Read the October 25th, 2023 Green Bay Innovation Group Newsletter here.
October 25th, 2023 Newsletter
Month: October 2023
GBIG NEWS | 85 Stories and Links on the Internet 10/25/2023
GBIG News
Get links to the latest news, events, stories, and interviews from our 5P news sponsors. Our goal is to remind the decision-makers in Wisconsin of the importance of our industry both historically, and more importantly, into the future.
Read the latest 85 Stories and Links on the Internet below.
Featured Stories
- Spotlight on UW Engineering Alumni Randy Homel CEO of Foth Company with 54 UW Engineers based in De Pere
- Foth Company: Solving Your Toughest Science and Engineering Challenges
- UW Madison Engineering for the FUTURE to Support our Industries, Students and the Citizens of Wisconsin
- When UW Madison Engineering Ideas make their way across Wisconsin and everyone wins. Wisconsin needs to approve building a new Engineering Building
- First Lady Jill Biden visits Menominee nation supporting forestry & sustainability
- Amcor global leader in packaging market to grow in 2023 to 2027
- Groups petition forest service to suspend logging project in Northeastern Wisconsin. Listen to Henry Schienebeck at GLTA.
- UW Madison: Thanks to research at CUWP, Wisconsin’s knowledge will extend across the globe.
- ProCon in Appleton launches new website. ProCon is the largest paper converter in the USA.
- Inkworks Printing expands its digital printing capabilities adding a HP Indigo Press
- Senator Agard statement on Republican pfas proposal after rejecting three other budget proposals.
- Biden/Harris announced $50 million for the forestry industry
Events
- UW Stevens Point hosts conference for Women Entrepreneurs
- Mike Gallagher: Strategies protecting and enforcing intellectual property regarding China
- Manufacturing First at the Resch Center October 25 First Business Bank
- Wisconsin Economic Summit
- 2023 WSBC Sustainable Business Conference
- UW Stevens Point: Women Trailblazers Entrepreneurs Conference
- Insight CFO OF THE YEAR Award Reception Tuesday Dec. 5, 2023 Lambeau Field
- UW Madison Sustainability Symposium
- Hamilton Wood Type workshop creepy crawly letterpress
- INDA: Filtration for new technologies and innovation in Chicago
Pfas Speakers Information
- Dr. Graham Peaslee University of Notre Dame – PFAS in Packaging, Cosmetic, and Consumer Products
- Dr. Sharon-Koh-Fallet Branch Director FDA – PFAS in Food Packaging
- Professor George Huber Chemical Engineering at UW Madison and Director of CUWP
- Dr. Reid Van Lehn Associate Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering
- Dr. Greg Curtzwiler Iowa State University Food Protection Consortium
- Thomas S. Lee – Bryan, Cave, Leighton and Paisner LLP Law Firm
- Keith Vorst PhD Iowa State University Director, Polymer & Food Protection Consortium
- Laura Hubbard Research Hydrologist U.S Geological Science Center
- Mark Early Iowa State University Mitigation and Rapid Detection Strategies for PFAS in Packaging
Plastic
- Future recycling dissolving plastic with electricity
- Byfusion plans large scale plant building brick out of hard to recycle plastic.
- Building blocks out of plastic waste.
- Construction begins on a new plastic recycling plant in Georgia
- Using recycled plastics in construction materials may not be a great idea after all
- UW Scientists develop method to improve plastic recycling
- Paper versus Plastic
Flexible Packaging Companies in Wisconsin
Sponsors
- Big Systems: Reinvent the Future of Sustainable Printing
- Titletown Manufacturing: Blanchard grinding brings large metal pieces down to size.
- Ox Industries: The value of a vertically integrated paper company
- Rocket Industrial ages in a modern warehouse
- Eagle Performance Plastics our story of success
- Sustana bringing recycled fiber a full circle
- EDL delivers packaging solutions
- First Business Bank to provide loan for $4.9m for a woman owned business
- Hybrid Software picks up more than 30 orders in Brussels
- Wikoff Color Announces appointment of Mark Lewis as new CEO
- IMMEL CONSTRUCTION Peshtigo Fire Station
- Boldt: The new Leed-Silver Building in Madison
- Miron Construction honored with two 2023 build Wisconsin awards
- Scott Jensen CFO Curt JOA talks and celebrates 90 years in business
GBIG Appleton Tour
Appleton, WI is located on the Fox River with a population of 73,970. The area got the name Paper Valley with the highest concentration of Paper and Pulp mills in the world! Appleton Paper was a major leader in Paper Technology with 4,500 employees. Appleton was a very innovative company leading the nation in product development. Today, Appvion formerly Appleton Paper has close to five hundred employees being a leader in coating technologies and no longer in paper making. Unfortunately, the number of paper companies is a fraction of the past. However, Paper Valley is a powerhouse in the 5P and Converting Industries with over one hundred companies.
