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Brand owner Small Pet Select Transforms Packaging with Digital Printing

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Small Pet Select is a family-owned company that provides farm fresh essentials for your small pet, such as rabbits, guinea pigs, chinchillas, and more. One of their main products is Timothy Hay, and each bundle of hay is hand-selected from the very best farms in the Pacific Northwest of the United States.

Josh Price
Josh Price – Product Buyer, Small Pet Select

Small Pet Select’s ship cases have traditionally served the purpose of simply transporting product to consumers’ doorsteps, however, that has all changed. Now their ship cases tell a story. Each panel of the box delivers a vibrant message… from it being ‘hand-selected, hand-packaged, and hands-down best’, to nutritional facts, to awards won, to the family’s story of how the company began, to QR codes which enable customers to upload videos of their unboxing experience, and more. What was once an understated box is now a highly decorated, interactive brand with beautiful colors, graphics, and messaging that enhances the customer experience.

Their new packaging naturally encourages the consumer to interact with all six panels of the box, while completely elevating Small Pet Select’s brand to a premium level… equaled only by the product inside the box. And this packaging transformation has taken place because of digital printing produced on the Domino X630i at Independent 2 in Louisville, Kentucky USA.

We caught up with Josh Price, product buyer at Small Pet Select, to learn more about their business, their partnership with Independent 2, and the benefits of digital printing delivered by the Domino X630i digital aqueous inkjet corrugated press. Independent 2’s Finn MacDonald and Devin Danehy visited with us as well.

Their story was captured in this VIDEO: Small Pet Select, Independent 2, & Domino

Premium products for your small pets

  • boxes of chicken food, guinea pig food, and cat litter
  • Box hand selected packaging
  • Newsweek America's Best Pet Care brands

Josh Price begins, “We are small family-owned business delivering the freshest and most premium products for your rabbits, guinea pigs, and chickens. And we pride ourselves on having the very best Timothy Hay in the world. That is a mission of ours here at Small Pet Select. We are located in Louisville, Kentucky with a 46,000 square foot facility, and
all of our products are sourced in the Pacific Northwest, which has the best product and the best climate for growing our Timothy Hay. Our hay is fresh. It smells good. It’s green. And it’s also packaged in a 100% biodegradable breathable box which is recyclable and good for the planet. And Newsweek named Small Pet Select one of America’s best pet brands. We are proud to display that on our boxes.”
continued on next page

The partnership

Devin Danehy, sales partner at Independent 2 says, “We have been a partner with Small Pet Select for somewhere around seven or eight years now. It started out as a couple of die cut boxes, some simple RSC’s, and to date they probably have somewhere between 30 to 40 different SKUs and 95% of them are all off of our Domino. It’s all digital print. They are rocking and rolling and we’re happy and blessed to be a part of it.”
Finn MacDonald, president of Independent 2 adds, “Our vision was relatively simple. Diversify from brown box, but do it in a way that would deliver consistent value and quality to our customers. And it was something that was achievable for us to manage every day. When Domino came out with the X630i single-pass aqueous based digital press, we said ‘that’s it’.”

The beauty of digital printing

Josh says, “The beauty of digital printing is that we are able to change and adapt on the fly. With our old box, we only had three colors. With the new art of digital printing, we are able to use many different colors and tell many different stories and change out on a frequent basis. If we want to run different themed boxes, we can certainly run those now at a much faster pace than using flexo in the past, and it has really elevated our business to the next level.”
Devin adds, “Independent 2 likes to be in front of the marketplace and with customers like Small Pet Select, we’re able to raise the bar and stay ahead of the game.”

Going above and beyond

Josh concludes, “Independent 2 is more than a partner. They go above and beyond to help us achieve our goals. They provide great solutions. They’re very fast, quick, and responsive to any needs that we might have. We take great pride in the products that we bring to market, and we take great pride in the packaging that we use to bring those products to market.”

