Read the October 11th, 2023 Green Bay Innovation Group Newsletter here.
October 11th, 2023 Newsletter
Month: October 2023
GBIG NEWS | 90 Stories and Links on the Internet 10/11/2023
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 90 Stories and Links on the Internet below.
Featured Stories
- UW Madison Engineering with Innovation and Determination Drive New Plastics Recycling Applications
- Amundsen Davis: Is Nothing Sacred? Cyber Attacks May Impact Director and Officer Fiduciary Duties.
- UW Madison driving the Wisconsin economy now and into the future with graduates across the State in the 5P Industries.
- Brandon W. Neuscher speaker on Food Packaging and PFAS
- UW Madison Engineering is critical to the State and we need to approve building a new Engineering Building.
- Children’s Museum expansion looks to add four new Exhibits including Paper, Pulp and supporting industries
- CJK Group acquires Worzalla in Stevens Point
- Nilpeter to debut new technology center in North America.
- WTC: The Standoff with Robin Vos and the UW System threatens to harm the State of Wisconsin
- First Business Bank nonprofits win South Central WI golf invitational 2023 – $39,000
- Finding a market for hardwood pulp which has a big impact on Wisconsin’s logging and Forestry industries.
- ST Paper LLC.: low capital dynamic re-utilize shutdown or under used facilities and build in flexibility a Wisconsin success story
- Georgia-Pacific raises over $500,000 for cancer research and treatment
- UW Madison with Innovation and determination drive new plastics Recycling Applications
- BW Converting Solutions unites PCMC, WD and Northern Engraving
- Billerud begins temporary layoffs at the Michigan paper mill
- UW System fear for the future of Wisconsin Higher Education due to Politics
Wisconsin
- Wisconsin DNR begins state nursery brochures trial
- Forests are breaking up in the tropics but coming together elsewhere
- Microsoft breaks ground on a $1 Billion data center on the former Foxconn site. A BIG WIN for Wisconsin
- UW Madison Engineers receive $4.6 million
- Georgia-Pacific sells shuttered Oshkosh facility
- UW Madison spin off Six Line Triumphant Tiny Technology
- Thank you Robin Vos and Friends: Foxconn deal cost taxpayers millions and it will continue to cost more millions and millions!
- Menasha Corporation Lays off in Edwardsville, IL. due to reorganization
- Industrial Engraving GB Embossing using art engraving on tissue paper
Pfas
- Maine environmental Regulators move to ban pfas in food packaging
- Nearly one half of US water contains pfas
- pfas paper and coating alternatives in food packaging
- As pfas restrictions advance the paper industry struggles to phase out use
- pfas impact on wildlife drawing increased scrutiny
- Chemists develop sustainable method to remove forever chemicals from water
- The inventor of the heinz plastic ketchup bottle is now waging war on forever chemicals
- Forever Chemicals in 45% of our tap water?
Flexible Packaging Companies in Wisconsin
Forests
- Qualifying timber illegally in the Amazon
- The massacre of Tasmania’s forests could be stopped anytime
- Forests: Mapping and using ALL apps suggest not enough to support carbon emissions
- USDA Forest Services invests $188 million in forests
- The wood industry releases more carbon than Russia
- Ghost forests formation accelerates amid sea level rises
Sponsors
- Pixelle invests $1.4 million in safety robotics
- Glenroy Announces promotion of Margaret Oolders to Vice President of Operations
- Come and meet Erhardt-leimer at the printing show demonstrating world class equipment for corrugated
- Rocket Industrial: Material Handling Solutions
- Erhardt-Leimer tailor made solutions for graphic arts
- Precision Roll Solutions: We’re are roll solutions provider
- JP Morgan Chase what the deal with surging bond yields
- Mark Andy explores state of label industry at Summer Symposium
- ePac Flexibles packaging guide
- Amundsen Davis labor employment law update best practices to protect your intellectual property when an employee leaves the company
- First Business Bank nonprofits win South Central charity invitational for $39,000.
5P Showcase Keynote Speaker Sam Schlaich
Thank you to 5P Showcase Keynote Speaker Sam Schlaich. Sam is a lawyer and government affairs professional with over 10 years of experience in both the private and governmental sectors. He is currently Counsel, Government Affairs at the Flexible Packaging Association (FPA), the association representing U.S. converters of film, foil, paper, and other materials into packages for food, medical device, and industrial products.
