Smithers Pira Packaging Expert Speaks about Effects of Rail Transport on Packaging in Webinar

AKRON, Ohio - Nov. 4, 2016 - PRLog -- Smithers Pira announced today that Michael Kuebler, Technical Director at the company's Lansing, Michigan laboratory, will be a panelist on the "Rail Surges Ahead" webinar presented by Food Logistics magazine on November 9, 2016.

Rail has emerged as a cost efficient and sustainable addition to the transportation mix for many food and beverage manufacturers. However, freight transported via rail can be subjected to shipping hazards that differ from truck transportation, which can result in increased damage rates for food, beverages and other consumer products.

Kuebler guides a team of packaging experts who analyse how certain supply chain environments affect a given package.

"Michael has led our work, developing test programs to analyze a product's journey from plant to shelf, to identify packaging weaknesses and to prevent damage from occurring," said James Popio, Vice President, North America for Smithers Pira. "As the use of rail in the consumer product supply chain increased, our experts have frequently worked with manufacturers to quickly identify the root cause of damage to packaging and create cost savings for our customers."

Kuebler (http://www.smitherspira.com/experts/michael-kuebler) serves as the Testing Council Chair for the International Safe Transit Association (ISTA) to help the industry identify best practices and testing procedures that will efficiently support the packaging development process. He graduated from the School of Packaging at Michigan State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Packaging Engineering.

The webinar will also include speakers from Honeywell and Florida East Coast Railway and is scheduled for Wednesday, November 9 at 1:00 p.m. EST. For more information and to register, please visit the event website (https://event.on24.com/eventRegistration/EventLobbyServle...).

About Smithers Pira

Smithers Pira is the worldwide authority on packaging, paper and print industry supply chains. Established in 1930, the company provides strategic and technical consulting, testing, intelligence and events to help clients gain market insights, identify opportunities, evaluate product performance and manage compliance. The Smithers Pira Distribution Testing Service Center in Lansing, MI serves key industry verticals such as the food and beverage, medical and automotive markets in North America. Please visit www.smitherspira.com for more information.

About The Smithers Group:

Headquartered in Akron, Ohio, The Smithers Group includes Smithers Apex, Smithers Avanza, Smithers Pira, Smithers Quality Assessments, Smithers Rapra, and Smithers Viscient. Each Smithers Group company provides technology-based services focused on a defined market. As a group, the diversity of market sectors and technologies provides stability and a platform for long-term growth. By integrating science, technology and business expertise, Smithers goal is to add value throughout the life cycle of our clients' products, by utilizing testing, consulting, information, and compliance services. All Smithers companies are known by their clients as Trusted Providers of Innovative Solutions. For more information, visit www.smithers.com.