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Dunhill is the brand's first signature fragrance since 1934. The square bottle with its off-center dispenser was designed by Franzrudolf Lehnert. According to Dunhill, the bottle is meant to communicate the contrasts that symbolize the brand—strength and elegance; masculinity and style; classic and contemporary. The bottle is angular at one edge and curved at the other. Its sleek contours match the seductive lines of a classic British sports car, according to Dunhill's representatives. Brosse supplied Dunhill's bottle, which was challenging to produce due to the bottle's unique side neck placement and narrow width. The chromium Zamac cap was produced by Metapack, the pump by Valois, and the carton by Cartondruck.

The popular-appeal stars were equally impressive. The men's winner, adidas Adrenaline Man, has a bold, rectangular glass-bottle design with slanted sides. The design for the women's category winner, CCB-Paris's Illusion by Michael Klein, features a bottle that juxtaposes a contemporary and soft look by combining a flat plane and a domed top. "We are absolutely thrilled to have won a FiFi award," says CCB-Paris's Anne Mulvihill. "It's such a great honor to receive this kind of recognition from the industry."

The packaging awards were presented by CROWN Risdon's Stephen Pearlman.

For more information on the other FiFi award winners, visit The Fragrance Foundation's Web site at www.fragrance.org.

CPC Packaging Celebrates Editors' Choice Awards

The CPC Packaging staff celebrated the winners of the magazine's 2004 Editors' Choice Awards with a reception hosted on June 15 at the EastPack trade show in New York City. Many of the 20 award winners and their supplier-partners mingled at the reception, which included a large display case showcasing the award-winning packages. Plaques were also presented to the winners. For more information on this year's winners, see the May/June 2004 issue of CPC Packaging.

 

Panelists, Exhibitors Exuded Luxury at Second Annual Show

Luxe Pack New York returned this June to celebrate luxury in packaging, and package designer Marc Rosen described how to achieve such status in his seminar on June 8, titled "Neo-Luxury Packaging—The Emotional Connection."

Rosen and a panel of experts he assembled discussed the way luxury is perceived by consumers. Roger Caracappa, senior vice president, global packaging, for The Estée Lauder Companies, told the audience how quality packaging and innovative designs are most important. He showed slides of a few examples of Lauder products that, he says, "exemplify the direction we need to take in the future, in order to satisfy our customers' desires." Among them were Beyond Paradise, Aramis Life, and Magnascopic Mascara. For Lauder, it's not about something that smacks of overpackaging or contrived gimmicks. It's about quality. "Real innovation can lead the consumer and take them to a place they've never been," Caracappa said. "To rely on the customer to dictate their needs would be unfortunate. We produce innovative packages in order to stimulate the demand."

Barbara Zinn Moore, senior vice president/GMM, Cosmetics, for Lord & Taylor, described the influence packaging has on sales. "At first, I wasn't fully aware of its impact," Zinn Moore said. "But this past year, I saw how minimum changes, like adding a pump to a skincare product, directly resulted in an increase in sales." Zinn Moore also spoke about Lauder, saying, "Sales were extraordinary when Lauder reinvented the look of its line with Pure Color." Another example she cited was a Chanel eye tonic, housed in a rollerball component, and how that has been a tremendous seller. "Packaging does and will inspire customers to buy. Today, the customer is responding to newness at a record pace," Zinn Moore explained.

Theo Spilka, vice president, new business development, for Firmenich, spoke about how important it is for designers to create bottles that reflect the fragrances. "I work with a product you can't see and can't touch, but has a presence. The packages must mirror what is within," he said.

Harry Slatkin, president, Slatkin & Co., who had just received a FiFi Award for his company's candle, described his views on packaging. "We treat every product as if it is a man or woman getting dressed...and I treat each one as couture."

Rosen summed it up when he said, "I gave the seminar a dramatic title, but it is such a basic concept. The new definition of luxury is not gold and glitz. Today, we communicate luxury in a less overt, more subtle way. Understanding how consumers define luxury right now is crucial to the sale."

The second annual Luxe Pack New York attracted 1185 visitors on June 8 and 9 at the Metropolitan Pavilion. Fifty leading suppliers exhibited, and the common feeling among them seemed to be that it's not the quantity of visitors, but the quality that counts. Many of the industry's key decision makers from all the major companies attended.