We will do a series of the Appleton area companies over the next issues highlighting the diversity of the industries and a number of outstanding companies doing business worldwide.
- All About Packaging
- Amcor
- CBC Coating
- CPC Packaging
- ENCAPSYS
- Flair Packaging
- Veritiv
Menasha Corporation Chief Human Resources Officer Denise Starcher Named To 2024 Wisconsin Titan 100 List
NEENAH, Wis. (October 17, 2023) – Menasha Corporation is pleased to announce that Denise Starcher, Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, has been named a 2024 Wisconsin Titan 100. The Titan 100 program recognizes Wisconsin’s Top 100 CEO’s & C‐level executives. They are the area’s most accomplished business leaders in their industry using criteria that include demonstrating exceptional leadership, vision, and passion. Collectively the 2024 Wisconsin Titan 100 and their companies employ more than 148,000 individuals and generate $76.4 billion dollars in annual revenues.
“The Titan 100 are visionary leaders that inspire the Wisconsin business community. These preeminent leaders have built a distinguished reputation that is unrivaled and preeminent in their field. We are humbled to recognize the Titan 100 for their efforts to shape the future of the Wisconsin business community” says Jaime Zawmon, President of Titan CEO.
“Denise is an exceptional leader whose ability to foster a community of supporters, empower her team, and navigate challenges showcases her expertise and has set a strong example of visionary leadership,” said Chris Drees, President and CEO of Menasha Corporation. “This award confirms the transformative contributions she has made to our company, and we are proud to have her be among Wisconsin’s most forward‐thinking leaders.”
Outside of her corporate achievements, Denise’s community involvement includes roles as a Board Member of the Trout Museum of Art, the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce, Advisory Board Chair of Zeta Epsilon Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma along with various committee participations. Her philanthropic efforts include volunteering for organizations like the United Way, Habitat for Humanity, and Red Cross and reflect her desire to give back and make a positive impact beyond the corporate world.
About Menasha Corporation
Menasha Corporation is a leading corrugated and plastic packaging manufacturer and supply chain
solutions provider. comprised of two companies, Menasha Packaging Company and ORBIS Corporation. Menasha Corporation’s products and services are used by major food, beverage, consumer products, healthcare, pharmaceutical, heavy equipment, agriculture, industrial, and automotive companies. Established in 1849, Menasha Corporation is one of America’s oldest privately held, family‐owned manufacturing companies. Headquartered in Neenah, Wisconsin, the company employs more than 7,800 employees in 100+ facilities in North America and Europe. For more information, visit menashacorporation.com.
Lake States TAPPI Energy Forum
Lake States TAPPI Energy Forum
Bridgewood Resort Hotel
November 2, 2023
- 7:30 – 8:00 am Registration and Sign-In (Coffee and Juice Provided)
- 8:00 – 8:15 am Welcome and Introductions
- 8:15 – 9:15 am Keynote- “Reliability in Transition”
Marc Keyser – Director of Seams Coordination, Member Services, and Customer Coordination – MISO - 9:15 – 10:00 am Combined Heat and Power – A Better Route to Decarbonization
Tanuj Gulati – Energy Consulting – Frontier Energy - 10:15 – 10:30 am Session Break (Coffee & Soda Provided)
- 10:30 – 11:15 am Beneficial Electrification
Tom Tucker – Founder and Principal – Kinergetics, LLC - 11:15 – 12:00 pm Focus on Energy Talk or possible talk on gas decarbonization
Tim Hasbargen - 12:00 – 12:30 pm Wisconsin Paper Council Energy Committee
Scott Suder – President – WPC - 12:30 – 1:15 pm Lunch on site
- 1:15 – 2:00 pm Minimizing Energy Consumption in LC Refining
Tina Lawton – Global Manager Refiner Segments – Valmet
Jonathan Frederickson – Product Sales Manager – Fiber Process Parts – Valmet - 2:00 – 2:45 pm Energy Savings with Steel Dryers
Francesco Possenti – Technical Manager – Toscotec S.p.A. - 2:45 – 3:30 pm Dryer Hood Operation and Audits
Don Carpenter – Sr. Sales & Technical Support Engineer – Enerquin - 3:30 – 3:45 pm Session Break (Coffee & Soda Provided)
- 3:45 – 4:30 pm Energy Savings Through Water Conservation
John Neun, P.E. – Mill Water System Expert – Focus on Energy - 4:30 – 5:15 pm Cooling Tower Basics
Danny Tighe – Sales Engineer – Vyron - 5:15 – 5:30 pm Wrap Up
GBIG NEWS FIBERBLASS SOLUTIONS TOUR 2023
We want to thank the Greater Green Bay Chamber of Commerce for setting up a tour of Fiberglass Solution, Inc. Fiberglass Solutions offers fiberglass covers for piping, vacuum chambers, Pulp vats, motors and much more. In addition, Fiber Glass Solutions offers a diverse range of Alternatives for modifications and repairs with a full-service department. Amy and Ben Bertram purchased the company in 2018. In 2021, they moved into a new 33,000-square-foot facility. In 2023, Fiberglass Solutions was recently honored as the recipient of the Greater Green Bay Chamber’s Growth Award.
