Manufacturing

  • BevCon glass recycling bunker in North Carolina
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    Permission granted by Strategic Materials
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    Major glass recycler Strategic Materials files for bankruptcy, cites packaging shift as one factor

    The company noted in filings that consumers are recycling less glass than in previous years, a trend “poised to continue as glass products are increasingly being replaced by plastic counterparts and/or aluminum cans.”

    By Megan Quinn • Dec. 7, 2023
  • 2 Ball aluminum cups branded for Bud Light and Super Bowl LIV against the backdrop of Hard Rock Stadium
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    Courtesy of Ball Corp.
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    What’s next for Ball’s ‘startup’ aluminum cups business

    Ball is touting a “premium experience” as it ventures beyond sports and entertainment into leisure and lodging, including at Colorado ski resorts, said Emily Fong Mitchell, president and general manager for Ball Aluminum Cups.

    By • Dec. 4, 2023
  • Paper Excellence site
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    Courtesy of Paper Excellence
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    Ardagh, Silgan closures add to November packaging layoff announcements

    Hundreds more impending layoffs were announced this week. Ball, Hood, TC Transcontinental and others in packaging manufacturing also provided updates this month on closures and disruptions.

    By • Nov. 30, 2023
  • Rolls of paper being printed on industrial machinery.
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    Permission granted by Georgia-Pacific
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    Deep Dive

    ‘Revolutionary’ digital printing technology uptake expected to accelerate for packaging

    DS Smith, Georgia-Pacific, International Paper, WestRock, O-I Glass and others are among the companies innovating with this technology, which can increase precision and reduce waste. 

    By , • Nov. 29, 2023
  • Two opaque beige cups and three clear cups with cola, all bearing the Berry Global logo.
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    Courtesy of Berry Global
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    Berry’s new CEO talks organic growth, sustainability opportunities

    After fiscal year 2023 saw a nearly 13% decline in net sales, CEO Kevin Kwilinski took the helm. He shared his outlook on Berry Global’s acquisition strategy, the future of the Health, Hygiene, & Specialties division and more.

    By • Nov. 17, 2023
  • Ball cans
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    Permission granted by Ball
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    Ball announces site closures, discusses Bud Light impacts

    Amid changes in demand, Ball is shutting down sites in Virginia and Washington and stepping back from expansion projects in Nevada and North Carolina.

    By • Nov. 3, 2023
  • Exterior of Sonoco in South Carolina
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    Retrieved from Sonoco on November 02, 2023
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    Sonoco outperforms Q3 guidance, but ‘cautious’ consumers depress demand

    The company is beginning to see returns from recent M&A and equipment conversion investments, according to executives on a Q3 earnings call.

    By • Nov. 2, 2023
  • Empty beer bottles
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    Daniele Mezzadri via Getty Images
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    O-I Glass to curtail 20% of global capacity in Q4

    The company is forging ahead on a new high-tech plant in Kentucky for a mid-2024 ramp-up, but it is extending the timeline for expansion projects in South America and Europe “to better align with the market recovery.”

    By • Nov. 2, 2023
  • Machinery inside Graphic Packaging International's Kalamazoo, Michigan, paperboard production plant.
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    Permission granted by Graphic Packaging International
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    Destocking in ‘rearview mirror,’ but ‘cautious consumer’ slows Graphic Packaging’s recovery

    GPI’s growth could be fueled by ramen, as a partnership to transform an iconic noodle cup from foam to fiber marks the company’s most recent innovation investment. Meanwhile, GPI discontinued a project to add capacity in Texas.

    By • Nov. 1, 2023
  • Close-up of brown corrugated packaging
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    Lisa Beeby via Getty Images
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    Silgan, Sonoco, International Paper announced layoffs and closures in October

    Printpack, Greif, Hood Container and Novolex were also among the companies that disclosed changes to their manufacturing footprints.

    By • Oct. 30, 2023
  • Stacks of cardboard boxes in a logistics center
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    Rost-9D via Getty Images
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    Packaging manufacturers’ Q3 results

    Follow what top companies are saying in quarterly earnings reports about demand, destocking and optimizing manufacturing as 2023 winds down.

    By Packaging Dive Staff • Updated Nov. 17, 2023
  • Close-ups of multiple tab-open cans
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    w-ings via Getty Images
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    Silgan to rightsize footprint, cut costs

    “I think we are as frustrated with destocking as anybody else,” said CEO Adam Greenlee on a Q3 earnings call amid impacts to its important food, beverage and pet food markets.

    By • Oct. 27, 2023
  • The Theppadungporn Chaokoh coconut milk can, whose golf ball-like surface design reduces the amount of material needed, was among the innovations Crown highlighted in its 2022 sustainability report.
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    Courtesy of Crown Holdings https://www.crowncork.com/news/crown-wins-multiple-awards-innovative-designs-across-global-competitions
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    Crown lowers 2023 outlook, citing weakness in aerosols and Asia

    The can manufacturer’s executives also discussed free cash flow increases, new capacity in the U.S. and Europe, customer and consumer trends and more.

