Three heating zones ensure that the water-soluble film is placed close to the tabs at high speed.

Four V-Shapes ALPHA lines enable the company to manufacture non-food products for domestic and international distribution and to differentiate itself in the global marketplace

Bologna, Italy, February 18, 2021. V-Shapes, an innovative supplier of vertically integrated products and services for convenient, hygienic and sustainable single-dose packaging, today reported that Thailand-based NR Instant Produce PCL, a leading global manufacturer of sustainability produced ethnic, plant-based and functional foods, has installed four V-Shapes ALPHA packaging lines to support manufacture of its non-food consumer products for domestic and international distribution, including its Sustainable Development Brand (SDB) clean shots hand sanitizer as well as co-packing of third-party products. The company, which was founded in 1991 and had annual sales of approximately € 31 million in 2019, was recently listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) with the distinction of being the first purpose-led listed Thai company in the field of plant-based food, its primary business. The company has manufacturing facilities in Nakhon Pathom and Ratchaburi provinces in Thailand and plans to invest in plant-based manufacturing plants in the UK and United States. The IPO will also provide funding to reach a total of five (5) V-Shapes manufacturing lines for the production of sanitization products for sale in Canada, the United States and the Middle East.

NR Instant Produce PCL is building a global platform focused on producing the future of food, building state-of-the-art facilities in key geographies around the world to enable the production of food that will support a world of 10 billion people by 2050.

“We decided to partner with V-Shapes in December 2019,” said NR Instant Produce PCL CEO Dan Pathomvanich. “We saw it as a super-cool solution that has provided us with a packaging solution that is very different and unique from what everyone else is offering.”

NR Instant Produce PCL is another example also of V-Shapes’ ability to adapt to pandemic conditions by providing virtual installation support using smart glasses. Pathomvanich added, “The experience of virtual/online commissioning is perfect to help a company and not commit any error during the installation while keeping everyone safe.” In addition, with V-Shapes lines in place, NR Instant Produce PCL was able to assist with pandemic mitigation by providing 10 million of its SDB clean shot hand sanitizer sachets, produced with V-Shapes technology, for use in the Southeast Asian region. “Prior to implementing V-Shapes,” Pathomvanich said, “we would have been unable to provide this critical service.” 

Pathomvanich notes that existing customers are excited to implement V-Shapes technology in the Southeast Asian region, and the availability of this unique packaging approach is also generating new business for the company. “We are very happy with the configurations we have in place today,” he concludes, “but we are also looking forward to continued innovation from V-Shapes, including in-line printing, that will make us more productive and enable us to provide faster cycle times and more variations in the products we provide to our customers. Another reason we chose V-Shapes is their consistent work towards a circular economy and the continuous development of sustainable materials with a 360-degree approach to using compostable, biodegradable, and/or recyclable materials, laminates and substrates.” 

Pathomvanich also notes that V-Shapes brings a high level of quality and state-of-the-art technology to the market, including the fact that there are a number of patents in place on the process, as well as the unique single-dose packaging it enables. These were also contributing factors to choosing to partner with V-Shapes. 
To learn more about products and services from V-Shapes, visit www.v-shapes.com/.

About V-Shapes
Founded in 2018, V-Shapes is the leading provider of products and services designed to produce and fill single-unit dose packaging that enables product to be dispensed using one hand. Located in Bologna, Italy, V-Shapes manufactures, sells and services innovative vertically integrated systems for single-dose packaging that minimize waste, shorten time to market, offer a more sustainable packaging solution and are a unique and safe means for consumers to dispense single-unit measures of liquid and powdered products. The company partners with packaging converters/fillers around the globe to offer these unique services to brands in a wide range of industries, from food and cosmetics to hand sanitizer and industrial products that are efficiently served up in single-unit doses, producing packaging on demand in small or large quantities.

About NR Instant Produce PCL
NR Instant Produce PCL produces and distributes Asian and plant-based food products. The company offers sauces, seasoning mixes, condiments, ready to eat meals, noodles, fruit juices, and snacks, as well as private label and co-packing services. NR Instant Produce PCL markets its products worldwide.

Monika Dürr
duomedia
PR Consultant
monika.d@duomedia.com
+49(0)6104 944895

Jesper Gustavsson
V-Shapes
Business Development & Founding Partner
jesper.gustavsson@v-shapes.com
+39(0) 51 0185079
 

Travagliato, Italy – Antares Vision, a leading global provider of intelligent Track & Trace, Inspection and Smart Data Management solutions for the Life Science and Food & Beverage sectors, today announced entering into an agreement for the acquisition of rfXcel Corporation (“rfXcel”), a leading US-based Software-as-a-Service (“SaaS”) company, serving the Life Science and Food & Beverage sectors, for an upfront consideration of $120 million on a debt free and cash free basis.

Key Highlights of the Acquisition
rfXcel’s AI-enabled SaaS platform more than doubles Antares Vision Group’s software business and adds high share of contracted, recurring and scalable revenues 
Combining rfXcel’s industry leading software platform with Antares Vision Group’s Track & Trace complete solution will significantly enhance value for Life Science and Food & Beverage customers in North America, Europe and Asia
Antares Vision Group will leverage rfXcel’s software to continue to drive global growth and expand into new market segments requiring end-to-end supply chain digitalisation solutions
The acquisition is expected to be accretive to Antares Vision Group’s (1) revenue growth, (2) EPS and (3) Free Cash Flow from year-1 (before synergies) 

