Rochester, NY – The Global Packaging Alliance (GPA) held its annual meeting in Cape Town, South Africa during the week of February 4, 2008. With members convening from all over the world, the yearly event was a much-anticipated chance to discuss strategies and goals, and provided an opportunity for the alliance to evaluate potential partnerships in the African market.

Members discussed packaging trends in their respective markets and shared the latest developments in their operations, including investments, technical advancements, materials, and productivity.

GPA members spent the latter part of the week visiting several facilities in Cape Town and Johannesburg to assess which companies best complement the GPA’s current network in terms of management philosophy, technical capabilities, and markets served.

“South Africa represents a unique opportunity for the alliance to expand its network and ability to better serve customers,” said Dave Semrau, director of business development of Diamond Packaging and treasurer of the GPA. “We hope to announce a decision to add a new partner within the next few weeks.”

The Global Packaging Alliance is an international organization of independent packaging experts proficient at managing all aspects of the supply chain. With state-of-the-art production facilities and logistics centers around the world, the GPA provides responsive, localized service, award-winning creative designs, identical product specifications and consistent brand recognition, resulting in unparalleled global packaging support. Members include:

• Diamond Packaging - Rochester, NY, USA
• rlc | packaging group - Hannover, Germany
• Colorpak Limited - Melbourne, Australia
• Gonçalves SA Indústria Gráfica - Sao Paolo, Brazil
• Polygrafoformlenie - Flexo - St. Petersburg, Russia
• Yau Bon Offset Printing - Quarry Bay, Hong Kong
• Cartmont - Tlalnepantla, Mexico
• Kumar Printers - Gurgaon, India

GPA members practice packaging management geared toward the needs of international companies, including Bayer, Beiersdorf, GlaxoSmithKline, Kraft Foods, L’Oreal, Nestlé, Procter & Gamble, Schering Plough, and Unilever. This includes designing and producing innovative paperboard and plastic packaging, as well as providing logistical services such as fulfillment and POP management. The GPA’s goal is to support clients in launching new brands or products, while significantly reducing time-to-market.

 For more information about the Global Packaging Alliance, contact Dennis Bacchetta at (585) 334-8030 x229 or visit the website at www.global-packaging-alliance.com.