    By • Oct. 25, 2023
  • International Paper's new logo.
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    Courtesy of International Paper/Cision
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    International Paper’s plan to close mill, shut down machines will affect 900 employees

    The shutdowns — at sites in Florida, North Carolina and Texas — collectively will reduce IP’s production by 1.3 million tons annually. The moves come amid lower sales volumes this year, largely due to destocking.

    By • Oct. 18, 2023
  • A large cardboard box sits on a welcome mat on the front porch of a house.
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    Courtesy of Amazon
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    Packaging Q3 earnings reports to follow early signs of holiday shopping zeal

    Consumers have already shopped pre-holiday sales. Deloitte projected holiday season e-commerce sales growth upwards of 12.8%, while Adobe Analytics expects a boost from “record discounts and flexible payment methods.”

    By • Oct. 18, 2023
  • Machinery inside Graphic Packaging International's Kalamazoo, Michigan, paperboard production plant.
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    Permission granted by Graphic Packaging International
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    Graphic Packaging shuts down Kalamazoo paperboard machine ahead of schedule

    The early K3 closure is part of an ongoing optimization plan and is not related to a $600 million federal lawsuit regarding allegations of toxic gas from its plant in Kalamazoo, Michigan, a GPI spokesperson said.

    By • Oct. 5, 2023
  • Stacks of cardboard boxes in a logistics center
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    Rost-9D via Getty Images
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    O-I, Sonoco, WestRock among manufacturers with September layoff notices

    WestRock announced another 73 layoffs, in Chicago, at the end of the month. Silgan Containers is permanently closing a manufacturing site in Trenton, Tennessee.

    By • Updated Oct. 3, 2023
  • 6-pack of mini Coca-Cola cans held by Graphic Packaging fiber-based packaging
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    Permission granted by Liberty Bottlers
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    Coca-Cola bottlers try paper carrier innovations

    Graphic Packaging International and DS Smith are among the partners on these plastic-to-paper conversions.

    By • Sept. 27, 2023
  • The show floor at Pack Expo 2023 in Las Vegas.
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    Katie Pyzyk/Packaging Dive
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    Stories from Pack Expo 2023

    Catch up on all of Packaging Dive’s coverage from Las Vegas, including shifting trends and industry leaders’ insights on what’s next.

    By • Sept. 26, 2023
  • A white robot arm picks up cardboard boxes at a booth display at a conference.
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    Katie Pyzyk/Packaging Dive
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    Pack Expo 2023

    AI will revolutionize packaging, but strong controls are needed: Pack Expo speakers

    “Packaging is the hardest piece to corral” due to the complexity of the sector’s data, said Specright founder and CEO Matthew Wright.

    By • Sept. 25, 2023
  • Attendees walk among vendor booths in an exhibition hall at Pack Expo in Las Vegas.
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    Katie Pyzyk/Packaging Dive
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    Pack Expo 2023

    Post-pandemic renormalization, innovation and sustainability dominate Pack Expo discussions

    Speakers from PMMI, the Flexible Packaging Association and the Association for Contract Packagers and Manufacturers weighed in on factors influencing different parts of the packaging industry.

    By • Sept. 19, 2023
  • Can manufacturing line
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    leventince via Getty Images
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    Packaging companies prioritize sustainability, M&A during ‘turbulent’ year

    While paper and packaging companies previously considered sustainability an expense, many now leverage it as a cost reduction and revenue growth strategy, according to analysis by Bain & Co.

    By • Sept. 18, 2023
  • International Paper holds a ribbon-cutting to celebrate the opening of its newest state-of-the-art corrugated packaging facility in Atglen, Pennsylvania, on Sept. 15, 2023.
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    Courtesy of International Paper
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    International Paper, Pratt Industries open corrugated packaging facilities

    IP’s $100 million Pennsylvania facility will make food, beverage and e-commerce packaging while new machinery at Pratt’s $700 million Kentucky site will produce 1,500 tons of paper per day to be made into corrugated boxes.

    By • Sept. 18, 2023
  • A man drinking from a can in the heat of the sun
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    PaulMoody123 via Getty Images
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    At-home consumption, ready-to-drink momentum driving canned beverage trends

    “The industry really is different than what it was just a few years ago. We’re seeing a difference in how consumers are behaving,” said one leader at Crown Holdings.

    By • Updated Sept. 13, 2023
  • Aerial view of a Smurfit Kappa corrugated production facility in Poland
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    Courtesy of Smurfit Kappa
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    Smurfit WestRock: The transaction creating a global packaging giant

    The pending combination of Smurfit Kappa and WestRock is expected to make the world’s largest publicly traded packaging company. Follow Packaging Dive’s ongoing coverage as the transaction moves toward completion in 2024.

    By Packaging Dive Staff • Sept. 12, 2023