Highly Attractive Standalone Business
Founded in 2003 by Glenn Abood and Jack Tarkoff, and backed by Kayne Partners Fund, the growth private equity group of Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors, L.P. since August 2017, rfXcel is a pure play software provider to the global Life Science sector, offering SaaS-based Track & Trace solutions that improve safety, enable regulatory compliance and deliver real-time business insights. The company provides supply chain digitalisation and transparency through a comprehensive, data driven offering that includes traceability, serialisation and integrated supply chain monitoring. rfXcel operates a 100% SaaS business model with a significant portion of its revenues deriving from long-term subscription-based contracts, largely recurring and with strong visibility (average contract length >4 years, >80% recurring in nature). 
Headquartered in Reno, Nevada (USA), offices in San Francisco and subsidiaries in UK and Russia, rfXcel has 63 full time employees and is led by an experienced management team of veterans each averaging over 25 years of experience in the industry. With global presence in 40 countries, a diversified customer base of more than 190 clients and thousands of partners across the Life Science, the Food & Beverage and the Public sectors, rfXcel is one of the leading Track & Trace software players in the market. The company has created over 5 billion serial numbers and has the capacity to process over one million items a day, enabling complete supply chain transparency and rapid digitalisation.
For the 12-month period ending 31 December 2020, rfXcel reported consolidated revenues of $17 million (c.80% generated in the US and all derived from software contracts), with a gross margin above 85%. In the period 2018-2020, rfXcel recorded a revenue CAGR in excess of 25% and the company is expected to continue to perform on a similar trajectory over the coming years. 

Strategic and Operational Rationale
The acquisition of rfXcel will strengthen further Antares Vision Group’s software capabilities, consolidating its position as one of the global leaders in Track & Trace. The Antares Vision Group will leverage rfXcel capabilities and software suite to help customers accelerating the transition towards digital and sustainable supply chains, enabling full transparency and visibility. The acquisition will also enable significant opportunities to cross-sell (i) rfXcel solutions across Antares Vision Group’s large and growing installed base of Track & Trace and Inspection solutions and across a broad, blue-chip customer base of over 2,500 clients, as well as (ii) Antares Vision Group’s products to rfXcel’s existing customer base.
Together with rfXcel, the Antares Vision Group makes an important headway to provide full stack end-to-end digital solution enabling traceability, serialisation processing, regulatory compliance and gathering and monitoring of real-time data to optimise and streamline customers’ supply chains while providing complete end-to-end visibility: from the product ingredients and raw materials to the end customer experience. The acquisition meaningfully increases Antares Vision Group’s share of contracted, recurring, high growth and high margin software revenue, more than doubling to c.21% of total Group revenues (compared to 9% LTM as of June-2020 prior to the transaction). 

Emidio Zorzella, Chairman and CEO of Antares Vision said: 
“Massimo and I are delighted that we have reached agreement to acquire rfXcel. The acquisition has a compelling strategic rationale with strong operational and financial benefits. The combination will strengthen Antares Vision Group's position as one of the global leaders in the Track & Trace segment, accelerating our growth and representing an attractive value creation opportunity for our customers, our shareholder the whole Antares Vision Group.
Demand for traceability and serialised products and services has increased significantly over the last few years, and this transaction accelerates our ability to offer best-in-class propositions in all our key reference sectors, Life Science and Food & Beverage. We look forward to welcoming the management and employees of rfXcel to the Antares Vision Group and working together to serve our customers across the world.
The acquisition of rfXcel will be perfectly in line with our strategic vision and it will accelerate our role in the digitisation of the industrial world. The acquisition will enable the Antares Vision Group to broaden and deepen its relationships with existing and new customers thanks to a more comprehensive and complementary product portfolio to market.”

“This transaction represents the next chapter in rfXcel’s evolving story—the combined company will offer the most comprehensive Track and Trace solution in every market around the globe.  When Jack Tarkoff and I started rfXcel over 17 years ago, our vision was to make it possible to Track & Trace finished goods, raw materials and ingredients as they move in the supply chain.  Antares Vision shares the same goals and, by virtue of their size and global footprint, we will be able to accelerate our plans.  The rfXcel management team is delighted to join with Antares Vision to offer customers in the Life Science, Food & Beverage and other industries the most complete end-to-end solution for Track & Trace on the market today.”

Additional Details on the Acquisition
The acquisition of the entire share capital of rfXcel for an upfront consideration equivalent to $120 million (on a debt free and cash free basis, assuming a normalised level of working capital and payable in cash at closing), will be carried out as a reverse triangular merger between rfXcel and Antares Vision Acquisition Corporation, a newly incorporated vehicle of Antares Vision Inc., fully owned US subsidiary of Antares Vision S.p.A. The transaction represents an acquisition multiple of 6.9x LTM revenues at Dec-20, well below recent precedents in the industrial software space.
The parties have also agreed to an additional potential deferred cash consideration of up to $30 million payable in Q1 2023 by Antares Vision to rfXcel’s current shareholders, should certain cash-in targets be reached. The earn-out payment is linked to the collection of up to $19 million of cash from certain specific existing contracts, underpinning recurring subscription revenues and currently sitting outside of rfXcel’s standalone business plan. 
As part of the transaction, it has also been agreed that rfXcel’s key management team, including CEO and founder Glenn Abood, will reinvest a significant portion of the cash proceeds from the sale of rfXcel’s shares owned by them into Antares Vision (40% of their post-tax cash proceeds, totalling c. $8 million), while remaining in their roles to continue expanding the company and to support the delivery of the full strategic, operational and financial benefits of the acquisition. Antares Vision Group values the expertise of rfXcel’s management team and employees and will work closely with them to support the integration. As in similar recent transactions, the Antares Vision Group expects rfXcel's management to become an integral part of our team, focusing on continuing the rapid growth of the combined business Software and Smart Data offering. 
The transaction will be financed primarily with a committed bank facility provided by Mediobanca S.p.A. At closing, Antares Vision will transfer to Antares Vision Inc. the necessary funds required to complete the transaction through a capital increase before completion of the transaction. This financing transaction qualifies as a related party transaction pursuant to Antares Vision’s Procedure for Related Parties Transactions (as Antares Vision Inc is wholly owned by Antares Vision). However, the transaction benefits from the exemption provided for in article 3(e) of Antares Vision’s Procedure for Related Parties Transactions, as there are no significant interests of other related parties of Antares Vision in its subsidiary Antares Vision Inc.

