Hormel accepts 2010 PMT Packaging Line of the Year award.
Press Release Summary:
PMT Magazine presented its 2010 Packaging Line of the Year award to Hormel Foods' Progressive Processing, LLC facility in Dubuque, Iowa, for its Hormel® Compleats® line. Facility uses non-irrigated landscaping; controlled lighting, heating, and cooling; heat- and water-recovery processes; and more than 36% recycled construction materials. Multipond scaling system replaces hand-filling ingredients, while Raque line tracks containers throughout system and can seal 240 microwave meals/min.
Original Press Release:
Hormel Accepts 2010 PMT Packaging Line of the Year
Progressive Processing plant recognized for efficiency, innovation & execution
Arlington, Va.; - PMT Magazine today presented its 2010 Packaging Line of the Year award to multinational manufacturer and food product marketer Hormel Foods' Progressive Processing, LLC, facility in Dubuque, Iowa, for its Hormel® Compleats® line.
"We were impressed with the engineering and sustainability innovations Hormel Foods put in place at the Progressive Processing plant, which have increased production substantially while decreasing water and power usage by 25 percent," said Charles D. Yuska, president and CEO of PMMI, which publishes PMT magazine.
Sustainable Innovation
The Progressive Processing plant is one of the first manufacturing plants to achieve any level of Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) certification, Yuska also noted. The facility, which opened last January, achieved LEED Gold Status in July.
"For a facility to have reached LEED Gold Status in such a short period of time really tells you a lot about the innovative engineers working there," Yuska said.
Sustainable design and construction features encompass everything from engineering to landscaping:
The site: Non-irrigated landscaping was developed with native, low maintenance vegetation.
Lighting: Controls monitor daylight, occupancy and schedule to provide the amount of light needed in a specific area at a specific time. In non-refrigerated areas of the plant, skylights and multi-level lighting provide natural light and reduce energy consumption.
Heating and Cooling: Temperature controls work much the same way as the lighting controls, using room sensors to identify needs and usage.
Heat- and water-recovery processes: Sophisticated processes include recovering heat from the blow down water in the boiler system, and using the captured water for flushing toilets.
Construction materials: The facility was constructed using materials with more than 36 percent recycled content.
Sustainable Productivity
Productivity and efficiency improvements make the most of available technology:
A Multipond scaling system replaces hand-filling ingredients.
A fourth-generation Raque line uses servo motors and controls to track containers throughout the system, and can seal 240 microwave meals per minute - 33 percent more than the third-generation machine.
Progressive Processing which uses a system developed by Hormel Foods' Engineering Research & Development team to visually inspect each seal area for foreign material before sealing. After sealing, an X-ray system inspects the container for foreign material within the product.
PMT's Packaging Line of the Year Award is open to lines that have been installed or renovated within the previous 12 months. PMT editors and Editorial Advisory Board members evaluate entries based on criteria including the line's contribution to the company's business plan, innovation, the use of floor space/layout of the line and the integration of machinery to optimize productivity. PMT first presented the award in 2005. To learn more about PMT's Packaging Line of the Year, watch for the cover story in the November/December issue of PMT Magazine.
Previous winners:
2005 - Kraft Foods
2006 - Green Mountain Coffee Roasters
2007 - Swisher International
2008 - Ste Michelle Wine Estates
2009 - Barry Callebaut
About PMMI
PMMI is a trade association of 560-plus member companies that manufacture packaging, processing and related converting machinery in the United States or Canada; machinery components and packaging containers and materials. PMMI's vision is to be the leading global resource for packaging, and its mission is to improve and promote members' abilities to meet the needs of their customers.
PMMI organizes the PACK EXPO trade shows: PACK EXPO International, PACK EXPO Las Vegas and EXPO PACK México, connecting participants in the packaging and processing supply chain with their customers around the world. Coming Up: EXPO PACK México at Mexico City's Centro Banamex, June 21-24, 2011, and PACK EXPO Las Vegas at the Las Vegas Convention Center Sept. 26-28, 2011.
Learn more about PMMI and the PACK EXPO trade shows at PMMI.org and Packexpo.com.
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