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Sector Council offers new products to processors
The Canadian Plastics Sector Council is launching two new programs designed to assist employers and employees in the plastics industry. One is a web-based certification tool that allows workers in 33 different occupations to measure their skills against national occupational standards. This online self-assessment is reviewed by at least three peer evaluators to ensure that a candidate has met the industry standard. Candidates who fall short of the industry standard receive a report called a gap analysis that shows them which competencies are needed to achieve certification.
The web-based certification system will be implemented with a ‘soft launch' at the end of January, and highlighted with a 'hard launch' at Plast-Ex in May.
The other product is the CPSC Virtual HR Department. CPSC executive director Charlie Brimley says this is designed to assist SMEs in managing their human resources function.
"Having certified workers on board can give a company a competitive edge, especially when bidding on jobs against a company that does not have certified employees," he says. "It's also helpful for companies seeking or maintaining ISO certification."
For employees, certification can provide a sense of achievement and higher pay,
the effect of which is
something Brimley says companies needn't worry about.
"A better-trained employee is often a better employee—period. They are much more likely to be committed to the work."
Because certification takes the guesswork out of hiring, Brimley says employers will also be able to make better hiring decisions and reduce their costs when trying to find qualified workers.
Lastly, CPSC has just launched a project to develop national occupational standards (NOS) for the processing areas related to (a) thermoforming; (b) thermoset moulding; (c) rotational moulding and (d) composites. The CPSC has already developed NOS for occupations related to injection moulding, blow moulding, extrusion and fabrication.
www.cpsc-ccsp.ca
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Corporate buyouts continue
The round of buyouts and mergers that started before Christmas continued in January, with the purchase of the venerable Canadian distributor St. Lawrence Chemical Inc. (Montreal) by Germany's Brenntag Holding GmbH, and the purchase of the sleeve label business of Illinois Tool Works Inc. (ITW) by Toronto's CCL Industries Inc.
Brenntag has agreed to buy all the shares of St. Lawrence, subject to approval from the Canadian Competition Bureau. Founded in 1919, St. Lawrence is focused on distribution of specialty chemicals, with a major emphasis on serving the coatings, adhesives, sealants and elastomers market. It had sales of $120 million in 2005.
Pat O'Brien, CEO of St. Lawrence, observed: "As I considered the future for St. Lawrence, it became clear to me that in order to achieve even greater levels of success within our industry, we needed to partner with a major global organisation who shared our corporate values and business direction. I believe this union with Brenntag will allow a continuation of the growth and successes we have achieved to date."
CCL is buying the ITW business for $105-million in cash. ITW produces shrink-film sleeve labels for the European and North American markets in two factories at its Decorative Sleeves division in the United Kingdom. In addition, the ITW Auto-Sleeve division has facilities in Austria and Brazil that produce primarily stretch-film sleeve labels for markets in Europe and the Americas, respectively. The Brazilian operations include a sales, service and distribution arm that handles the North American market from Twinsburg, Ohio. Together, these businesses had sales of approximately $87-million in 2006. The transaction is expected to close at the end of January, following regulatory approvals.
CCL makes pressure-sensitive, shrink sleeve and in-mould labels, aluminum containers and plastic tubes for leading global companies in the home and personal care, healthcare and specialty food and beverage sectors.
www.cclind.com
www.brenntag.ca
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Busy springtime for composites
Fibre-reinforced plastics (FRP) are in the spotlight this spring as the Canadian Plastics Industry Association involves itself in two events. First up is a technical seminar and mini-show, held at the Paramount Conference & Event Venue in Woodbridge, Ont. on March 27. This half-day event will feature speakers on low-styrene materials, ventilation systems, and spray and cutting equipment, as well as a table-top show.
The second event is a major international one, the JEC show in Paris, France, on April 3, 4 and 5. Duncan Cross, who coordinates the CPIA's composites council, says his group will co-ordinate a bigger and better Canadian Pavilion than at the 2006 show.
"This year we have contracted for 40 square metres of floor space – up 25 per cent over last year,” he says. "We are working with the French firm Creatifs in the design and graphics for the pavilion, and expect this to be higher profile than ever before."
Space is limited to five companies. The Canadian Embassy in Paris has previously offered financial help with this pavilion, but due to policy changes, this is no longer available.
www.jeccomposites.com
www.cpic.ca
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Changes
Arjan Arenja has opened Spectrum Business Development, a consultancy that helps manufacturers and distributors grow and become more profitable. Arenja, a professional engineer and MBA, is a former executive with a major consumer and construction products firm in the plastics industry. His company offers expertise in new market development, product development, process improvement, project management, and financial analysis. The tools could include lean manufacturing and Six Sigma, among other methodologies. He can be contacted at 42 Mansfield St., Brampton, Ont., L6S 2Y5; 905-497-0334; email: aarenja@spectrumbdi.com.
www.spectrumbdi.com |
Arjan Arenja
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Laurie Higgins, formerly with the Canadian Plastics Industry Association, is now quality manager with Pliant Corp. (Orillia, Ont.), a producer of packaging and other types of film.
