4 Build a successful business relationship 5 Co-packing for cannabis 12 The state of anti-plastics legislation 14 CPA meeting talks trends MARCH /APRIL 20 20 T H E O F F I C I A L P U B L I C AT I O N F O R T H E C O N T R A C T PA C K A G I N G A S S O C I AT I O N Toasting success New, state-of-the-art equipment and wine packaging expertise enable Free Flow Wines to significantly expand its wine canning capabilities p. 6 0340_Cover.indd 10340_Cover.indd 13/18/20 1:25 PM3/18/20 1:25 PMUntitled-7 1Untitled-7 13/16/20 5:51 AM3/16/20 5:51 AM Contents EDITORIAL Anne Marie Mohan EDITOR mohan@packworld.com ART Dave Bacho CREATIVE DIRECTOR Kathy Travis ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR AUDIENCE & DIGITAL David Newcorn SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, DIGITAL AND DATA Elizabeth Kachoris SENIOR DIRECTOR, DIGITAL AND DATA Jen Krepelka DIRECTOR, WEBSITES & DIGITAL DESIGN STRATEGY ADVERTISING Wendy Sawtell VICE PRESIDENT, SALES • wsawtell@pmmimediagroup.com Ron Levinson, SALES MANAGER • rlevinson@contractpackagingmag.com Lara Krieger PRODUCTION MANAGER • lkrieger@pmmimediagroup.com Kelly Greeby SENIOR DIRECTOR, CLIENT SUCCESS & MEDIA OPERATIONS Alicia Pettigrew SENIOR MANAGER, PRODUCT & REVENUE STRATEGY PMMI MEDIA GROUP Joseph Angel PRESIDENT, PUBLISHER Susan DaMario DIRECTOR, MARKETING Amber Miller SENIOR MARKETING MANAGER Bea Greany BRAND OPERATIONS MANAGER Sarah Loeffler DIRECTOR, MEDIA INNOVATION Janet Fabiano FINANCIAL SERVICES MANAGER Lloyd Ferguson FOUNDING PARTNER PMMI MEDIA GROUP 401 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 300, Chicago, IL 60611 PHONE 312/222-1010, FAX 312/222-1310 • CIRCULATION FAX 312/222-1310 E-MAIL info@packworld.com • WEB www.packworld.com PMMI The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies 12930 Woodgate Dr., Suite 200, Herndon, VA 20170 PHONE 571/612-3200 • FAX 703/243-8556 • WEB www.pmmi.org Contract Packaging magazine is published for the Contract Packaging Association. For information on association membership, contact Paige Jarvi, 571/287-6818, pjarvi@contractpackaging.org, or visit www.contractpackaging.org. EDITORIAL CONTACT Have a question or an idea for an article? Contact Anne Marie Mohan, Editor, 312/961-9904. Contract Packaging magazine prefers to receive press releases by e-mail. Send to mohan@packworld.com. PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40064408 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to Express Messenger International, P.O. Box 25058, London Brc, Ontario, Canada N6C 6A8 MARCH/APRIL 2020 CONTRACT PACKAGING 1 VOLUME 6, ISSUE 1 MARCH/APRIL 2020 DEPARTMENTS 2 Forefront 3 CPA President’s Letter 4 Brand Owner Insight 5 Industry News 14 CPA News 15 Membership Directory 19 New Products 6 Co-Packer Dramatically Expands Wine Canning Capacity In just two years, Free Flow Wines increases its wine-canning capabilities from one semi- automated line to three, adds one fully automated 300-can/min line, and triples its production space. 12 Fighting Back Against Anti-Plastics Legislation At the CPA Annual Meeting, Flexible Packaging Association President Alison Keane shares how the organization is working to help shape legislation around plastic packaging, rather than just react to it. 6 0320_TOC-Mast.indd 10320_TOC-Mast.indd 13/18/20 10:10 AM3/18/20 10:10 AMANNE MARIE MOHAN, Editor Much attention has been given to the business opportunities around legalized medical and recreational marijuana. However, there has been less “buzz” (pun intended) on CBD and the emerging market for CBD products. At the CPA 2020 Annual Meeting in February, Bruce Bernstein, President of UBIX Processing, took the stage to provide clarity on CBD. UBIX is a co-pack/co-man of CBD products, including capsules, tinctures, gummy drops, salve, vape oil, and more. Said Bernstein, who is prostate cancer-free after treating the disease with CBD, “People should know this is a powerful compound for good.” CBD is essentially industrial hemp, a compound of cannabis that contains less than 0.3% of the psychoactive component of marijuana, or THC, thus it does not produce a “high.” According to Bernstein, CBD provides relief for neurological, gastrointestinal, mood and behavior, pain, and sleep conditions, among other health issues, and is one of the most effective natural anti-inflammatory compounds available. Given its efficacy, “CBD is gaining in popu- larity to the point of ad nauseum,” Bernstein shared. He added that according to Brightfield Group, the CBD market is on-track to grow to $23.7 billion through 2023, with the bulk of the growth coming from large retailers like CVS, Walgreens, and Kroger. In addition, CPGs and big box stores are now analyzing CBD prod- ucts, and big box, convenience, and airport stores are test marketing the items. But the market does pose challenges. Among them, the FDA has yet to come out with CBD guidelines, a strict GMP (CFR 11) operation is recommended, and there are a lot of “shady suppliers,” among other