Originally Published PMPN March 2005
NEWS
Industry BriefsKlaus Woerner, the founder of Automation Tooling Systems (ATS), has passed away. Woerner, who in 1978 started the engineering company that became ATS, helped grow the firm to 26 divisions worldwide, with more than 4000 employees. “Klaus was a gifted engineer, entrepreneur, and business leader who made a significant and lasting contribution to the global automation industry,” said Lawrence G. Tapp, nonexecutive chairman of the board of ATS. “His sharp intellect, dedication to adding value through innovation, global insight, and passion to succeed made him one of Canada’s great entrepreneurs.” A celebration of Woerner’s life and a memorial service were held on February 12 in Kitchener, ON.
West Pharmaceutical Services (Lionville, PA) has announced the acquisition of Monarch Analytical Laboratories Inc. (Maumee, OH). Monarch, which provides a variety of analytical testing services to some of the largest medical device and pharmaceutical companies in the U.S., had sales of approximately $3 million in 2004. Monarch will be known as West Monarch Analytical Laboratories, and employees will operate from West’s Pennsylvania facilities and Monarch’s Ohio plant.
West Monarch will provide analytical testing services for glass, plastics, and elastomer packaging components in order to help global pharmaceutical manufacturers meet worldwide container/ closure and packaging regulatory guidelines. “Monarch Analytical Laboratories represents an excellent strategic fit that enables West to provide our customers with a broader range of analytical testing services,” said Herbert L. Hugill, president of the Americas region of West Pharmaceutical Services. “Monarch’s expertise and experience in testing nasal and inhalation devices brings added strengths to West’s current portfolio of services. Together, we can better assist our pharmaceutical clients to develop data that are critical to their product-related regulatory submissions. They, in turn, can focus their resources on discovering and developing new drugs, biologics, and medical devices.”
TricorBraun (St. Louis) has inked an agreement with Sasaki Chemical (Kyoto, Japan) that will enable TricorBraun to exclusively manufacture and distribute Sasaki’s integrated desiccant technology. Together, the two companies will pursue the technology for use in healthcare, food, and electronics applications.
ATEK Medical Manufacturing (Minneapolis) has acquired Medtronic Inc.’s medical manufacturing and ETO sterilization buildings and land in Grand Rapids, MI. ATEK bought the manufacturing assets of Medtronic’s cardiac surgery business in March 2003. Medtronic produces perfusion cannulae and tissue stabilizers in heart bypass surgery.
Shorewood Packaging (New York City) has formed a marketing alliance with Pharmagraphics LLC (Greensboro, NC). The partnership will enable the two companies to jointly market their combined products and services. Shorewood’s product line includes folding cartons, blister packaging, unit-dose cards, rigid boxes, and physicians’ sample programs and retail displays. Pharmagraphics produces pressure-sensitive roll labels, printed inserts and outserts, folding cartons, and specialty products. With the alliance, the companies’ geographic reach now includes the U.S., Canada, China, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Poland.
Multivac (Kansas City, MO) has announced the schedule for its 2005 Multivac University. The packaging school, developed by the company as an extension of its after-sale support, consists of courses held at its Kansas City campus. It is designed to increase attendees’ proficiency in machine safety, operation, and maintenance. This year’s courses have been upgraded with new technical drawings of equipment. In addition, the company has added labeler courses and will be offering multiskills technical and advanced courses. The full course schedule is available in the American sales and services section of www.multivac.com.
Omron Electronics LLC (Schaumburg, IL) has chosen Kaman Industrial Technologies Corp. (Windsor, CT) as its national distributor of electronic sensors and industrial products. Under the terms of the agreement, Kaman’s 185 U.S. locations will be given authorization to sell Omron timers, counters, temperature controllers, power supplies, photoelectric sensors, proximity sensors, and limit switches. “One of Omron’s key initiatives globally is to double the value of the company in the next three years,” said Joe Spedale, Omron’s national distributor manager. “Partnering with industry-leading companies like Kaman, with its very clear focus in the industrial MRO market, will take us a long way toward achieving our planned goals.”
RTP Co. (Winona, MN) has announced an expansion of its European operations and distribution network. The company, which produces specialty thermoplastic compounds, has added 4600 square meters to its facility in Beaune, France, bringing the total to more than 10,000 square meters. The expansion includes a new fully automatic packaging line that is designed to lead to improved flexibility and shorter lead times.
Copyright ©2005 Pharmaceutical & Medical Packaging News