www.pliantcorp.com
Ontor Ltd. (Toronto) has acquired RoMark Technologies Corp. (Toronto) and as a consequence has been appointed the exclusive Canadian representative for several product lines. These include Beta LaserMike; Z-Mike; American Kuhne; Colortronic; Genca; Pixargus; Clinton Instrument Co.; and Metrilogic. In addition, Ontor is the new representative for AW Machinery, which manufactures electrical wire and cable equipment. Ontor has nine regional offices across Canada.
www.ONTOR.com
Pacific Press Technologies (Mt. Carmel., Ill.), the hydraulic press maker owned by Madison Capital Partners (Chicago), has acquired two other Madison Capital units: Brown Machine LLC and Epco Machinery LLC. Brown Machine (Beaverton, Mich.) is a builder of thermoforming machinery, and Epco (Fremont, Ohio) specialises in remanufacturing. Last year, Madison Capital bought Mannesmann Plastics Machinery, which included Krauss-Maffei, Demag Plastics Group, Netstal and Berstorff.
www.pacific-press.com
LC Group, Inc. has purchased 100 per cent of the stock in Crowley Chemical, Inc. and Crowley Tar Products, Inc. for an undisclosed price. Bill Callanan, President of LC Group, will become CEO of both companies. Bill Jennings, the previous majority owner, will remain with the companies in his current position as president, and all key management will remain. LC Group is a Philadelphia area-based private investment group focused on niche businesses in the chemical, oil, pharmaceutical packaging and coal tar industries.
www.crowleychemical.com
Size reduction equipment producer Vecoplan, LLC (High Point, NC) has appointed Kim James marketing communications director. He will oversee marketing in North, Central and South America for the company's complete product line. Prior to joining Vecoplan, James owned and operated The James Group, a business to business advertising agency specialising in industrial marketing, and which worked with Vecoplan.
www.VecoplanLLC.com |
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Kim James |
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Steve Schroeder has joined Intellimold/MGV Enterprises, LLC (Ann Arbor, Mich.), which offers closed-loop process control for all types of moulding applications, as vice-president of sales & marketing. He has more than three decades of sales, marketing, and operations management experience in the plastics industry and will focus his efforts on both OEM moulding machine partnerships and sales, as well as end-user equipment programs.
www.intellimold.com |
| Steve Schroeder |
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Coming
Events January 30: Canadian Plastics Sector Council with Quebec section, Canadian Plastics Industry Association: official launch of CPSC's professional certification program. At the Delta Hotel, Quebec City. (Contact: Marie-France Sosa, 450-641-5926 or marie-france.sosa@acipquebec.ca).
February 20: Regular meeting of the Society of Plastics Engineers, Quebec section, on New Developments in Food Packaging. At the Food Research & Development Centre, St-Hyacinthe, Que. (Contact: Martin Bureau at 450-641-5179 or Martin.Bureau@cnrc-nrc.gc.ca).
March 27: CPIA Composites Technical Seminar and Mini-Show, at the Paramount Conference & Event Venue, Woodbridge, Ont. (Contact: Duncan Cross at 902-464-2742 or dcross@cpia.ca).
March 29-30: Society of Plastics Engineers, Quebec section, Topcon on Injection Moulding: Designing for Processors and Processing for Designers. At the Industrial Materials Institute, Boucherville, Que. (Contact: Martin Bureau at 450-641-5179 or Martin.Bureau@cnrc-nrc.gc.ca).
April 2-4: International Symposium on Polymeric Materials for Regenerative Medicine. At Industrial Materials Institute, Boucherville, Que. (Contact: Martin Bureau at 450-641-5179 or Martin.Bureau@cnrc-nrc.gc.ca)
April 19: Society of Plastics Engineers, Ontario section: Injection Moulding Minitec, at the Delta Toronto Airport West Hotel. (Contact: Pam Robb at 905-671-1511 ext. 206 or probb@brenntag.ca).
May 1-3: Plast-Ex 2007, Canada's triennial plastics trade show. At the International Centre, Toronto. (Contact: Sally Damstra at 905-678-7748 or sdamstra@cpia.ca).
May 7-11: Brasilplast 2007, at Anhembi Park Exhibition Hall, São Paulo, Brazil. (Contact: Alcantara Machada company at 5511-3030-9463 or almax@almax.com.br.)
May 21-24: Chinaplas, at the Guangzhou International Convention and Exhibition Centre, Pazhou, Guangzhou, China. (Contact: Hong Kong 852-2811-8857 or chinaplas@adsale.com.hk).
May 22: CPIA's Canadian Natural Composites Council annual general meeting, at the Hall of Ideas EFG, Madison, Wis., during the 9th International Conference on Wood & Natural Fiber-Plastics Composites (contact: Marilyne Berman, 905-678-7405 Ext. 278, or mberman@cpia.ca)
October 24-31: K 2007, Germany's international plastics super-show, at Duesseldorf Trade Fairgrounds. (Contact: Stefan Egge at 416-598-1524 or messeduesseldorf@germanchamber.ca)
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