Domino is a leading manufacturer and distributor of digital printing and product identification solutions. Celebrating its 46th year in business, Domino is a global organization with world headquarters in the UK, and North America headquarters in Gurnee, IL. Domino has 25 subsidiaries, representation in over 120 countries, and over 3,000 employees worldwide. For more information on Domino digital printing, please visit dominodigitalprinting.com

North America Headquarters
1290 Lakeside Drive
Gurnee, IL
T 847 244 2501
F 847 244 1421
dominodigitalprinting.com

Lowering The Pm.25 Would Severly Harm The Forest And Paper Industry

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Marty Oaks

Based up a report from the American Forest & Paper Association, lowering the PM.2.5 NAAQS would severely harm the Forestry Products, Paper Manufacturing, and Pulp Manufacturing in the USA. The EPA rule delivers a devastating blow to U.S. Manufacturing and the economy without a clear path to achieve it. We are very concerned that many of the modernization projects in the USA will be put at risk! The Clean Air Act which was amended in 1990 by setting the standards for six principal pollutants including fine particulate (PM.25). On January 27, 2023, the EPA published a proposed rule to revise the annual PM.25 standard from its current level of twelve micrograms to a lower-level preferred range of 9 or 10. Under current EPA proactive, the standards would immediately apply, giving industry no time to plan for the new standard. Simply, there would not be sufficient permit headroom to obtain a permit. Pulp, Paper and Wood products mills account for less than 1% of the total 2020 PM emissions. The U.S Forest Products industry supports about 925,000 jobs and the Paper Industry has approximately 43,000 employees in 2023 in the USA. Wisconsin has 8,194 people employed in Paper and Pulp Manufacturing. We are witnessing the number of employees in the USA 2011 at 65,040 and 48,364 in 2022 based upon statista. Based upon a recent Oxford Economic analysis found that the proposed standard would reduce U.S. GDP by $200 billion and cost as much as one million American jobs through 2031. It would create a perverse disincentive for American Investment or send American Investments to foreign countries. The evolving and uncertainty regulator burden is at odds with the goal of modernizing and growing U.S. manufacturing. Wisconsin has over 19 Paper Mills that are 50 to 100 years old and without investment, we will continue to see a decline and shutting down of the current plants. The NEW rule could be the final deathblow to Wisconsin. As a State, we need leadership stepping forward protecting our Paper and Pulp Industry in Wisconsin.

It is imperative, the Environmental Protection Agency, the White House, The State of Wisconsin, and our industries strike a balance that achieves sustainable regulations while supporting American Manufacturing.

The new standard represents the first tightening of the rules since 2012. Decades of research have demonstrated that tiny particles are dangerous to people’s health at any concentration. The new standards are still well above the World Health Organization’s recommended limit of 5 micrograms per cubic meter averaged over the years. The air in the U.S. has improved significantly since the 1970 Clean Air Act first began to reduce outdoor air pollution.

Converting, Coating & Sustainability Event On April 17, 2024

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Miron logo

COST: $50.00 – Register by going to: www.greenbayinnovationgroup.com/events.

WHERE: Miron Construction 1471 McMahon Dr. Neenah, WI 54956

SCHEDULE:

  • Check-in: 7:30 – 8:30 a.m.
  • Speakers – 8:30 – 3:00 p.m.
  • Lunch – 12: 00 – 1:00 p.m
  • Networking – 3:00 – 4:30 p.m.

SPEAKERS:

  • PAPER CONVERTING MACHINE COMPANY – Rodney Pennings
  • PROCON – Kelly Helein
  • PIXELLE SPECIALTY SOLUTIONS – Dave Magda
  • HOFFMASTER – Mark Hunter
  • Charter Next Generation – John Garnett
  • Miron Construction – Dan Goyermac and Blake Titus
  • Cargill – Dave Garlie

The Wisconsin Converting Industry has the of the largest concentrations of Converters & Packaging Companies in the United States. Our speakers represent varies companies in converting, coating, laminating, film, flexo printing, packaging, paper, food and water.