Prior to joining the FPA in 2021, he served as an analyst in the Office of Governor Larry Hogan. Other employment experience includes the Maryland Chamber of Commerce, the Maryland General Assembly, and multiple political campaigns. Sam earned his B.A. in Political Science from Salisbury University and his J.D. from the University of Baltimore School of Law.
PFAS Event Hosted by GBIG & UW Madison with 6 Keynote Speakers. PFAS impact on the Packaging Industry and our lives!
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 Engineering (https://engineering.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 |
Overview: PFAS, short for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, were developed in the
1950s to prevent food from sticking to packaging or cookware, make clothes and carpets
resistant to stains, create effective firefighting foam, and many other applications. The
widespread use and resistance to degradation of these “forever chemicals” have led to
increasing levels of air, water, and soil contamination. Consequently, there is a government-
wide approach to identify routes of PFAS exposure, the associated health risks, and means for
accelerating cleanup.
Green Bay Innovation Group (GBIG), in partnership with the Iowa State University Polymer and
Food Protection Consortium and the University of Wisconsin Grainger Institute for Engineering,
has organized an event to cover the cause and extent of the problem, current and impending
regulations, and emerging solutions, with emphasis on packaging materials.
Key Speakers and Topics: This event will feature a group of nationally recognized PFAS
subject matter experts, including the following:
- Dr. Keith Vorst, Director, Polymer and Food Protection Consortium, Iowa State University – Critical Knowledge Gaps for PFAS in Packaging
- Tom Lee, Partner, Bryan, Cave, Leighton and Paisner LLP – State and Federal – Regulation of PFAS in Food Packaging
- Dr. Graham Peaslee, Faculty Researcher and Professor, University of Notre Dame –
PFAS in Packaging, Cosmetics, and Consumer Products - Dr. Saron Koh-Fallet, Branch Director, FDA Division of Food Contact Notifications – PFAS in Food and Food Packaging
- Steven Corsi, Research Hydrologist, U.S.Geological Survey – PFAS in Surface Water in the Great Lakes Region
- Dr. George Huber, Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Director of the Center for Upcycling Waste Plastics and Dr. Reid Van Lehn, Assoc. Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering – Lunch discussion: CUWP
- Dr. Greg Curtzwiler, Faculty Researcher, and Mark Early, Researcher, Polymer and Food Protection Consortium, Iowa State University – Mitigation and Rapid Detection Strategies for PFAS in Packaging
Logistical Information: The conference will take place at the Sheraton Conference Center in
Madison, Wisconsin on November 2 nd . Registration is now open and can be completed online by clicking the button below.
Prophit: Power Up on October 16th
You’re Invited!
Join us at the iconic Lambeau Field for a full day of inspiration for today’s leaders. This high-energy, engaging event will rejuvenate you, no matter your role!
What to expect:
- Networking
- Three inspirational speakers
- Lunch
- Insight from our panel
- Surprise element of fun
- Happy hour
Takeaways:
- Spark new ideas
- Grow your leadership skills
- Motivate your team
- Renew your passion
- Get after Imposter Syndrome
- Leave with a playbook for your year
How Safety Validation Can Prevent Industrial Accidents
Safety validation plays an essential role in the industrial sector. Not only does it verify the functionality of safety systems but prevents accidents by minimizing risks.
By conducting thorough assessments of equipment, protocols, and procedures to confirm their efficacy, organizations can take a proactive approach in reducing risks. Safety measures play a valuable role in establishing a culture of accountability and diligence which create a secure and responsible working environment.
Safeguarding workers, enhancing productivity, and strengthening your business’s reputation are all crucial reasons for safety validation to be a top priority in your operations.
The Vital Role Of Safety Validation
Risk mitigation measures are critical in preventing accidents and ensuring that operational environments are safe.
Safety validation plays an important role by:
- Identifying potential hazards by meticulously reviewing operational procedures, equipment, and workplace environment
- Verifying that safety measures are working as intended
- Ensuring compliance with safety standards and regulations
- Allowing for continuous improvement of safety measures and procedures
- Creating a culture of safety within your organization
By identifying and addressing potential hazards, taking safety seriously and making sure safety measures are working as intended fosters an atmosphere of security within your business.