Fiberglass Solutions acquired Performance Insulation and has been a leader in commercial mechanical and plumbing insulation since its beginning in 2022.
China IP Road Show is Oct. 30
U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher is teaming up with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for the China IP Road Show. The event provides resources, background and guidance to small- and medium-sized businesses in Wisconsin and strategies for protecting and enforcing intellectual property regarding China. The free event will be held from 8:30am-4:30pm Monday, Oct. 30, at the Corporate Conference Center, Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, 2740 W Mason St. Green Bay.
GBIG PFAS SYMPOSIUM AGENDA
Event:
PFAS: Impact on the Planet and Solutions for the Packaging Industry Thursday, November 2, 2023
LOCATION:
Sheraton Conference Center, 706 John Nolen Drive, Madison Wisconsin
SPONSORS:
- Green Bay Innovation Group (www.greenbayinnovationgroup.com)
- University of Wisconsin – Madison, Grainger Institute for Engineering (https://graingerinstitute.engr.wisc.edu/) • Iowa State University Polymer and Food Protection Consortium (https://pfpc.cals.iastate.edu)
AGENDA:
| Time | Topic | Speaker |
| 8:30 – 9:00am | Introduction and Opening to Symposium Sessions on Critical Knowledge Gaps for PFAS in Packaging | Keith Vorst, PhD Director, Polymer and Food Protection Consortium, Iowa State University |
| 9:00 – 9:45am | State and Federal Regulation of PFAS in Food Packaging | Tom Lee & Brandon Neuschafer Partners Bryan, Cave, Leighton and Paisner LLP |
| 9:45 – 10:30am | PFAS in packaging, cosmetics, and consumer products | Graham Peaslee, PhD Faculty Researcher and Professor University of Notre Dame |
| 10:30 – 10:45am | Coffee Break | |
| 10:45 – 11:30am | PFAS in Food and Food Packaging | Sharon Koh-Fallet, PhD Branch Chief, Regulatory Review Branch FDA Division of Food Contact Notifications |
| 11:30 – 12:15am | PFAS in Surface Water in the Great Lakes Region | Laura Hubbard Research Hydrologist, U.S. Geological Science Center |
| 12:15-1:15pm | Lunch discussion: CUWP | George Huber, PhD Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Director of the Center for Upcycling Waste Plastics Reid Van Lehn, PhD Assoc. Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering University of Wisconsin – Madison |
| 1:15 – 2:00pm | Mitigation and Rapid Detection Strategies for PFAS in Packaging | Greg Curtzwiler, PhD Faculty Researcher Mark Early Researcher, Polymer and Food Protection Consortium Iowa State University |
| 2:00 – 3:15pm | Panel Discussion with Guest Speakers | |
| 3:15 – 4:00pm | Closing Remarks & Feedback Survey | Marty Ochs Executive Director, The Green Bay Innovation Group |
PFAS Impact on the Planet and Solutions for the Packaging Industry: Keynote Speakers
| Time | Topic | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 8:30 – 9:00am | Introduction and Opening to Symposium Sessions on Critical Knowledge Gaps for PFAS in Packaging | Keith Vorst, PhD Director, Polymer and Food Protection Consortium, Iowa State University |
Keith Vorst, PhD
Dr. Keith Vorst serves as the Director of the Polymer and Food Protection Consortium and Associate Professor in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at Iowa State University in Ames, IA. Dr. Vorst’s research areas include the technical development, and safety of food packaging projects and food safety including the human science interaction of food and packaging materials at Iowa State University. Dr. Vorst worked in industry for three major packaging companies and served as a consultant for a major automotive manufacturer prior to joining academia in his current position at Iowa State University. Dr. Vorst has over 60 publications and 16 published or pending patents for plastic characterization, contamination monitoring, carbon nanotubes, medical device manufacturing, microbial testing methods, and polymer design. Dr. Vorst has done extensive work in method and sample preparation development for PFAS analysis in packaging materials. Dr. Vorst has published in the American Society for Testing of Materials (ASTM), Journal of Testing and Evaluation, Journal of Applied Polymer Science, Journal of Polymer Testing, Journal of Food Protection, Food and Analytical Methods, and Journal of Plastic Film and Sheeting, and has also served as a reviewer for the Journal of Applied Polymer Science, Journal of Food Protection, Food Control, and Journal of Testing and Evaluation.