Financial Impact of the Acquisition
The transaction is expected to be accretive to Antares Vision across multiple dimensions: (i) highly accretive to future revenue growth given the expected performance of rfXcel’s over the coming years; and (ii) accretive to Antares EPS and Free Cash Flow already from year-1 before considering any additional synergy impact. 
The acquisition of rfXcel is expected to support the achievement of Antares Vision Group’s medium-term targets and enhance its long-term growth opportunity, with further upside through operational leverage, cost and revenue synergies thanks to Antares Vision Group’s global presence, installed base and customer portfolio to deploy combined and integrated solutions across the Life Science, Food and Beverage and adjacent sectors. 
A business combination with rfXcel is also expected to result in cost and capex synergies driven by operational efficiencies, cost structure optimisation, enhanced operating leverage and an acceleration of Antares Vision Group’s R&D plans and innovation capabilities. Antares Vision and rfXcel have a complementary product offering, which provides revenue synergies in multiple industries, enabling product integration and customer value.
The acquisition of rfXcel is not significant within the meaning of art. 12 of Regolamento Emittenti AIM, as none of the applicable relevance indices exceeds 25%.

Expected Timetable to Completion 
The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions, including expiration of the Hart-Scott-Rodino waiting period in the US and the Russian Antitrust approval by Federal Antimonopoly Service, and is expected to close in March 2021.

Advisor to the Transaction
Morgan Stanley (financial advisor), Skadden Arps (legal advisor and legal due diligence) and Orsingher Ortu (legal advice on financing and rfXcel’s management reinvestment), New Deal Advisor (financial due diligence), Funaro & Co (fiscal advisor and fiscal due diligence) and Mediobanca (acquisition financing), supported the Antares Vision Group in connection with the transaction.
DC Advisory (financial advisor), O’Melveny & Myers (legal advisor) and Armanino (auditor) supported rfXcel in connection with the transaction.

Investor and Analyst call
Antares Vision is hosting a webinar tomorrow for analysts and investors which will start promptly at 16:30 CET time on Wednesday 17 February 2021.

Please register here https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3974086235599351310
 by 14.00 CET time on Wednesday 17 February 2021 to receive the access credentials.

The presentation that management will use is available here: https://www.antaresvision.com/investors/investor-relations/6725/mta-adm…

Investors and analysts wishing to ask questions to management on the acquisition are kindly requested to send their questions by 14.00 CET time on Wednesday 17 February 2021 to: investors@antaresvision.com. * * *

About Antares Vision
Listed since April 2019 on the AIM Italia market of the Italian Stock Exchange, Antares Vision Group guarantees the protection of products, people and brands through inspection systems for quality control, Track & Trace solutions for anti-counterfeiting and supply chain transparency, smart data management tools for maximized efficiency and digitalization of the supply chain, from the point of production to the end consumer. The Antares Vision Group is active in the life science sector, including the pharmaceutical, medical device and hospital segments, as well as in other industries, including, primarily, food & beverage, cosmetics and in consumer-packaged goods. The Group reaches over 60 countries worldwide with complete and flexible solutions, hardware and software, with related services: it has five offices in Italy (Brescia, Parma, Piacenza, Latina and Vicenza), 15 foreign branches (Germany [2], France [2], USA [3], Latin America [2], India, Russia, Hong Kong, China, Croatia and Serbia), three Innovation and Research Centers (Italy) and a worldwide network of more than 40 partners. With the twenty years of experience in vision technologies of the two founding partners, the Antares Vision Group is the supplier of ten of the 20 leading pharmaceutical companies in the world (by turnover), with more than 25,000 inspection systems, which ensure everyday product safety and quality, 6,500 quality controls and more than 3,500 serialization modules on lines installed all over the world. With the aim of continuing and supporting the growth and development strategy, during 2019, Antares Vision finalized participation agreements with T2 Software, a Brazilian company specialized in smart data management solutions, and Orobix, an Italian company leader in artificial intelligence services, and acquired 100% of FT System, leader in control and inspection in the beverage sector. In 2020, Antares Vision acquired 82.83% of Tradeticity, a Croatian company specialized in software management of traceability and serialization processes, 100% of Convel, an Italian company specialized in automated inspection machines for the pharmaceutical industry, the assets of Adents High Tech International, a French company specialized in software for serialization and traceability, and 100% of Applied Vision, a global leader in inspection systems for glass and metal containers in food & beverage. In 2019, Emidio Zorzella and Massimo Bonardi won the Ernst & Young “Entrepreneur of the Year” award for innovation. For more info: www.antaresvision.com. 
 

For further information

Issuer
Antares Vision S.p.A.
Via del Ferro, n. 16
25039 – Travagliato (BS)
Alioscia Berto (CFO e Investor Relator)
Tel.: +39 030 72 83 500
E-mail: investors@antaresvision.com

Nominated Adviser and Specialist
Equita SIM S.p.A.
Via Filippo Turati, n. 9
20121 – Milano
Marcello Daverio
Tel.: +39 02 6204 1
E-mail: m.daverio@equita.eu
IR ADVISOR
IR Top Consulting
Via Bigli, n. 19
20121 – Milano
Tel.: +39 02 45473884
Maria Antonietta Pireddu
E-mail: m.pireddu@irtop.com
Antonio Buozzi
E-mail: a.buozzi@irtop.com

MILAN (18 February 2021) - Berlin Packaging, the world’s largest hybrid packaging supplier,  announced the acquisition of Sodis-Uhart and Audoubert, two historic companies offering glass and  metal packaging in France.

 Sodis-Uhart was founded in 1979 in Biarritz as a family-run business and expanded in 2015 with the  acquisition of Audoubert, based in Toulouse, creating a hub for glass and metal packaging in  southern France. The two companies offer a wide range of glass and metal containers and  packaging components and have more than 9,000 square meters of strategically located warehouse  space to support their customers.

 “Sodis-Uhart, together with Audoubert, will significantly expand Berlin Packaging’s product portfolio,  especially in the food sector,” said Paolo Recrosio, CEO of Berlin Packaging Europe. “Moreover,  both companies have strong customer and supplier relationships that will help us continue to expand,  particularly in France and the neighbouring areas of Spain.”  

