Madras Packaging LLC, the nation’s largest minority-owned manufacturer of blowmolded plastic containers, announced an agreement with Old World Industries Inc. that will enable the company to move forward with plans to expand its operations nationwide. Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed. Both Midwestern-based companies are privately held.

Alcoa Packaging, Richmond, Va., won an award in quality from the Packaging and Label Gravure Association. Alcoa was recognized for its excellence in printing of the Nestle Rolo shrink sleeve label. It received an honorable mention for the excellent continuous tone work printed across a wide web as well as the very good registration. “Our manufacturing facility worked very closely with the cylinder engraver to ensure that the type would be clean, clear and crisp, as mentioned by the judges,” related Terry Copenhaver, marketing manager, Alcoa Flexible Packaging.

Systemate Numafa, Canton, Ga., a manufacturer of cleaning systems, upgraded its Web site, making it easier for visitors to find information on washing products. The site also boasts a new look and feel, offering updated information on all of the available washing products. Check it out at numafa.com.

Omron Corp., a global leader in automation, sensing and control technology, announced it will establish a new facility in China as part of its Industrial Automation Business Co. The new facility in Shanghai is meant to strengthen and integrate Chinese design, development and manufacturing functions and to offer a customer support center. It is expected to come on line in the latter half of 2006.

Currently, the company has three facilities in Shanghai each with its own independent design and development technologies, manufacturing, manufacturing management and quality management. One facility makes programmable logic controllers, another sensors, and the third, temperature controllers. The new facility is intended to integrate the design and development capabilities to expand the business in the Chinese market.

Markem Corp., Keene, N.H., a leader in marking and coding solutions, providing identification systems, software, supplies and services, signed Labeling Systems Inc., Oakland, N.J., a designer and manufacturer of heavy-duty pressure sensitive labelers, as a partner in its OEM program. “LSI and Markem have highly compatible product lines so creating a formal relationship in the OEM program was a natural fit,” said William Hingle, LSI marketing manager.

Sato America Inc., Charlotte, N.C., a pioneer in barcode printing, announced it completed the EPCglobal Inc.’s newly launched Hardware Interoperability Phase I test. EPCglobal Inc., a joint venture of EAN International and the Uniform Code Council Inc., is a not-for-profit organization entrusted by industry to establish and support the EPCglobal Network as the global standard for real-time, automatic identification of information in the supply chain of any company, anywhere in the world. The phase I test evaluated the interoperability of the Radio Frequency Identification reader and tag configurations with those provided by other manufacturers. Sato delivers RFID printing solutions, plus complete EPC-compliant RFID solutions including pre-planning consultation, on-site survey, pilot planning and implementation, and post-pilot consultation and customer service.

Rovema Packaging Machines, Lawrenceville, Ga., a marketer of packaging technology, announced the appointment of Resolution Technologies Inc. as its agent in Western Canadian market. After finding success in Eastern Canada, Rovema sought a foreign partner to help expand its business into the Western Canadian market hence its new relationship with British Columbia-based Resolution Technologies.

Rexam Beverage Can Americas, Chicago, Ill., said it is closing its beverage can making plant in Jacarei, Brazil. The plant was acquired in November of 2003 when Rexam bought Latasa, Brazil’s largest beverage can manufacturer. The Jacarei plant has 105 employees and manufactures 12- and 16-ounce cans. The company said in a statement that the closure will not affect its ability to meet the needs of its customers. The volumes from the Jacarei facility will be consolidated at other Rexam plants in Brazil.

Linpac Materials Handling, Georgetown, Ky., was awarded ISO 9001:2000 certification. The manufacturer of reusable container systems was certified by TUV America Inc. as meeting the standards set forth in the quality management system. Both the company’s Georgetown design and manufacturing location and Bardstown manufacturing location are certified as meeting these quality standards. The company was previously certified under the ISO standards established in 1994.

Transbotics Corp., Charlotte, N.C., announced it finalized an order for an Automatic Guided Vehicle system in the plastics and primary metals industry. The order includes a vehicle, controls, hardware, software, engineering services and other equipment. Transbotics provides unique automation solutions to a variety of industries including the food and beverage, among others.

Micro Motion and Rosemount instrumentation from Emerson Process Management were specified by The Netherlands-based Axflow, a supplier of hygienic product blending skids. Axflow engineers pumping and dosing skid solutions, particularly for supply to food and pharmaceutical applications. The Micro Motion and Rosemount instruments from Emerson were chosen because of their high quality and economic value.