PFFC - September 2008 - (Page 40)

GREEN CONVERTING over a super strong mesh, rather than standard paper laminates. Those bags traditionally have been made overseas and shipped to the US for filling. CEI has successfully reversed that trend. “The paper bags were a problem for our customers because some would break open during distribution or after they arrive at retail stores,” says Lynda Swenson, general manager of CEI’s bag group. “Additionally, the quality and logistics of printing mesh bags offshore to save money created many production challenges for these customers. “We were approached by customers to solve the problem by developing a higher quality package that could be manufactured in the United States at a substantial cost savings,” she adds. “This is really our specialty—to innovate new ideas in packaging and engage our equipment suppliers to create one-of-a-kind machines to do the job.” Among its other product lines, CEI prints the paper used to convert more than two billion “pink” sugar packets a month. Some of those packets are customized for restaurant chains like Applebee’s, in runs as little as 200,000 packets. “That may sound like a lot,” notes Nowak, “but it’s really just 50 pounds of paper. Two billion (a month) is a lot of packets, but it’s not enough to keep you in business.” In spite of its size, CEI does convert runs as small as 25,000 bags or as little as 1,000 lb of film. Nowak says that because of the number of presses, slitters, and other capital equipment, the company can accommodate smaller runs, if only in anticipation that the volumes ultimately will grow as the end-user does. Explains Nowak, “We hate to pass on something because you never know [where it might lead], he explains. “When a Coca-Cola comes along, you’d hate to say, ‘Gee, I passed on that one!’” With Coating Excellence’s newly expanded facility and continued dedication to sustainability, that isn’t likely to happen any time soon. Contributing Editor Edward Boyle, based in Reading, PA, has covered the converting industry for more than 24 years. Contact him at EJB Communications; 610-6704680; ejbcomm@aol.com. uSupplier Infot uWindmoeller & Hoelscher Corp. | www.whcorp.com PFFC-ASAP 315 uAdvanced Vision Technology | www.avt-inc.com PFFC-ASAP 316 uBST Pro Mark | www.bstpromark.com PFFC-ASAP 317 uEgan/Davis-Standard | www.davis-standard.com PFFC-ASAP 318 uSun Chemical | www.sunchemical.com PFFC-ASAP 319 uNordmeccanica | www.nordmeccanica.com PFFC-ASAP 320 uDeacro Industries | www.deacro.com PFFC-ASAP 321 uWebco Engineering | www.webcoeng.com PFFC-ASAP 322 PFFC-ASAP 131 40 | SEPTEMBER 2008 WWW.PFFC-ONLINE.COM http://www.whcorp.com http://www.avt-inc.com http://www.bstpromark.com http://www.davis-standard.com http://www.sunchemical.com http://www.nordmeccanica.com http://www.deacro.com http://www.webcoeng.com http://www.zenithcutter.com http://WWW.PFFC-ONLINE.COM

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of PFFC - September 2008

PFFC - September 2008 Contents First Glance Calendar of Events From the Editor Web Lines Process Management News Clips Narrow Web & Label Reporter Flexo Printing Cover: Green Converting Green Printing Labelexpo New Product Digest Focus: Ink What’s New Products Services Directory Classified Marketplace Equipment Buyers & Sellers Advertisers Index Experience Speaks

PFFC - September 2008

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