For Arkay Packaging, this was the company's first trade show in its 80-year history. "The show was a huge success for us. The setting was intimate, yet the traffic of interested potential customers was apparent," says Mitchell Kaneff, president. "The Art of Packaging" was the theme of Arkay's booth, and the firm hosted a champagne reception on June 8.

Tubes Squeeze Out Competition

Tube excellence was honored in The Tube Council's 2003 Tube of the Year Awards. The awards were presented to tube suppliers at the association's spring conference, which took place in San Juan, Puerto Rico, April 28–30. The majority of the winning tubes were for health and beauty aid products.

The Innovative Component/Process of the Year award was the only award that honored an innovative manufacturing process, as opposed to honoring a specific tube manufacturer. That award was given to AISA Automation Industrielle SA for Colgate's Simply White dual-chamber tube. The tube's crowning feature is its thin, multilayer divider film, which is welded onto the inner tube body walls and molded onto the tube shoulder with separate orifices for each cavity. The divider is not only cost-efficient to produce, but it also ensures equal product distribution from the two chambers since it is very thin.

The International Tube of the Year award went to Graham Packaging Co. for its squeezable FlexaTube. The extrusion blow-molded tube is a one-piece construction. It features an innovative retractable shoulder, which can be inverted to allow the tube to stand by itself or popped out for dispensing.

Two companies tied for the Personal Care Tube of the Year award: Norden AndBro Inc. for a TIGI Bed Head Hard Head tube and JSN Packaging Products Inc. for Freeman Beauty Labs' Totally Juicy Tingling Face Scrub tube. The Bed Head tube is a 1.5-in.-diam elliptical tube. The tube's cap is injection-molded separately, allowing it to be metallized before it is applied to the tube. The Freeman Beauty Labs tube is a 6-oz low-density polyethylene tube decorated with six-color direct-offset printing for vibrant graphics. The tube's closure was supplied by Summit.

The Dentifrice Tube of the Year went to CCL Plastic Packaging for a Burt's Bees toothpaste tube. The tube's remarkable feature is that it is made up of five layers, with the middle layers comprising 45% postconsumer resin (PCR). In addition, the tube's 1-in. cap is made from 50% PCR and 50% virgin resin. CCL Plastic claims that this was the first PC resin cap to be produced in North America.

The Laminate Tube of the Year award went to Cebal Americas for a Plus White Booster tube, which included a long-nose head style and a senior-friendly cap. Cebal Americas also received the Plastic Tube of the Year award for a Tommy Girl Jeans body lotion tube, which featured a monolayer construction with computer-to-plate offset printing and an oriented dispensing cap. The Showcase winners were ACI Plastics Packaging for a 200g Hairscience Volumising Conditioner tube and Alentuy for a Beyond the Garden hand and body cream. The Hairscience tube featured Owens-Illinois's Contour closure. The vintage-looking Beyond the Garden aluminum tube was designed to match the product's original antique-style packaging.

Seven judges rated the competition's more than 70 entries. Judging criteria were based on consumer appeal, including graphics, decoration, shape, closure, texture, ease of use, and technical merit.

In other news, The Tube Council also announced its new officers. They are: president Jean-Paul Meausoone, vice president, managing director, global, for Cebal Americas; vice president James Cooper, vice president, sales and marketing, for CCL Plastic Packaging; treasurer Douglas Stewart, vice president marketing and sales for Montebello Packaging; and associate member representatives Christopher White, president of The Filling Station, and Robert Burslem, president, SS Studios. Other officers include past president Betty Pilon, president, Montebello Packaging; membership committee chairman Anthony Krisman, national accounts manager for Watson Standard; and industry statistics committee chair Michael Hoard, sales and marketing manager for Cebal Americas.

Diamond Packaging Wins Big in Paperbox Awards

The National Paperbox Association (NPA) hosted its 54th annual packaging competition honoring excellence in paperboard packaging. Supplier Diamond Packaging was the competition's big winner, taking home 32 of the 137 awards, including Best of Show. The awards were presented at the association's annual meeting held April 21–24 at the Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa in Palm Desert, CA.

Gold awards were given for several cosmetic packages. Diamond Packaging received gold awards for several L'Oréal USA/Matrix Essentials three-dimensional displays, as well as for a secondary carton for Highland Lilac of Rochester perfume. AGI/Klearfold received a gold award for a Tommy Girl fragrance box. All Packaging was also a winner for spa product cartons.

