Multi-Color Corporation (Nasdaq: LABL) has marked its 10th consecutive year of record revenue. This week the company announced that revenue from continuing operations during fiscal 2008 (ending March 31) was US$210.3 million, an increase of 9 percent compared to the previous year. Income from continuing operations of US$16 million increased 86 percent over the previous year, while diluted earnings per share (EPS) from continuing operations of $1.52 increased 81 percent during that span.
 
The label converting company, based in Sharonville, OH, USA, has had a busy year. It expanded beyond US borders with the purchase of Collotype International Holdings in Adelaide, South Australia, in 2007, an acquisition which contributed US$9.3 million to fiscal 2008’s revenue. It divested itself of Quick Pak, a packaging services business, for $19.2 million, which resulted in an after-tax gain of $6.9 million or 67 cents per diluted share.
 
Multi-Color also invested about $16 million in the expansion of its North American manufacturing operations, including the acquisition of a new manufacturing plant and three new presses. The company also invested more than $3 million in new information technology systems. Forbes magazine listed Multi-Color 86th among the 200 Best Small Companies in America. It completed a 3-for-2 common stock split during the second quarter of fiscal 2008, and its common stock listing was transferred to the NASDAQ Global Select Market.
 
“As demonstrated by our fiscal 2008 highlights, this was a transformational year for our company,” says Frank Gerace, president and CEO of Multi-Color. “We have redeployed and refocused our resources in our core North American business, expanded into new markets and geographic regions with our acquisition of Collotype International, while continuing to generate double digit earnings growth. I am pleased with how we are positioned entering fiscal 2009.”
 
Established in 1916, Multi-Color manufactures packaging products for global brand owners in such markets as health and beauty, food and beverage, automotive, and household brands. Multi-Color is the world’s largest producer of in-mold labels and one of the largest producers of pressure sensitive and heat transfer labels, and a major manufacturer of wet glue labels and shrink sleeves. The company has 14 manufacturing locations worldwide; 8 in the US, 5 in Australia and 1 in South Africa.
 

UPM Raflatac has received Europe-wide ISO 14001:2004 Environmental Management System certification for the design, manufacture, slitting, sheeting and sale of self-adhesive labelstock. The certificate was awarded by the British Standards Institution (BSI).

“This is an important milestone for UPM Raflatac and a clear statement of our continued strong commitment to quality and the environment,” says Jan-Erik Forsström, senior vice president, Europe. “Being ISO 14001 certified clearly indicates that environmental performance is an important part of our corporate culture, and that we take environmental issues very seriously. This shows, for instance, in our choice of raw materials, such as water based adhesives and sustainably sourced papers.”

UPM Raflatac’s labelstock facility in Finland was certified in February 2008. The ISO 14001 Environmental Management System had been implemented earlier at UPM Raflatac’s labelstock facilities in France, the UK and Spain, and at RFID operations in Finland and the USA. Work to extend ISO 14001 certification worldwide is ongoing.

The ISO 14001:2004 standard, issued by the International Organization for Standardization, specifies the requirements for an environmental management system that enables an organization to develop and implement a policy and objectives which take into account legal and other requirements to which that organization subscribes as well as information about significant environmental concerns. It applies to environmental matters identified by an organization as possible to control or influence. The standard itself does not state specific environmental performance criteria.

A website that will guide printers to anilox roll cleaning solutions has been launched by Sani-Blast LLC, Spring Grove, MN, USA. The address of the site is www.sani-blast.com.

The website re-introduces Sani-Blast’s anilox roll cleaning equipment and service offerings, particularly the rare on-press, soda blasting method of cleaning. Those who would like to try Sani-Blast’s cleaning service, done either on-press or off-press, can receive a cleaning quote through the website. The site details how soda blasting reaches the bottom of the anilox roll cells and extends the life of the roll.

Peter Mulheran, Sani-Blast’s owner, says, “One of our first priorities is to spread the word about the effectiveness of soda blasting and why it is the best solution for cleaning anilox rolls.”

Avery Dennison RFID, a business unit of Avery Dennison Corporation (NYSE: AVY) and an RFID technology provider, has announced that its global design, testing and manufacturing facilities have met the quality standards requirements for ISO 9001:2000 as defined by Underwriters Laboratories.

Avery Dennison RFID is also preparing the appropriate documentation to comply with the CE marking system in Europe. The CE mark indicates that a product meets European safety, health and environmental requirements.

