Stora Enso appoints Ad Smit as Executive Vice President of the Packaging Solutions division and a member of the Group Leadership Team. He will start on 1 December 2023 and report to Hans Sohlström, President and CEO of Stora Enso. Ad Smit is a Dutch citizen and will be based in the Netherlands. He has led the Business Unit Western Europe within Stora Enso’s Packaging Solutions division since January 2023. He has over 30 years of business leadership experience in the packaging industry. From 2012, Ad was the CEO of De Jong Packaging Group, which Stora Enso acquired in January 2023. Prior to that he held various Managing Director positions leading packaging divisions and units at Smurfit Kappa Group for over 20 years. “I’m delighted to welcome Ad Smit to Stora Enso’s leadership team. Ad has extensive experience and a successful track record in the packaging business. He is well placed to both lead the Packaging Solutions division and to optimise the integration and synergies with De Jong Packaging Group,” says Hans Sohlström.

Berry Global Group, Inc. is again demonstrating its worldwide leadership in the design, development, and production of patient-centered healthcare solutions with the announcement of plans to establish a second manufacturing facility and global healthcare center of excellence in Bangalore, India. Planned for development near Berry’s existing Bangalore operation, the new facility will enable the company to extend its R&D expertise and scale up production in several key healthcare sectors: ophthalmic, nasal pumps, inhalation, and injectable administrations. The increased capacity will also enhance supply in India and throughout South Asia, addressing some of the fastest growing healthcare market geographies.

Espoma Organic, a lawn and garden brand, continues to showcase their commitment to the environment by replacing fossil-fuel-derived polymers in their packaging with more sustainable alternatives. In response to Espoma Organic’s mission to “develop the finest organic gardening products that work in harmony with nature, grow beautiful gardens and make a greener world for the future,” global packaging company Amcor partnered with the brand to innovate more sustainable packaging and launch a new bio-based polymer package. The polyethylene (PE) film contains 25 percent bio-based material, derived – in this case – from sugar cane. “We know consumers increasingly are paying attention to product packaging as they make purchasing decisions,” said Troian. “The use of renewable materials in packaging offers brands a new way to stand out on store shelves while driving down the total carbon footprint of their products.”