The next awards tier was the excellence awards. Diamond Packaging earned excellence awards for the L'Oréal USA/Matrix Essentials and Highland Lilac of Rochester cartons, while supplier Green Printing & Packaging won an excellence award for fragrance cartons. Utah Paperbox was also an excellence award winner for packages including a carton for a spa aromatherapy product.

HBA Trade Show Announces New Speaker, Conferences

The Health & Beauty America (HBA) trade show has announced Charles B. Strauss as its keynote speaker. Strauss recently retired from Unilever as its president/CEO for the United States, director of Unilever plc, and chairman of its North America committee. He will address the show's attendees at 9:00 a.m. on the opening day of HBA, which runs September 28–30 at New York's Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.

Global marketing strategies will be the focus of Strauss's speech. At Unilever, he helped develop some of the largest brands in the personal care sector, including Dove, Lux, Pond's, and Suave.

In other news, HBA has expanded its educational conference program. New marketing sessions include Capturing the Metrosexual, Hispanic Marketing, Innovations in Self-Dispensing Packaging, and Sourcing from the Far East. The Cosmetic, Toiletry, and Fragrance Association will also host a special regulatory session on the latest legislation impacting the beauty industry. In addition, the show will debut a one-day conference called Inside Beauty that explores the advances in the nutraceutical industry relating to the health and beauty industry.

Pack Expo Las Vegas Eyes Contract Packaging

The 2005 edition of Pack Expo Las Vegas will include a new contract packaging pavilion. According to the show's organizer, the Packaging Machinery and Manufacturers Institute (PMMI), the pavilion will host a range of contract packaging service providers.

"Contract packagers play a significant role in bringing products to market," said Charles Yuska, president of PMMI. "Having a pavilion dedicated to this function enhances the visibility of these important suppliers and offers a significant venue to showcase the latest contract packaging services available."

According to PMMI's 2004 U.S. Packaging Machinery Purchasing Plans study, contract packagers were responsible for 12% of the market's total packaging output in 2003. (The survey's respondents were more than 425 end-users.) In addition, 23.6% of the respondents reported that the volume of packaging they outsourced to contract packagers increased from 2002 to 2003, and 11% believed the volume would increase in 2004.

Pack Expo Las Vegas saw 18,152 attendees in 2003 and expects to attract more than 20,000 in 2005. For more information, visit www.packexpo.com.

Emballage Returns to Paris

On November 22–26, Emballage, the trade show for the global packaging industry, returns to the Paris-Nord Villepinte exhibition center in Paris. Many new developments are on track for the 36th edition of the biennial show.

With its focus on a range of different industry needs, the trade show will include new specialty sectors such as prepress, printing, and decoration divisions.

In addition, the show's organizers report an increased presence from exhibitors from other countries, including Brazil, the Czech Republic, and the UK. Countries represented in the show's international pavilions are Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, South Korea, Spain, and the United States.

The show's approximately 2500 exhibitors will showcase packaging components, containers, machinery, and other industry-related items and services. Cosmetic packaging will also play an important role in Emballage's Luxury Products Showcase.

Of the show's exhibitors, 44% are expected to represent packaging and containers such as dispensers; glass, metal, and plastic packaging; labels and sleeves; and cartons. The companies expected to exhibit include Bormioli Rocco, Gerresheimer Group, Owens-Illinois, Saint-Gobain VG Emballage, CCL Label, SeaquistPerfect Dispensing, Alliora, RPC, and MBF Plastiques. Of the other exhibitors, 42% will showcase packaging machines, and 14% offer related services such as contract packaging.

In addition to its exhibits, Emballage will once again carry out its extensive Pack.Vision survey, which examines future trends in packaging in the global marketplace. The survey's findings are available to show attendees. The results will also be presented by leading international packaging design agencies at the Packaging Design Congress sessions, during which companies can meet to discuss ideas and solutions.

More than 106,000 visitors are expected to attend Emballage 2004. For more information on the show, visit www.emballageweb.com.

Sparkling Packages

At the Augros booth at Luxe Pack New York in June, president Richard Kessler was busy showing off his collection of dazzling cosmetic compacts, which lit up with as much glitz as the strip in Vegas. The bright lights, which were white with a purplish tint, quickly lit up one logo on top of a black compact upon opening. The lights started to shine from the left and then moved across the logo, which made the logo seem as if it were sparkling.

