LLFlex – a global leader in packaging materials and industrial laminate solutions for the consumer packaging, building & construction, and wire & cable industries, has hired Allen Smith as Director of Product Management. Mr. Smith will manage the company’s product portfolio, assist in new product development and coordinate commercial growth initiatives with the Business Segment Leaders across LLFlex’s two main business segments, Packaging and Industrial Laminates.
Before joining LLFlex, Mr. Smith was Product Manager for global packaging materials supplier Constantia Flexibles; prior to that, he served nearly a decade as Product Development Engineer for International Converter, a Novolex business which makes flexible packaging and industrial laminates. Earlier in his career, he held marketing and engineering roles with Reynolds Flexible Packaging and Alcoa Flexible Packaging, respectively.
Mr. Smith joins LLFlex during an expansion period: the company recently began production at a 73,500-square-foot fully integrated manufacturing facility in High Point, North Carolina. The new plant houses high-speed, premium-efficiency equipment for custom laminating, coating, embossing, and slitting to address growing product demand. The facility utilizes state-of-the-art automated slitting and packaging robotics to provide short lead times and customized solutions.
For the company’s Packaging segment, which includes solutions for the tobacco, consumer and healthcare markets, new laminators with multiple coating stations and new slitting assets provide additional annual capacity of more than 70 million lbs. of product. These assets supplement – and provide supply chain risk mitigation for – LLFlex’s existing Louisville facility by manufacturing innerfoil and printed innerframe for tobacco packaging, laminated folding carton stock, label and base stock for lotto/gaming, laminated convolute canister stock and many other unique products for various packaging applications.
For the Industrial Laminates segment, which caters to the wire & cable, building & construction and other industrial markets, a new laminator with multiple coating stations and dedicated slitter are complemented by an advanced steel, copper and aluminum cable wrap production cell which adds upwards of 60 million lbs of annual capacity.
“Allen brings years of experience in management, engineering and marketing flexible materials products to the Company and will be a highly valuable asset as LLFlex expands and our growth plans kick into high gear,” said Victor Dixon, CEO of LLFlex. “With the spacious new North Carolina facility providing LLFlex additional space and infrastructure for production growth – as well as a regional warehouse, distribution and logistics center – Allen’s expertise and leadership will help maintain our exemplary reputation for product innovation and quality.”
Mr. Smith earned a Bachelor’s in Industrial Engineering from Auburn University, and a Master’s of Textile Technology from the Institute of Textile Technology. He resides in Byesville, Ohio.
About LLFlex, LLC
LLFlex, LLC is a leader in packaging materials and industrial laminate solutions for the building & construction, wire & cable, and consumer packaging & other printable substrate markets. The company has manufacturing operations in Kentucky and North Carolina. LLFlex has sales and supply chain offices in the US, UK and China and markets its products through its network of global agents and partners.
LLFlex’s extensive laminating experience with various substrates makes them a preferred supplier of materials for many consumer product industries. LLFlex manufactures various paper, board, foils, films, metallized and holographic laminates for flexible packaging applications such as folding carton basestock, lotto/gaming board, convolute canister stock, gift wrap and various other applications. The company is North America’s largest supplier of cigarette inner liner materials and also produces printed innerframe.
For the building & construction sectors, LLFlex provides a full line of laminated insulation and radiant barrier facers designed to meet the industry’s requirements for gas & moisture barrier, product adhesion, reflectivity, durability, and longevity. For the wire & cable industry, the company’s line of cable armor, wraps and tapes includes mono and co-ex layered film formulations using proven, high quality resins throughout the structure for consistent, reliable long-term performance. For more information, call (800) 634-3645 or visit www.llflex.com.