CHICAGO, IL – October 18, 2001 – When Smith Dairy of Orville, Ohio needed a distinctive new look for its packaging, the company turned to Portola Allied Tool, the specialized business unit of Portola Packaging, Inc., that provides turnkey design and manufacturing services for a broad array of blowmolding applications.

In business since 1909, Smith is the largest independent dairy in Ohio. The family owned and operated company is a full-line dairy producing an array of cultured products, such as cottage cheese, sour cream and dips as well as ice cream, juices and drinks. With two plants, one in Orville, Ohio and the other in Richmond, Indiana, Smith has more than 500 employees. The company manufactures products under its own name, as well as the Moovers® brand, a line of single-serve beverages, and Ruggles® Premuim Ice Cream. Smith also offers private label manufacturing.

Karl Kelbly, production manager at Smith Dairy, explains that the company is constantly aiming to stay at the forefront of industry innovations. When it was decided that a new look was needed for its one gallon juice and milk containers, Smith consulted Portola Allied Tool. “As the discussions unfolded,” says Kelbly, “we realized that Portola, with their specialized design services, would be able to deliver something that would give our products a unique look and separate us from other products on the shelf.”

Pat Taylor, engineering manager at Portola Allied Tool, says that increased consolidation and competition in the industry have caused many companies to take a more customized approach to design. “New capabilities such as sleeve labeling allow these manufacturers to increase their advertising and marketing efforts in ways that weren’t possible before. Portola Allied Tool helps customers tap into the full range of possibilities and take advantage of new technologies.”

“We needed a container for milk and juice that would be able take either a sleeve or standard paper label, while still maintaining top load and capping well,” says Kelbly. “We also wanted a new design that would help us with our branding efforts.”

The result is the ‘Super Jug,’ a container that has become a Smith original and features starburst detailing at the base of the neck. The containers are yellow to protect the flavor and nutrient value of the milk.

With sleeve labeling, Smith Dairy can now implement a range of cost-effective advertising programs. “Portola Allied Tool helped us look at all our options and get the most ‘bang’ for our investment. With the new containers, we can do co-branding, cross-marketing and couponing, right on our own products,” he added.

Working closely with Smith, Portola Allied Tool took the design from concept to finish, producing prototypes using PRO E/3-D modeling. The company also provided integration services to ensure that the new containers would work seamlessly with Smith’s existing closure systems. Portola Allied Tool produced a total of 14 molds for Smith Dairy for use at their two plants as well as that of a contract manufacturer. “Portola volume corrected, tested and installed them,” says Kelbly, who was impressed with Portola’s full-service approach to their specifications. “Even though this could be considered a relatively small project for Portola Allied Tool, they still gave us their full attention,” he notes.

Portola Packaging, Inc. is one of the world’s largest suppliers of plastic closures and related equipment used in the dairy, bottled water, fruit juice and institutional food industries. Portola can provide a complete capping system; supplying both the closures and application equipment designed to work together for optimum performance. Headquartered in San Jose, California, Portola has more than a dozen manufacturing facilities worldwide. Portola Allied Tool is located in Michigan Center, Michigan serving customers throughout the world with 35 full time employees and numerous machining operations.

For more information on Portola Packaging, Inc. and its products, contact Portola Packaging, Inc., 890 Faulstich Ct., San Jose, CA 95112, 800-227-7627 or fax 408-453-8462 or online at www.portpack.com.

®Moovers and Ruggles are registered trademarks of Smith Dairy.