“Our combination with Berlin Packaging represents the culmination of a family adventure that began  in 1979 with just one employee. We’re proud of our accomplishments, and we believe strongly that  this transaction is not an end but a new beginning, enabling us to bring our experience in southern France to the rest of Berlin Packaging, and to allow our customers and employees to benefit from  the opportunities offered by a global company,” said Dominique Uhart, Director of Sodis-Uhart, and  Michel Uhart, Director of Audoubert. 

The acquisition of Sodis-Uhart and Audobert is Berlin Packaging’s eleventh acquisition in Europe  since 2016, confirming the company’s strong commitment to offering packaging solutions in all  segments of the European market.

 "Expanding our presence in Europe remains a critical objective for us in 2021," said Bill Hayes, CEO  and President of Berlin Packaging. "Targeted acquisitions, like the acquisition of Sodis-Uhart and its subsidiary, Audoubert, continue to be an important way for us to execute on our strategic growth  plans for Europe.” 

Berlin Packaging  
Berlin Packaging is the world’s largest Hybrid Packaging Supplier® of glass, plastic, and metal  containers and closures. The company supplies billions of items annually along with package design,  financing, consulting, warehousing, and logistics services for customers across all industries. Berlin  Packaging brings together the best of manufacturing, distribution, and income-adding service  providers. Its mission is to increase the net income of its customers through packaging products and  services.  

See BerlinPackaging.com for more information. 
About Bruni Glass, a Berlin Packaging Company 
Bruni Glass, the largest packaging distributor in Europe, has 40+ years’ experience supplying  premium and specialty glass packaging to the wine, spirits, food, and gourmet markets.  Headquartered in Italy and with locations across Europe, Bruni offers thousands of custom-designed 
products along with popular standard items. The company has a world-class design studio, a network  of high-quality manufacturing partners, a team dedicated to thrilling service, and is certified by CISQ IMQ (Italian Institute for the Quality Mark) to ISO 9001 standards.  

See BruniGlass.com. for more information. 
For more information:  
Press Office – Omnicom PR Group Italy  
Barbara Papini,

barbara.papini@omnicomprgroup.com

+335 6113555 
Ilaria Sala,

ilaria.sala@omnicomprgroup.com

+39 335 8112968 

Berlin Packaging 
Elena Franzetti, Elena.Franzetti@BruniGlass.com

+39 02 48436611 +39 3401204145

 Julie Saltzman, Julie.Saltzman@BerlinPackaging.com

+1 312 869 7554 for North America.
 

Mondi’s consumer flexible plant in Steinfeld, Germany has been certified as CO2 neutral by ClimatePartner
The certification applies to the manufacturing process at Steinfeld after switching to hydropower and other renewable energies

16 February 2021 – Mondi Steinfeld in Germany has been certified as CO2 neutral for its manufacturing processes by ClimatePartner, an organisation which supports companies in reducing and offsetting their CO2 emissions. This certification was awarded as a result of Mondi Steinfeld switching to renewable energy and supporting certain climate projects in 2020.

Once the total emissions of the plant were calculated in 2019, ClimatePartner helped the plant find further ways to reduce, and then offset, its emissions with climate projects and measures such as switching to hydropower.

As part of this certification, the plant in Steinfeld combined carbon offsetting with participation in a number of carbon trust projects. These projects engage in local and international reforestation efforts to protect environmentally sensitive regions, such as Brazil and some parts of Europe. The next local project will focus on protecting an environmentally vulnerable moor close to Lichtenau in Germany through reforestation, to protect diverse ecosystems and habitats for a variety of wildlife.

“Being sustainable by design is Mondi’s purpose. Not only does this mean creating more sustainable products, but also making our production process more sustainable by optimising our processes and reducing our emissions. We are proud to achieve this carbon neutral status while also supporting Mondi’s 10 year sustainability action plan, MAP2030, to tackle global issues across the value chain, including taking action on climate,” said Werner Ferlings, Managing Director, Mondi Halle and Steinfeld, on behalf of the entire management team. 

Mondi Group, a global leader in packaging and paper, produces consumer flexible packaging at its plant in Steinfeld. Several of the products manufactured at the plant include state of the art recyclable pre-made packaging for dry pet food. Mondi is committed to providing customers with sustainable packaging through their customer-centric approach, EcoSolutions. This approach examines the entire value chain, including manufacturing, operations, and logistics. This CO2 neutral certification is another step in making the manufacturing process more sustainable. 

/ends

For further details on how much CO2 has been offset, and the climate projects that Mondi in Steinfeld is supporting, please click here.

Technical details about the certification:
Mondi’s ClimatePartner ID is 15026-2008-1001 
The certification was granted by switching to hydropower and renewable energy
Steinfeld has offset 1.656 tonnes of carbon in 2020 through additional climate protection projects

About Mondi
Mondi is a global leader in packaging and paper, contributing to a better world by making innovative, packaging and paper solutions that are sustainable by design. Our business is fully integrated across the value chain – from managing forests and producing pulp, paper and plastic films, to developing and manufacturing effective industrial and consumer packaging solutions. Sustainability is at the centre of our strategy and intrinsic in the way we do business. We lead the industry with our customer- centric approach, EcoSolutions, where we ask the right questions to find the most sustainable solution. In 2019, Mondi had revenues of €7.27 billion and underlying EBITDA of €1.66 billion.

Mondi has a premium listing on the London Stock Exchange (MNDI), and a secondary listing on the JSE Limited (MNP). Mondi is a FTSE 100 constituent, and has been included in the FTSE4Good Index Series since 2008 and the FTSE/JSE Responsible Investment Index Series since 2007.

www.mondigroup.com 

About Climate Partner
ClimatePartner provides solutions for companies committed to protecting the environment.

ClimatePartner offers climate protection projects in different regions and with different technologies and standards in order to help companies contribute to protecting the environment, and the Sustainable Development Goals as laid out by the UN. 

ClimatePartner was founded in Munich in 2006, has 70 employees in Munich, Berlin, Vienna, Zurich and Yerevan, and works with 2,000 companies in 35 countries.

