PETpla.net Insider 09 / 2016

NEWS 9 PET planet insider Vol. 17 No. 09/16 www.petpla.net PROCESS PILOT ® makes producing a better PET bottle as easy as 2 3 1 MEASURE CONTROL OPTIMIZE every bottle for changes in material distribution process variation, inside the blowmolder material utilization and orientation to achieve maximum bottle performance CONTACT US TODAY TO LEARN MORE! AGRINTL.COM | +1.724.482.2163 | SALES@AGRINTL.COM VISIT US AT BOOTH 11B40 Lightweight Containers to open new KeyKeg production line in Germany Lightweight Containers is opening a new production plant in Grossbreitenbach, Germany. The fully automated produc- tion line has a capacity of 400 KeyKeg Slimlines per hour and will be operational in the third quarter of this year. The line can produce all the members of the KeyKeg Slimline family of kegs. PET-Verpackungen Deutschland is the production partner and will manage the day-to-day production. The new production capacity will ensure that Lightweight Containers can meet the region’s sharply rising demand for the next few years. Anita Veenendaal, Chief Commercial Officer of Lightweight Containers, says, “We see service as a crucial element for our success. We aim to offer the best possible service, so we want to produce as close to our customers as we can. This new location and the extra capacity will reduce both delivery times and transport distances even more. In the last six years, our sales have grown more than 40% each year, and we’re seeing accelerated growth in the demand for our kegs almost everywhere in the world we serve. With this new production line, we can continue to serve our customers in this region at the level they’re used to.” Concentration on solutions for the total supply chain The new plant is being set up in close collaboration with production partner PET-Verpackungen Deutschland. Jan Veenendaal, CEO of Lightweight Containers adds, “Our one- way kegs have a lot of added value throughout the supply chain. They also fit in perfectly with trends like specialty beer exports and wine on draft, which partly explains why we’re growing so fast. We intend to keep concentrating on solutions for the beverage industry, and on crucial trends. We can do this by collaborating with a professional and flexible produc- tion partner like PET-Verpackungen, who completely shares our view of quality.” Two partner companies According to Oliver Wiegand of PET-Verpackungen GmbH, “Lightweight Containers has an international focus that fits in well with our international ambitions. Construction of the production line is going very smoothly. Lightweight Containers’ knowledge of and experience with production processes makes them a valuable partner. Both companies are also family-owned, which turns out to be a good foundation for an efficient and pleasant working relationship. We have all confidence that this line is just the beginning of a long and successful collaboration between two partner companies.” KeyKegs are currently produced in three locations: Schwerin (Germany), Den Helder (the Netherlands), and Joliet (USA). The line in Grossbreitenbach (Germany) will be operational in the third quarter of 2016. www.unikeg.com Reorganisation at Athena To better serve the expanding customer base, Athena is making organisational changes of the management team: Harold Luttmann has taken over as acting CEO, in addition to his current role of Chief Operations Officer. A Chief Com- mercial Officer (CCO) will be added to the management team shortly. Founder Robert Schad has temporarily assumed this responsibility. The CCO will be responsible for Sales, Marketing, Finance and Human Resources, as well as for growing the global sales and service network. A service representative is already sta- tioned in the Pennsylvania-Ohio area, with Atlanta, Chicago, and Frankfurt am Main (Germany) to follow. Athena’s machine business has been on the rise since opening the new 155,000 square foot (14,400m 2 ) facility in Vaughan, Ontario. This facility is said to allow Athena to com- pete on a global basis, due to automotive-style just-in-time assembly of machines. www.athenaautomation.com