2008 Conference
The International Metal Decorators Association annual conference will be held May 22nd and 23rd at the Hilton Indian Lakes Resort, Bloomingdale, IL.

View Photos from the Conference.

Speakers included:

Day 1: Thursday, May 22nd

7:00 am - 8:30 am Registration and Breakfast

8:00am - 8:30 am Annual Membership Meeting
This is our annual meeting of the membership and for 2008 new members.

8:30 am - 9:00 am
Keynote Speaker:
Michael Feldser , President, Ball Metal Food and Household Products Packaging Division, Americas

Ball Corporation is a supplier of high-quality metal and plastic packaging products and of aerospace and other technologies and services.

Ball Corporation History
• 2007-present; president, Ball Metal Food & Household Products Packaging Division, Americas
• 2006-2007; president, Ball Aerosol & Specialty Packaging

Previous Work Experience
• Vice president-general manager, CCL Container
• Senior vice president, operations, Zinc Corporation of America
• Vice president, manufacturing, beverage and two-piece food containers, Crown Cork & Seal
• Vice president, quality, North American metal packaging, Crown Cork & Seal
• Area manager, West Coast manufacturing, metal food container, Continental Can
• Area manager, West Coast quality systems, metal food container, Continental Can
• Plant manager, Continental Can
• Division controller, container systems division, Continental Can
• Accounting and financial analysis, food and general packaging divisions, Continental Can

Education
• 1979; M.B.A., finance, Xavier University, Cincinnati
• 1973; bachelor’s degree, business/economics, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio

General Session

9:00 am - 9:30 am
Scott Summerville , Director of Sparkling Beverage R&D , Coca-Cola North America
"Packaging Innovation"

Scott manages Sparkling Beverage R&D For Coca-Cola North America based in Atlanta Georgia. This group is responsible for new product, packaging and retail equipment innovation, and development for the Company’s North American business unit.
Scott has 25 years of experience in the commercial beverages industry within the Coca-Cola system where he has held a variety of North American and European positions in the engineering, innovation, product development, operational marketing, packaging development, retail equipment development, and technical management areas

9:30 am - 10:00 am
Dr. William C. Hoyle
"The Regulatory Battleground "

Bill has a Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from Iowa State University and a BS with a dual major in Chemistry and Mathematics and a minor in Psychology from Northern Illinois University.
Bill has more than 30 Years of experience in the Packaging industry. Currently he is an industry consultant in the areas of regulatory affairs, material selection, project selection and project management.

10:00 am - 10:15 am Break

10:15 am - 11:00 am Golf Scholarships, Member of the Year, Quality & Decorator of the Year Awards

11:00 am - 11:45 am
Vince Lombardi , Motivational Speaker
"What it Takes to be Number One"

Vince Lombardi's enthusiasm for growth, change and improved performance, blended with his strong personality and first-hand knowledge of his legendary father's leadership techniques makes for a dynamic presentation. Weaving together his childhood experiences with his father and his adult experiences from law, politics and professional football, Vince brings corporate audiences direction, enthusiasm, and the impetus to succeed. He allows each individual to do what he does best without losing sight of team goals.

11:45 am - 12:45 pm Luncheon & Networking

1:00 pm - 4:00 pm Breakout Sessions, Back to the Basics

Flat Sheet Breakout Session
Moderated by Jack Knight , INX International Ink Co. & Ted Nevins, BWAY Corp.

12:45 pm - 1:15 pm
Adam Sarson , President, Tecnocap LLC
"Introducing Tecnocap and how we see Litho a Marketing Tool"

Adam has spent 18 years in the packaging industry. 17 of those years were spent in Valspar in various sales and management positions. He has worked in England, Switzerland and Singapore. During his stay in South East Asia, he built a metal ink manufacturing location in Malaysia and was involved in the start up and commercialization of several 3P litho lines. He was responsible for the commercialization of UV ink technology in Europe and Asia and spent 10 years working on various coatings commercializations throughout Europe and Asia. He is currently the President of Tecnocap LLC, formerly known as Penn Wheeling Closures and Warren Metal Litho. Their litho plant is located in Warren, OH.

