MeadWestvaco Closes

MeadWestvaco, Stamford, CT, will close its general converting operations in Newark, DE, this month. The plant employs 80 people. The plant, part of the consumer packaging division, converts paper and paperboard into printed packages. Executives said this will result in a pretax charge of approximately $6 million.
“Our Newark employees have been dedicated to this operation, and the decision to close this facility was a difficult one,” said Rita V. Foley, president of the Consumer Packaging Group, MeadWestvaco. “Closing Newark is a result of the continuing evolution of our marketplace, and reflects a decision to focus on higher-margin business in our targeted markets.”
In other news, Rochas’ AquaWoman perfume utilizes MeadWestvaco’s Crescendo paperboard. The one-side coated paperboard has an ultra-bright, blue-white styling and smooth surface, as well as excellent embossing/debossing, foil stamping film and foil lamination performance, executives said.
“Manufacturers are looking for not only brighter, blue-white paperboards that will enhance the look of their packaging, but also for substrates that will perform dependably during de-manding finishing processes, such as backside printing, foil stamping and metallized film lamination, that can really help to differentiate a brand at the retail level,” said Nipun Marwah, market manager, packaging, Pack-aging Resources Group, MeadWestvaco.
“Crescendo’s brilliant aesthetics are what first drew us to the paperboard, but its smooth, consistent finish was the greatest asset to this project,” commented Philippe Thuvien, director of operations, Rochas. “It printed beautifully and allowed for flawless lamination of metallized film on the package exterior which is what gives the AquaWoman package its vivid, marine-like quality.”
Crescendo is recyclable, chlorine-free and meets ISO 9002 quality assurance standards.