To shed some light on the importance of robust safety protocols, let’s look at a real-world situation that involves a malfunctioning emergency stop button.
Case Study: ISO 13949-2 Compliant Validation for Steel Slitting Line
A Quad Plus customer hired us to do a line speed upgrade that included establishing new safety functionality and identifying any existing safety concerns. We provide validation services using our machine consultants as a routine part of our complete safety services. During the validation process, we found several emergency stop buttons that failed to initiate an emergency stop.
Needless to say, any failure of this kind had the potential to lead to serious consequences and required an immediate fix. As our engineers were still on site, they were able to address the problem and restore function to the buttons promptly without incident.
You can find the full case study here: https://www.quadplus.com/case-study/iso-13849-2-compliant validation-for-steel-slitting-line
Understanding Standards and Regulations
Several key safety standards and regulations are used to guide safety validation in a variety of industries, including:
- The ISO 13949-2, as mentioned in the above case study, provides safety guidance for design and integration of safety-related parts of control systems, including software
- The ISO 45001 provides international standards for occupational health and safety (OH&S) while the OSHA Standards (United States) enforces standards for healthy working conditions for employees within the United States
- The EN ISO 12100 provides basic terminology, principles, and methodology for safety in the design of machinery
- An international standard for the functional safety of electrical, electronic, programmable safety related systems is the IEC 61508 and the IEC 62061 provides guidance for the electrical, electronic, and programmable electronic control systems of machines
Failure to comply with these standards can result in legal penalties, fines, work stoppages, reputational damage and most importantly an increased risk of accidents and injuries.
Safety Validation Across Paper, Packaging, Printing and Converting Industries
Due to the nature of operations and machinery involved in the paper, packaging, printing and converting industries, particular attention must be given to safety.
Specifically:
- Due to the high-speed operations and use of chemicals in the paper industry, safety should focus on emergency stops, machine guards, safety procedures and safe handling of chemicals
- The packaging industry involves a lot of automated and conveyor systems that require safety measures such as emergency stops and safety interlocks
- Exposure to chemicals, machinery accidents and fire hazards are the main risks found in the printing industry and require robust safety measures specific to those risks
- In the converting industry raw materials are transformed into products involving machinery and potentially hazardous materials which require comprehensive safety measures
The unique operational complexities of the above industries, underscore the critical need for tailored procedures in these organizations.
Advancing Safety Through Validation
Safety validation is a proactive commitment to safeguarding workers and bolstering industry standards. By overseeing the effectiveness of safety systems and protocols, organizations can avoid accidents and minimize risks to their workers.
A dedication to safety ripples through your business setting a foundation of responsibility and diligence in all employees.
The combination of identifying potential hazards, ensuring compliance, and nurturing a safety-focused culture serves as a testament to the invaluable role of safety validation in maintaining both the well being of your workers as well as your operational integrity.
The Quad Plus experts are dedicated in identifying safety issues and rectifying them giving organizations the confidence that catastrophic accidents and injuries won’t occur.
If you have concerns about your operations or would just like peace of mind regarding safety and protocols, contact Jim Wolf at (920) 515-4155 or via email at jwoulf@quadplus.com for a complete safety assessment.
Quad Plus
1266 Home Ave Menasha WI 54952 www.quadplus.com
Sales Contact
Jim Woulf
(920) 515-4155
jwoulf@quadplus.com
Glenroy® Chooses Corona Treating Technology from Enercon for their Tandem Adhesive Laminator
Menomonee Falls, WI – Enercon Industries Corporation is pleased to announce that Glenroy® Inc. has selected Enercon Corona Treating Technology as they expand their capabilities for producing high barrier film laminations and stand-up pouches.
Glenroy’s VP of Business Development, Evan Arnold says, “Enercon has been part of our success for over thirty years. We depend on their surface treating technology for its reliability, and their support for advice on applications and operation. We’ve been impressed over the years at how they continue to innovate with new technology and designs.”