1:15 pm - 1:45 pm
Jeff Pavelka, Development Manager, Sensory Analytics, LLC
"Improved coating quality using new coating measurement methods"

Mr. Pavelka has been a leading development specialist within the global measurement solutions industry for over fifteen years, with successful industry experience at metrology, automotive and manufacturing leaders. At Sensory, Mr. Pavelka is leading the effort to create a next generation of portable and in-line coating measurement solutions for the medical device manufacturing industry.
Mr. Pavelka’s experience in thin film and surface finish measurement is extensive. In his fifteen years of driving innovation, he has acquired numerous patents, including an expanding number involving innovative sensory to measure thickness and color of anodize and thin coatings on aluminum and titanium devices and components.
Mr. Pavelka earned a Masters Degree in Technology from East Carolina University and is a frequent lecturer and advisory resource to third parties and associations focusing on these fast changing NDT coating metrology area.

1:45 pm - 2:15 pm
Bill Balutanski, Valspar
"Topic Coating Chemistry Update 2008"

Bill Balutanski has been working in the resins and coatings industry for almost 40 years. After graduating from Stevens Institute of Technology in 1968 he began his coatings career with the Devoe Marine Division of the Celanese Coatings Company as a process engineer. He moved into operations and was a production manager and plant manager before obtaining an MBA from Bellarmine College in Louisville Kentucky in 1985. He then accepted a position as the market manager for the Celanese Packaging Coatings Group and holds the dubious distinction of attending the old NMDA conventions for five consecutive years in the late 80’s and early 90’s with a different company name on his business card without changing jobs. They ranged from Celanese to Hi Tek and finally now Valspar in 1991. Bill is currently the market manager for Valspar’s Food Packaging business and based in Pittsburgh where he lives with his wife Sandy. They have two sons and recently became grandparents for the first time.

2:15 pm - 2:30 pm Break

2:30 pm - 3:00 pm
Donatas Ramanauskas, Research Chemist, INX International Ink Co.
"Case Study: UV Closure White"

I completed my BS and MS in Chemistry at De Paul University in Chicago. Upon completing university, I started my career in Graphic Arts in 1981 with the Flint Ink Corporation, formulating Dampening Solutions for sheetfed and web printing. After a short stint with Handschy industries in Chicago, where I focused on sheetfed ink formulation, I moved on to Varn Products International, where I was again involved with Dampening Solutions as well as other Graphic Arts specialty products, resulting in two U.S. Patents. Next I worked with the Valspar Corporation, helping to start up their Metal Deco inks division in North America. After the exit of Valspar as a Metal Deco ink provider in North America, I returned to Flint Ink, working on special projects, including Single-Fluid lithography. Finally, I returned to Chicago to work again in the Metal Deco ink area with INX International. My current focus is on 3-Piece UV inks, although I have done work with 2-Piece inks in the past as well.

3:00 pm - 3:30 pm
Paul Flaig, President, Color Control Systems
"Color Matching System"

Paul is currently President of Color Control Systems, Inc. Pittsburgh, PA. The company provides products and services to the Graphic Arts industry. CCS’s main focus is on formulation products and calibration standards to the instrument manufacturers.

Prior to forming CCS Paul worked as technical director of the Americas for Gretag which became GretagMacbeth and has now become X-Rite Inc. As technical director he oversaw the development of formulation products and was in charge of training and implementation of formulation, pressroom and color management products.

Paul’s relationship with Gretag began when he was a partner in Graphic Sciences Inc., a water-based flexo ink company based in Portland, Oregon. As Vice President for Manufacturing and Technical director he was instrumental in the growth and development of the company.

Paul hold’s a degree in the humanities from Mt. Angel Seminary in Oregon.

3:30 pm - 4:00 pm
Bob Blandford & Bob Malone, Miltec
"Trouble Shooting UV systems"

Bob Blandford has 20 years of experience in UV curing applications and UV equipment technology. He is one of the original founders and Vice President of Miltec UV, a global supplier and manufacturer of UV curing equipment and UV equipment parts. Bob has been involved in some of the largest UV system installations in the world including a seventy one lamp UV system on a single production line. Most of Bob’s experience comes from assisting customers with production issues that they have regarding their current UV systems and helping them find solutions to their problems that may include cure issues, electronic and mechanical problems or simply an understanding of their process.

Bob Malone has more than 21 years of experience in UV curing applications and UV equipment technology. Bob has been an integral influence in the Miltec UV team where he has served as a Technical Sales Engineer supporting the global sales force for the past seven years. Bob began his career as a Senior Service Engineer where he installed and serviced many UV curing systems for Aetek UV Systems for more than twelve years and then served as a Sales Engineer for three years assisting the sales force and customers with complex UV curing equipment applications.

