Rollguard to showcase long life reusable cradles at Pack Expo International, Oct. 31 - Nov. 3, 2010 (2)

Rollguard® to Feature Long Life Reusable Foam Cradle at Pack Expo
Beats combination pallet/cradle product for customization, protection and cost efficiency

APPLETON, Wis., Sept. 8, 2010 — Rollguard®, part of Great Northern Corporation’s Specialty Group, will be showcasing its long life reusable foam cradles in booth 7501 of Pack Expo International, Oct. 31-Nov. 3, 2010, at McCormick Place, Chicago.

The long life reusable foam cradles that will be featured in the Rollguard booth this year are engineered specifically for long-term use.

"The durable construction gives these roll cradles a superior memory capability that allows them to retain their shape longer while delivering protective functions that are superior to EPS or other foam cradles on the market," said Rollguard General Manager Rob Swannell. "That makes these cradles ideal for manufacturing and converting operations that would benefit from highly durable, long-lasting cradles for their material handling and storage functions and during work in progress stages."

Rollguard's new long life reusable foam cradles support this hydraulic cylinder, which can weigh from 3,500 to 7,000 pounds depending on whether it is filled with fluid. Cylinders like this one have oil industry and military applications.

The cradle presents a clean surface without the beading that can occur with other foam products, but still has a slight texture that helps prevent slippage. It also can be manufactured with a protective lip for additional protection against slippage.

The long life reusable foam cradles offer several distinct advantages over plastic cradle/pallet combination products, Swannell said, including customization capabilities, cost-efficiencies and cushioning characteristics that compare favorably to the heavy, expensive and limited size choices offered by competitors.

"Our long life foam cradles are highly customizable to meet specific customer needs, allowing us to provide more tailored solutions than alternative options such as combined cradle/pallet products," said Swannell. "We can quickly and easily custom fabricate our cradles to accommodate nearly any size, shape or storage configuration, and there is no minimum order size."

Rollguard's long life reusable foam cradles also are more cost-effective than combined pallet/cradle offerings when it comes to shipping and storage, featuring lighter weights and better nesting capabilities. The cost-effectiveness extends to design.

"Most manufacturers and converters already have an abundance of pallets," said Swannell. "We don't see the justification for buying and storing a combination cradle/pallet when what you need is a customized roll cradle solution."

The durable foam also provides better cushioning and product protection than the plastic cradle/pallets, especially for heavy products and those with delicate finishes.

In addition to its long life reusable foam cradles, the Rollguard booth also will feature its full line of economical and fully recyclable Recycled Fiber roll cradles, its Thermoformed high-impact polystyrene (HPDS) plastic cradles, and its EPS Foam roll cradles. Rollguard is the only manufacturer to offer roll cradles in all three materials — recycled fiber, plastic and foam.

Rollguard also is extending complimentary passes to exhibition attendees. "We're inviting those with an interest in protective packaging for rolled or cylindrical products to be our guest at this year's Pack Expo," said Swannell. "Go to www.packexpo.com and click on Register. Enter our guest password — 86Y56 — in the Attendee Registration form to receive complimentary registration pass." Fifty complimentary passes are available on first-come, first-served basis.

Joining Rollguard in booth 7501 at Pack Expo will be Laminations®, a leading national manufacturer of laminated paper products such as VBoard®, UCrate® and UChannel® for the shipping, packaging and warehousing needs of industry. Like Rollguard, Laminations is part of Great Northern’s Specialty Group.

Rollguard® is the industry-leading developer and supplier of sustainable protective packaging systems for rolled and cylindrical products. It offers the broadest selections of stock sizes of foam, recycled fiber and plastic roll cradles. Major product lines include Rollguard® EPS Foam, Recycled Fiber, Narrow Fiber, Full Roll and Thermoformed cradles