“We continue to focus on maintaining manufacturing excellence and strict quality practices to consistently provide the high quality products Avery Dennison is known for around the world,” says Robert Cornick, vice president and general manager of Avery Dennison RFID. “These investments, combined with the scalability built into our proprietary high speed manufacturing process are key to our customers’ success and the industry’s continued growth.”

ISO 9001:2000 provides a set of standardized requirements for a quality management system and is the globally accepted standard for providing assurance about the quality of goods and services in supplier-customer relationships.

Interfilm Holdings Inc., Easley, SC, USA, a distributor of industrial films, has begun construction of a new corporate office and Southeast converting facility. The 90,000 square foot building will be located about two miles from the company’s existing location. Construction is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of this year.

Donnie Thompson, president and CEO of Interfilm, says, “The new facility will provide increased capacity for operations and warehousing as well as improved material flow for greater production efficiencies. This will allow us to better serve our customers in the Southeast and nationally.”

Interfilm has four other converting locations in the USA: Glastonbury and Guilford, CT, North Aurora, IL, and Rancho Cucamonga, CA.

Cortegra Group Inc., Parsippany, NJ, USA, a provider of packaging products for the pharmaceutical and related industries, recently launched its new website at www.cortegra.com. The site features information about Cortegra’s many products and services.

“We are extremely pleased to announce the launch of Cortegra’s new website,” said Victor Dixon, president. “It provides a comprehensive, up-to-date review of Cortegra’s many products and services and offers a real education in the highest levels of anti-counterfeiting and brand authentication technology. This website proves how far ahead of the curve we really are.”

Other features include information on flexible packaging, folding cartons, inserts and outserts, core label products, and saddle stitched products.

My Cortegra is a feature that offers customers a means to track the status of their orders and manage various components of their projects. Implementation has enabled Cortegra to further streamline and optimize all of its business operations from the initial estimate to the completion of the project.

Cortegra is a subsidiary of Menasha Corporation.

Cal Poly’s student operated and managed printing and publishing company, University Graphic System, was recently awarded Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification. Cal Poly, in San Luis Obispo, CA, USA, is one of only two university printing facilities to have received this distinction.

The certification is issued by the SmartWood program of the Rainforest Alliance. The FSC is the internationally recognized standard-setting organization that accredits and monitors forestry certifiers worldwide.

Founded in 1968, University Graphic Systems (UGS) is the only company of its kind run entirely by students. Ken Macro serves as faculty advisor to UGS, which offers Cal Poly graphic communication students the opportunity to learn all facets of printing and publishing, from marketing and sales to estimating, costing, budgeting, production, distribution and quality control. UGS produces Cal Poly’s student newspaper, the Mustang Daily – the only university daily newspaper that is fully produced by students on campus and in full color.

UGS has a general manager and 13 managers overseeing prepress, press, postpress, Lean Manufacturing, and sustainability. Some 50 to 70 students work in marketing, selling and production. Students make all the decisions regarding marketing, sales, management and production, budgeting and financial. They are also expected to make a profit.

“UGS epitomizes Cal Poly’s ‘learn by doing’ philosophy,” said Harvey Levenson, Cal Poly Graphic Communication Department head. “UGS exposes students to real-world business situations. After graduation, our students enter industry light years ahead of their counterparts because of their UGS experience.”

When the issue of sustainability in the graphic arts industry arose several years ago, UGS began to look at its carbon footprint and appointed a sustainability manager. Once the UGS sustainability program was in place, the students applied for an FSC review. The program was awarded the Forest Stewardship Council Chain-of-Custody certification.

Mark Andy has reported success with its redesigned model 2200 press, which features servo technology. The company states that it has sold more than 25 of the redesigned presses since the product launch in late 2007. Five have been sold in Europe, the others in Asia and the Americas.

Each section of the 2200 press is independently servo driven: infeed, print and converting stations, and rewind. The company reports that with fewer gears involved, both vibration and noise are reduced, as is general wear and tear. Also, reduced material waste and lower maintenance costs provide a rapid return on investment, the company says.

Optional features of the redesigned 2200 include fully automatic register control for higher print quality, and remote diagnostics allowing for direct access to Mark Andy technical support, thereby reducing downtime.

“The 2200 offers customers improved quality and increased productivity across a variety of applications and further enhances our extensive and unique range of flexo presses,” said Jeff Feltz, director of product development, “The positive response from converters has been overwhelming.”