"Now this is bling-bling, right here," says Kessler. Since the lighting could be placed in any pattern or shape, it could look either very upscale luxe or downtown trendy, depending on the design and the type of compact.

"We are custom molders," Kessler says, "and now we wanted to create something really cutting edge. We have found that through innovation, you can get in front of just about any potential customer."

Although a few different types of light-up components already exist, what makes this a new, innovative technology is its unique power supply, provided by Graphic Solutions International (Burr Ridge, IL). Augros (Ronkonkoma, NY) has an exclusive agreement with Graphic Solutions International, and together these two suppliers are bringing this technology into the cosmetic packaging industry. It is already being used in the toy and medical industries.

The lights are powered by a power source that looks like a flat piece of paper. It is actually a film that is printed and powered by circuitry. The company that first invented it (and owns the patent on it) is Power Paper, an Israeli company based in Tel Aviv. Graphic Solutions is the only licensed manufacturer and distributor of Power Paper's power source in North America.

The amazing aspect of this power source is that although it is very thin, it is powerful—and it is 100% biodegradable. "Unlike other batteries, it contains no hard metal casing or toxic materials. It has been deemed environmentally safe to be disposed of without requiring any special handling," says Suzanne Zaccone, president, Graphic Solutions. Since it is so thin and flexible, it can be printed in any size or shape, allowing designers to use it in just about any size component. To see this technology in use, check out Toys 'R' Us. There is a flat, stiff bracelet by Hasbro which lights up as a child snaps it snugly around his or her wrist. This demonstrates just how flexible the power source is.

The problem with regular miniature batteries is that although many of them don't contain any harmful heavy metals, they will fade as their power depletes, and customers will see a real difference in performance. An alternative would be to use a lithium battery, which is very small and powerful, and has a flat discharge rate, meaning consumers won't see much difference in performance from the beginning to the end of its life. However, lithium is a toxic heavy metal, and takes a long time to break down in the environment. The Environmental Protection Agency requires that special care be taken when disposing of batteries containing heavy metals. This becomes a problem for cosmetic companies that want to demonstrate concern for the environment.

"Our power source compares very well to a lithium battery in its discharge characteristics, yet contains no heavy metals or toxic chemicals. The voltage stays consistent—the discharge rate is flat, and we did it while remaining environmentally friendly. That's the secret of our technology," says Donald Alexander, product manager at Graphic Solutions. The components have been tested, according to Kessler, and the power supply is so powerful that the makeup will run out in the compact before the lights go out—even if it is opened several times a day.

Looking ahead, Kessler hopes to discover ways to incorporate light, sound, and movement into more components in the future. He is even developing an alliance with Nanomotors, a company specializing in miniature motors.

NJPEC Honors Four New 2004 Packaging Hall of Fame Members

Four new honorees were inducted to the New Jersey Packaging Executives Club's (NJPEC) Packaging Hall of Fame at a dinner held May 13 at the Highlawn Pavilion in West Orange, NJ.

The Hall of Fame inductees were honored in select categories. For purchasing, the honoree was Gus Davis, vice president of purchasing and packaging operations for Bath & Body Works; for package development, Roger Caracappa, senior vice president, global packaging, The Estée Lauder Companies; for sales, Walter Hoagland, director of sales and product management for IntraPac Inc.; and for entrepreneur, Vincent Brady, president, Brad-Pak Enterprises.

The Packaging Hall of Fame was established in 2003 by the NJPEC to honor veterans in the industry who have made a significant contribution to packaging for more than 25 years. Nominations are accepted by members, and the final selection is made by a committee. Nominees can be from any company, not only those based in New Jersey.

Owens-Illinois to Open Glass Bottle Plant

Glass container manufacturer Owens-Illinois will open a new glass container plant near Windsor, CO, approximately 60 miles north of Denver. The 450,000-sq-ft plant will manufacture containers for customers in the local area.

The plant is expected to start production in the third quarter of 2005. According to the company, the facility will be among the highest-output glass container plants in the United States, producing approximately 1 billion bottles annually.

New Bottle Plant for Dial Corp. to Open

Graham Packaging Co. announced plans to open a new plant near Hazleton, PA, to produce various PET and high-density polyethylene bottles for The Dial Corp. The 205,000-sq-ft plant will open September 1. It will be adjacent to Dial's existing West Hazleton manufacturing plant, connected by a conveyor.