Contact:
Judith Wronn
Senior Communication Manager, Flexible Packaging & Engineered Materials
Tel: +49 151 1771 4692
Email: Judith.Wronn@mondigroup.com 

Josina van der Velden
EMG
Tel: +31 164 317 014
Email: jvandervelden@emg-marcom.com

After 4 years of bringing together the single-serve capsules industry at their unique live events, AMI launched the Single-Serve Capsules virtual summit. The online event, taking place from 9-11 March, provides a platform for professionals from the whole supply chain to connect and review the technical innovations in capsule production, different capsule end-of-life scenarios and the latest in capsules material science.

The new format delivers a three-day program of expert presentations, including live Q&A sessions, allowing attendees to interact, engage and be a part of the discussion. Confirmed speakers include Veith Behrmann from Nestlé Nespresso SA discussing the compliance challenge and regulatory barriers with packaging material suppliers, and Léo Escourrou from The Alliance for the Recycling of Aluminum Capsules, addressing the need to accelerate the recycling of aluminium capsules, with further insights on compatible filling from Kaffa and Cappac. The focus on sustainability is also highlighted by leading compatible capsules suppliers, Laurent Lombart from Capsul’in Pro SA and Jean-Paul Roosendaal from Menshen Packaging Ltd, both reviewing various material options to uncover the most sustainable coffee capsule. In response to market pull for compostable capsules, new solutions will be presented by Terracaps GmbH, Flo S.p.A., Jabil Packaging Solutions, Coda Group BV and NatureWorks. The programme covers the latest technological advances for coffee roasters, with particular focus on grinding, filling and packaging solutions, presented by speakers from leading suppliers such as IMA S.p.A., Rychiger AG, Sarong S.p.A., Modern Process Equipment Corporation, Cama Group and Watttron GmbH. Presentations from StackTeck Systems Ltd. and Husky Injection Molding Systems Ltd will address innovation in capsule moulding.

In addition to the comprehensive three-day agenda, the platform also hosts a virtual exhibition area, allowing all attendees to explore and interact with the single-serve capsules industry and its key players showcasing their products. During the designated networking sessions professionals can connect via private meetings, scheduled with their chosen contacts.

For more information on attending the Single-Serve Capsules virtual summit please visit www.ami.ltd/capsules-join-virtual

About AMIAMI is the leading provider of information, market intelligence and conferences for the global plastics industry. Our business is underpinned by our talented staff and our unique databases. Our Consultants, Researchers, Writers and Event Organisers include many of the most respected experts in their fields. We can help you grow your business by identifying exciting market opportunities, new customers and innovative technologies from our intimate understanding of the global plastics processing industry, knowledge of how the markets have changed and where they are heading.
www.ami.international

For further information please contact:
Rebecca Weir
Senior Conference Organiser | AMI
T / +44 (0) 117 314 8111
E/ ​​​rebecca.weir@ami.international
www.ami.international
Third Floor, One Brunswick Square, Bristol, BS2 8PE, UK

-ENDS-

Notes to editor:
For further information, comment or to arrange an interview please contact:
Agata Swietek, Interim Virtual Conferences Marketing Executive
T / +44 (0) 117 314 8111
E / agata.swietek@ami.international

Sidel has launched a new Cermex WB47 case packer, expanding its WB wrap-around range to handle not only the wrap-around blank family, but also American cases (RSC and HSC). Additionally, the upgraded WB platform ensures enhanced flexibility with shorter changeover times. In 45 years, Sidel has installed more than 8,000 packers, including 1,000 wrap-around machines. More than 130 units of the best-seller Cermex WB46 and the new Cermex WB47 have already been manufactured in four years.

The current market situation demands greater adaptability of equipment that is capable of handling various combinations of primary and secondary packaging grouped in many batch sizes and configurations. Moreover, production runs are becoming shorter, and therefore high flexibility with reduced downtime and fast, easy and repeatable changeovers for case packing are essential. Meeting the various requirements of supermarkets, discount stores, online retailers and more, the Cermex WB packing platform is truly unique for the Food, Home and Personal Care (FHPC) markets.

“The Cermex WB’s case-packing range is able to handle a great variety of primary and secondary packaging types, including complete wrap-around blanks, trays, trays with ledges, two-piece packaging (tray plus lid), and provide Shelf-Ready Packaging (SRP) and easy-to-open functionalities. With the Cermex WB47, Sidel extends the flexibility and adaptability of the solution even more,” said Didier Saussereau, Packing Product Manager at Sidel. The new case packer makes it possible to run RSC and half slotted cases (HSC) with an increased speed of 22 cases per minute compared to 15 cases per minute with the traditional RSC case-packing range. Moreover, the wrap-around version can run at up to 30 blanks per minute. Thus, if some brand owners are still operating today with RSC cases, choosing a WB47 still allows them to switch easily in the future to wrap-around blanks, thanks to this common platform and a simple upgrade kit. Additionally, the WB case-packing platform can perform “easy-to-operate” up to fully automatic changeovers, thus reducing downtime when changing products, packaging, batch sizes or configurations. The average time for the changeover is five minutes, depending on the version. 

For those manufacturers who already have Cermex WB46 machines in their workshop, the new Cermex WB47 will not only widen their secondary packaging options but will also maintain consistency of case-packing assets, with operators and maintenance staff easily trained, while optimising spare parts management. “This was the case with two global brand owners who were satisfied with their well-known, proven and reliable Cermex WB46 solutions and decided to acquire the new WB47 to complete their packaging options,” concluded Didier.

Sidel designs and manufactures packing solutions for any secondary corrugated packaging. In 45 years, Sidel has installed 8,000 packers worldwide, including 1,000 wrap-around machines. Thanks to various infeed and collation systems adapted to the primary packaging types, more than 130 Cermex WB units have been sold with different configurations for different market category needs since 2017. Furthermore, Sidel’s dedicated packing site in Corcelles-lès-Cîteaux (France), where the WB platform is manufactured, received the official “Vitrine Industrie du Futur” award in 2020. This prize recognises the implementation of Industry 4.0 initiatives with new technologies, such as robotics, cobotics, mechatronics, virtual commissioning, connected machines and digital twins. “Alliance Industrie du Futur” (AIF) also appreciated the site’s ambition regarding eco-design and its strategy for training and talent recruitment, including the co-creation of a robotics school.
 

