In 2017, PMMI awarded more than $140,000 in scholarships to support the development of a skilled workforce capable of moving the packaging and processing industry forward.

CareerLink is a new online job board that will connect students from schools and universities with PMMI member companies looking for new talent. PMMI received a $50,000 grant from the Bosch Community Fund in order to connect students and members.

Christian Traumann, Managing Director and Group CFO of MULTIVAC Sepp Haggenmüller SE & Co. KG, was elected as president of interpack 2020. Since 2015, Traumann has been the chairman of the Food Processing and Packaging Machinery Association within VDMA (Mechanical Engineering Industry Association) and served as president for interpack in 2011.

The AmeriStar Package Awards Competition honors the best packages of the year in multiple categories including frozen foods, beverages, packaging that saves food, cosmetics, household products, pharmaceutical and more. Enter your team’s most creative packaging solution for the opportunity to win global recognition in packaging. Deadline is March 9th.

Niche beverage manufacturers do not have the resources or capital to make the same purchase decisions as their larger competitors. As these smaller beverage companies grow, it places them in the unfortunate situation of deciding what upgrades are available and what things to target for future growth. 

The Dow Chemical Company opens the call for entries for the 2018 30th Awards for Packaging Innovation. Entries accepted through April 12, 2018. The 30th Awards for Packaging Innovation continues the DuPont Awards for Packaging Innovation program established in 1986. Dow carries on the tradition of assembling an independent panel of international packaging judges from a variety of disciplines, to provide awards with a global perspective across design, engineering, retail, converting and academia.

The PMMI Foundation is proud to announce the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) as the recipient of the Future Leaders in Packaging Scholarship. The $5,000 Scholarship, awarded each year to an educational institution that prepares students for careers in packaging, will be divided among two or three students selected by the school based on a combination of academic excellence and financial need. 

PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, just announced that Jim Pittas will assume the role of president and CEO of PMMI effective Feb. 1, 2018. Pittas succeeds Chuck Yuska, who is retiring after 27 years at the helm.

Cal Poly State University is offering professional certificates and a Master's of Science in Packaging Value Chain Program. Individual courses as well as courses leading to five individual Professional Certificates or MS degree are the options available. 

As companies approach year end, many department heads start to question how they will set up for success in the upcoming year. Many companies start thinking about how to proactively plan for potential challenges ranging from insufficient resources during periods of heavy work volume or what additional resources could be leveraged to meet tight deadlines. By starting to consider how to best avoid these obstacles, organizations avoid missing launch dates, errors due to rushing and are able to complete projects without disruption.