hurdles. “CBD will be the most highly scrutinized prod- uct for the foreseeable future,” he advised. But Bernstein believes the market is so big, cooperation will outdo competition, noting that organizations like the CPA create partner- ing opportunities that will help scale and solve massive order requests. For those willing to meet the challenges, CBD appears to be fertile ground for solid business growth. CP mohan@packworld.com Complete Can & Bottle Handle Solutions Multi-packs and club store packs are great values for consumers and good business for manufacturers. Roberts PolyPro’s plastic handle solutions make it easy for consumers to pick up and carry home multi-packed products without bottles or cans hitting the floor. Our recyclable bottle and can handles can be applied manually, or by semi-automatic or fully automatic applicators. We offer a full range of applicator models capable of packing from 70 cans per minute (cpm) all the way up to 1,000 cpm. Our full range of bottle and can handle applicators provides our customers effective and budget-friendly solutions that will support the ongoing growth of their operations. If you have bottles, cans or multi-packs that need handles, give us a call to discuss your application. A C O N V E N IE N T W A Y T O PICK UP & CARRY HOME MULTI-PACKS & LARGE BOTTLES 800-269-7409 RobertsPolyPro.com Forefront CBD: Cooperation will be Key 0320_Forefront.indd 20320_Forefront.indd 23/19/20 5:48 AM3/19/20 5:48 AMPresident’s Letter MARCH/APRIL 2020 CONTRACT PACKAGING 3 BY MARK O’MALLEY, CPA President It is now six months since I took on the mantel of the CPA presidency. Tim Koers did a great job setting up the organization for growth and change. We are continuing on that upward path. We have just come from our 2020 Annual Meeting in Tucson, which was by all accounts one of the best meetings in recent history—great attendance, a very interesting program, and fantastic networking opportunities. We also had a little fun. With 40 fi rst-time attendees, the program and improvements to the meeting were obvious. Both members and non-members were able to collaborate and network in a positive environment. I re- ceived several positive comments, and we are already planning the next event for March 9-11, 2021, in Clearwater Beach, Fla. We have just completed our annual membership renewal process, and we saw most of our current members renew before the end of 2019. It was a good sign that the benefi ts of being a CPA member precipitated the membership to ensure their benefi ts were not interrupted. We are not the same association of just a few years ago. If you have not checked out the benefi ts of membership, visit www.contractpackaging.org/membership and take a few minutes to see what we can do for you. From business development and education, to marketing and community, we have many off erings that will appeal to a wide segment of the contract packaging and contract manufacturing (CP/CM) universe. We have ensured a focused eff ort on our associate members. They are a vital part of our organization. Many of them have become trusted resources for information and technology. We continue to be driven to increase the value for each mem- ber. Our RFQ revision project, which was launched in November 2019, has resulted in better and more easily digested requests. We are still working to improve it further and expect changes/en- hancements this year. Increased industry exposure via marketing eff orts has seen many folks hitting the CPA website and attending our presentations at trade shows and conferences. Visit www. contractpackaging.org/calendar to see where we will be next. With over 8,000 subscribers getting our bi-monthly newslet- ter, we are exposing our members’ services to a large segment of the market, adding in the partnership with PMMI Media Group (PMG), which has increased our reach threefold. With dedicated CPA e-newsletters and Contract Packaging magazine, PMG has constructed robust promotional products with an industry- focused audience. Our relationship with the PMG continues to provide value for our members in exposure and the ability to promote unique off erings. At the recent PACK EXPO East trade show, we promoted the world of CP/CM while collecting the contact information of visi- tors to the CPA Sourcing Center who are curious about how our members can help them. CPA Managing Director Ron Puvak has been meeting with other societies and associations that can provide mutual benefi ts to their members and CPA members. For example, we’ve started meaningful conversations with the European Contract Packag- ing Association (ECPA), the Flexible Packaging Association (FPA), and the International Society of Beverage Technologists (ISTB). Each of these groups represents potential opportunities for our members, and we hope to report more about these activities in the future. In a recent conversation with the ECPA, we exchanged State of the Industry executive summaries. We now have more insight into the