Two-Piece Breakout Session
moderated by Mark VonBokel, Metal Container & Janelle Harris, Ball Corp.

12:45 pm - 1:15 pm
Linda M. Carroll, Color Insight Manager, Ampacet Corporation
"'Cultural Mapping' and how it relates to the use of color and special effects in packaging across multiple industries"

Linda Carroll is an expert in “cultural mapping” and how it relates to the use of color and special effects in packaging across multiple industries.

Linda has more than 30 years of experience in rigid and flexible packaging, as well as colorants and specialty additives, having worked at companies such as Graham Packaging, Sonoco, Boise Cascade and Merck KGaA. As Color Insight Manager at Ampacet, she works with consumer goods companies to support color selection in brand launches or repositioning of current brands.

Linda enjoys Chairholder status with the international Color Marketing Group, faculty status with In-Store Marketing Institute and is a member of several other international color, industry and futurist organizations.

1:15 pm - 1:45 pm
Steve Clark, Director of Marketing Services, Hansen Beverage
"Oversight of production and quality of packaging graphics."

• 42 years in the beverage industry various sales and marketing positions
• Last 16 year with the Hansen / Monster Beverage Co.
• Responsibilities include:
  › Oversight of production and quality of packaging graphics.
  › Review labels for regulatory compliance including dietary supplements and organic beverages.
  › Assist Project Managers with new product development
  › Research new beverage contract packers

• Bachelors Degree in Business, University of La Verne
• Instructor Boys Scouts of America Orange Co. Council / Chairman Troop 1814

1:45 pm - 2:15 pm
Joe Velazquez, Photoengraving Inc. V.P. Operations
"The Process and Evolution of Prepress from Files through Plates. "

2:15 pm - 2:30 pm Break

2:30 pm - 3:00 pm
Rich Harris, Technical Manager 2-Piece Metal Decorating inks, INX International Ink Co.
"Partnerships in Creating Color for Beverage Cans"

Rich Harris is the Technical Manager for 2-Piece Metal Decorating inks at INX International Ink Co. He has over 25 years experience in the ink industry, including production, formulation, and servicing a variety of printing ink systems. His current responsibilities with INX include involvement in product development, quality assurance, and customer relations.

3:00 pm - 3:30 pm
Jeff Pavelka, Development Manager, Sensory Analytics, LLC
"Film weight measurement "

Mr. Pavelka has been a leading development specialist within the global measurement solutions industry for over fifteen years, with successful industry experience at metrology, automotive and manufacturing leaders. At Sensory, Mr. Pavelka is leading the effort to create a next generation of portable and in-line coating measurement solutions for the medical device manufacturing industry.
Mr. Pavelka’s experience in thin film and surface finish measurement is extensive. In his fifteen years of driving innovation, he has acquired numerous patents, including an expanding number involving innovative sensory to measure thickness and color of anodize and thin coatings on aluminum and titanium devices and components.
Mr. Pavelka earned a Masters Degree in Technology from East Carolina University and is a frequent lecturer and advisory resource to third parties and associations focusing on these fast changing NDT coating metrology area.

4:00 pm - 7:00 pm Exhibits, Prize Drawing Giveaways @ End of session (Must be present to win.)

Day 2: Friday, May 23rd
Back 2 the Future Friday
Sponsored by the Canmaker Magazine

7:00 am - 8:30 am Breakfast

8:30 am - 9:00 am
Keynote Speaker:
Alan Sayers , Chairman, The Canmaker Magazine
"The Canmaker 20 Years Later "

9:00 am - 9:30 am
Chris J. Olson , President, Omnitech International, Inc.
"New Supply Chain Model. "

Mr. Olson led the company through the creation of a new supply chain model, designing and developing many of the components found in a two-piece line through contract manufacture and expanding its core business to include manufacturing operations for the production of a new and patented necking technology, inside coating systems, light testers and a washing system for bottle can production. These new components come together in a fully engineered DWI system called MicroFlex™ and now are the core focus of Mr. Olson’s company. MicroFlex was specifically developed to expand the DWI model to food cans, aerosol cans, bottle cans as well as beverage cans. MicroFlex is scalable to between 100 to 400 million cans per annum depending upon product and application.

Mr. Olson has been involved in the can making industry for more than 23 years and has developed a number of patents related to metal packaging designs and manufacturing systems.

