Fresh from the manufacturing line at Koenig & Bauer Duran, a new Omega Alius 90 folder gluer shown at drupa is on the next leg of its journey to a new home in Leicester, UK. Along with a brand new Rapida 106 press, the Omega Alius 90 folder gluer is part of a major investment by Qualvis Print & Packaging.

Qualvis already operates a seven-colour Rapida 106 with twin coaters and an lberica cutter creaser. However, the new configuration has been described as something 'entirely different'. It will meet a real need in the market. according to insiders, but will remain undisclosed for competitive advantage.

"All I can reveal about the new press is that it is quite special. Our product designers have worked closely with Qualvis, under strict non-disclosure, to develop a one-of-its-kind capability that will give Qualvis a jump on the market." said Chris Scully, Managing Director, Koenig & Bauer UK.

In a statement from the Joint Managing Directors of Qualvis, Lisa Smith and Marcus Short, they said, "We're excited to be installing a special Koenig & Bauer press configuration, it has been a true collaboration to get to this point and we can't wait to showcase our new offering. Koenig & Bauer truly aligns with our ethos of innovation and is looking to push the market forward in both sustainability and printing effects."

They continued, "Not only have we partnered with K&B for our new press but we'll also be installing the new Omega Alius 90 folder gluer coming direct from drupa. The first of the new model to market will offer high speeds and intelligent automatic setup. This new folder gluer complements our requirements perfectly. These purchases complement the recent investment strategy started two years ago, that includes not only machines, but technology and a solar energy investment to further reduce our carbon footprint. This completes phase two of our longterm investment programme and allows us to continue to focus on sustainable cutting-edge innovation and first-to-market solutions, which is our passion, whilst increasing capacity to allow for growth which has been exponential over recent years. Extremely exciting times."

"Qualvis make it very for customers to do the right thing in terms of sustainable packaging. From organic vegetable inks to board supply and recycled and recyclable plant-based materials, their whole packaging production is vegan friendly," adds Scully. "At Koenig & Bauer, one of our main strengths is our ability to

innovate and develop technology on a project-by-project basis. We're pleased that they chose us to be their innovation partner on this project."

Huhtamaki is planning to consolidate the production footprint in the Fiber Foodservice Europe-Asia-Oceania segment by closing its production site in Port Klang, Malaysia, by the end of Q2 2024.

The company said it will continue to serve the region by retaining distribution centre in Malaysia and Thailand as well as a sales office in Singapore. The decision affects 93 employees, for whom they will provide support.

The aim of the consolidation is to optimise the manufacturing footprint, said Huhtamaki, hoping to improve the competitiveness and strengthen the foundation for future growth in the Asia Pacific region. The announced change is part of Huhtamaki's program to accelerate strategy implementation published in November 2023 and expected to materially support the profitability of Huhtamaki with efficiency improvements leading to savings of approximately €100m over the next three years.

The Port Klang site planned to be closed does not represent a material share of the sales or profits of Huhtamaki. During the first and second quarters of 2024, Huhtamaki will book closure-related costs in total of approximately €13m.

Billerud’s Board of Directors has confirmed it has decided to not proceed with plans to convert its Escanaba mill to cartonboard production.

Instead, the company will target to shift its product mix gradually towards packaging materials in North America with a moderate investment level.

“After in-depth feasibility studies, evaluations, and supplier discussions, we have concluded that the projected return on investment is not sufficiently attractive to proceed with the conversion of Escanaba to cartonboard production. During the process, conditions have changed and the cost of equipment and services necessary to transform the operations have greatly increased. Instead, we will pursue a higher returning and more moderate investment strategy for our North American mills going forward,” says Ivar Vatne, President and CEO, Billerud.

“Billerud North America operations are an integral part of Billerud and we remain committed to the North American market. Since the acquisition in 2022, the organisational fit, access to cost competitive fibre and the financial performance of the region have exceeded our expectations. The long-term market outlook for paper and packaging material in North America is promising. With betterthan-expected machine flexibility we see great potential to diversify our product portfolio towards packaging grades – fully in line with our strategy,” adds Vatne.