| Time | Topic | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 9:00 – 9:45am | State and Federal Regulation of PFAS in Food Packaging | Tom Lee & Brandon Neuschafer Partners Bryan, Cave, Leighton and Paisner LLP |
Tom Lee & Brandon Neuschafer
Tom Lee and Brandon Neuschafer, both partners in the environmental group of Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, LLP, will provide an overview of state and federal laws and regulations related to the presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in food packaging. At the state level there has been a significant amount of legislative activity but a lack of consistency in the structure and scope of the laws so the presentation will outline the key features of the relevant laws and their implementation dates. We will also discuss the actions that FDA has taken to investigate and regulate the use of PFAS in food packaging.
| Time | Topic | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 9:45 – 10:30am | PFAS in packaging, cosmetics, and consumer products | Graham Peaslee, PhD Faculty Researcher and Professor University of Notre Dame |
| Time | Topic | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 10:45 – 11:30am | PFAS in Food and Food Packaging | Sharon Koh-Fallet, PhD Branch Chief, Regulatory Review Branch FDA Division of Food Contact Notifications |
Sharon Koh-Fallet, PhD
| Time | Topic | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 11:30 – 12:15am | PFAS in Surface Water in the Great Lakes Region | Laura Hubbard Research Hydrologist, U.S. Geological Science Center |
Laura Hubbard
Laura Hubbard is a Research Hydrologist at the USGS Upper Midwest Water Science Center located in Madison, WI. Laura earned a B.S. in Geological Sciences from the University of Wisconsin and an M.S. in Earth Sciences (Hydrology) from Indiana University. As a co-lead of the Food Resources Integrated Science Team within the Ecosystems Mission Area, she has been involved in national studies investigating agricultural and urban contaminants in groundwater and surface water, including viruses and pathogens, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, hormones, disinfection by-products, and pharmaceuticals.
ABSTRACT: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in food processing wastewater discharge: impacts to the receiving stream food web Process wastewaters from food, beverage, and feedstock facilities, although regulated, are an under-investigated environmental contaminant source. In 2018, food process wastewaters (FPWW) from 23 facilities in 17 U.S. states were sampled and demonstrated to contain a plethora of contaminants, including one soybean oilseed processing facility with 15 per/polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) detected and a ΣPFAS concentration of 185 µg L-1 (6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonate concentration of 143 µg L-1). To assess PFAS impacts and uptake into the stream food web from the soybean oilseed processing facility, water, bed sediment, and tissue (whole organism) were sampled in the receiving stream both upstream and downstream of the wastewater discharge point (June 2021). Tissue analysis included benthic invertebrates, various fish species, riparian spiders, and macrophytes. Results documented an increase in the number of PFAS (0 to 23) and total concentrations (37.0 to 182 percent difference) in tissues upstream compared to those downstream of the wastewater discharge point. Results demonstrate the FPWW likely results in an increase of PFAS concentrations in species downstream and suggest feeding preferences may influence the number and concentration detected. This study provides a better understanding of potential deleterious effects of PFAS contamination from FPWW on the environmental health of receiving waters.