"Dial is and has been a major customer, and the decision to build this plant represents a significant commitment," said Scott G. Booth, senior vice president of Graham Packaging and general manager of the company's North American household and personal care business unit.

Michael Bavaro, director, procurement, for Dial, added, "The collocation agreement will create new efficiencies in the supply chain between Graham Packaging and Dial that will enable us to be more responsive to our customer base."

Design Students Create Award-Winning Cartons

Two competitions were recently hosted, inviting design students to create mock cosmetic packaging designs. One was sponsored for students of the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) by Robinson Paperboard Packaging, a manufacturer of boxes and talc shakers. The other was created by paperboard supplier M-real USA Corp. for students of the Parsons School of Design.

The first-ever Robinson Paperboard Packaging design contest was held during FIT's spring semester and was open to sixth-semester packaging design students. The winners were Carlo DiRusso, Malvina Yampolsky, and Yin Wu. DiRusso's design was an unusually shaped spray bottle with the liquid holder and nozzle in its center. Yampolsky fashioned a swiveling canister for aromatic powders, while Wu created hollow spheres to hold scents and liquid beads.

The students received cash awards. "This was a wonderful professional experience," says Marianne Klimchuck, associate chairperson of FIT's packaging design department. "The students learned firsthand the importance of each phase of the design process and how to present their work to a client."

The winner of M-real USA Corp.'s "Unboxed" design competition was Nicholas Dodziak. The competition invited communication design students at the Parsons School of Design to design a paperboard carton for a fragrance or beauty product. Dodziak's design, a striking black carton for a men's fragrance, took first prize.

Submissions were judged for structure, graphics, communication, functionality, and paperboard use. Judges included such top industry experts as Kimberly McCoy Fideleo of Estée Lauder; John Butcher of Revlon; Charles Nix and Michelle Nahum-Albright of the Parsons school; and Alexia Karpilov and Jorma Sahlstedt of M-real USA.

Dodziak's design will be produced and distributed by M-real. He will also be taken to Finland on an educational tour of design resources, including a tour of M-real's paper mills.

Nahum-Albright, an instructor of a Parsons design class, said that the biggest challenge for the students was working on their cartons' marketing concept. "It's rare for instructors to ask students to supply the entire concept of package creation," she said. "As a long-time beauty industry professional, I know the tough demands of the beauty industry for a seamless marriage of concept and image. This is a fantastic opportunity for students to build a deeper understanding of that invaluable skill."

Clariant Expands in Latin America

Clariant Masterbatches Division, a supplier of color and additive masterbatches, has announced a new Latin American business unit headquarters in Brazil. The Brazilian headquarters includes a manufacturing plant and a ColorWorks Studio, a design center that Clariant uses to help customers develop colors and find technical solutions. The company has also added a new manufacturing plant in Argentina.

The new expansions in Latin America will give regional plastics processors improved access to Clariant's technical services and accelerated response times.

Alpha Packaging Expands on West Coast

Alpha Packaging, a plastic bottle and jar supplier, has announced plans to add a third manufacturing facility in Salt Lake City in July 2004. The new plant will give Alpha an additional 80,000 sq ft of manufacturing and warehouse space to serve its West Coast customers. The plant will produce high-density polyethylene and PET packaging.

A Pot in the Dark

Glow-in-the-dark products may soon see another heyday. A new technology for illuminating plastics and glass is now available that promises brighter, longer-lasting light in a wide spectrum of colors.

Building upon fiber luminescence techniques developed more than a decade ago, VisionGlow Photoluminescence Technologies (Melbourne, Australia) and its U.S. division, VisionGlow of North America Inc. (Sanford, FL), have found a new material that can charge in either natural or artificial light and glow for at least 12 hours. "We've taken the existing technology, which uses strontium materials, and reinvented it," says Barry Rogers, PhD, a scientist who serves as chairman of VisionGlow's Melbourne location. "We use a new material that has all the benefits of strontium without the drawbacks."

One of those drawbacks is a high specific gravity, Rogers explains. "Strontium is very dense, so it has been hard to integrate it into plastics. We can get this new material down to a low specific gravity to match the specific gravity of the host plastic." VisionGlow plans to provide the pigment in a masterbatch form that can then be injection molded. Because the pigment is encapsulated in the medium, there are no loose color particles to flake off.

