NEWS BRIEFS (February 01, 2008)

Waterloo, Que.-based plastics cap manufacturer MAC Closures has been purchased by packaging supplier Berry Plastics Corporation. MAC Closures manufactures stock and custom products for U. S. and Canadian based private and national brand owners, distributors and other packaging suppliers. In addition to its headquarters in Waterloo, MAC Closures operates a production plant in Oakville, Ont.

Chippewa Falls, Wis.-based Extrusion Dies Industries, LLC (EDI) has purchased an extensive manufacturing facility very close to its headquarters site that will become the new EDI Technology Center, with laboratories for developing innovative die systems and for renting to processors and converters to use in product development and process testing. EDI expects all of the laboratories to be fully operational within three months. The 19,600 square foot facility, which was purchased from Quality Machine (QMI) of Chippewa Falls, Inc., will include R&D labs, engineering labs for characterizing flow and other properties of resins to be run in dies ordered by customers, and trial labs available for rent.

Auxiliary equipment supplier The Conair Group, of Pittsburgh, Pa., has entered into a joint agreement with Bolton, Ont.-based Husky Injection Molding Systems to provide manufacturing solutions for the PET preform market worldwide. AEC Inc., of Schaumburg, Ill., has appointed Lutek Plastic Equipment, Inc. as representatives for the provinces of Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland, Labrador and Nova Scotia. Lutek Plastic Equipment is headquartered in Dorval, Que., and is headed by Luc Gloutney, president, and can be contacted at 514- 421-8963. AEC’s full product offerings include heating and cooling, blending and reclaim, size reduction, automation and systems contracting.

A class action lawsuit by Aurora, Ont.- based Axiom Plastics Inc. for alleged price fixing by DuPont Canada Co. will proceed. An Ontario Superior Court of Justice issued an order to certify the lawsuit last week. Axiom is suing DuPont Canada for alleged breaches of the Competition Act for the company’s pricing on engineering resins.

Toronto-based extruder Casement Ltd. has announced a joint support agreement with Vancouver, B. C.’s VAP Global Industries Inc. According to the two companies, the deal will help VAP prevent supply interruptions.

Bayer Corporation was fined $345,000 by the Competition Bureau for participating in a conspiracy to fix the price of aliphatic polyester polyols made from adipic acid, which are often used in the production of polyurethane products. Bayer pleaded guilty to violating section 45 of the Competition Act in each instance.

Atlanta-based Georgia Gulf Corporation has announced that it will temporarily idle its PVC resin manufacturing facility in Sarnia, Ont. as part of the company’s plan to temporarily remove 700 million pounds of PVC resin capacity on an annualized basis. The Sarnia PVC resin manufacturing facility is capable of producing 450 million pounds per year.