PACKAGING BRIEFS Tuesday, June 26

Daiichi Sankyo to open pharma packaging plant in PA
Daiichi Sankyo Inc. has received FDA approval to package product at its first U.S. packaging facility in Bethlehem, PA. The 140,000-sq-ft facility will package a portion of the firm's products intended for cardiovascular and metabolic therapies, including treatments for hypertension and heart disease, diabetes and hyperlipidemia; down the road, the facility could assume additional responsibilities related to clinical trial materials and perform formulation and analytical testing for select products. The plant currently has a staff of 39 employees and, according to company representatives, plans to add personnel in the coming months.

APEAL launches online guide for steel packaging
www.steelforpackaging.org, a new website launched by the Association of European Producers of Steel for Packaging, designed to assist packaging professionals in selecting, designing and constructing packages made of the metal. The site is intended to highlight key supply chain benefits of using steel for packaging: Recycling, Performance, Use, Manufacturing, Efficiency, Versatility and Safety. Information includes statistics, and the ability to export information to other formats, such as PDF documents, for ease of sharing.

Faerch Plast opens up food packaging facility in UK
The Netherlands-based food packaging firm Faerch Plast has opened up a new factory in County Durham, England. The factory, according to company representatives, will produce approximately 300 million CPET trays annually when at full capacity. The facility currently employs 36 staff running six thermoforming machines; the company plans to add machines and personnel over the next three to four years.

Tokyo Pack 2012 sold out
According to Tokyo Pack 2012 organizers, exhibit space for the event (scheduled Oct. 2-5) has sold out. The event will feature more than 500 Japanese companies and stretch over approximately 19,000 sq. m. Exhibit categories include packaging materials and containers, packaging material and substrates and design, and machinery on display will include equipment for the printing and converting sectors, inspection and measurement, food and pharmaceutical processing and transport/logistics sectors, distribution systems and other packaging-related equipment.

Danafilms president/CEO, vp of sales retire
Film manufacturer Danafilms has announced the retirement of its president CEO Sherman Olson, and vp of sales Robert Simoncini, and the passing of the torch to an experienced management team already in place. Olson founded the film in 1970, with Simoncini (his boss at his former employer). The fledgling company had built three lines in its first year and outgrew its original location in Marlborough, MA by 1977. Its current manufacturing output is more than 100 million lbs., according to company representatives.
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