The firm's technology can also be used to color glass and other media, such as ink and nail polish. "It can withstand 1000ºC, so it can be baked and can be used in molten glass," says Rogers. "It can even be used to silk-screen print films, foils, and paper. Its low specific gravity won't clog up during the printing process."

Under development for about seven years, the material charges in about 10 minutes, and it can charge and recharge indefinitely.

Rogers as well as Gary Lamphier, president of VisionGlow of North America, are optimistic that the new technology will be a hit in a number of industries, including beauty packaging. "It has novelty value, practical value, and safety value," says Rogers. Adds Lamphier: It is an exciting time for us—people have been calling us all the time."

Serena Peregood, who is handling marketing for VisionGlow, envisions the pigment illuminating cosmetic packages in women's purses and across darkened rooms. "It is perfect for the nightclub set. I can see logos and other details illuminated on packages that stand out long after the lights go out," she says.
In addition to providing the pigment, VisionGlow will also send its scientists to manufacturers' facilities to assist with processing and quality control.

New Parties, New Board for CIBS

Recent parties and a new board were among the news for the Cosmetic Industry Buyers and Suppliers (CIBS) association.

Middle row, left to right: Laura Carey of Sancoa International, special events cochairperson; Nick Lo Prinzi of Color Carton Corp., special events cochairperson; Patricia Taccone of Advanced Distribution Systems Inc., scholarship; Anthony J. Colica Jr. of Curtis Packaging Corp., general program; Mario Magali of Elite Packaging Corp., luncheon chairperson; Judy Vincenty of Millennum3 Packaging Corp., Ladies Day chairperson; Fran Cardiff of Axilone USA, special events chairperson.

Top row, left to right: Ted Boccuzzi of Advanced Distribution Systems Inc.; Lars Astrom of Coty, Christmas cochairperson; Charles Marchese of ABA Packaging Corp., Webmaster; Paul Bergmann of Estée Lauder Companies, publicity and awards; Linda Buck of Fibermark, luncheon cochairperson; Leslie Artesona of LFW, Ladies Day cochairperson; and Eric Robbins of Cameo Metal Products, membership chairperson.

In May, the association hosted its Ladies Day event at the New York Hilton hotel. Approximately 1100 people attended the event. On June 9 at Shelley's of New York, CIBS held a luncheon honoring graduates of the Fashion Institute of Technology's master's degree program in cosmetics and fragrance marketing and management. Speakers at the event were Roger Caracappa, senior vice president of global packaging for Estée Lauder and a member of CIBS' industry advisory board, and Professor Stephan Kanlian, chair of FIT's graduate school. The graduates spoke about the school's program.

In other news, CIBS announced its 2004 board members (see photo below). Those not present for the photograph were Wendy Ozeri of Cosmetic Components Packaging Corp., auditing; Joseph Palazzolo of J Palazzolo Son Inc., historian; Christopher Soldo of Feldware, membership cochairperson; Frederick C. Rimmele Jr., of CCP, constitution; Fred Koeck of Marietta Corp., personnel; Stacey Henning of Estée Lauder Companies, golf chairperson; Rick Morales of Estée Lauder Companies, golf cochairperson.

Dax Launches New Packaging and Products

Dax Inc. (Fairfield, NJ) is molding its product lines to meet the needs of a diverse society. Last year, one of the oldest ethnic hair-care products companies began an extensive program to redesign its product lines with two goals in mind—introduce more-modern packaging and labeling, and offer a more multicultural product line. New packaging has been introduced over the past year, and the new multicultural line debuts in July.

"The African-American community has been very loyal to our products, and our company has gotten by on four to five products in the last 20 or so years," says Vincent Durante, president of Dax. "But younger African-Americans are moving toward the general-market hair-care products, like Bed Head and Paul Mitchell. We want to remain competitive by offering newer technology and multicultural products."

New lines launching this year are FlexMold, which features FlexMold HydroMold, FlexMold Spiking Gel, and FlexMold Stringing Fiber; and High & Tight Dresses, which include High & Tight Awesome Hold and High & Tight Awesome Shine. The FlexMold line is packaged in distinctive red jars with black lids and marketed in cartons die-cut in the shape of an X. The High & Tight line is packaged in striking metal tins with military colors.

