarigan and Douglas Peters for their development of the Fold-A-Pizza Flexible Package.

For their achievement the team won an expense paid trip to the 2009 FPA Annual Meeting and a $1,000 team prize. The Fold-A-Pizza is a flexible package for frozen pizzas, which provides improved storage options and allows consumers to remove individually wrapped pieces of pizza for baking as desired.

Second place honors in the 2009 Challenge were also awarded to California Polytechnic State University Students, Mike Mallett, Jason Miller, Lee Mitchell and Robert Moen for their development of Flexible Packets for Hot Chocolate. Their new package design for hot chocolate dissolves in water and eliminates the need for rigid packaging. The team will receive a monetary prize of $500 for their winning entry.

Photos, descriptions and information about all the winning prototypes and competition entries for the 2009 Student Flexible Packaging Design Challenge are available on the FPA website, www.flexpack.org.