Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/887670
Produce Show Daily 2 5 Friday, October 20, 2017 the price point they require. PSD: How do you see your company's future in terms of economy, sales, technology and product evolution? AL: We continue to invest in technology, with new thermo- formers and equipment to main- tain our speed to market, flexi- bility and cost competitiveness. PSD: Why are your products and servic- es the best value for your customers? AL: Our customers' needs drive all of our designs; we want to enhance their product in delivery and presentation. Also our customers can be dependent on us – we go to extremes to get things done for them and will do whatever we can if possible. For more information, stop by booth #5610, visit www.lacerta.com or call 508.339.3312. Greening the Floral Industry with OASIS Floral Foam Maxlife According to Environmental Leader, 71 percent of Americans consider the envi- ronment when they shop. As a result, today's consumers are looking for com- panies to value the environment as much as they do. Floral shoppers, especially, are increasingly socially responsible and demand that even the most exquisite designs do as much to protect nature as they do to capture its beauty. Responding to consumer trends and the demands of its customers' customers, Smithers-Oasis is introducing the latest generation of OASIS ® Floral Foam Maxlife, the world's first floral foam with Enhanced Biodegradability. All OASIS Floral Foam Maxlife made today now features Enhanced Biodegradability. OASIS Floral Foam Maxlife's new foam formulation is designed for modern landfills and attracts microbes that break the foam down into methane, CO 2 and organic matter. Testing based on the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards shows that OASIS Floral Foam Maxlife will biode- grade 100 percent within 567 days in bio- logically active landfill conditions, while also keeping flowers fresh up to 50 per- cent longer than other floral foams. Testing is ongoing and as biodegradation rates continue, further information will be released. "We are constantly evaluating the chemistry of floral foam to provide greater consumer benefits," said Smithers-Oasis Vice President, Corporate Technology, Larry White. "We are happy to have upgraded the technolo- gy of our floral foam to consider the entire lifecycle of the product, today's modern landfill and a reduced environ- mental impact." The OASIS Floral Foam Maxlife formulation with Enhanced Biodegradability will be used in all OASIS Floral Products which use premium foam today, including bricks, mache, bouquet holders and designer shapes. All of the plastic parts often coupled with foam can then be recy- cled and floral designers and consumers can feel comfortable disposing of the flo- ral foam in a landfill. "Worldwide we are focused on sus- tainability," continued White. "All of our people in 21 operating units are making sustainability a priority. We evaluate all of our products and business practices worldwide, and are proud of this advancement with our flagship product – OASIS Floral Foam Maxlife." For more than 60 years, Smithers- Oasis has continued efforts not only in the advancement of the floral industry but also in sustaining the environment. In fact, Smithers-Oasis was the first in the industry to eliminate the use of chloroflu- orocarbon from floral foam production and it has successfully reduced volatile organic compound emissions (VOCs) by more than 85 percent over the last 25 years. As part of the Smithers- Oasis culture, the com- pany is constantly look- ing for ways to be an increasingly sustainable company and provide environmentally friendly products and solutions to its customers. Other Smithers-Oasis North America "green" products include: ECOssentials containers – all biodegrade in a landfill in 180 days; OASIS™ Flat Cane and OASIS™ Midollino – made of renewable, natural materials; OASIS Raw Muslin and Pastel Wraps – are reclaimed materials; all OASIS glass, plastic containers and cages are recycla- ble; and, all OASIS colored glass is sprayed with a water-based, low VOC paint. Additional information on Smithers- Oasis' ongoing sustainability program can be found at www.smithers oasis.com/sustainability. Learn more at booth #3022. Lacerta Keeps Customers Fresh with Innovative Packaging An interview with Ali Lotfi, President and co-Owner of Lacerta Group, Inc. PSD: Tell our readers about Lacerta. AL: We are a family-owned business, started over 20 years ago. We manufac- ture packaging for a variety of industries, with a focus on the food. We have two facilities: one in Massachusetts with design, mold-making and thermoforming capabilities, and one in Mexico with ther- moforming and injection molding capa- bilities. PSD: What would you