Cormack Packaging participated in its 10th annual Australia's Biggest Morning Tea, at its Condell Park facility on Tuesday 25th May.
Raising $2010, staff donations were matched dollar for dollar bringing their 10 year total to over $16,000 in contributions for the charity which raises awareness and funding for the Cancer Council's research and support services.
The annual fundraising event is just one of the community support initiatives that Cormack Packaging undertakes. Managing Director Mathew Cormack will also participate in the 6 week charity Snowy Ride to raise funds and awareness for children's cancer research, each year the Snowy Ride aims to raise over $200,000 for The Children's Cancer Institute.
On discussing the community support initiative that Cormack has in place, Mathew Cormack Managing Director said "What we are doing is a very small step in a big plan and we are planning on having a lot of fun doing this, in 2010 we will continue to support the great efforts of the Cancer Council and the ABMT but feel that by nominating in addition the Steve Walter Foundation in conjunction with the Snowy Ride that we can increase the amount of funds and awareness for Children's cancer research. Kids and Cancer is a pretty grim reality and it is very targeted. We have all had an experience with losing a family member or friend to cancer, this is an opportunity for us to help support those trying to find a cure."
For the second consecutive year the Australian Institute of Packaging have partnered with the Cormack Innovation Awards to offer a $5,000 scholarship to a student participating in the Industrial design program.
The success of the inaugural scholarship program in 2009, which saw talented student Sascha Dal Santo of the University of New South Wales scoop the scholarship with her written essay, was a clear indication to the AIP that the Cormack Innovation program was a suitable partnership for their Certificate in Packaging course.
The tangible nature of the Cormack Innovation Awards, unique to other Awards programs targeted at young designers in Australia, was a natural fit to the Scholarship on offer by the AIP. Both are designed to educate and promote to young industrial design students that there are rewarding and successful careers available within the Australian Packaging industry. To be eligible for the scholarship, which is offered in addition to the 3 month paid internship and $2,500 prize money for the Innovation Awards, students were asked to write a short essay on why they believed that the Scholarship would benefit their future ambitions.
In commenting on the continued partnership with the Cormack Innovation Awards Craig Wellman, National President of the Australian Institute of Packaging said
"The Cormack Innovation Awards program benefits the entire packaging industry providing industrial design students with great opportunities to explore packaging design. This brainchild of Cormack Packaging remains an excellent initiative and the Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP) is very pleased to be involved. The AIP will, for the second consecutive time, provide a Scholarship for our Certificate in Packaging course which is internationally accredited in 27 countries. This scholarship will enable the successful student to enhance their knowledge of packaging which combined with industrial design will make them very attractive to FMCG companies around the world."
With the 2010 program now well and truly underway and with a focus on current amendments to the National Packaging Covenant, this year will prove to be the strongest competition of the nine year history of the Cormack Innovation Awards.
For more information regarding the Cormack Innovation Awards, please contact Hayley Lia at hlia@cormack.com.au or visit www.cormackia.com.au for full competition details.
Congratulations to Rob Cumming, Beverages Technical Manager for PepsiCo Australia, winner of the Cormack Packaging Guess the Closures competition at Ausdrinks 2010 recently held on the Gold Coast.
Rob will be receiving a $200 Red Balloon gift voucher to select an experience of his choice
The guessing competition was one of the many attractions that the Cormack packaging team had on display the conference, also unveiling the new Fusion Aluminium bottle to the market. Lightweight and visually appealing, Fusion heralds a new packaging age for the beverage industry.
To find out more about the Fusion Aluminium bottle and the broad range of Beverage closure solutions Cormack Packaging has to offer please contact our dedicated Food and Beverage Key Account Manager, Philip McPhee today.
As featured in the May 2010 issue of PKN Packaging News, Cormack Packaging discusses the evolution of dispensing closures and technology in Australia, and their ongoing commitment to be at the forefront of closure innovations.
The functionality of dispensing closures has evolved from basic sealing and protection to improved dispensing and the creation of a total product experience for consumers. In Australia, Cormack Packaging is one of the pioneers in this packaging sector.
