With all visits to the RETAL PA factory in Donora cancelled due to coronavirus, the team decided to make a virtual tour instead...bringing RETAL to the community.
HR Manager Elizabeth Giecek explains how the video is a great way to stay in touch with the people of Donora, especially because tours had been planned for high school students from Monessen High School, just across the river from RETAL PA. Elizabeth says, “It is really important for us to keep in contact with our community, now more than ever, as we can all feel isolated. We were looking forward to taking students from Monessen on a tour of our facility as we are always keen to engage with potential employees and show them the range of careers available at RETAL PA.”
Production Manager Matthew Durka takes us on a virtual factory tour of the plastic packaging producer's Donora plant, which employs 40 people across its 140,000 sq ft site, which opened in 2016 after taking over the Spartech Polycom location. His upbeat presentation and in-depth knowledge of the facility makes him the ideal host for the video, not least because he's worked at RETAL PA since it opened. Elizabeth adds, “We joke that Matt came with the building because he actually worked at Spartech Polycom for 14 years before we took over the space! We don't know what we'd do without him; he really knows his stuff and we're delighted that comes across in the video.”
Filmed at the start of the pandemic but before masks were obligatory, the tour shows how production continued even with reduced staff and social distancing rules. The friendly, informative video is being used to show potential customers the various technical capabilities at RETAL PA as well as being an excellent showcase for career opportunities for the local community.
Watch the video here on RETAL's YouTube channel.
Aerial images by RPA president Darius Janulionis thanks to RPA process engineer (and pilot!) Greg Murrer.
With all visits to the RETAL PA factory in Donora cancelled due to coronavirus, the team decided to make a virtual tour instead…bringing RETAL to the community.
HR Manager Elizabeth Giecek explains how the video is a great way to stay in touch with the people of Donora, especially because tours had been planned for high school students from Monessen High School, just across the river from RETAL PA. Elizabeth says, “It is really important for us to keep in contact with our community, now more than ever, as we can all feel isolated. We were looking forward to taking students from Monessen on a tour of our facility as we are always keen to engage with potential employees and show them the range of careers available at RETAL.”
Production Manager Matthew Durka takes us on a virtual factory tour of the plastic packaging producer’s Donora plant, which employs 40 people across its 140,000 sq ft site, which opened in 2016 after taking over the Spartech Polycom location. His upbeat presentation and in-depth knowledge of the facility makes him the ideal host for the video, not least because he’s worked at RETAL PA since it opened. Elizabeth adds, “We joke that Matt came with the building because he actually worked at Spartech Polycom for 14 years before we took over the space! We don’t know what we’d do without him; he really knows his stuff and we’re delighted that comes across in the video.”
Filmed at the start of the pandemic but before masks were obligatory, the tour shows how production continued even with reduced staff and social distancing rules. The friendly, informative video is being used to show potential customers the various technical capabilities at RETAL PA as well as being an excellent showcase for career opportunities for the local community.
Watch the video here on RETAL’s YouTube channel.
Aerial images by RPA president Darius Janulionis thanks to RPA process engineer (and pilot!) Greg Murrer.
This news on Manufacturing Today
RETAL is delighted to be able to donate customised film and expertise to the innovative Robotikos Mokykla to help create over 70,000 masks for healthcare professionals on the frontline of the coronavirus.
RETAL Baltic General Manager Vikorija Jureviciute responded to an online shout-out from the non-profit organisation, which provides innovative technical education for children. “I saw an article where Robotikos described their need for films to create PPE masks for people in at-risk jobs during coronavirus in Lithuania. I knew we could help as we are film experts! I contacted them straight away to offer our films and design and production expertise. My team was so motivated to help, it has been a very positive experience.”
Robotikos has coordinated volunteers for cutting the masks with lasers as well as to provide safe collection and delivery to the ambulance workers and medical staff that need them. Viktorija and her team's quick response saw regular production of its PET and rPET films and preforms slightly delayed over one weekend while they tested various options to create the best possible film for the masks.
Viktorija adds, “More people than ever before are needing to use PPE masks; not only those in hospitals but increasingly those in production of essential food and beverages too. RETAL is delighted to be able to offer our skills and resources to this crucial protection of key workers, and I personally am grateful to Robotikos for managing this important project.”
While nobody predicted the global coronavirus pandemic, now it's here we can make sure to learn lessons that support and strengthen our businesses from now on. Part of the 'new normal' will be to ensure that heightened best practice is maintained across manufacturing, helping to protect our people and our profits.