say makes your business unique? AL: Our ability to help our customers get to market much faster than our competi- tors, with a lower capital investment. Customers are often surprised at how quickly we can get their product to shelves. Customer service is core to our culture. Our flexibility and ease of doing business makes us unique. PSD: Are you introducing any new prod- ucts at the show? AL: Yes, we are actually showing a lot of new tamper evident containers from our Fresh n' Sealed line. We're especially excited about our new square tamper evi- dent bowls. They have a sleek modern look and range from 8 ounces to 48 ounces. We also have added multi-com- partment containers that are versatile. We have also added tamper evident hoagie and wrap containers; the wrap container is quite unique and can stand on the shelf. We have also added a line of deli cups ranging from 7 to 24 ounces. PSD: What products do you see as being hottest this year? AL: Grab n' go containers; snacking is very popular and with everyone's busy schedules, convenience is key. We offer film sealable snack packs, tamper evident packages and custom designs for our customers. PSD: How do you adapt your products to your customers' needs? AL: There's many ways; sometimes we have a stock container a customer loves but needs a different capacity or lid. We are able to design a new package to fit the product and our customer's needs. Also, because we work with a wide range of materials, we can provide our customers many options to fit the application and Matrix: A One-Stop Destination for Bag and Pouch Machines Matrix Packaging Machinery, powered by Pro Mach, features flexible packaging solutions designed to give packers and co-packers in the fresh produce industry trouble-free packing and rapid return on their investment in a packaging machine. The Morpheus continuous motion form fill seal machine is rated at up to 180 bags per minute and features new sanitary features specifically designed for the produce industry, and automatic setup capabilities that reduce changeover time and lead to higher productivity. Morpheus machines run films that require longer seal times, making these units ideal for applications such as frozen, fresh cut and individually quick frozen (IQF) foods. Automatic setup removes the potential for operator error, helps to improve package quality and decreases changeover time. The Toyo Jidoki TT-8D-N pre-made pouch fill and seal machine is designed for stand-up, flat bottom and fifth-panel style bags. The TT-8D-N pre-made pouch filler sealer is rated at up to 55 flat, standup and press-to-close pouches per minute. The machine is easy to clean and wash down. Options and accessories include date printer, air squeeze device, nitrogen gas flush, liquid filling systems, zip open/close device and more. The Orion vertical form, fill and seal machine is rated up to 90 bags per minute. Orion standard features include color touchscreen operator panel and Spanish/English bilingual operator inter- face. Compared to other machines, the Orion has a small footprint, which con- serves valuable floor space. All Orion models offer automatic edge guide film tracking, short travel and angled incline film upwind, each of which contributes to precise film movement and trouble- free operation. Tool-free quick-change core chucks ensure fast changeover between jobs. About Matrix Matrix Packaging Machinery is an indus- try-leading manufacturer of vertical form fill seal (v/f/f/s) packaging equipment. Since 1988, Matrix has built a solid rep- utation for delivering rugged, well-engi- neered, cost competitive and easy-to-use packaging systems backed by outstand- ing customer support. Matrix has v/f/f/s, stickpack and pouch filling machines in operation throughout the world, handling a wide range of products in very diverse conditions. About Pro Mach Pro Mach is a leading provider of inte- grated packaging and processing prod- ucts and solutions for food, beverage, consumer goods, pharmaceutical and other diverse companies. Through its brands, Pro Mach provides product pack- aging and processing equipment, PMMI certified training, installation, parts and service in bottling and capping, primary packaging, flexible packaging, material handling, identification and tracking and end of line packaging. Pro Mach has a diverse customer base, from Fortune 500 companies to smaller, privately held businesses worldwide, which depend on reliable, flexible, technologically advanced equipment and integrated solution sets. Pro Mach is headquartered near Cincinnati, Ohio, with manufacturing facilities and offices throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. For more information about Pro Mach, visit www.promachinc.com. For more information, call 262.268.8300 or visit www.matrixpm.com.