Change in the design and function of dispensing closures has been driven by the evolving needs of both consumers and brand owners. As time-poor consumers have become more product savvy, they have demanded products that offered ease of use, improved accessibility, and greater value for money. Brand owners have realised the importance of adapting their product range to match consumer expectations and to respond to increased competition as a result of globalisation, the growing pressure of private label in the Australian retail environment, and price sensitivity. Sydney-based specialist in dispensers and closures Cormack Packaging tells PKN it has been at the forefront of innovation in closures and dispensing technology in Australia. Over the past few decades, the company has introduced a broad range of dispensing and closure solutions, including twist, hinge, flip-top, double wall, sports beverage and disc-top closures. It also represents a number of international principals (Rexam, MWV Calmar, GCS - including Zeller and CCS - and Weatherchem), giving its customers access to cutting-edge dispensing and closure technology. One of the first closure breakthroughs Cormack introduced to the local market was the patented Zeller Butterfly hinged closure, which was launched in the 1980s and is still a top seller today. "This closure offered a dispensing cap with a flip-lid that was retained for the life of the pack. The flip-lid featured a definitive fold-back position when opened, making it ideal for dispensing a variety of products," says Howard Glinn, Cormack sales and marketing manager. The launch of Cormack's 28 Long Skirt Sports Cap in 1999 revolutionised the beverage industry by extending the market into new consumer categories, according to Glinn. "The pull-push closure was a first in Australia and its introduction advanced the successful integration of sports drinks into the athletic and casual fitness markets. The cap allowed hands-free operation and directional flow - optimal for quenching thirst quickly and easily," he says. Since then, refinement of the beverage sports closure to provide improved pack performance has been ongoing. Cormack's in-house design team continues to work with leading beverage manufacturers and trend experts to interpret consumer's changing needs and design cutting-edge solutions to match these. The Australian food industry has also benefited from dispensing closure innovation with the launch of Cormack Packaging's 38mm Twist Cap. "MARS Food was the first customer to see the advantages of the Twist Cap when it combined the closure with its Squeezy Bottle concept, transforming long held traditional views on the way consumers dispensed tomato sauce," Glinn says. "The traditional glass bottle format with a standard flat cap was replaced as consumers and brand owners adopted the innovation with haste." Further developments in the functionality of dispensing closures has lead to the transformation of various products and food categories, as innovation has allowed more convenient dispensing solutions for a diverse range of product viscosities.
"The incorporation of a valve into a flat topped hinged closure for the honey market allowed the container to be held upside down for better storage and improved product usage." Glinn says. "while improvements to hinged dispensing closures has allowed for more convenient, clean dispensing of a range of chunkier condiments and sauces."
The need for continued improvement and innovation in the functionality of dispensing closures is a key initiative of Cormack's new Product Development Team. The team consists of engineers and designers whose role involves taking a project from concept to commercialisation, from a customers brief through to the final execution of the project.
"The process of new product development is to understand the end users ritual of use, see what the brand owner currently has and develop a better closure for them," says Glinn
The product development team works collaboratively with account managers and designers to translate consumer insights and customer brand strategy into innovative and technically advanced closure and dispensing product solutions.
PKN Packaging News, May 2010 page 16
For more information on the range of dispensing closures featured or for more generalised product enquiries please contact us at www.cormack.com.au
On Demand- Cormack Packaging's ‘Cowboy' closure requested by NRL elite
Ever wondered how those elite players of the National Rugby League (NRL) stay hydrated? The Cormack Packaging 38mm twist beverage closure known as ‘Cowboy' proved to be the preference recently amongst a number of teams when they requested a range of their favorite Gatorade products to be supplied with the closure for the 2010 season.
Proving to be a more convenient option for players, the Gatorade brand will replace the current 38mm flat cap with the purpose designed closure. The ‘Cowboy' 38mm twist has been designed with the deliverable of easy opening and utilisation during movement occasions, which is ideal for any athlete from elite levels to the casual jogger. The twist design allows users to open and close the closure with the mouth, preventing contamination from fingers and allowing free flowing movement whilst re-hydrating. The shape of the mouthpiece allows for controlled and directional flow during consumption to quench immediate thirst, creating a positive experience for the consumer.
Functionality plays a significant role in the development of any closure by the Cormack Packaging design team. Designers take an approach of placing themselves in the eyes, and in this case lips of the consumer to deliver an exceptional product experience for brand owners. With a distinguished aesthetic from other product closures on the market, the design team went beyond functional performance to deliver a closure that commands stand out shelf presence and memorable consumer interactions.
To view the range of 2010 Beverage Closure innovations and trends from Cormack Packaging, or to find out how the design team can deliver your ideal beverage closure contact the Sales and Marketing team at sales@cormack.com.au
Cormack Packaging is proud to announce access to Compression Molded closures for the beverage market.
So what is the difference between compression molded and injection molded technology and what benefits does it afford users?
Injection Molding uses a screw to force molten plastic through a gate into a form
Compression Molding uses semi molten plastic being forced into a shape under pressure
Benefits of Compression Molded closures:
Light-weight but stronger closure
Unique double compression moulded process producing a light- weight closure
Compression process minimises closure stress points for stronger caps
TE band offers:
Low & consistent application forces
Excellent flushing capabilities
Compression liner for excellent sealing vacuum retention = product stability
Available in barrier, non-barrier and custom options
Low application torques
Applied in-lbs: 25 in-lbs
Removal in-lbs: 15 in-lbs
Requires less or no steam/heat on filling and capping
Also leaves liner lubricated with it's natural polymers (slip) which aids removal
More Information
Band encourages smooth, consistent and low application forces
High speed capping 800 bpm+
Weight 2,2 grams
Packing 950 cartons x 2500 pieces = 2.325 million
Sizes
33mm
38mm
43mm
To request samples of these remarkable closures or to discuss the opportunities this technology can offer your business please contact Cormack Packaging directly.