Packaging for existing products in the firm's ethnic hair-care line-up has also been updated. For instance, all the components of the Dax No-Lye Relax hair-care system are now supplied in a 32-oz jar instead of a carton. The system includes a 7-oz relaxer crème, 6-ml protective gel, 2-oz liquid activator, 2-oz conditioning neutralizing shampoo, and 2-oz leave-in conditioner, all in separate packages inside the jar. "It is a dramatic point of difference," says Durante. "Consumers keep jars for holding bobby pins, so we expect this jar to be reused in homes to reinforce our brand." In addition, complementary products in the Relax line, such as texturing foaming mousse, feature modern foaming dispensers.

The graphics of the traditional pomade line have also been updated. "The graphics were dated, especially since the metal caps featured a Caucasian couple for a product sold to African Americans. We have updated the graphics to better reflect the product line," says Durante. "In addition, we have added consumer faces to labels that did not have any pictures, replacing much of the original red-white-and-blue labeling."

Despite all the redesigns and new product lines, one element or tradition remains—the red Dax logo. "We are the same company, with a new message—we are alive with research and development, and we look forward to capturing increased market share in the future," Durante says.

Vitro Packaging to Distribute Closures

Closure supplier Acadiana Plastics Manufacturing Inc. (New Iberia, LA) has named Vitro Packaging Inc. its exclusive distributor of plastic closures in North America. The new alliance enhances Vitro's product offerings, which include glass containers for cosmetic and personal care companies.

"Vitro's expertise in glass combined with Acadiana Plastics Manufacturing's capabilities in plastic closure manufacturing make this a winning combination for everyone," says Kent Louviere, owner of Acadiana Plastics.

World Wide Packaging Inc. Named Cosmetic Innovator of the Year

Cosmetic packaging supplier World Wide Packaging Inc. (Florham Park, NJ) received the first-ever Cosmetic Innovator of the Year award from the Independent Cosmetic Manufacturers and Distributors association. The award was presented at the association's 31st annual meeting held June 10 at Battery Gardens in New York City.

In particular, World Wide Packaging was recognized for a compact-jar hybrid that it developed exclusively for Estée Lauder's Beautiful Bride Photo Perfect Powder Duo loose and pressed powder. (For more information on the compact, see the Applications story in this issue.)

World Wide Packaging's president Jeffrey Schneider accepted the award. Gary Korba, vice president of global packaging for Estée Lauder, was also present at the ceremony. According to World Wide Packaging, Korba initiated the package's concept and worked with Robert Reinhardt, executive vice president of sales for World Wide Packaging, to develop the package.

O. Berk Updates Web Site, Portfolio

O. Berk Co., a supplier of cosmetic containers and components, has updated several of its resources. Its cosmetic division, The Cosmetic Packaging Group, was honored for its product catalog, called the Portfolio of Products, by the Business Marketing Association of New Jersey's Impact Awards. The catalog received a Judge's Award for Excellence, which was presented on April 20.

ICMAD Elects New Officers, Directors

The Independent Cosmetic Manufacturers and Distributors (ICMAD) announced its newly elected officers for 2004-2005 at the association's meeting on May 6 in New York City.

The officers elected include president, Karen Acker of KA Consulting Corp.; first vice president, Pamela Viglielmo of The Gramercy House; second vice presidents, Carl Geffken of Carl Geffken Consultants and David Schieffelin of Models Prefer Ltd.; treasurer, Jeffrey Dorr of Madcar Company, Inc.; and secretary, Lori Thaler-Cohen of Corwood Laboratories Inc.

For information on board members and the directors elected to one- and three-year terms, visit ICMAD's Web site at www.icmad.org.

FACES & PLACES

Bill Henderson has been named director of technology for CROWN Risdon. Henderson will be responsible for product development at all Risdon locations for lipstick and mascara packaging, and custom closures.

ABA Packaging Corp. has added Beth Olson to its team. Olson will help develop new business for the firm, as well as support existing business. She has previously worked as a consultant for the cosmetics industry.

Flexible-film supplier Glenroy Inc. announced two new personnel. Mike Foy (pictured) has been promoted to the position of regional manager. He has worked with Glenroy in sales for the past 11 years. Geoffrey van Eimeren is the firm's new account manager. He has 19 years of experience in the flexographic printing industry.

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