Billerud will continue to serve the North American markets with its high quality cartonboard from its European mills.

Costs of around SEK 200m for the US transformation program will be recognised in the 2024 second quarter result, reported as an item affecting comparability.

Metsä Board has made an investment decision to renew the folding boxboard machine at Simpele, which will improve the quality of folding boxboard and increase production efficiency.

The company said the investment will enable the replacement of fossil fuels in paperboard production, and supports it’s

target of fossil free production at all its mills by the end of 2030.

Metsä Board had previously confirmed it would launch a major investment programme to modernise the entire Simpele board mill, which will be implemented in phases over the next ten years. The planned investment programme also includes renewals in the mechanical pulp production, in the finishing area as well as a new power plant. The company has not yet take investment decisions on these.

The investment on the board machine will increase the mill’s production capacity by around 10,000 tonnes, which will bring

the annual production capacity of Simpele folding boxboard to around 310,000 tonnes. The Simpele mill produces high

quality lightweight folding boxboard, mainly for food and pharmaceutical packaging.

The investment will start immediately and is expected to be completed in the second half of 2025. The investment value

is approximately €60m, divided over the period 2024–2026.

Mika Joukio, CEO, said, “The renewal of the board machine is part of a wider investment programme to modernise the

Simpele board mill. This investment will improve the quality of folding boxboard, meeting the strictest requirements, especially in food and pharmaceutical packaging. In addition, the investment will improve our cost competitiveness and enable almost entirely fossil free production at Simpele.”

RSM UK Restructuring Advisory LLP has accepted an offer from a consortium of trade finishers for the business and assets of Celloglas Ltd. This will result in one of the most comprehensive ranges of postpress services becoming available for customers in the UK.

Dara Changizi, a personal investor in this venture and also director of ACA, says, "I see synergies for our respective companies moving forward. By working together, we become a more sustainable operation with reduced overheads, a broader spread of services and expertise to support customers."

Celloglas has sites in Leeds, Leicester and Reading. ACA has a base in Glasgow.

Celloglas is well established in coatings, lamination, foiling, diecutting and folder make up. The deal means that all equipment and intellectual property, including the Mirri brand, will be retained.

Changizi, Ian Fergusson and Richard Pinkney will all be stakeholders and directors of the new Celloglas and all 74 staff look set to remain.

Pinkney adds, "The losses sustained and the borrowings raised just to get the business through the pandemic, followed by a tripling of energy costs in late 2023 and a hike in the cost of living. put Celloglas In an impossible position. The team tried everything to trade through this period and to recover.

We reduced headcount by 20% during COVID, sold surplus plant and attempted to refinance the business. However, once it became clear that refinancing was not a viable option and our bank could offer no further support, we had no choice but to engage RSM and look for new investors. Unfortunately. the last year has seen the demise of many postpress trade houses.

We sincerely apologise to suppliers that have been left unpaid. We have had good relationship with customers and suppliers and will do what we can to ensure they get the fairest outcome. It's also clearly been a difficult time for our staff and we appreciate their loyalty and patience, despite uncertainty during the sale period. Their support has helped maintain customer service standards throughout."

Left to right: Slddharth Kejrlwal (Parksons Packaging), Bhuplnder Sethi (Koenig & Bauer), Ramesh Kejrlwal (Parksons Packaging), Dletmar Heyduck (Koenig & Bauer), Adltya Surana (lndo Polygraph) and Shashank Surana (lndo Polygraph).

At drupa, Parksons Packaging, one of India's biggest Rapida users, placed another order for sheetfed offset technology from Koenig & Bauer.

