Healthcare Packaging Community Minute

• Schott Pharmaceutical Packaging, a supplier of parenteral packaging, plans to build a production facility in Bor, Russia, with expectations for it to become operational in 2009.

• GE Healthcare, a unit of General Electric Co. and Whatman plc, agreed to acquire Whatman, a global supplier of filtration products and technologies.

• Qosmedix and Qosina added more than 42,000-sq-ft of space to a building adjacent to its Edgewood, NY, headquarters.

• DataLase announced it is working with Domino Amjet to print lot and expiration codes onto pharmaceutical cartons and labels. Separately, DataLase and FractureCode Corp. announced a partnership to collaborate on advanced item-level track-and-trace systems.

• Monarch Plastics completed a 39,000-sq-ft expansion of its headquarters and manufacturing plant in Kenosha, WI.

• Tray-Pak Corp. added a class 100,000 clean room that houses two thermoforming machines, for use in medical and pharmaceutical applications.

• Bosch announced plans to expand its presence in the bag-in-box carton market through a strategic partnership with Paal Verpackungsmaschinen.

• SupplyScape, Nosco, and Systech Intl. announced that together with systems integration firm HP, the companies are offering a framework to streamline compliance with California's requirements for product serialization and electronic pedigrees.

• Packaging distributor Unisource Worldwide, Inc.'s new Technology Packaging Group will design precision packaging technologies for makers of high-tech products.

• Adept Technology, Inc. announced its expansion in Korea for its products, and the signing of Han Shin Power Tech Co., Ltd. of Korea as an exclusive dealer for that country, which Adept says is the fourth-largest robot market in the world.

• MG America and its parent company, MG2 in Italy, announced the following enhancements to the company's Fairfield, NJ, headquarters: a clean room for trial testing of products and MG2 capsule fillers, and a packaging showroom for equipment demonstrations and customer training.

• Shorewood Packaging enhanced its Healthcare Solutions Web site, www.shorewoodpackaginghealthcare.com.

• DDL, a package testing services firm, and TCP Reliable, a thermal packaging products maker, announced a merger in which they will specialize in medical device and biopharmaceutical applications. DDL will be a wholly owned subsidiary of TCP Reliable.

• MeadWestvaco Health & Beauty Packaging and Confidant Intl., a developer of mobile communications products for chronic disease management, announced a joint development agreement to create electronic-enabled pharmaceutical packaging technology to support prescription adherence.

• IMA acquired the freeze-drying machinery business of the BOC Edwards Pharmaceutical Systems Group.

• Magellan Technology Pty. Ltd. announced that it is licensing the intellectual property rights covered in its patents US7259654 and US7248145 as required by ISO 18000-3 Mode 2, ISO 18000-6, and other RFID microchip (ASIC) applications.

• Christ Packing Systems GmbH is taking over the business operations of Skinetta Pac-Systeme GmbH & Co. KG.

PEOPLE

David McCarthy was hired as technical sales manager for on+qor, a div. of All-Pak, Inc. ...Envirotainer appointed Peter Reinhart as its general sales agent for Spain and Portugal. ...Troy Buck has filled the position of territory manager for WeighPack, Inc. ...HK Systems Inc. appointed John C. Hines to president, HK Production Logistics, and James P. Purko to vp and CFO. ...Tom Marker and John Steenkamer were named account executives for Constantia Hueck Foils. ...The Drug Information Assn. announced Linda McGoldrick as its worldwide executive director. ...ISPE's 2007-2008 International Board of Directors includes Bruce Davis, Astra Zeneca, chair; Charles Hoiberg, Pfizer, vice chair; Alan Mac Neiece, Elan's Biopharmaceutical Science, treasurer; Andre Walker, Biogen, secretary. ...Mart Tiismann succeeded Gerard Stricher as Sidel's president and CEO.

ACHIEVEMENTS

Amcor Flexibles received a 2008 Silver Award in Technical Innovation from the Flexible Packaging Assn. for the Amcor SafeStick CR tear-op pack use for Goody's Headache Powder, manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline. ...Chuck Clerecuzio, vp of AMEC E&C Services, Inc., Plymouth Meeting, PA, has met the global competency standard and has been conferred the Certified Pharmaceutical Industry Professional credential by the ISPE Professional Certification Commission. ...Alcan Global Pharmaceutical Packaging received the ISO 13485:2003 quality management certification for medical device manufacturers. ...Gerresheimer AG received the 2007 German Packaging Award for Duma pharma closures with a desiccant closure concept.