Put it on your calendar... 

Don't miss the CPA Annual Meeting, scheduled for February 23-26, 2012 at the Gran Melia Hotel & Resort in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico.

Mike Mullane, former Space Shuttle Commander and author of Riding Rockets, will discuss his experience as a Space Shuttle Astronaut and relate how these experiences involved vital team interaction that can enables teams of any kind to maintain high standards of performance by setting the highest standards, by "connecting the dots" (to insure multiple problems aren't just symptoms of a single "normalization of deviance" problem) and by considering the instincts of team members in the decision making process.

Visit www.contractpackaging.org/annualmeeting for registration and housing information and the full meeting agenda. And don't forget that special Contract Packaging Association hotel room rates of $199/night are only available until February 1! Reserve your room now!

What's In the State of the Industry Report? 

According to the 2011 Contract Packaging State of the Industry Report, the U.S. contract packaging marketplace is concentrated heavily in the Midwest, but that growth is seen in all parts of the country, and is especially strong in the South.

Part of that growth is due to the fact that CPGs are increasingly focusing their resources on marketing, reducing capital and labor costs to do so, and relying more on contract packagers.

The report is based on surveys of copackers from four geographical areas of the U.S. (Northeast, South, Midwest and West) and several foreign countries, and companies of various sizes, from less than $5 million in revenue to $300 million. The result is a thorough and balanced insight into the state of our industry today.

The report contains detailed data that can be a useful tool as contract packagers plan for the future. The report is available to CPA Members for $1,500, to Associate Members for $1,000 and to non-member for $2,500.

Visit www.contractpackaging.org/industryreport to order.

IoPP Fundamentals Courses 

The Institute of Packaging Professionals (IoPP) will kick off 2012 by offering its Fundamentals of Packaging courses in Orlando, Florida. Semesters I and II will be given January 23-27, and semesters III and IV on February 20-24. Both sessions will be given at the Hilton Garden Inn in Orlando.

For more information visit www.iopp.org/fundamentals.

The Frain Group is the world's largest provider of high quality pre-owned packaging and processing machinery. Frain buys, sells, rents and leases used equipment and has more than 30,000 machinery listings in its database, as well as more than 8,000 quality used machines immediately available for 2 day shipping. Frain also provides the ability to retool, add a PLC or provide complete line integration on any machine.

For more information, and to view videos of Frain's equipment and facility visit www.fraingroup.com.

EcoEdge™ corner board protectors from ITW Angleboard cost-effectively protect case edges during bundle banding. They are made from 100% recycled content and can be reclaimed, recycled and reused after use. EcoEdge is waterproof, easy to handle and gives Pallet bundles a solid structure and a clean appearance while protecting case edges.

For more information, click here.