A Rapida 105 with seven units, coater and extended delivery is to supplement the current press fleet. It will be installed at MK Print Pack (Parksons Group Company) in Daman. The new Rapida 105 will be a combined conventional and UV press. It features a package for foil converting, fully flexible dryer equipment, measuring and control technology and non-stop equipment in the delivery. It will be raised for packaging production.

Parksons Packaging already has more than 150 printing and finishing units from Koenig & Bauer in operation. They are spread across a total of 21 presses. The company now has 13 production sites across the subcontinent. It also has a plant in Tanzania. A sevencolour Rapida 105 with coater was installed there shortly before drupa.

Ramesh Kejriwal. Owner and  President, explains, "The Rapida presses are the foundation of our extraordinary growth. They make us uniquely efficient."

UK-based Reelvislon Print has been acquired by Woodberry Packaging Ltd. The acquisition marks a significant milestone at Reelvision Print towards its future growth and innovation that we crave.

Woodberry Packaging is a wholly owned subsidiary of Woodberry Capital, a private equity company that invests in businesses with the potential for long term creation. Woodberry Capital is led by Patrick Doran who has extensive experience in the print and packaging sector having owned Americk Packaging, which was sold in 2016.

Gareth Bakewell, Joint Managing Director, Reelvision Print, said, "Our state of the art, one-pass production process, combined

with our highly experienced team and their passion and attention for detail allows us to guarantee a rapid, reliable and flexible service. With the backing of the Woodberry Packaging Group, we are excited to see how we can expand and grow the company."

Mark Kerridge, Chairman, Woodberry Packaging, added, "We are delighted to announce the completion of this latest acquisition. It was clear that when we first entered into discussions, that the ethos and passion of the team within Reelvision Print mirrors the values of the Woodberry Group. The last 12 months has been an exciting time for the Group and the addition of Reelvision will complement the Healthcare & Pharma markets served by Colorman, build on our growing presence in the UK and offer flexo printing technologies alongside our existing digital & lltho capabilities. Reelvision Is an excellent addition to the growing Woodberry Packaging Group."

BOBST has entered into a strategic partnership with PACKITOO, a French company developing digital solutions in the packaging industry.

Packitoo’s HIPE is a web-based sales tool tailored for the packaging industry, automating quotations, managing packaging projects, and supporting web-to-pack e-shops for printers and converters.

This partnership aligns with Bobst’s strategy to digitalize and connect the entire packaging value chain, from brand owners to converters and equipment suppliers. It will allow Bobst to provide printers and converters with a tailored solution, streamlining their sales cycles, reducing costs, and boosting revenues. Packitoo will also benefit from Bobst’s global presence, expertise, and network, enabling it to reach new markets and customers.

HIPE is a new software application that tackles key challenges for converters in a market seeking more customization, smaller orders, and quicker delivery. It offers a personalized digital sales

process to businesses, allowing converters to quote jobs rapidly and accurately to customers, considering all cost factors, like

machine types used. At the same time, they can connect to prepress applications from leading software providers with whom a strategic collaboration brings real value to converters well integrated among various web platforms. HIPE also allows to deploy a webto- pack website with instant and automated quotations, generating more orders with minimal effort.

“This is a strategic move that reinforces our vision of a digital future for the packaging industry, where data and software play a key role in enhancing productivity, efficiency, and sustainability.

Packitoo’s software is a perfect fit for our industry vision, brings a new way of collaboration, and provides a valuable solution for our customers to automate and optimize their sales processes. We look forward to working together with Packitoo’s talented team to further develop and scale their software and offer it to our global customer base,” said Jean-Pascal Bobst, CEO.

“We are thrilled to join forces with Bobst,” said Thomas Othax, CEO, Packitoo. “This partnership and investment are a great opportunity for us to leverage Bobst’s resources, knowledge, and network to grow our business and reach new markets. We share Bobst’s vision of a digital transformation of the packaging industry, where software and data are key drivers of innovation and value creation. We are confident that our software will bring significant benefits to printers and converters, and the packaging industry as a whole.”