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Non-Tech : Printing & Printing Technology -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: richardred who wrote (36)	10/23/2010 8:22:49 PM
From: richardred	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 64

Recyclable holographic effect puts the ‘wow’ in Gillette razor Posted by Jim George, Marketing & Design Editor, Packaging World, October 4, 2010 \| Post first comment For its most technically advanced razor, Gillette pulls out all the stops, creating a design that is eye-catching on shelf, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly. Gillette.jpgThe “trifecta” in package design today is a package that delivers sales results for a brand while also being environmentally friendly and reducing materials use and costs. Gillette scores on all three counts in launching its premium Fusion ProGlide razor. • Gillette meets the design objective of a package with pickup power on the store shelf by achieving a metallized, holographic effect through a special coating that offers increased shelf presence of the packaging graphics. • The package components as a whole are recyclable. The coating, cut precisely to reduce waste, replaces film and foil laminates, which are difficult to recycle. The process of applying it to the razor cartons reduces energy use. • Costs were reduced through efforts such as shortening material lead times by up to 12 weeks and introducing production efficiencies, including the printer’s elimination of multiple steps with other vendors. “The darker colors are more premium-looking. The package has a definite ‘wow’ factor, says Michael Marcinkowski, senior engineer R&D, in Gillette’s Global Package Development area. From a marketing perspective, the foremost objective was achieving a metallized, holographic effect so shoppers could easily distinguish Fusion ProGlide from competitors on shelf. Fusion ProGlide is Gillette’s most technologically advanced razor, and the carton graphics’ hologram-like appearance enhances perceptions of shaving comfort and performance. Gillette achieved this visual effect with MiraFoil®, a UV metallic coating that provides the decorative effect of hot-foil stamping. Henkel Corp. supplies the coating. Several aspects attracted Marcinkowski’s interest in the coating. It can be put anywhere on a package, and it helps optimize colors such as copper on the razor carton’s package graphics. “It also eliminates the step of hot-foil stamping,” he says. During package printing, Diamond Packaging implemented a process that combined the metallic coating with its own proprietary cast-and-cure holography technology, which is performed in-line. The inks are printed on paperboard cartons (Gillette also has reported success in printing MiraFoil on plastic packaging). Marcinkowski explains that board selection was important during Gillette’s trials to optimize the package’s smooth appearance. “We found that the smoother the board, the better,” he says. “A smooth board gives a more mirror-like finish with better light reflection off the surface. Once we ironed out those issues, we put together production-like comps and presented them to the marketing people, who were satisfied with what they saw.” Beyond on-pack presentation benefits, Gillette also noted sustainability advantages. Dennis Drummond, senior key account manager at Henkel, explains that the metallic coating replaces film- and foil-laminated board stock, which is difficult to recycle. In creating package graphics, the MiraFoil coating can be applied to specific areas only, to avoid waste. After a ProGlide carton has been discarded for recycling, for example, the metallic coating can be removed during de-inking. Peter Cecere, director of business development at Diamond, describes his company’s holographic technology as an extension of the company’s greenbox sustainability initiative. “The ProGlide packaging meets very high standards of innovation and sustainability,” Cecere says. “It reduces packaging, reuses material, and promotes recyclability.” Besides the advantages of a design with marketing, sustainability, and cost-reduction benefits, Gillette’s new Fusion ProGlide packages also deliver on security. The MiraFoil coating used on the cartons enables Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) tags to be completely readable, preventing product theft. greenerpackage.com

To: richardred who wrote (36)	9/17/2011 9:37:41 PM
From: richardred	Respond to of 64

Women-owned business is booming, American Express study shows By George Chamberlin , Executive Editor Friday, September 16, 2011 The closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday was rung by Andrea Jung, CEO of Avon Products Inc. The company was acknowledging “125 Years of Empowering Women.” Also on the podium at the NYSE were family members of David McConnell who began the company with the goal of encouraging women to achieve financial independence. Interestingly, the company got its start 34 years before women in the United States won the right to vote. McConnell would be pleased with the results of his efforts and the work of others. Today, there are more than 8.1 million women-owned businesses in the U.S. with annual sales of $1.3 trillion and employing 7.7 million people. American Express recently released a study comparing the state of women-owned business to a previous Census Bureau report in 1997. During that period, the number of women-owned businesses grew by 50 percent, well above the 34 percent increase in the total number of businesses. “Women are driving the growth of our smaller businesses," said Susan Sobbott of American Express. "During a period when larger enterprises grew at the expense of small, privately held firms, women-owned businesses actually grew faster than men-owned firms up to the 100-employee threshold and million dollar revenue marks.” It probably comes as no surprise that California is home to the greatest number of women-owned firms in the country, a position it has held for more than 15 years. The report calculates there are nearly 1.1 million women-owned businesses in California — up 54.2 percent from 1997 — as of 2011, well ahead of Texas, with 636,000 such companies. “Even in the current business landscape where all businesses are forced to do more with less, women business owners are holding their own and contributing significantly to the overall economy,” said Helen Han, president of the National Association of Women Business Owners, which held its annual meeting in San Diego earlier this month. The group used the event as an opportunity to induct four new members to its Hall of Fame. Included was Koni Kim, CEO of Koni Corp., a San Diego-based supplier of soft goods like linen sand draperies to the hospitality industry worldwide. Koni Corp. was also ranked second on the list of the Top 50 fastest-growing women-owned businesses in the United States and Canada. Despite the growth and success of women-owned businesses, they have concerns about the current economy in the U.S. and its leadership. A survey of the National Association of Women Business Owners membership finds their biggest concerns include the federal budget deficit, job creation, health care and illegal immigration. “While most NAWBO members believe the country is past the worst of the recession, they remain cautious about the short-term economic situation and are less optimistic looking forward to the end of the year than they were last year at this time,” national chair Kelly Scanlon said. “However, in the big picture, women business owners are actually more positive in their view of where we are in the current recessionary cycle than the average American adult,” she added.