The updated 2200 series is available with 254mm (10”), 330mm (13”), or 532mm (17”) web widths, and has a top speed of 230 m/min (750 fpm).

Standard Register (NYSE: SR) has reported its financial results for the first quarter ending March 30, 2008.

The company’s net income for the first quarter was US$2.5 million or US$0.09 per share, compared to a net loss of $0.8 million or $0.03 per share in the prior year. First quarter revenue was $207.2 million versus $227.4 million in 2007.

“Despite the lower revenue, our operating earnings improved in the quarter and we had very strong cash flow,” said Dennis Rediker, president and CEO of Standard Register.

Operating income before pension loss amortization, restructuring, and impairment was $10.4 million for the quarter, up 10.6 percent compared to the $9.4 million result a year earlier.

Net cash flow was a positive $9.7 million in the quarter, after funding $5.0 million in pension contributions, $3.2 million in capital expenditures, and $6.7 million in dividends. Net debt ended the quarter at $41.6 million, representing just 26.5 percent of total capital. The company has generated $9.3 million in positive net cash flow over the trailing four quarters.

Standard Register reported that about a third of the revenue decline was from a single customer, who ended purchases after the first quarter of 2007. The balance of the business was off 6.0 percent. “The economy definitely played a role in our manufacturing market, where we saw decreased units. The impetus for our customers to continue to aggressively pursue cost reductions was to some degree also likely reinforced by economic conditions,” said Rediker.

The company’s mid-year 2007 cost reduction plan contributed significantly to the improved operating performance. This was evident in the percentage gross margin, which remained nearly identical to last year despite the lower revenue. In addition, SG&A expenses were $8.0 million lower in the quarter, excluding the pension loss amortization.

The company also announced a benefit freeze to its pension plan participants, which comprise about one-third of its employees. Affected employees will become eligible for enhanced 401K benefits in line with other employees that do not participate in the traditional pension plan.

To continue its support of education in the field of flexography, Graymills Corporation, Chicago, IL, USA, a manufacturer of flexo and gravure ink pumping, filtering, and conditioning systems for converters and press builders, has donated six of its “Quick Change” peristaltic ink pumps to Clemson University’s flexography program.

Jay Sperry, of the Sonoco Institute at Clemson University, commented on the pumps’ performance, saying “The pumps worked extremely well, and greatly assisted ink maintenance and changeover speed.”

Sekisui TA Industries, Brea, CA, USA, a manufacturer of overlamination and acrylic pressure sensitive products, has released information and descriptions of its ongoing activities that have been implemented in order to achieve sustainability.

The company reports a 66 percent reduction in landfill waste in 2007 when compared to the previous year. Also, STA states that it ensures low volatile organic compounds in its manufacturing processes.

Additionally, STA reports its promotion of a variety of recycling processes throughout all phases of operation. The company says its recycled materials include water, batteries, plastic, metals, inks, pallets, and packaging materials.

Sekisui TA Industries, a subsidiary of Sekisui Chemical Company of Japan, is an ISO 14001:2004 certified company.

Cooperation between GIDUE, of Turate, Italy, and the Graphic School of “San Zeno” in Verona, has successfully begun with GIDUE’s donation of a brand new flexo press.

Federico d’Annunzio, president of GIDUE, and Tiziano Zanotti, director of the Graphic School in Verona, have signed an agreement aimed at supporting the project development and the educational activities of the school. The first phase of the new partnership was successfully completed with the donation and installation of a new narrow web flexo printing machine by GIDUE. The unit, a Quadra, 370mm width, was installed in the printing department of the school for the production of self-adhesive labels with UV inks.

The four-color press is equipped with a UV curing system by IST.

The agreement between the parties includes other activities to be performed in the following months, including training by the GIDUE technical and printing team, which will be focused on the technical and technological aspects of offset, gravure and flexo printing processes; the selection of two students to support GIDUE technicians during the live demonstrations to take place at Drupa 2008; and the selection of two new graduates who will be offered a 6-month stage with the company in Turate, during which they will support the company as printing technicians. In addition, the printing department of the school will act as a demo center for GIDUE customers.

Radius Solutions announced that Richard Pettifor, president of Sun Chemical’s North America Packaging Ink division will keynote at its 2008 North America Users Conference, to be held June 11-13 at Hotel Sax in downtown Chicago, IL, USA.