Global plastic packaging solutions provider RETAL has cleverly adapted its cross-factory quality management protocol to allow all its 17 facilities to stay effective and operational throughout the crisis, with no known cases of coronavirus in its over-1500 employees.
Instigated by RETAL's European & US Quality Director Renata Smataviciene, the QM protocol document was already in place for RETAL's largest Lithuanian factory, offering a detailed risk management for the active promotion of a healthy and efficient workplace. Working in cooperation with general managers, Renata quickly adapted this risk management document for each of the RETAL factories, allowing the specific circumstances of the different factories to combine with the Quality Management Best Practice she created.
The protocol includes strict documentation, keeping shifts totally separate, implementation of extra hygiene practices, a dedicated isolation room at each factory, a plan for potential infection of an employee either while at work or at home, and guidance for staying connected to colleagues and the wider company using appropriate technology platforms.
Renata says, “It will be very important to agree on what did and did not work. We will be able to create a detailed document that delivers clear protocol on how we can handle such unusual circumstances so that what we have learned is not wasted. We will also discuss and plan for what happens when everything goes back to normal, which is not as easy as it sounds! By having crisis management protocol in place with each facility documenting their own experiences, we can transpose this to other situations if needed.”
Read the press release on Manufacturing Journal.
Read / download the press release in PDF
RETAL – Donation of customised film for coronavirus masks
Retal donates customised film and expertise to the innovative Robotikos Mokykla to help create over 70,000 masks for healthcare professionals on the frontline of the coronavirus. Retal Baltic General Manager Vikorija Jureviciute responded to an online shout-out from the non-profit organisation, which provides technical education for children. “I saw an article where Robotikos described their need for films to create PPE masks for people in at-risk jobs during coronavirus in Lithuania. I knew we could help as we are film experts! I contacted them straight away to offer our films and design and production expertise. My team was so motivated to help, it has been a very positive experience.” Robotikos has coordinated volunteers for cutting the masks with lasers as well as to provide safe collection and delivery to the ambulance workers and medical staff that need them. Viktorija and her team’s quick response saw regular production of its PET and rPET films and preforms slightly delayed over one weekend while they tested various options to create the best possible film for the masks. Viktorija adds, “More people than ever before are needing to use PPE masks; not only those in hospitals but increasingly those in production of essential food and beverages too. Retal is delighted to be able to offer our skills and resources to this crucial protection of key workers, and I personally am grateful to Robotikos for managing this important project.” (April 15, 2020)
Effective internal communications for a global company brings many advantages but can be hard to implement and maintain. With various stakeholders and their differing needs, creating an engaging communications strategy is an opportunity for commercial and organisational goals to be met. Global plastic packaging manufacturer RETAL shares how developing its intranet has been both more difficult and more rewarding than it expected.
For traditional manufacturing companies, the understanding of what effective communications are and why they’re necessary can be the first hurdle in developing a communications strategy. Different stakeholders can see the value of communications in opposite terms, with the ROI hard to quantify, especially in the short term. Yet the cost of poor internal communications may only be seen when it’s too late, so proposing, agreeing to, and, crucially, getting the budget for, a corporate intranet is the first hurdle.
RETAL PA in Donora, Pennsylvania was delighted to host a Women's Business Enterprise Center East Industry Day this December.
With the aim of supporting and promoting women-owned businesses by connecting them with corporations and Government suppliers, the WBEC organisation actively encourages incorporating Diversified Suppliers to connect and network.
RETAL PA's Finance Manager Anthony Langel and HR Manager Elizabeth Giecek were instrumental in contacting WBEC to see how the company could positively promote Diversified Suppliers in its supply chain network. Giecek says, “We work with a number of leading global brands that put great emphasis on working with vendors that support Diversified Suppliers, so we were keen to learn more and see how this positive initiative could be mutually beneficial, while helping to promote this excellent organisation in our local community.”
Langel continues, “WBEC East’s President reached out to see if RETAL PA would be interested in hosting its latest Manufacturing Industry Day, which is a round table discussion with panelists representing local companies and potential vendors that are all WBE (Women Owned Businesses).”
The morning-long event included a Meet & Greet, Q&A session and a presentation from RETAL, as well as a tour of the facility and a shared lunch. Langel notes, “We were very happy to be complemented on our bright factory as well as our commitment to taking steps to incorporate diversified spend into our supply chain.”
The RETAL team was pleased to report that the event identified potential vendors that will help to bring more diversification to RETAL PA, supporting its promise to global brands and enabling a more inclusive workplace.