Laura E. Hubbarda, Dana W. Kolpinb, James L. Grayc, Amanda H. Bella, David J. Faziod, Jonathan R. Behrense
aUnited States Geological Survey, Madison, Wisconsin 53726, United States
bUnited States Geological Survey, Iowa City, Iowa 52240, United States
cUnited States Geological Survey, Lakewood, Colorado 80225, United States
dUnited States Geological Survey, Urbana, IL 61801, United States
eDuke University, Durham, NC 27708, United States
| Time | Topic | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 12:15-1:15pm | Lunch discussion: Solvent Targeted Recovery and Precipitation (STRAP): A Platform Technology for Plastic Recycling and Contaminant Removal | George Huber, PhD Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Director of the Center for Upcycling Waste Plastics Reid Van Lehn, PhD Assoc. Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering University of Wisconsin – Madison |
Solvent Targeted Recovery and Precipitation (STRAP): A Platform Technology for Plastic Recycling and Contaminant Removal
Professors George W Huber and Reid C. Van Lehn
Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Abstract: Solvent-Targeted Recovery and Precipitation (STRAP) is a platform technology for recycling of plastics. STRAP uses a solvent to selectively dissolve one polymer in a solvent from a polymer mixture. We use three different computational tools (Hansen Solubility Parameters (HSPs), Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations, and the COnductor-like Screening MOdel for Realistic Solvents (COSMO-RS)) to predict the polymer solubility. STRAP can produce high quality resins for food grade applications. A techno-economic analysis indicates that resins recovered from STRAP can be cheaper than the virgin resins. We are now applying our STRAP technology for removal of PFAS, phthalates and other plastic additives.
George Willis Huber
George Willis Huber is the Richard Antoine Professor of Chemical Engineering at University of Wisconsin-Madison. His research focus is the design of disruptive technologies for the conversion of biomass, waste plastics and other waste resources into renewable fuels and chemicals. He is co-founder of Anellotech (www.anellotech.com) and Pyran (www.pyranco.com). He is the director of the $12.5 million Center on Chemical Upcycling of Waste Plastics (CUWP). George did a post-doctoral stay with Avelino Corma at the Technical Chemical Institute at the Polytechnical University of Valencia, Spain (UPV-CSIC). He obtained his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from University of Wisconsin-Madison (2005). He obtained his B.S. (1999) and M.S.(2000) degrees in Chemical Engineering from Brigham Young University.
Reid Van Lehn
Reid Van Lehn is the Hunt-Hougen Associate Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His research group develops and applies molecular simulation methods to characterize and engineer synthetic and biological soft materials for applications relevant to sustainability, energy, and human health. He is also a Topic Area Leader for the Center for the Chemical Upcycling of Waste Plastics (CUWP) and a Co-Investigator of the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC). He received his B.S. (2009) and Ph.D. (2014) in Materials Science and Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, then performed research as a NIH Ruth-Kirschstein postdoctoral fellow at the California Institute of Technology before joining UW-Madison.
| Time | Topic | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 1:15 – 2:00pm | Mitigation and Rapid Detection Strategies for PFAS in Packaging | Greg Curtzwiler, PhD Faculty Researcher Mark Early Researcher, Polymer and Food Protection Consortium Iowa State University |
Dr. Greg Curtzwiler
Dr. Greg Curtzwiler is an Assistant Professor in the Polymer and Food Protection Consortium at Iowa State University and a partner in Ideopak, LLC. His research is focused on developing new sustainable materials for adhesives, coatings, and polymers in the packaging and automotive industries including bio-based, compostable, and recycled polymers. He has expertise in polymers and coatings and surface analysis using a variety of instrumentation. Greg has 40+ publications and nine patents to his credit regarding food packaging, sustainable polymers, and nanotechnology.
Mark Early
Mark Early serves as a research scientist in the Polymer and Food Protection Consortium at Iowa State University. His research projects focus on understanding and developing safe and sustainable food packaging materials, including bio-based, recycled polymers, chemicals of concern monitoring, and chemical remediation technologies, in close coordination with students, staff, and industry partners under the supervision of Dr. Keith Vorst and Dr. Greg Curtzwiler.
He earned a B.S. in Chemistry from California Polytechnic State University. He is working on completing his Ph.D. in Polymer Science & Engineering from the University of Southern Mississippi. His graduate research focused on dehydrogenase enzyme active coatings, diffusion restriction of epoxy-amine coating matrices, and thermoplastic thermoset hybrid networks.
GBIG: PFAS 11/02/2023 Overview
The Green Bay Innovation Group in partnership with UW Madison Grainger Institute for Engineering and Iowa State University Polymer and Food Protection Consortium have organized an event to cover the cause, extent of the problem, current and impending regulations, and emerging solutions, with emphasis on food and packaging materials. We have an impressive lineup of 7 speakers from across the USA.
You can sign up for the PFAS Event on November 2, 2023: PFAS – Impact on the Planet and Solutions for the Packaging Industry in Madison, WI at the Sheraton Madison. Check-in is at: 7:30 a.m. and the speakers start at 8:30 a.m. and finish at 4:30 p.m.
Go to: www.greenbayinnovationgroup.com/events – PFAS. The cost is: $60.00 for attendees and $30.00 for students.