CP/CM industry in Europe. They are very eager to collaborate with us, and we have discussed several mutually benefi cial opportunities. As we have mentioned, the relationship with PMMI has been strong and is growing. In 2020, we will participate in three re- gional meetings coordinated by PMMI and supported by CPA. We expect to meet with existing members while also reaching out to potential new members. In addition, PMMI will invite brands and others in the packaging industry to join us for a one-day event. These locations will be announced shortly, but it will allow CPA a regional approach to promote our members services. This year will be a very dynamic and active one for CPA. From the recently concluded Annual Meeting in February, to the PLMA show in November, there will be several opportunities for CPA members to increase their visibility and network with other members. As I view my early term of my presidency, I want to thank you all for the support, camaraderie, and genuine fellowship I feel as a member of CPA. With the help of the leadership team, I will continue to make this association better for our members. CP Mark O’Malley is President/CEO of Paket Corp., www.paketcorp.com.www.paketcorp.com. Anticipating a Dynamic and Active 2020 for CPA 0320_CPAPrezLetter.indd 30320_CPAPrezLetter.indd 33/19/20 11:43 AM3/19/20 11:43 AM4 CONTRACT PACKAGING MARCH/APRIL 2020 ROBBIE MARTIN, Contributing Editor As CPGs continue to be under fire to respond to consumers’ chang- ing demands, they are pressed to develop new products, or at least new packaging for their products, more quickly than ever before. The reasons for CPGs to partner with contract packagers and manufactur- ers can be varied and might include: 1. The CPG’s infrastructure doesn’t sup- port small-scale development and production. 2. The right co-man provides for a nimble development process with product and/ or package, helping the CPG to move more quickly. 3. The CPG may be trying to keep some- thing “off the radar,” and the co-man may enhance the management of secrecy and confidentiality. 4. The CPG is partnering with a co-packer to keep risk out of their mainstream production systems. No matter the reason, there are many aspects to what creates success in these partnerships. One of the most consistent factors discussed by industry friends is the relationship they maintain with their partners. I believe relationships have enabled my project teams to identify those partnerships that extended our team and our capabilities the most. I believe great relationships have many factors, some of which may be uncontrol- lable. For instance, personality fit (or mis- fit) may occur simply by chance. However, there are other, controllable factors that can have a profound effect on a successful CPG/co-man relationship, including: • The provision for safety • The power of trust • The purpose of honesty • The place for negotiation • The price of “skin in the game” • The protection of the brand • The promise of confidentiality Over the next several issues of Contract Packaging magazine, we’ll tackle this list of relationship “pillars.” Today, let’s get started on two of the biggest. The provision for safety When I worked in the paper indus- try, worker safety was routinely at the forefront of every meeting, discussion, communication, and report. Capital project updates addressed safety. Opera- tions meetings addressed safety. Water cooler conversations… well, you get the point. In fact, the paper industry was long considered one of the most dangerous industries for worker safety for decades. Big machines, heavy materials and work- in-process, and high speeds all combine to create some dangerous conditions. As I began my career in the food indus- try, I saw safety managed somewhat dif- ferently. How safety was addressed could vary greatly across companies. But, food safety was always the topic du jour. There are other venues for more complete dis- cussions on the topic, but suffice it to say that a solid relationship will have a strong grounding in safety. Whether the topic is worker safety or food safety, getting this area right in any relationship is critical. But, the safety conversation is not always an easy one. Sometimes the CPG and the partner have differing approaches to safety (food or personal safety). Addressing this early may create significant tension right when the two entities are trying to strike an accord to work together. The CPG has a brand to protect. A food safety issue for the co-man may mean loss of all credibility. For either party, when credibility is lost in such a sensitive area, a significant loss of business can often follow. The presence of trust Many have said that trust, like respect, is not given, but must be earned. However, I would argue that trust must be first ex- tended, then substantiated. To enter into a partnership without trust extended at the beginning is to withhold many of the most critical characteristics on which a partner- ship depends. Some of