Frito-Lay is all smiles about its newest packaging promotion. The Lay’s chip brand is unveiling packaging with 31 inspiring stories across a variety of flavors and bag sizes, featuring the faces of “Everyday Smilers” who are making an impact in their local communities and beyond.

In today’s marketplace, it seems bioplastics would be the perfect answer. Nowhere would this be more important than in the flexible packaging segment, which faces growing concerns about the use of plastics — its primary material.

Labels continue to play a major role in business-to-consumer and business-to-business commerce, building brands, shipping, keeping track of inventory and, today, even talking to consumers.

We sat down and discussed Web Guiding & Tension Control with Mark Breen from Dover Flexo Electronics, Jerry Leonards from Erhardt+Leimer, Inc., and Shomari Head from Fife Guiding(Maxcess).

The global packaging industry has seen spectacular growth over the past few decades. Packaging companies have been experimenting with new production and business models to achieve the quality bar and outdistance their competitors, which will remain their strategy over the years to come.

Packaging is ever-changing, with new forms, materials and machinery becoming available each year. That is why PACK EXPO is a must-see event for many in the industry. With this year’s show just around the corner, here is a sampling of just a few of the thousands of products that will be on display.

Brand owners find adding a personal touch to packaging and labels helps buyers engage with their products.

LED technology first entered the UV curing world in 2002 and has steadily gained traction across a wide range of printing, coating, and adhesive applications.

This one-day conference will focus on industry-specific topics including an update on state government affairs; an update on the polypropylene market; global trends in flexible packaging; managing incentives, and an overview of the University of Florida research on the feasibility of high temperature steam gasification of municipal solid waste.

FPA’s Sterilization Packaging Manufacturers Council (SPMC) Executive Committee met in New York for its annual meeting on June 13, 2019. In addition to reviewing the progress made last year, the group focused on developing a plan for 2020 and beyond.

Become part of the industry’s esteemed FPA Flexible Packaging Innovation Showcase by entering your company’s packages into the FPA 2020 Flexible Packaging Achievement Awards Competition.

Reed-Lane, a New Jersey-based contract packaging provider serving pharmaceutical manufacturers, has added a dedicated room for vial and ampule kitting to its cold chain capabilities. The space is capable of labeling vials and ampules, then kitting them with other components such as printed literature.

Clear View Bag Co., an Albany, New York-based manufacturer and converter of plastic bags and roll stock for markets including medical, food, agricultural, retail and industrial, has purchased a second Fusion C flexographic printing press from Paper Converting Machine Company (PCMC), part of Barry-Wehmiller.

Martin E-Z Stick Labels of Santa Fe Springs Cal.,  has installed a Label AutoMounter from JM Heaford, industry-leading supplier of mounting and proofing solutions for the tag and label, flexible packaging, corrugated and gravure markets.

After an exhaustive search, Maxcess, which produces products and services for web handling applications, has named Odd Joergenrud as its new CEO following the retirement of Greg Jehlik.

Paper Converting Machine Company (PCMC), part of the Barry-Wehmiller Converting Solutions Platform, is joining with RDP Marathon Inc. and IPT Digital, and expanding its digital print offerings.

Cat litter is a heavy, moisture-sensitive product that requires a strong package with a moisture barrier. The FPA recently performed a Life Cycle Analysis that points out the benefits of a stand-up bag for litter versus other packaging formats.

BW Packaging Systems recently augmented its investment in the Russian packaging market by establishing Moscow-based sales, parts and field service teams to better serve both new and existing Russian customers.

ExxonMobil has begun production on a new high-performance polyethylene line at its Beaumont, Tex. polyethylene (PE) plant. The expansion increases plant production capacity by 65 percent or 650,000 tons per year, bringing site capacity to nearly 1.7 million tons per year.

Standard-Knapp (S-K) based in Portland, Connecticut, announced an agreement to partner with EoL Packaging Experts (EoL), in end-of-line packaging solutions for the food and beverage industry.