To: richardred who wrote (36)	1/5/2013 3:12:16 PM
From: richardred	Respond to of 64

Prime Commercial Lending structures $34 million buyout deal The Business Review Date: Monday, December 31, 2012, 12:48pm EST Enlarge Image Donna Abbott Vlahos Kris Roglieri, president and CEO of Prime Commercial Lending, said the $34 million partner buyout of Diamond Packaging in Rochester, New York, presented a number of complicated issues. Prime Commercial Lending of Albany, New York, organized a $34 million buyout by one 50-percent partner in a Rochester packaging company from the other partner. The structure of the buyout of Diamond Packaging Holdings LLC, a 100-year-old company, consisted of a $34 million capital stack including $24 million in a senior debt facility with a revolving credit line, and term debt for equipment and the partner buy-out. In addition, the financing included a capital raise of equity, mezzanine finance and junior debt. The undisclosed lender took a 24 percent stake in the Diamond, which allowed the buying partner, CEO Karla Fitcher, to hold the majority interest in the company without contributing equity to the "complicated" transaction, according Kris Roglieri, president and CEO of Prime Commercial Lending. bizjournals.com

To: richardred who wrote (36)

2/15/2013 12:19:45 AM

From: richardred

1 Recommendation Respond to of 64

Made in our Hometown: Diamond Packaging and the Valentine's Day Connection

Reported by: Evan Dawson
Email: edawson@13wham.com

Beyonce Heat. Godiva. Shania fragrance. This Valentine's Day, millions of Americans will deliver gifts to their valentines that come in glossy packages made right here in our hometown.

Diamond Packaging is responsible for making some of the industry's most ornate boxes and packages -- the kind that seem to jump right off the store shelves. We had a chance to go inside the Henrietta-based operation that has grown substantially over the past several decades.

Roughly one million cartons a day come off the lines and presses at Diamond. (The company prefers the term "cartons" over "boxes".) It's an operation that now employs 225 people, with annual sales around $50 million.

And even during the roughest economic times, in 2008, Diamond was hiring.

"That's when they hired me," says Abram Cotton. "The value to me was just to find a job at the time. But once I got here, I found there was so much to offer at this printing company."

Joe Interlicchia, hired in 2004, agrees. "The guys I work with are like my family," he says. "They're great. I love these guys. And the management team here is second to none. Period. They treat us fairly, and you just can't find a better work environment."

Many of the employees are surprised to find out -- when they first arrive at Diamond -- just how many brands get their packaging done here. Old Spice, Loreal, Elizabeth Arden, Procter & Gamble, Estee Lauder, Bausch & Lomb, and many more. But Diamond doesn't do it all; in fact, this is a company that routinely turns down potential work.

"We're not going after commodity-type packaging -- cereal boxes, cracker boxes, things like that," explains Dave Rydell, Chief Operating Officer. "We go after brands that really want to establish an identity. How do we do that? That's what we call a lot of value-added activity. We like to do hot-foil stamping, embossing, multi-colored printing, specialty coatings, things that will catch the consumer's eye."

And so we asked some of the Diamond Packaging team: Have you ever been walking through a store and noticed your own packages catching your eye?

"Absolutely," Cotton says, smiling. "I see it all over the place. Tops, Price Rite, and I can say, 'You know what? I had a hand in that.'"

Interlicchia is constantly noticing a product he uses every day. "Gillette cartons," he says with a laugh. "Every time we walk in there, those cartons just glow off the shelf. I can see why our customers are attracted to them."

Diamond was founded in 1911 and, having just celebrated 100 years, also celebrated a successful transition of power. CEO Karla Fichter assumed control of the company from her longtime colleague -- her sister. And Fichter's father spent years at the helm of Diamond. "This is a true family company," Rydell says.

When we met Fichter last month, she continually deflected credit to the employees. "How many companies say they're successful beacuse of the employees, but how many really mean it?" she said. "We can say with confidence that we're a locally-owned company and we have families that have depended on Diamond for decades. We're proud of that. That won't change."

So happy Valentine's Day. And who knows; maybe you're going home with a special package made in our hometown.

13wham.com