those were listed in our pillars earlier in this column. Safety, honesty, and confidentiality all play a role in trust. Now, I’m not saying that co-man relationships I’ve been involved in haven’t included key documents like NDA’s, Devel- opment Agreements, or contracts. After all, there’s a difference between trust with prudence and blind trust! I’m also quite sure many reading this article have been involved in successful business relation- ships that were more transactional than trusting. So, both prudence and trust have their place. But, whether a CPG goes to a co-man to look for smaller-scale assistance with development, speed to market, or some other form of “help,” the CPG has an expectation—a trust, if you will—that the selected co-man possesses key capabili- ties, capacities, and characteristics that will yield a successful result. The CPG trusts these things at the outset and then substantiates that trust through the course of an engagement. Regardless of the outcome of the project or product in the marketplace, the engagements that do the best job of substantiating the initial trust of the CPG are usually the engage- ments that get repeated. We’ll explore more detailed compo- nents of trust and other “pillars” in future issues. In the meantime, keep working to extend the trust! Robbie Martin is Senior Engineering Project Manager for Bush Brothers & Company. Build Relationships for Success Brand Owner Insight 0320_BOI.indd 40320_BOI.indd 43/19/20 11:59 AM3/19/20 11:59 AMMARCH/APRIL 2020 CONTRACT PACKAGING 5 Smithers latest market report, “The Fu- ture of Retail-Ready Packaging to 2024,” forecasts that the global retail-ready packaging (RRP) market value will in- crease from $60 billion in 2019 to over $77 billion by 2024, with a CAGR of 5.2%. RRP continues to evolve, notes the report. Having begun with simple shrink- wrapped corrugated trays, it has expanded to include increasingly sophisticated concepts and designs to engage consumers on the shop fl oor. Demographics and the expansion of Western-style retailing into new countries will drive much of the growth in this segment, as will the evolution of convenience and discount format stores. Some of the key drivers for the global RRP industry include: • Retail trends: The advantages of retail or shelf-ready formats remain fundamen- tally the same for both retailer and brand owner, but new technologies will entrench these further across the forecast period. • Convenience and discount model stores: C-stores and discount super- market chains are increasingly popular in more developed economies. Their basic layouts and typically lower staffi ng levels are stimulating the consumption of RRP, although in some instances in less sophisticated forms. • Interactivity: RRP plays an important role in establishing and enhancing a brand’s image and message, creating an oppor- tunity for the brand owner to interact with their consumer, both visually and techno- logically. Innovations in digital print and fi nishing systems are now off ering options for tailoring content to specifi c events, store locations, or customer preferences. • Standardization of shelving and pack formats: The effi ciency of RRP systems is enhanced by the adoption of stan- dardized pack sizes, which require less time on machinery setup and fewer die- cut variants, and that ultimately improve effi ciencies for retail store employees. • RRP driving fl exible packaging adop- tion: In move away from designs that use peg bars to hang pouches, major retailers are encouraging the use of fl exible packs in RRP to minimize labor costs. CP Retail-Ready Packaging Trends Industry News While contract packaging in the cannabis industry has been slow to develop, there is room for packaging specialists who can guide and manage the vast and ever- changing landscape of cannabis packaging. According to PMMI Business Intelli- gence’s new white paper, “Cannabis Market Update: Unique Packaging Challenges for THC and CBD Products,” there is currently no standard business model in place for cannabis contract services, but as the industry continues to mature, larger can- nabis companies are gaining the capacity and knowledge to off er contract services. The cannabis industry is predict- ing growth in a number of applications, including food and beverage, health and wellness, cosmetics, skincare and topicals, pet supplements, and pharmaceuticals. Recreational growth is expected to quickly outpace medical, and the regulatory landscapes for both CBD and THC are expected to continue to become more relaxed, especially restrictions on retail CBD. As public support for the cannabis industry—particularly CBD use—con- tinues to increase, it is expected that in the next decade some form of cannabis will be a part of many consumers’ daily routines, either as a functional ingredient in foods, beverages, and beauty products, or as a wellness mood enhancer in health. Labeling, one of the early applications to be contracted out, has complicated requirements