BrauBeviale 2019 highlighted the sustainability potential of collaboration across the beverage value chain, with the RETAL team proud to present its tethered closure solutions alongside innovation ideas from key industry stakeholders.
European Marketing Manager Mariya Ushakova says, “There was a great energy at BrauBeviale 2019; everyone knows that sustainability is crucial to our ongoing success, both as businesses and as individuals, so to see exciting products and solutions from the whole of the beverage industry value chain was inspiring.”
RETAL presented its two patented tethered closure solutions at BrauBeviale, with plenty of samples available to illustrate how the expertly-designed tethered caps are both responsible and easy to use, particularly as they have a smooth edge that makes drinking more comfortable for end users. The whole range of RETAL's established portfolio was also available.
RETAL's stand was created by certified-sustainable trade fair construction company Mesomondo, who confirmed that RETAL's stand was CO2 neutral.
Ushakova adds, “We would like to thank everyone that came to visit our informative stand; it was good to see customers and potential customers and talk about our tethered closures as well as discussing the issues that are impacting on us all. It feels like a new wave of collaborative understanding of how we can all support the circular economy and RETAL is delighted to be a part of it.”
Tethered closures are a hot topic in the packaging industry. Global PET, rPET and HDPE packaging producer Retal has invested considerable time and resources to creating innovative tethered closures that are both responsible and easy to use.
Tethered closures from Retal are suitable for water, carbonated soft drinks and aseptic products. By ensuring that the lid is not separated from the bottle, they reduce contamination of recycling collections and help to support the circular economy by retaining materials and reducing waste. The Retal tethered closures are also intended to provide enhanced convenience for consumers thanks to the way in which it opens, creating a smooth contact.
Aleksandr Kachanov, R&D director at Retal, explains, “We gained the patent certificates in June 2019 for our tethered closures; our unique solution allows the sharp edge to stay towards the bottle once it’s been opened, rather than towards the mouth of the consumer. Retal is one of very few closure manufacturers that has developed and invested in this special solution – it’s the embodiment of the Retal dedication to creating responsible solutions that are user-friendly. It’s not just a response to the EU SUP Directive; our tethered closures aide consumer convenience as they’re easy and comfortable to use.”
The patented tethered closures have tested both injection moulded and a slit folded solution, with the design team lead by Kachanov creating prototypes that have been subjected to numerous strict tests. He says, “After extensive modifications to each solution, we focused on the injection moulded tethered closure as the majority of our closure moulds use this, making it a more cost-effective offer for our global food and beverage customers, particularly as our technical expertise is also more proficient in this area. Our brand owner customers and bottlers are unlikely to need investment in new solution when they chose tethered closures from Retal.”
Retal’s packaging development expert Anton Sugoniaev shares how the intense testing phase has enabled the company to create an injection moulded tethered closure solution that addresses the core concerns of its customers and the consumer. Sugoniaev says, “There are limitations to the possible tethered closures, so they will all be similar, yet this is where the potential for differentiation is exciting; small changes deliver big advantages, particularly when it comes to consumer convenience. Our solution delivers a secure fixation of the closures next to bottle’s neck instead of allowing them bounce and turn around.”
Initially created for the standard 1881 caps, the Retal tethered closure portfolio will extend across its range.
Read / download the article (PDF)
Read online version on PETplanet
The first of RETAL’s clean up events took place in Cyprus, on 12 October, with over 30 volunteers removing plastic waste from the coastline to be repurposed into meaningful products.
Joining forces with international Waste Free Oceans, RETAL employees and their families collected discarded plastic waste from the Lady’s mile area coast in Limassol, highlighting the role of plastic packaging companies in the fight against plastic pollution.
The group of volunteers was bolstered by 13 members of the RETAL-sponsored Apollon Ladies’ Football Club, including vice president George Ollandos, who were delighted to join together with RETAL and WFO to show how a strong team spirit helps make challenging situations far more positive.
RETAL’s clean-up event was combined with the annual Environment & Recycling Festival in the Molos area of Limassol, with the strapline ‘Build Good Habits’ aiming to raise public awareness. Here, RETAL’s stand offered ‘Raising Awareness’ brochures, with many local people visiting the stand to discuss recycling, circular economy and future of positive plastic. Hagai Golan, RETAL Cyprus General Manager, says, “This was a true team event; bringing together RETAL people, WFO and the Apollon Ladies F.C. made for an impressive group that showed how positive action can create a ripple effect. The festival was also an excellent opportunity to show our local community what RETAL is doing to mitigate our environmental impact.”