The new laminator features the latest power supply and electrode assembly designs. The corona treaters are powered by Enercon’s newest power supply: the Compak™ Pro. It offers advanced data logging, network communication and integrated support. It also provides a Smart Data Capture™ feature should a fault occur. That data and in-field software updates can be communicated via an on-board USB drive which helps reduce downtime.
The corona treaters also feature another innovation: a removable electrode assembly cartridge with quick disconnect electrodes. The design supports Glenroy’s needs for maximum uptime by reducing downtime associated with electrode replacement and maintenance. Operators simply exchange cartridges should an electrode need replacement or to perform bench top maintenance. Clean-in-place maintenance is also available.
Enercon Industries Corporation, headquartered in Menomonee Falls, WI, is a major manufacturer of equipment for the plastics, converting and packaging industries. The company supplies custom built corona and atmospheric plasma treating systems, as well as induction cap sealing systems.
Glenroy, Inc. is an authority in sustainable flexible packaging, and the exclusive converter of the premade STANDCAP, an award winning, recyclable inverted tube. Headquartered in suburban Milwaukee, WI since 1965, Glenroy delivers sustainable flexible packaging solutions for a variety of end uses, including food & beverage, household products, personal care, pharmaceutical, pet food & treats, nutritional, cosmetic, medical device, and industrial. For more information about Glenroy’s sustainable flexible packaging solutions, visit glenroy.com or call (800) 824-1482.
Chase: Business Leaders Outlook
Optimism is up from January – but it’s far below pre-pandemic levels.
Despite an uptick in optimism over the past six months, midsize business leaders in the United States are far less optimistic about the national economy now than they were in the years before the pandemic.
According to our 2023 midyear Business Leaders Outlook survey, 29% of leaders have a positive outlook about the U.S. economy today, up from 22% in January. From 2012 to early 2020, however, the average level of optimism was 66%.
Attitudes about the global economy also remain low. Only 15% of leaders are optimistic about the global economy today. And while that is up from January (8%), it is much lower than before the pandemic, when the average level of optimism was almost 30%.
Concerns about a recession are mixed. Nearly half (45%) expect an economic downturn this year or believe we are already in one, while 20% are unsure about a recession.
But there are plenty of bright spots in the report. Most leaders (67%) are still optimistic about their own company’s performance. More than half expect their sales and profits to increase this year. And 85% expect to add or keep staff.
On the policy front, two-thirds of leaders believe the Fed should pause rate hikes; only 16% believe the Fed should raise rates. Even fewer (11%) think rates should be cut.
ATCAM groundbreaking on new 30,000 addition on October 26th at 10:00 a.m.
Please join us for the Groundbreaking Ceremony
As we celebrate this exciting milestone and take a step in bringing the vision of a 30,000 ft expansion to life.
- Thursday, October 26th, 2023 10AM
- 1850 E Elm Drive, Little Chute WI. 54140
- Food & On-Site Giveaways
GBIG News Marinette & Oconto Tour
We are thinking of the Converting Corridor from Green Bay to Milwaukee. However, Wisconsin has over 220 companies with Converting Capabilities across the State! GBIG will be breaking out what is Converting to better understand the industry and its impact on the State of Wisconsin. In the past, we simply lumped Converting into one category and included it with the Paper Industry in annual sales revenue.
Marinette, Oconto, and surrounding areas have some interesting companies in the 5P Industries.
- BPM, Inc. in Peshtigo is an innovative manufacturer of specialty paper, converted products and packaging.
- Biorgin Specialty Products in Menomonee, MI produces Sustainable Paper Products for the Food Service industry includes Paper Bags, Food Containers, Sandwich Wraps, Tray Liners, Coffee Filters, etc. Biorgin Manufacturing facility in Lady Smith, WI produces Napkins, Paper Towels, Eco-Friendly Toilet Paper, and Wipes.
- Resolute Forest Products operates a recycled pulp mill that source 100% of its fiber from recovered paper.
- Kimber-Clark produces Shop Towel, Scott Rags-in-a-Box, Wypall wiping products and Viva paper towels for household and consumer use.
- St. Paper, LLC. produces bath tissue, paper towels, and napkins with facilities in Oconto Falls, Isle of Wight, VA, and a new facility in Duluth, MN.
