Canadian packaging specialist Ellis Paper Box has always placed its customers at the heart of its business philosophy. To further improve the services offered to international pharmaceutical com-panies, a new Omega Allpro 90 folder-gluer was installed last spring and is now in production at the 5,600m² (60,000sq.ft) facility in Mississauga (Ontario).

“We have developed a successful reputation as one of the most valued manufacturers in the pharmaceutical industry, because we understand and respect its demanding standards,” says company president Dave Ellis. “Our customers are constantly challenging us with unique value-added features. We listen carefully in order to understand what drives their business. And we have learned a lot in that way – from packaging engineering considerations to distribution issues. We have recognised that, to be truly different from our competitors, we need to provide these services under one roof.” When Duran became part of the Koenig & Bauer family at the end of 2018, Ellis took a very close look at the Omega Allpro line. “We had been interested in the Omega for some time,” he says. “Duran possesses more than 30 years of experience in the designing and manufacturing of folder-gluers in various formats and configurations. And market share gains have established the company as one of the leading manufacturers in its field. We had purchased Iberica die-cutting technology the year be-fore, so it seemed to be the right time to install also an Omega. I believe Koenig & Bauer will continue to be a very important partner to the Ellis Group for many years.”

President Dave Ellis is proud to own the first Omega Allpro 90 in Canada

Extremely versatile

Ellis was attracted to the Omega Allpro because it handles such a wide range of substrates, up to and including corrugated board. At the same time, it is extremely versatile and capable of producing a complex spectrum of carton styles – pairing minimal makeready with high productivity and profitability. Allpro folder-gluers produce straight-line, double-wall, crash-lock and 4-/6-corner packaging, and optionally also inner-partition, Z-fold, conical crash-lock and CD boxes, at speeds up to 400m/min (1,312ft/min). All Omega gluers feature touchscreen control panels and routers for remote diagnosis purposes, and are built for strength and reliability. “As we continue to grow our market share, we have added new business with new requirements,” says Ellis. “In the past, we had to outsource some of this work. But since the installation of the Omega, we can keep all our finishing in-house. The machine is very quick in makeready and delivers very high quality. It has been running so well that we are yet to make a service call.”

“We have developed a successful reputation as one of the most valued manufacturers in the pharmaceutical industry, because we understand and respect its demanding standards.”

Dave Ellis, company president

The finishing department occupies a large share of the Ellis facility in Mississauga An Optima can be seen behind the Allpro

Well-honed quality process

Ellis prides itself on a well-honed quality process and expertly trained employees. Pharmaceutical manufacturers look for well-organised, clean facilities with an emphasis on Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), a system to ensure that products are manufactured and controlled according to consistent quality standards. The objective is to minimise the risks involved in pharmaceutical production. Dave Ellis: “Our success is in part due to our commitment to the industry, to our employees and to our relentless efforts to remain the most progressive carton company in Canada. We possess full inhouse capabilities to control all aspects of structural design, the proofing process and die-making. Our three-phase electronic verification is critical to our assurance of full responsibility for product quality and GMP compliance. In other companies, the folder-gluers are often undervalued and underutilised. But for us, they are an integral part of our quality system and value chain.”

Traditions in packaging production

All three facilities which make up the Ellis Group are located in the Toronto area. Ellis Packaging has its headquarters in Pickering, on the shores of Lake Ontario, while Ellis Packaging West is to be found further south and inland in Guelph. The facility in Mississauga, south of Toronto, is an unmistakeable two-storey glass building. Founded in 1946, the Ellis Group today counts more than 250 employees. The company is specialised in packaging for the food, confectionery, pharmaceutical and beverage industries. Ellis has acquired an excellent reputation for its designing, production and distribution of carton packaging. Its customers are above all North America’s major brand-name companies.

Interesting website:

www.ellispkg.com

Eric Frank

Background photo: The Allpro 90 in its full glory