Graphic Packaging and Cin-Made Win AIMCAL Award as Best New Container

MARIETTA, Ga., April 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Graphic Packaging International (GPI) based in Marietta, Georgia and Cin-Made Packaging Group based in Cincinnati have collaborated to develop a revolutionary new paper-based packaging product that's unlike anything previously available in North America.

Now, the product -- called DorPak(TM) - has been named by the Association of Industrial Metallizers, Coaters and Laminators (AIMCAL) as this year's "Best in Class" new product in the non-food category. The award was presented on Thursday, March 17 at the association's Winter Management Meeting held in Bonita Springs, Florida.

DorPak(TM) uses a metallized, reverse-printed film process that features exceptional qualities in terms of both strength and graphics. The product was introduced in April of 2004 as the result of a three-year research and design partnership between Graphic Packaging International and Cin-Made Packaging Group, which was seeking an improved package for the Preen brand of lawn and garden weed prevention product made by one of its customers.

"The manufacturer of Preen wanted a more dramatic presence at retail -- a more consumer-friendly package that was a virtual marketing billboard plus was ergonomically easier to handle than a plastic bag and more attractive than a plastic bucket," says Robert Frey, president of Cin-Made Packaging Group.

"Working with Graphic Packaging, we were able to develop the first practical and attractive paper alternative to rigid plastic pails and blow- molded jugs -- a very significant innovation given the dramatic increases in resin prices during recent years."

Adds Dan Keefe, marketing director for GPI's Performance Packaging Division, "The word 'unique' is greatly overused, but it can be accurately applied to our DorPak(TM) product -- both in terms of packaging features and graphic qualities."

Specifically, the product's packaging benefits include: * easy to lift, handle, storage, open, close, and reseal * tamper evident * permits the contents to be either scooped or poured conveniently * can be manufactured in a wide range of sizes, from three quarts to 10 gallons * can carry up to 50 pounds of contents * has a compression strength that can exceed 750 pounds, so can support considerable weight * can be easily stacked on shelves in retail stores or to support the "disappearing pallet" concept in club stores * can be custom molded into a variety of end-usage shapes, including the four shapes that are currently being produced * requires no secondary package for shipment/transport * will not absorb moisture, so suitable for outdoor merchandising/display * provides a strong barrier both inside and outside for pet food, chemicals, and other "special handling" products The product's graphic benefits include: * 360 degrees of surface for graphics and promotional messages * the opportunity to print up to seven colors in brilliant rotogravure * the opportunity to use the metallized printing process to achieve a dramatic "foil-look" * graphics that cannot be scratched or marred because they are protected under a layer of film

The future of DorPak(TM) is extremely bright, according to both GPI's Keefe and Cin-Made's Robert Frey.

"Until now, no one has been able to bring together two very important processes -- namely, doing reverse printing on a laminated flat sheet and then converting that flat sheet into a molded package," explains Keefe. "Cin- Made's converting procedure, together with the DorPak(TM) product, is the only system of its kind in North America."

Adds Frey, "Preen's product prevents the growth of weeds, but sales have grown faster than weeds since the product was re-introduced in this new package -- so imagine the new business possibilities as we adapt this packaging material for other industries and other products."

DorPak(TM) is a fast-growing division of Cin-Made Packaging Group, a privately-owned 103 year-old company with headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio. The firm specializes in differentiated paper-based rigid containers with high-end shelf appeal and customized closures.

Graphic Packaging International is a leading provider of paperboard packaging solutions to the beverage, food and other consumer product industries. Additional information about Graphic Packaging, its business and its products is available on its web site http://www.graphicpkg.com/.