in both Canada and the U.S., requiring special attention to the composition, content, and placement of labels. Companies with experience and expertise have contracted out labeling services, freeing up labor and capital in the operations of smaller produc- ers that take advantage of their services. There are other companies that are beginning to specialize in contract packag- ing services for the cannabis industry. Most focus on fl ower and concentrates, but others are branching into edibles and dry goods such as tea. “We use third-party packaging suppliers that do manual packaging using plastic and glass jars,” said one director of operations at a medical and recreational cannabis company. Go to pwgo.to/5535 to download the free white paper. CP Contract Services in the Cannabis Industry 0320_IndustryNews.indd 50320_IndustryNews.indd 53/19/20 5:49 AM3/19/20 5:49 AMPackager Profile 6 CONTRACT PACKAGING MARCH/APRIL 2020 ANNE MARIE MOHAN, Editor Making its debut in 2003 with The Family Coppola’s Sofia Blanc de Blancs Mini California wine in a 187-mL can with straw, the canned wine market took more than a decade to take hold. But taken hold it has, with a 69% increase in sales from mid-2018 to mid-2019, representing nearly $80 million, according to data from Nielsen. And the category is showing no signs of slowing down. Year over year, wine in cans is on track to grow at least 10%, increasing from 1% of the $70 billion wine market in 2019 to 10% in 2025. That last prediction was from Rich Bouwer, President of Free Flow Wines, who spoke to The Wine Industry Advisor in December 2019. Bouwer’s Sonoma, Calif.-based company is on the forefront of the canned wine industry, co-packing 73 SKUs of canned wine for 30 wine customers, among them some of the top wineries in the country. In mid-2017, Contract Packaging magazine visited Free Flow Wines at its former facility in Napa, Calif. (see pwgo.to/5502). At that time, the company, which had until then been solely focused on filling wine in kegs, had just begun operation of a semi-automated 40-can/min Codi can-filling line for wine. During the visit, Jordan Kivelstadt, co- founder and then CEO of Free Flow Wines (he serves on the company’s Board of Directors now), shared that the company was already struggling to keep up with an overwhelming demand for canned wine. “In the world of being a CEO, you wish you had a crystal ball so you could clearly see what things look like a year down the road, because it would be a lot easier to plan. But we don’t have that,” he said. Had Kivelstadt had a crystal ball, he would have seen that Free Flow was on the cusp of incredible growth. After just one year, the company was producing two sizes of canned wine on two Codi counter pressure fillers and was looking for a new and much larger facility to accom- modate its rapidly expanding business. In January 2019, it began operation in a new, leased plant that—at 58,000-sq-ft—is three times the size of its former Napa facility and is equipped with $10 million of new machinery. Housed in the new Sonoma plant are three Codi fillers and a fully automated 300-can/min filling line anchored by a state-of-the-art Krones Craftmate filler coupled with a Ferrum Canning Technology can seamer. Consumers driving canned wine Portability, health consciousness, novelty, sustainability, approachability, and fun: These are some of the factors driving the popular- ity of canned wine among consumers, says Heather Clauss, Chief Commercial Officer for Free Flow Wines. “The approachability of a can is engaging a whole new set of consum- ers,” she explains. “And so, those who might be intimidated to pick a bottle of wine up off the shelf are much more apt to pick up a can and try that. We believe cans are helping to grow the wine consumer base as a whole. “And then of course there is the millen- nial interest in something new and interest- ing. The products we’re putting into cans are all new and a little bit different. A lot of the spritzers are new and unique in their format. “There’s also the sustainability piece. So many beverages are currently in PET, and we’re seeing a huge trend where consumers are choosing more sustainable packaging. These cans, if you see them in the recycling bin today, will be new cans in 60 days. That’s incredible. Aluminum has the highest recy- cling rates of any material. Co-Packer Dramatically Expands Wine Canning Capacity In just two years, Free Flow Wines increases its wine-canning capabilities from one semi-automated line to three, adds one fully automated 300-can/min line, and triples its production space. After they are depalletized, cans travel through a loop ionized air rinser that orients them upside down and sprays the insides with ionized air to remove the charge from the cans as well as dust or debris. 