The Topics Include:

  • Sustainability
  • New emerging technologies
  • Robotics Automation and ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning)
  • Coating
  • Material innovations and renewablies
  • Slitting and Rewinding updates
  • Substrates: Paper, Film, Plastics & Non-wovens
  • Food
  • Water

SEAWAY PRINTING ANNOUNCES EXECUTIVE PROMOTIONS

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CHAD OBERMANN: VICE PRESIDENT OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Chad Obermann
chad.obermann@seawayprinting.com Cell: 920-358-4348
Main: 920-617-7645

Seaway Printing is thrilled to announce the promotion of Chad Obermann to the role of Vice President of Business Development. Chad joined our team as the Director of Business Development and has played a pivotal role in driving the continuous growth of our company. With a 25-year history in the printing industry, Obermann boasts an exceptional track record of cultivating relationships and providing innovative solutions to support the print needs of our clients.

As the VP of Business Development, Chad will oversee all Revenue and Market Development initiatives, ensuring they are aligned with our long-term business objectives. His commitment to excellence makes him the ideal candidate to lead our business development efforts into the future.

SCOTT SHERWOOD: CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

Seaway Printing proudly announces the promotion of Scott Sherwood to the position of Chief Operating Officer (COO). Scott joined Seaway Printing as the Continuous Improvement Manager, where he played a pivotal role in identifying opportunities and implementing a Lean Manufacturing System.

Scott Sherwood
scott.sherwood@seawayprinting.com

With nearly 26 years of leadership experience, Sherwood’s expertise and dedication have been invaluable to our organization.

In his new role as COO, Scott assumes responsibility for overseeing operations, including Production, Scheduling, Maintenance, and Human Resources. His strategic vision and proven track record make him a natural fit to lead our company forward.

Manufacturers Exhibit at Tissue World

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By Susan Stansbury, Industry Consultant

MECA-GB-Embossing-IR-Engraving

Wisconsin and the Midwest were represented at the early February Tissue World Show in Miami. However, the rest of the world was more well-represented. Several exhibitors with international headquarters had significant U.S. divisions too.

Like the rest of the current paper industry, tissue mills have virtually no local or regional U.S. ownership. GBIG research projects tissue-towel growth at 2.3% CAGR to 2028, while Freedonia research has a 6.66% CAGR in the away-from-home tissue segment during the same period. Freedonia attributes more than a third of global tissue consumption to away-from-home markets like restaurant and commercial users.

With a total of about 125 exhibitors, Wisconsin represented a range of companies that supply tissue or support the industry. Some of these I visited in Miami included these companies (with key locations):

  1. Adhesives Research Inc, Glen Rock PA.: For splicing and converting applications.
  2. Alwin Manufacturing, Green Bay WI: Producer of towel, tissue & napkin dispensers.
  3. American Roller, Union Grove WI: Engineered services & industrial rollers.
  4. C. G. Bretting Manufacturing, Ashland WI: Paper converting equipment supplier.
  5. Convermat, Great Neck NY: Supplier of parent rolls of tissue.
  6. CR Meyer, Oshkosh WI: Contractor specializing in industrial, pulp & paper.
  7. IMA TMC, Italy: Tissue machinery company; packaging & handling tissue.
  8. Infinity, Green Bay WI: Machine & engineering, for automated tissue packaging.
  9. Paper Converting Machine Company, Green Bay WI: global equipment manufacturer.
  10. Optima Packaging, Green Bay WI: From single machines, to complex turnkey systems.
  11. Precision Roll Solutions & GB Embossing, Green Bay WI: Full-service capabilities.
  12. Sellars Nonwovens, Milwaukee: Flushable, dispersible materials for cloths, towels etc.
  13. SGS-IPS Testing, Appleton WI: Inspection, testing & certification support services.
  14. Trebor, Inc. Matawan NJ: World’s largest independent marketer of parent tissue rolls.
  15. WEKO, Germany: Systems for customized additives including softeners, lotion, extracts.