9:30 am - 10:00 am
Gerd Judith , Managing Director, ACTEGA Rhenania GmbH
" Trend to full and rich colored rigid metal packaging systems drives the need for high quality full colour mixing systems caps for wine bottles. New effects (i.e. 3D coatings) for high quality packages. Coatings as tools to make metal packaging different and more attractive. Visible and invisible methods for packaging identification and tracing. "

Gerd Judith holds a Master of Since in chemical engineering from the University of Münster.
After 3 years working in the packaging division of Alcan in Germany and 7 years at a producer of packaging coatings in Germany he joined the ALTANA Group in 1997 and became Managing Director of ACTEGA Rhenania in 2001.
Since mid of 2006 he is also heading the Business Line Converting Specialties within the ACTEGA Division of the ALTANA.

10:00 am - 10:15 am Break

10:15 am - 10:45 am
Amir Novini, President CEO, Applied Vision Corporation
"Back to the Future along a 20 Year Journey on a Quest!"

This presentation discusses a personal quest for developing practical inspection solutions for decoration inspection spanning across two decades. The presentation will cover improvements in enabling technologies that has made some of yesterday’s dreams a reality today while showing examples of actual applications.

Amir has 30 years experience in the field of machine vision and is recognized and respected for his technical and commercial accomplishments. He has developed three generations of machine vision systems for applications in the automotive, defense, and food and beverage container industries. Amir has served on the Board of Directors of the Automated Imaging Association (AIA) since 1988 and as the Chairman of the Board for two consecutive terms. He also serves on the Board of Directors at the Automation Technologies Council (ATC). Amir received the prestigious Automated Imaging Association’s Achievement Award in 2002. He has authored numerous papers on machine vision and has several patents. Prior to starting Applied Vision, his previous positions included the Vice President of Marketing and Product Development at LumenX Company a division of Alltrista, and the Director of Engineering and Operations at Ball Corporation Industrial Systems Division. Amir is a graduate of North East London University with postgraduate studies at Kent State University.

Under his leadership, Applied Vision has gone from a start-up in October of 1997 to a global leader and a supplier of vision technology in the food and beverage packaging.

10:45 am - 11:15 am
Gary Jones, Director, Environmental, Health & Safety Affairs, Research Department, Printing Industries of America Graphic Arts Technical Foundation

"Sustainable Green Printing"

Gary A. Jones is the director of the environmental, health and safety (EHS) affairs at the Printing Industries of America/Graphic Arts Technical Foundation (PIA/GATF) near Pittsburgh, Pa. His primary responsibility is to monitor and analyze EHS regulatory activities at all government levels and provide representation on behalf of the printing industry. In doing so, Mr. Jones works closely with the federal and state-level Environmental Protection Agencies (EPA), Occupational Safety and Health Agency (OSHA), and Department of Transportation (DOT). He specializes in air pollution permits and control requirements, waste minimization and disposal, wastewater discharges, health and safety and other compliance related issues.

Widely considered a leading authority in his field, Mr. Jones frequently organizes and participates on industry committees or is the sole industry liaison representing the printing industry at federal proposed rulings. For state and local proposed rules, he either provides direct representation or supports the local Printing Industries of America (PIA) affiliates in their efforts to represent printers.

For PIA/GATF, Mr. Jones provides membership assistance through a variety of approaches including responding to inquiries, writing, and consulting services. He regularly presents lectures at numerous industry events and conducts workshops for PIA/GATF. In addition, he has written several publications and his “Environmental Alert” column appears in GATF’s bi-monthly technical magazine. Mr. Jones is also heading up PIA/GATF’s efforts for the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership, an organization dedicated to assisting printers respond to the customer demand for environmentally friendly printing.

Prior to joining GATF in 1987, Mr. Jones worked in the field of forensic science as an analytical chemist. He holds a BS in biology from LaRoche College and an MS in chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh.

11:15 am - 11:45 am
Grahame Hughes , Manager, Print Development, Crown Packaging UK plc
"Digital Printing"

Grahame graduated from Southampton University with a double honors degree in Chemistry and Mathematics, joining Metal Box as a graduate recruit in 1988 working for R+D in the Print and Lacquering department. He has managed material and process development projects covering a broad spectrum of the Companies metal finishing technologies, including 3 years working for the Beverage Business Research Team. He now leads the Print Development Team based at Crown's Corporate Technologies site at Wantage, UK

For information contact:

INTERNATIONAL METAL DECORATORS ASSOCIATION
Phone: 410-252-5205
Fax: 410-628-8079
E-mail: info@metaldecorators.org