This year’s conference will follow last year’s format of featuring an executive track on day one. This track will include a keynote presentation from Pettifor addressing globalization in packaging and a general session from the CEO of Radius Solutions providing a company update. A consulting expert will address how to apply Lean principles to front and back office operations, and Radius Solutions will present the latest information on PECAS Vision plans, as well as Services and Support updates.  

New to the agenda this year will be round table sessions on the first day. These sessions will cover key functional areas of the PECAS Vision application. Also added are extra networking opportunities for PECAS Vision users to connect with one another.

The second day of the conference will feature client led sessions and Radius Solutions’ consultant led technical and operational breakout sessions. These sessions will provide opportunities for education and sharing best practices for the PECAS Vision application and its underlying technology. Areas such as Business Intelligence, Shop Floor Data Collection and Forecasting will be covered in detail. The final day of the conference will be in depth Master Training classes led by Radius Solutions experts covering Scheduling, Estimating, Outsource Manager and some of the new modules of the PECAS Vision application.

The North America Users Conference is specifically designed to help clients maximize the value of their investment in Radius Solutions. “We had excellent feedback about the very high quality event we held last year for our customers, and we expect this year’s event to be even better. We will have more attendees, more sessions and more networking opportunities for sharing important information”, said David Taylor, President and CEO of Radius Solutions.
 

Advancements in adhesive technology from Ashland Specialty Polymers and Adhesives, a business group of Ashland Performance Materials, Dublin, OH, USA, a division of Ashland Inc. (NYSE: ASH), led to a discovery that solved a problem called latex blushing. This whitening effect, associated with clear labels, results from minute water pockets that form in the gaps left between the adhesive particles that are used to adhere the label. Once in the ice, trapped water refracts light, causing the area behind the label to look milky.
      
Ashland scientists recognized that by reducing the adhesive particle size the gaps also would be reduced. By making the pockets smaller and utilizing an agent that reduces water sensitivity, latex with good blush resistance was developed. The new adhesive eliminates the whitening effect of latex when exposed to water because light is no longer refracted at a visible frequency.

“Ashland's advances in water blush resistance provided a step toward chemistry with a more favorable environmental profile to be used in place of traditional solvent-based products, which tend to release volatile organic compounds into the atmosphere,” says Scott Harvey, a research fellow for Ashland Performance Materials. “By using a water based adhesive we are reducing the potential for negative impact on the environment.”

A research paper entitled, “Aspects of Latex Particle Size Control for Improved Water Blush Resistance,” was presented and written by Harvey and co-authored by Gary Carlson, principal development chemist for Ashland Performance Materials, at The Philadelphia Society Symposium on May 6, in Horsham, PA, USA. The paper was one of 12 technical papers presented during the symposium.      
 
 

The X-Flex narrow web press manufactured by Omet was recognized this week by the Flexographic Technical Association (FTA), which presented the Italian company with its coveted Technical Innovation Award. The prize was announced at the annual FTA Forum, held this year in Dallas, TX, USA.

“The X-Flex represents new levels of automation and waste reduction,” said the FTA in announcing the award. “It’s touted as having one of the most stable print platforms; as well as superior changeover times, and unsurpassed user friendliness. This is achieved by combining components and functions. Perhaps its most easily noted feature is the web path. With only 5.5ft. of web per print station, the X-Flex boasts the shortest web path of any flexo press on the market today.”

Angelo Bartesaghi, president of Omet, expressed his pride upon learning of the award. “We appreciate this award. Because this is a technical award, with points given solely for technological achievement, it is that much more of an honor, and I want to thank my collaborators for their efforts. Together we have attained our goal.”

According to Steve Leiben of Matik North America, which represents Omet, “One key feature of the press is a uniquely engineered print station that combines the impression cylinder and the chill roll. This is the core source of the abbreviated web path. It’s also a critical factor in the press’s ability to average only 98 feet of startup waste on an eight-station machine.”

The FTA also named Howard B. Vreeland Jr., chief operating officer of Anderson & Vreeland Inc., to its Hall of Fame. Vreeland is the 46th inductee since the association began 50 years ago.

Vreeland oversees operations at an 112,000 square foot design, engineering and manufacturing facility in Bryan, OH, USA, where he and the team offer customers a “systems approach” to flexo platemaking, with plate processors, materials and electronic prepress equipment.