The conference sessions focused on current issues, the state of the industry, and “unveiling the future.”

  • 2024 “is a year of election campaigning,” says Dr. Antonia Colibasanu, “It will be a milestone for power structures and global trade pathways. Even if more stability prevails, the bill will come due on the post pandemic recover, social cost of warfare, and society’s green transition…. The flows of trade and investment likely to stabilize during 2024….”
  • From stumps to rolls, understanding and navigating supply chain volatility with its dynamics in supply and demand, regulations, interest in alternate markets, imbalances—are aspects facing the tissue industry.
  • Envisioning carbon-free tissue production: The tissue-making process is one of the most energy-intensive papermaking processes, accounting for only 9% of global paper production tons, but 14% of total…yearly carbon emissions on the machine, per the conference agenda. Low carbon drying equipment and tissue machine projects are in demonstration stages.
  • Bretting booth
  • Infinity Green Bay booth
  • PCMC Green Bay booth
  • Sellars Milwaukee

Wisconsin still has stellar resources, from pulp to tissue mills, to finished tissue products via the converting industry. Locally, we do have tissue manufacturing like St. Paper, LLC., in Oconto Falls, WI, which is headquartered in Virginia. Geogia Pacific in Green Bay and Proctor and Gamble in Green Bay are tissue giants making paper towels, and toilet paper.

BiOrgin tissue mill in Lady Smith, WI, is one of the only tissue manufacturers with full spectrum color matching and is also known for its eco-friendly specialty tissue products.

Kimberly Clark in Marinette, WI, is part of the K-C packaged products division with its tissue-based “shop towels.”

In Wisconsin, the power shift to international ownership affects each of the issues outlined above. However, these issues affect the industry globally too. Hopefully, local managers and outside owners can come together to solve problems, invest for the future, and realize growth goals.

VPI sells Roemer Road production facility to August Winter and Sons, Inc.

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APPLETON, WI – VPI, Inc. announced yesterday the sale of their 100,000-square foot Roemer Road production facility, located at 2730 N. Roemer Rd. Appleton, to a local mechanical contractor, August Winter & Sons, Inc., as the final step in streamlining their production operations into one facility. This process started with a 2023 purchase of 150,000 square feet of space on their existing Kensington property to take full control of that campus.

Roemer Production Facility
Roemer Production Facility

“While VPI has grown and evolved over the years, so has our real estate portfolio. At the end of 2022, we owned or leased nine properties. It was at that point that we established a strategic initiative to streamline our real estate holdings to align with our business needs – both now and into the future. We laid out a vision that included two core real estate hubs, one for production, and one for our many community programs, while maintaining our downtown Appleton Community Outreach Center. The sale of our Roemer production facility and consolidation to our Kensington campus gives us our production hub,” said Tim Riebau, VPI, Inc. president and CEO.

VPI now owns and operates a single 400,000-square foot production and warehouse facility in Appleton and will include the build out of additional IPA/clean room space to support their customers who have this specific need.

“The sale might seem like a contraction, but we are actually gaining 45,000 square feet of incremental space when it’s all said and done,” said Riebau.

“While the sale of our Roemer facility is an exciting move for VPI and our business overall, it was made even more special that we were able to sell the building to August Winter & Sons, Inc. Our two organizations have been stalwarts of the community for more than 60 years, and as luck would have it, they were looking to buy at the same time we were looking to sell,” Riebau added.

Reception area inside Roemer Production facility. Portia Norris, VPI’s Administrative Assistant, sits at front desk.
Reception area inside Roemer Production facility. Portia Norris, VPI’s Administrative Assistant, sits at front desk.