Editor’s Note: The images within this document are for illustrative purposes only and should not be used for reproduction. If high-resolution copies are not attached with the document, please contact Elina Kresa at F&H Communications for copies – see contact details below.

-----------------------------------
For editorial, advertising and sponsorship enquiries, please contact:
F&H Communications
Elina Kresa, Consultant
Tel: +49 (0) 89 12175 147
Email: sidel@fundh.de  

New fully servo-driven HQ Series counting & dispensing machines provide 100% accuracy for primary or secondary packaging of candy, confectionary, and chocolate as well as non-food products

Towaco, New Jersey – Cremer, a leading supplier of product counting machines in the U.S. for a wide array of applications, has introduced its HQ Series, a line of compact counting and packaging machines designed for unmixed, single type or single flavor products. The servo-driven three-model portfolio provides fast, reliable and cost-efficient counting solutions for primary or secondary packaging of candy, confectionary, and chocolate as well as non-food products such as medical parts, hardware and detergent pouches. 

To preserve precious production floorspace, the counting machines can be placed directly atop a packaging machine for bag filling applications, or over a conveyor belt for precise positioning and discharge of product counts into common packaging platforms such as cartons, boxes, tubs or tins.

Counting food and various other products by the piece is regarded as the most efficient, cost-effective alternative to modern weighing and pick-and-place systems, as counting accuracy is not affected by small weight variations between individual pieces. Optical counting – as opposed to weight-centric quality control – guarantees that the net contents in terms of count is 100 percent accurate for both wholesale and retail packages. Optical counting also prevents product loss, avoids product wastage, and maximizes production efficiency.

Available in HQ, HQF and HQI models, the versatile counting machines can be used for a wide variety of products - either in bulk quantities or single piece discharges into any package. The HQ Series is scalable for varying production levels depending on product type and output, with available counting channel options of 4, 6, 8 or 12. Typical output is up to 5,500 individual pieces or 175 units(discharges)/minute.

Compatible with all industrial packaging and cartoning machines, the HQ Series features a compact footprint of just 40 or 60 centimeters, FDA-compliant product parts for processing both food and non-food products and streamlined tool-free disassembly for easy operation and cleaning. Other features include silent operation with no compressed air required and a product detection unit with 100 percent accuracy. Up to three memory flap levels are available for count separation and dispensing. Vibratory plates for product transport and separation and a timing hopper for discharging product counts are also built in.

The HQ series machines can work in tandem with a bulk dosing system with infeed hopper and incline dosing conveyor, or over an indexing conveyor for filling boxes, cartons, tubs, bottles, jars or tins. Fully customized hygienic counting machines are also available.

Founded in 1949, Cremer is the U.S. leader in counting and packaging solutions for the pharmaceutical, food, consumer goods and agricultural industries. Cremer’s highly technical and innovative machinery provides unsurpassed speed and precision, ensuring companies can count and package their products in a guaranteed accurate, fast, and profitable way. Cremer product counting machines are known for their expedient ROI, realized by eliminating wasteful overcounts and reputation-damaging undercounts.

“Cremer’s versatile HQ Series of counting machines are fast, reliable and cost-effective solutions to maximize production efficiency and avoid product loss and wastage typically found with traditional weighing systems,” states Brian Pomponio, Business Development Manager of Cremer North America. “Whether the best solution is a basic, stand-alone HQ counting machine or a more complex packing line to meet more demanding requirements, our experienced team can develop tailored solutions to meet customer needs.”

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About Cremer
Since 1949, Cremer is the leading global supplier of counting machines and packaging solutions for the pharmaceutical, food, consumer goods and agricultural industries. As part of the Uhlmann Group, the Netherlands-based company is known worldwide for its dedicated focus on quality control. 
Cremer’s highly technical and innovative machinery provides unsurpassed speed and precision, ensuring companies can count and package their products in a guaranteed accurate, fast, and profitable way. Cremer’s commitment to customized equipment solutions has led to a customer base ranging from small family-operated businesses to multinational corporations. For more information, visit www.cremer.com. 

client:    Cremer
contact:    Caitlin Bishop
    Turchette Agency
    (973) 227-8080, ext. 129
    cbishop@turchette.com
    Brian Pomponio
    Cremer North America
    (973) 214-7660    
    b.pomponio@cremer.com

Attendees will get key insights on pandemic-related changes in everyday approaches to sanitation and safety and how t

Leveraging the strengths of Arpac, Hamer, Fischbein, and Ohlson, nVenia is positioned to be a leading equipment desig

Jim Orford, K600i Product Manager from Domino Digital Printing Solutions, says: “Covid-19 has really accelerated the

LITERATURE HOLDERS FOR ANYWHERE

CrimpTech Series includes versions suitable for full range of manufacturing applications, from R&D through large-scale production.

Mount Vernon, NY – TurboFil Packaging Machines LLC, an equipment specialist dedicated solely to the design and development of liquid filling and assembly machines, has introduced a lineup of semi- and fully automatic vial crimping machines. Offering a clean, consistent crimp for the full gamut of manufacturing applications – from R&D through scale-up and large-batch production – the CrimpTech series utilizes a four-jaw collet approach to ensure safe, dependable sealing. 

TurboFil’s crimpers can handle vials in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, and feature easy, toolless changeover for simplified operation and minimized downtime. The fully automatic version can process up to 50 containers per minute, with caps fed via a stainless steel vibratory feeder. The unit’s novel approach to cap placement and crimping ensures each item is stopper-tamped prior to crimping for a reliably level seal. 

Each unit in the CrimpTech series provides low particle generation – a key facet for crimping equipment. The three-model lineup includes: 

The CrimpTech Benchtop is a semi-automatic unit whose ability to be placed under laminar flow hoods makes it ideal for aseptic and cleanroom applications. Suitable especially for R&D and pre-production efforts, the lightweight, fully portable unit is simple to maintain and exceedingly cost-effective. 