0320_CS-FreeFlowWines.indd 60320_CS-FreeFlowWines.indd 63/19/20 12:06 PM3/19/20 12:06 PMMARCH/APRIL 2020 CONTRACT PACKAGING 7 “I think there’s also a fun factor to it as well. Look at the designs. They’re fun, they’re hip. You feel cool with one of these, right? There’s no pretense.” This lack of pretense may have been what caused the slow adoption of this format, as wine drinkers were skeptical of the quality of wine in a can. But Clauss notes that there are some very good-qual- ity canned wines. “Although I don’t think people are looking for high-end red wine in a can, per se,” she adds. “The use occasion for canned wine is, ‘I want something that’s easy to drink, tastes fresh and delicious, and I can take it anywhere in my backpack and crush the can when I’m done and have no waste.’” Another factor propelling wine in a can is the stagnation in the beer indus- try, which has driven some companies, including large beer producers, to branch out into wine. But the growth of canned wine is not the only reason for Free Flow’s success in this area. “I think across the board, you can speak to any of our customers or anyone we’ve worked with, and they can attest not only to the level of wine-fo- cused quality that we provide, but also our service,” says Clauss. “We never say no. We always work with customers to achieve their goals. I think we’re well-respected for understanding how to package wine.” Adds Free Flow Vice President, Opera- tions Rob Perman, “All the wine-making services we offer prior to packaging, such as the addition of carbonation and blend- ing, you can’t find anywhere else.” Quality comes first To design the new filling line for its Sonoma facility, Free Flow worked with Altamira, a firm that specializes in engi- neering and project design for beverage processing and packaging lines. Altamira helped Free Flow select the best equip- ment for its requirements. According to Perman, although flex- ibility, speed, and ease of changeover were very important considerations, “the main goal of the line is to produce the high- est quality products.” He adds, “So first and foremost it was quality, and then we backed into everything else from a quality standpoint. We really needed to look at how we could ensure that once the pack- age is palletized and gets to the end user that it’s at the highest quality it can be, eliminating any loss or damage.” For the filler, Perman wanted a volumet- ric fill so that Free Flow could control the volume of the product going into the can. Developed specifically for the lower-output requirements of craft beer producers, the Krones Craftmate can filler uses 24 electro pneumatically-controlled filling valves with an inductive flow meter that can deter- mine the fill quantity to the exact amount. Ensuring the correct fill is an under/over fill detection system, part of the Filtec Intel- lect+ inspection platform. The second most-important piece of equipment was the can seamer. Free Flow chose a four-head rotary seamer with four seaming stations, the F404 from Ferrum. “We did a lot of due diligence on which was the best company to work with from a seaming perspective, and Ferrum was the one that kept coming up,” says Perman. “We’ve seen the qual- ity that the Ferrum produces, and it allows me to sleep at night, knowing we’re getting a really consistent seam.” Confirms Free Flow QC Man- ager Chad Morgan, “The Ferrum was tested with all can sizes, and it consis- tently stays in-spec. We check everything before we start, and then every hour. So we’re still doing the same number of quality checks. But on the Codi fillers, throughout the day, we might have to do some finite adjustments to keep it in-spec, whereas with the Ferrum, it just stays.” Another requirement for the new line was flexibility to run different can sizes. With its three Codi lines, Free Flow is running 250- and 375-mL cans, with manual packoff. The Craftmate accommodates five different can formats: 187, 250, 355 (sleek and regular), and 375 mL. Free Flow is currently running 187-, 250-, and 375-mL sizes, but there has been some interest from wine spritzer com- panies in the 355-mL can, Perman says. Can sizes and units of sale for canned wine are dictated by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau’s (TTB) Standards of Fill. Under these regulations, the most popular size, 250-mL, cannot be sold as a single unit. It must be sold in an allowable standard of fill, for example, a four-pack that equals 1 L of wine. Accord- ing to Perman, 187-mL and 375-mL are an allowable standard of fill and are often sold as individual units or can be multi- packed. Therefore, where flexibility was especially needed was with the secondary packaging equipment. For cartoning, Free Flow selected an AC-6H Brewpack 500 continuous-motion, wedge load-style cartoner from Switch- back Group. Via the cartoner, cans are separated into lanes and then smoothly and precisely guided into the waiting erected carton by the wedge conveyor. Free Flow Wines President Rich Bouwer (l.), Chief Commercial Officer Heather Clauss, and VP, Operations Rob Perman 0320_CS-FreeFlowWines.indd 70320_CS-FreeFlowWines.indd 73/19/20 12:06 PM3/19/20 12:06 PMNext >