“Our main facility, which is located less than a quarter mile down the road from VPI’s Roemer Road facility, has been bursting at the seams for the last three plus years. Over that time, our leadership team reviewed many options for expansion, none of which felt quite right. After meeting Tim and walking through the facility, our entire leadership team knew this was the opportunity we had been waiting for. The size and location are perfect for us,” said Travis Glennon, August Winter & Sons, Inc. controller.

“Our current facility consists of 64,000 square feet between office, production and warehouse. Adding this 100,000 square foot facility fills all our immediate needs and provides room for growth for years to come. We will move our entire sheet metal production, which includes ductwork, tank and other custom fabrication, along with our tool room and shipping and receiving department, to the new facility. Our current shop space will be converted into 100 percent pipe fabrication,” said Travis.

VPI’s mission is to promote the dignity and worth of individuals who have disabilities or are disadvantaged and to assist them in developing their optimum level of social, vocational, and economic independence in the community.

VPI, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization provides a variety of community programs and services – including education, early intervention, employment, mental health, and social and recreational services, and packaging solutions to the Fox Cities and surrounding areas. By providing efficient contract packaging and production services to private industry with an integrated workforce, VPI has been able to deliver community programing and services to support the changing needs of community members with disabilities or disadvantages.

August Winter & Sons, Inc.’s mission is to be recognized as the best mechanical contractor as determined by customer satisfaction. We treat our customers and fellow employees in a manner in which we would like to be treated. We will maintain steady growth in our industry to ensure the long term future of the company.

For more information or interview inquiries, please contact:

Allie Lucht
Marketing & Development Manager
alucht@vpiwi.org
(920) 749-5859

Pfas In Food Packaging And The Impact On Our Planet

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Amundsen Davis logo

The Green Bay Innovation Group has put together an outstanding group of speakers on PFAS, and in conjunction with regional business law firm Amundsen Davis, we are inviting you to attend on March 20 TH at Butte des Morts Country Club in Appleton. The cost is: $50.00 including a buffet lunch and you can register by going online to: www.greenbayinnovationgroup.com/events – PFAS in Food Packaging. Check in starts 8:00 a.m., speakers at 9:00 a.m. and the program concludes at 2:00 p.m.

  • KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Tom Lee – Partner at Bryan, Cave, Leighton Paisner LLP – PFAS in food packaging: State-By-State Regulations – Read Full Bio
  • Martin Shafer PhD. Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene and Water
  • Dr. Marissa Jablonski – PhD. – Executive Director Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin
  • Kevin Nelson – Senior Fellow at Amcor
  • Brad Hartong – Application Development Specialist at Priment
  • Betsy Metzger – Product Development Manager at Glenroy, Inc.

Questions, please contact:
Marty Ochs
Founder of Green Bay Innovation Group
martinpochs@gmail.com

Shannon Daniels
Marketing Manager
Amundsen Davis
SDaniels@AmundsenDavisLaw.om

GBIG NEWS | 96 Stories and Links on the Internet 2/14/2024

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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 96 Stories and Links on the Internet below.

GBIG News Banner

Featured Stories

Events

Printing

Coating

Greeting Cards

Education

Packaging

Forestry

Sponsors

The Green Bay Innovation Group Upcoming Schedule of Events 2024

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FEBRUARY 29, 2024
n-tech – Microsoft’s Included Security online seminar FREE Thursday 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM – Contact Joe LeMere at: jlemere@ntech.io or 920-664-1005 cell phone or office 920-425-7163 or click link to register.

MARCH 20, 2024
PFAS in Food Packaging: State-by State Regulations with KEYNOTE speaker Tom Lee from Bryan, Cave, Leighton, Pasner LLLP. In addition, we have speakers from the flexible packaging industry, paper packaging, Universities, and the food products sector.
Place: Butte des Morts Country Club in Appleton
Cost: $50.00
To register, go to www.greenbayinnovationgroup.com/events.
Schedule: Check in starts at 8:00 a.m. with speakers at 9:00 a.m. and the program concludes at 1:30 p.m. and includes lunch.