The CrimpTech Standalone is an automatic tabletop module where pre-stoppered vials enter and exit via tray. The reliable unit offers fast, simple collet changeover for different cap styles or, for vials of various diameters, fast star wheel replacement.

The CrimpTech In-line is an automatic crimper that can connect to various other units along a packaging line. Like the automatic Standalone, the In-line also offers fast, simple collet changeover for different cap styles or, for vials of various diameters, fast star wheel replacement.

In addition to the CrimpTech Series, TurboFil also can incorporate its distinctive approach to crimping into a variety of other packaging equipment designed by the company.

“Despite their individual application fortes, the three models in our CrimpTech Series all have several common denominators, including reliability, precision and cost-effectiveness,” said Deborah Smook, VP of Marketing & Business Development for TurboFil Packaging Machines LLC. “Each machine maximizes simplicity for an often complex and always critical part of the primary packaging processing: crimping. From cleanroom R&D through full-scale production, the series marries versatility and value without sacrificing accuracy.”

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About TurboFil Packaging Machines LLC

TurboFil is an equipment specialist dedicated solely to the design and development of liquid filling and assembly machines for the pharmaceutical, medical device, health & beauty and chemical industries. Since its inception in 1999, the company has created novel, durable production solutions for some of the industry's most challenging applications, consistently setting new benchmarks for filling precision and operational simplicity.

TurboFil's equipment portfolio features a broad range of standardized equipment, and the company also frequently collaborates with customers to develop, design and construct customized, built-to-spec machines. This versatility has made TurboFil a leader in supplying reliable, efficient and cost-effective filling and assembly systems that fit seamlessly into existing operations.

For more information, visit www.TurboFil.com 

client:    TurboFil Packaging Machines LLC
contact:    Christopher Dale
    Turchette Agency
    (973) 227-8080, ext. 116
    cdale@turchette.com
    Deborah Smook
    TurboFil
    (914) 239-3878 
    debbie@turbofil.com

Crystal Lake, Illinois, February 16, 2021 - AptarGroup, Inc. (NYSE: ATR), a global leader in drug delivery, consumer product dispensing and active packaging solutions, announced that its Activ-Film™ technology was selected to protect a new SARS Rapid Antigen test for COVID-19 that recently received Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). 

The QuickVue® SARS Antigen test is a point-of-care rapid antigen test developed by Quidel® Corporation, a leading manufacturer of diagnostic healthcare solutions, that delivers test results in 10 minutes. The visually read test requires no supplemental instrumentation and offers expanded access to affordable and accurate COVID-19 testing that will help meet the urgent testing needs of the global economy, including for those in school systems and rural areas.

Aptar CSP Technologies’ Activ-Film™ technology is integrated into the diagnostic kit to protect against moisture and other environmental conditions that could otherwise impact test accuracy. Activ-Film™ leverages Aptar’s proprietary 3-Phase Activ-Polymer™ technology, which provides a broad spectrum of custom-engineered protection in a variety of configurations, such as Activ-Vial™ for housing diagnostics dipsticks and Activ-Tab integrated within diagnostic cassettes.  This material science-based active packaging technology is currently used to protect a range of electrochemical, lateral flow and molecular diagnostic test kits on the market today.

“We are pleased to partner with Quidel® Corporation on this critical diagnostic tool and help bring the QuickVue® SARS Rapid Antigen test to the market,” said Stephan B. Tanda, Aptar President and CEO. “Our material science Activ-Film™ technology protects the test strips, helping to provide quick, reliable results to patients, their families and healthcare workers. We will continue to live up to our purpose and responsibility to society by providing solutions that protect critical COVID-19 diagnostic kits, along with dispensing solutions for medicines and consumer products needed by millions of people each day.” 

Badre Hammond, Vice President Commercial Operations, Aptar CSP Technologies concluded, “As we continue to navigate through the COVID-19 crisis, this game-changing solution will help meet the urgent demand for COVID-19 testing in communities around the world. We are committed to leveraging our material science expertise to enable our partners to meet the ongoing need for innovative healthcare solutions that help improve and save lives.”

About Aptar 
Aptar is a global leader in the design and manufacturing of a broad range of drug delivery, consumer product dispensing and active material solutions. Aptar’s innovative solutions and services serve a variety of end markets including pharmaceutical, beauty, personal care, home, food and beverage. Using insights, design, engineering and science to create dispensing, dosing and protective packaging technologies for many of the world’s leading brands, Aptar in turn makes a meaningful difference in the lives, looks, health and homes of patients and consumers around the world. Aptar is headquartered in Crystal Lake, Illinois and has 13,000 dedicated employees in 20 countries. For more information, visit www.aptar.com.  

This press release contains forward-looking statements. Expressions or future or conditional verbs such as “will” are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and are based on our beliefs as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to us. Accordingly, our actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements due to known or unknown risks and uncertainties that exist in our operations and business environment including, but not limited to: the successful integration of acquisitions; the regulatory environment; and competition, including technological advances. For additional information on these and other risks and uncertainties, please see our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the discussion under “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in our Form 10-Ks and Form 10-Qs. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

# # #

Investor Relations Contact:         Media Contact:

Matt DellaMaria        
matt.dellamaria@aptar.com 

815-479-5530   

Katie Reardon        

katie.reardon@aptar.com 
815-479-5671

This week, the industry prizes for exemplary specialist markets and specialist market centers in the categories of new construction, refurbishment, mixed use and the special prize of the jury were awarded. The organizers are the dfv Conference Group, a subsidiary of the dfv media group, and Heuer Dialog. The winners were first honored in the digital award ceremony on Monday, after which the organizers personally presented the trophies and certificates.

Category new building: Kaufland
 
The specialist store star in the new building category went to Kaufland for the new building in Bergkamen : Christian Zehnpfenning (Head of Expansion Germany, Kaufland) accepted the award. The jury particularly praised the attractive location: the open architecture, the spacious design of the specialist departments and the new food court concept guarantee a comprehensive shopping experience.

