Packaging plays it cool as snow brings chaos to roads

Companies across the packaging industry have played down the impact of today's severe weather conditions, despite parts of England being hit by the heaviest snowfall in almost two decades.

Motorways and rail links were closed this morning or at an effective standstill after as much as 15cm of snow fell overnight in parts of the country.

The south-east, Wales and the north-east have been particularly affected, while further extreme weather warning have been issued by the Met Office, with more snow expected later today and tomorrow (3 February).

Some packaging companies are understood to have rescheduled deliveries as they face up to treachorous conditions on the roads and staff being unable to get in to work. However, others contacted by Packaging News played down the impact of the snowfalls.

Peter Atkinson, chief executive of packaging distributor and manufacturer MacFarlane Group, said that some areas, such as the west country, were operating normally but that in areas of heavy snowfall the company was contacting customers to re-schedule deliveries.

"There are obviously safety concerns and we are being pragmatic. We are prioritising deliveries depending on the distance from our distribution centres and their stock levels.

"Most customers are being very sensible about the situation - many are barely at work themselves today."

Other companies, however, claimed that the snow had not put a damper on operations today.

DS Smith Packaging sales director Mike Alvis said that it was business as usual for the group, which has 33 sites across the country, and described the snow as "a very regional problem".

Companies contacted in the North had yet to be hit by the severe conditions affecting London and the south east.

A spokeswoman for aluminium recycler Novelis said that deliveries were continuing as normal, while a spokeswoman for Linpac Packaging, based in Yorkshire, said that all staff had arrived at work as usual.

Today's snowfall is the worst in 18 years in the south east and has caused severe disruption on roads and public transport, with a series of accidents and bringing many roads to a standstill.
Source: packagingnews

Fujifilm records 10.9% revenue fall but pushes R&D

Fujifilm has recorded at 10.9% drop in revenue to 1.9tr Yen (£15bn) across its divisions, including its Xerox joint venture, as the impact of the strong yen and the economic downturn took its toll on the company.

The group recorded a 9.7% fall in revenue in its Information Solutions division, which includes its inkjet products, and a 5.3% fall in revenue in its Xerox joint venture Document Solutions unit.

According to a statement released by the company, graphic arts business sales declined due to drops in the number of newspaper pages and the volumes of "other published materials".

However, the plate and inkjet specialist said that it is now targeting growth in the wide-format inkjet market, through its Acuity products.

In addition, its production service business, contained within the Document Solutions division and led by the DocuColor joint venture with Xerox, posted an increase in domestic sales.

Fujifilm Graphic Systems UK director Keith Dalton said that it was going to be a tough year for the UK market but said the company was holding its own.

"We have made market share gains," he said. "In addition our plate business is holding up and we are experiencing a softer landing that other suppliers that are volume dependent."

Dalton said that it was encouraging that Fujifilm was increasing its investment in research and development, which was up 7.5% year-on-year.

"We will be well-positioned when the economy starts to turn up again," he said.
source: printweek

SAICA invests £40m but reveals possible redundancies

SAICA Packaging UK has announced a mixed bag of restructuring measures, which include a £40m investment in facilities but also the possible closure of two sites with the loss of up to 264 jobs.

SAICA said it was consulting on making up to 264 posts redundant and was looking at closing plants in Aylesford in Kent by the autumn and at Winsford, Cheshire, by the spring of 2010.

At the same time, the Spanish firm is planning to invest £40m in its facilities, predominantly in Wigan, Thrapston in Northamptonshire and Thatcham in Berkshire, and would create more than 100 new jobs.

SAICA executive vice-president Ramón Alejandro said the investment showed the firm's "commitment to creating a world class manufacturing capability in the UK".

"We believe the long-term prognosis is good and we want to be in a position to provide the best possible service to UK-based customers," he said.

Alejandro said the investment would include the purchase of two 2.8 corrugators.

SAICA, Sociedad Anónima Industrias Celulosa Aragonesa, bought SCA's UK corrugated business for £100m. It currently employs some 2,000 people in 19 sites across the country and has a turnover of €430m (£386.5m).

After the acquisition, it announced it would build a £250m recycled paper mill near Manchester.
Source: packagingnews

ITI staff keep jobs after Boden's Hawkesbury business steps in

Former employees at Information Technology Incentives (ITI) are to be offered their jobs back after the business was bought out of administration by Cromwell Press saviour John Boden.

ITI, which owned digital printer Cpod and Chivers Period - a manufacturer of traditionally bound books - went into administration on 21 January, with 30 employees being made redundant .

Administrator SFP sold the assets of the company yesterday to new company Hawkesbury, which boasts Boden as a director.

Boden told PrintWeek: "I have bought the assets of ITI from the administrator in its entirety and I am now offering to reemploy the staff that were made redundant. The employees at Chivers have a really special skill set, they are completely unique and there are not many of those people left."

He also said that Baldwin, which bought the assets of Cromwell Press from administration earlier week, would change its name to Cromwell Press Group.

The intention now is for the Cpod business, along with a B3 press that was owned by ITI, to come under the Cromwell Press Group banner.

Meanwhile Chivers Period will continue to operate as an individual business under Hawkesbury. It is not clear yet if Hawkesbury change its name.

Emap Inform's £5m print work goes to Headley Brothers and William Gibbons

Emap Inform has awarded its £5m print work to Headley Brothers and William Gibbons.

The tender, which began in July last year, resulted in William Gibbons joining Headley Brothers on Emap Informs' roster of main suppliers, which has been rationalised from four down to two.

Former primary print suppliers Polestar, Southernprint and Wyndeham all lost out following the roster shake-up, which will come into effect from the beginning of the financial year, in April.

New supplier William Gibbons has gained 10 titles and Headley Brothers four more. Polestar Colchester, Wyndeham and Southernprint have lost all the titles they previously printed – numbering four, five, and one respectively. However, Polestar Wheaton retains its six contracts.

The £5m tender, which was the first since Emap’s £1bn acquisition by Guardian Media Group and Apax, covered all of the publisher’s magazines and peripheral print products.

Emap print buyer Richard Hunt said: "It was a challenging tender considering the current climate and cost was a key factor in the decision alongside flexibility, quality and service."