APRIL 13, 2024 – SATURDAY
Paper Play: Join the Children’s Museum of Green Bay and Handmade Papermakers of Green Bay and Beyond on Saturday, April 13th to explore the process of hand-dipped papermaking! From start to finish, the participants will shred material, create a pulp bath, and experiment with decorative additives. We will be using recycled materials to create paper sheets that can be used for bookmarks, cards, and other arts or crafts. A wonderful day to bring your children to this event and enjoy the Museum!
9:00AM – 10AM: The Green Bay Innovation Group, Women of 5P Industries and Sponsors.
10:00AM – 12:00 A.M.: General Admission
Cost: $8.00

APRIL 17, 2024
Converting, Coating & Sustainability ALL DAY EVENT with six outstanding Industry Speakers for an ALL-DAY event.
Miron Construction 1471 McMahon Dr. Neenah, WI 54956
Check-In time starts at 7:30 a.m. and the program end’s at 4:30 p.m.
Cost: $50.00
Registration: Go to www.greenbayinnovationgroup.com/events and sign up.

Swing Big golf outing with GBIG

JUNE 13, 2024
Swing Big with GBIG Golf Outing at Mid Valle Golf Course. We have opportunities to sponsor a hole and the event is to raise funds for scholarships and support our communities.
To register, go to: www.greenbayinnovationgroup.com/events Swing Big and register online.

MAY 21, 2024
The Wrightstown Tour – FREE
1:00 p.m.: Retroflex, Inc.
1:45 p.m.: Print Pro, Inc.
2:30 p.m.: Alliance Construction, Inc.
3:45 p.m.: Zeta Group Engineering
4:30 – 6:00 p.m. Royal St. Patrick’s Golf Course networking event

Greeting Card Industry Business Moved To China & Asia

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Marty Oaks

In 1856, German immigrant Louis Prang opens a small lithographic business near Boston and America’s greeting card industry begins. By 1866, Prang perfected the color lithographic process. In 1875, Prag introduces a complete line of Christmas cards in America. American Greetings started as a one-horse-cart operation in 1906 in Cleveland, Ohio. American Greeting has led the way with the creation and manufacturer of innovative social expression products including cards, gift warp, invitations, envelopes becoming one of the largest companies in the industry worldwide. American Greetings annual revenue is approximately $1.6 Billion with 27,500 employees. In 1910, Hallmark began with a teenager from Nebraska with a little more than a dream. Today, Hallmark Card’s revenue is $5 Billon in 2022 with 30,000 employees.

The estimated revenue generated by greeting card publishers in the United States from 2007-2021 $2.93 Billion per statista. The Greeting Card market is estimated to be worth US$ 7508.8 million in 2022 and is forecast to a readjusted size of US$ 6530.4 million with a CAGR of -2.3% with the key players including American Greeting and Hallmark who hold 85% market share.

As we look at the greeting card industry, the Wisconsin Paper Industry was a major supplier of paper for the Greeting Card Industry. The Wisconsin, Ohio, Illinois, and Minnesota Printing Industry were major suppliers to the Greeting Card industry employing thousands with Billions in Annual Revenue. After the World Trade Organization approved China’s entry in 2001 as a member, we witnessed the movement of the production of greeting cards to China. Over 20 years, the American Printing companies have become minor players in the production of Greeting Cards and all the supporting products associated with it. Wisconsin was once a major supplier of envelopes, and we are down to one major envelope manufacturer based in Wisconsin.

The Wisconsin Commercial Printing Industry is one of the largest in the United States. Our industry and other great lakes printing companies have made major investments in equipment and technology to be able to supply the Greeting Card industry with the product instead of sending it overseas to China and Asia. With the current geopolitical environment, the Greeting Card industry is in jeopardy and is at the mercy of China suppliers. They should recognize the importance of Manufacturing their product in the United States or face the financial consequences.

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