Refurbishment category: Rewe
 
Rewe received an award for the Alteotton Flöha retail park: Christian Schneider, Head of Real Estate / Expansion, Rewe Group, accepted the Star Retailer in the Refurbishment category. The integration of the retail trade into the listed complex of the former cotton mill has been particularly successful. In this way, the old building fabric has been developed into a functional and contemporary retail location that creates a lot of traffic.

Mixed Use category: Ulanenpark
 
The Uhlan Park project in Bamberg was awarded the specialist store Star in the Mixed Use category: The jury praised the coherent overall concept: The Uhlan Park represents the start of urban district development an ecologically valuable multi-use building with a high-quality green facade, complete green roof and modern architectural language. The award went to Johannes Pohl, Managing Director, Sontowski & Partner.

Special prize: Funding association diva x hilft eV
 
The special prize of the jury was given to the sponsoring association diva x hilft eV from Munich: The jury honored the initiators Michèle Stöckel and Franziska Justl as heroes of retail in the Corona crisis . Stöckel and Justl work pro bono for social projects in their free time and on vacation as cashiers in retail: they donated their wages to social projects such as the Munich outpatient children's hospice and the Münchner Tafel e. V.
 
The construction of a retail park center is an interdisciplinary task and requires cooperation that is beneficial for everyone involved. The industry award honors companies that are successfully breaking new ground in a saturated retail property market. With the Fachmarkt Stars, successful trendsetters such as project developers, property owners and tenants get a stage to present their innovative concepts.

Municipalities, investors, tenants and customers value properties that function over the long term. Three such projects are awarded annually as part of the German Specialist Real Estate Congress. With the award, a jury made up of specialists honors actors who promote quality awareness in the industry.

“Baukultur is gaining in importance in the specialist real estate industry. A sophisticated architecture and a thoughtful conception can turn a specialty store location into a brand and thus ensure the sustainable success of all those involved, ”says Johannes Blank, Managing Director of Blank Real Estate, juror and co-initiator of the award, which the organizers Heuer Dialog and dfv Conference Group for the fourth time.

Nominees and award winners 2020/2021:

New building category
Finalists: Edeka Nolte in Wiesbaden, Kaufland in Bergkamen and REWE-Markt Rainer Boie in Harsefeld
Prize winner: Kaufland in Bergkamen
Laudator: Martin Bressem, _blaenk
Refurbishment category
Finalists: Aller Center (famila) in Celle; Specialist market center old cotton in Flöha and northwest center in Garbsen
Award winner: Specialist market center for old cotton in Flöha
Laudator: Dr. Christine Lemaitre
 
Mixed Use category
Finalists: Rewe Markt Tobias Buchner in Landshut, Ulanenpark in Bamberg and Voltapark E-Werk Bockenheim in Frankfurt
Prize winner: Ulanenpark in Bamberg
Laudator: Michael Garstka
 
Special prize of the jury
Prize winner: Friends of diva x hilft eV
Laudator: Dr. Angelus Bernreuther

The jury was composed of:

Dr. Angelus Bernreuther, Kaufland Service (trade)
Martin Bressem, _blaenk (Start-up Innovations)
Johannes Blank, Blank Real Estate (initiator)
Jörn Burghardt, formerly Hahn Group (Asset Management)
Michael Garstka, LIST Develop Commercial (project development)
Michaela Hauser, ATP Architects Engineers (architecture)
Dr. Christine Lemaitre, German Society for Sustainable Building - DGNB eV (Sustainability)
State Councilor Gabriele Nießen, City of Bremen (municipalities)
Christoph v. Schwanenflug, Immobilien Zeitung (trade press)

Contact
dfv media group
Judith Scondo
Senior consultant corporate communications
Telephone 069 7595-2051
presse@dfv.de
www.dfv.de

Angela Wisken (64) is leaving the supervisory board of the dfv media group in Frankfurt am Main at the end of March 2021. As of April of that year, she will also resign from the posts as editor of the title groups Lebensmittel Zeitung, TextilWirtschaft and HORIZONT, ​​her membership in the Golden Sugar Loaf jury, the foundation of the same name and the HORIZONT Award Men and Women of the Year jury and the TextilWirtschaft forum.

The supervisory board of Deutscher Fachverlag GmbH still includes the main shareholder Andreas Lorch, co-shareholder Catrin Lorch and Peter Ruß.

Wisken started at dfv in 1980 as a business journalist, made a career in the editorship of the Lebensmittel Zeitung, developed LZNet at the end of the 90s, and took over responsibility as editor-in-chief for both print and online in 2000. Early on, she placed a special focus on the digital development of the medium, initiated the introduction of paid content based on the example of the Wall Street Journal at the beginning of the 2000s and consistently pushed digitalization forward for the entire publishing house through her other professional positions 2012 as a member of the management, from 2013 as spokeswoman for the management and since January 2020 as a member of the supervisory board and publisher.
According to Wisken, the prerequisite for the future success of a specialist media company such as the dfv media group is constantly keeping pace with digitization in all areas of the company, but above all journalistic quality based on creativity and strong, self-confident editorial teams.

Regarding the reasons for her departure after 40 years in the dfv, Wisken says: “All things have their time. Even the good ones. "

"We very much regret the decision and would like to expressly thank Angela Wisken for the long, committed and extremely successful cooperation, combined with best wishes for the future," says Andreas Lorch, main shareholder of the dfv media group.

Contact
dfv media group
Manuela Töpfer
Senior consultant corporate communications
Telephone 069 7595-2052
presse@dfv.de
http://www.dfv.de

The new innovation center is 3 stories high with a total area of 660 sqm and provides 30 new ergonomic work spaces.

The showcase plant was taken into operation in 2019.

Following CDP’s 2020 global score release, companies responding to the full version of the CDP climate change questio

The QuickVue® SARS Antigen test is a point-of-care rapid antigen test developed by Quidel® Corporation, a leading man