M&W PACKAGING NAMED 1997 INDUSTRY OF YEAR

A relative newcomer to the Cape Girardeau manufacturing scene has been accorded the Chamber of Commerce's highest honor for industry.

Miltenberger & Willing (M&W) Packaging U.S. Inc., which opened the doors to a $41 million, eight-building complex totaling more than 147,000 square feet in early 1990, was recognized as the 1997 "Industry of the Year," at the annual Chamber of Commerce's Industrial Appreciation Dinner Thursday night.

"I am surprised," said Elden L. Lingwood, executive vice president for M&W, who accepted the giant Commitment to Excellence Award from James W. Wente, chairman of the chamber's board of directors.

In his remarks, Lingwood expressed thanks to the community, Southeast Missouri State University, to Procter & Gamble, the company's first customer, and to the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce.

Approximately 800 people attended the banquet, held at the Show Me Center on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University.

John Mehner, president and CEO of the chamber, who introduced this year's winner, briefly traced the company's history.

M&W, headquartered in Gronau, Germany, produces colorful plastic packaging, label films and another specialty laminations in roll stock and bag form.

M&W -- a subsidiary of M&W Verpackungen, Gronau, Germany, and Nordenia International AG, Munster, Germany -- opened its U.S.A. operation in 1990, with 49 employees and a $1.1. million a year payroll.

Today, the company here has 250 employees with an annual payroll of $10.8 million.

M&W was founded more than 25 years ago at Gronau, West Germany.

Procter & Gamble Paper Products Co. was the largest U.S. customer of M&W when it opened. The company also provided some packaging for Ralston-Purina Co., and Golden Cat Corp.

Today, the customer base has grown to more than 100.

Sales growth has grown over the years from $7.2 million the first year of operations to $49.7 million in 1996. The company is currently producing more than 17.8 million bags a month.

M&W representatives spent a lot of time in Cape Girardeau late 1987 and early 1989, before settling on a 30-acre tract alongside Highway 177.

In mid-May of 1989, M&W officially announced a $41 million investment in Cape Girardeau County.

Production facilities -- factory, warehouses, administration and other miscellaneous buildings -- represented $11.2 million, and machinery, including 10 bag-making machines, accounted for 29.8 million.

The plant was in production in May of 1990, with full production a year later.

The company acquired Saueressig U.S. in 1995. Saueressig, which had located inside the M&W complex in 1990, provided engraved printing cylinders for the M&W rotogravure presses.

This gave the company a big step ahead of its competition by providing the customer full service quality packaging from the separated artwork to the completed production, the only organization in the U.S., or Europe, with these capabilities.

The factory today is listed among the top 50 industries in the Southeast Missouri area, with more than 250 employees.

This year's Chamber of Commerce Industrial Banquet event marks the 10th year for the industrial dinner.

Thorngate was last year's industry of the years. Previous winners were Spartech Corporation, 1995; Florsheim Shoe Company, 1994; Dana Corporation, Spicer Axle Division, 1993; Southeast Missourian, 1992; Biokyowa in 1991; Procter & Gamble in 1990, Lone Star Industries in 1989 and General Sign Co. in 1988.

The award was presented following remarks by Steve Rizzo, who has gained fame as "The Laugh Master," an entertainer with a message.

Rizzo, who has appeared as a headliner at comedy clubs throughout the nation during the past 16 years, grew up on the streets fo Brooklyn, and has degrees in English, Education/psychology.