The 2008 Cormack Innovation Awards held at Customs House, Sydney received a high quality field of finalists, showcasing the talents of third year industrial design students from local universities.
Judges were impressed with the identification of problems with existing packaging and the innovative solutions to address them, with this year’s entries among the best ever.
Cormack Packaging Managing Director, Mathew Cormack, said "innovation in packaging was very important across the cosmetics, pharmaceutical, food & beverage, household, chemical, automotive and hardware sectors."
Unusually, all three of this year’s placegetters were from the University of Technology, Sydney. However, other entries were received from students from University of NSW and RMIT, Melbourne.
In announcing the winners, Mr Cormack praised the standard of all entries, the strong participation of universities and the contribution of industry judges in the annual awards - aimed at encouraging innovation.
The winner from a “very close” top three designs was Damien Azzopardi of the University of Technology, Sydney with his “Powderade” measured powder dispenser. According to the judges the winning entry met all the requirements of the design brief for an integrated pack and closure device which delivers a measured portion.
The winning design provided a convenient approach to dosing powders which was ergonomic and manufacturable – clearly showing the assembly of components and how they work together. “Damien showed a good choice of target market, yet the package is versatile and also considered other markets. His design enables one handed operation, considers refilling different size drink containers - unlike the current package - and is refillable and recyclable.”
Second place was awarded to Thomas Hussey for his laundry liquid pump pack which was selected for its simplicity of use, outstanding shelf presence and the way the product identified an actual existing problem and addressed it better than existing designs.
Third place was awarded to Bhaven Chauhan’s Quantum Control Cap, which included child proof and tamper evident packaging with a true dosing device to eliminate error when measuring and mixing powders with liquids such as antibiotic medicines, sports drinks or baby formula.
Highly commended awards were shared by James Morton of University of NSW for a children’s paracetamol doser, Christian Alonzo of UTS for a hair cream dispenser and Kristina Zlomislic also of UNSW for a crème bleach mixer/applicator bottle.
A special thank you to the judges for this year’s awards, Richard Eckart of Sigma Pharmaceuticals, Utra Sharma of Selleys Yates and Helene Francois of Unilever Australasia.
The Winning University UTS
L-R Rowen Wagner (Lecturer), Thomas Hussey (2nd Place), Stephen Neil (lecturer), Damien Azzopardi (Winner),
Christian Alonzo (HC), Bhaven Chauhan (3rd Place), Cathy Lockhart (Lecturer)
L-R Mathew Cormack (MD), Richard Eckhart (Sigma Pharmaceuticals),Utra Sharma (Selleys Yates) and Ronald Cornelisse on behalf of Helene Francois (Unilever)
For more information on the Innovation Awards visit our website www.cormackia.com.au or call Rosa McLean on (02) 97078017
On September 23, 2008 Today Tonight featured a story on the potentially serious dangers for children, of common household oils including Baby oil, massage, hair and bath oils and essential oils.
In Australia at least 3,000 reported ingestion accidents to young children occur every year. In the US, it is reported that 20 children die a year from ingesting small quantities of household oils, 5 deaths from baby oil.
Seven years ago, the US market moved to legislate that child resistant packaging was mandatory for oily liquids containing hydrocarbons. These include:
Baby oils
Bath oils
Body oils
Massage oils
Sunscreens
In Australia, the largest supplier was quoted in this article as stating that they will, after 48 years change to child resistant caps on all their baby oil products in Australia and worldwide.
For the full story aired on Today Tonight click go to:
Plastic Resin prices are not directly linked to either oil barrel or petrol pricing, but in broad terms they tend to be closely aligned.
We have seen two years of steadily increasing resin costs with little likelihood of prices easing.
Oil barrel pricing was predicted to never pass through the $100 per barrel mark, but it is now at $142.99 and increasing. There are so many drivers to the pricing unrelated to the actual source price of oil.
Summary drivers include, political uncertainty in the Arab region, Iran's desire to produce nuclear power, Nigeria's political unrest and theft, China and India's fast rise in consumerism and affluence with motor vehicles and the drop in USD has seen many traders treating oil as a future stock.
Reportedly OPEC are releasing supplies greater than demand, but this has not caused the traders to dump oil stocks, so prices are still climbing.
When this oil pricing is translated to its related product of plastic resins (ethylene), pricing is again driven by ethylene costs, global capacity to manufacture resins, global demand for plastic products (huge growth in China and India) and our lovely friends the spot buyers and traders.
Attached is a graph of typical resin prices in Asia. These may not be exact figures but reflect the buy price of several Cormack suppliers in China. Do not use this as an exact resin cost, but it does give a good reflection on plastic raw material prices for PP Resins in Asia over the last 2 years. Prices do vary based on grade of PP and volumes.
es featured or for more generalised product enquiries please contact us at 
manufacture and supply: 
Prices do vary based on grade of PP and volumes.