MeadWestvaco Raises the Bar for SBS / Coated Cover

MeadWestvaco, a leader in high-quality coated covers, today announced it has redesigned its popular Tango® coated cover line to offer even better performance and enhanced styling. The new line, called Tango Advantage, creates a competitive edge for merchants, printers and end customers who value outstanding reliability and exceptional performance. Tango Advantage’s clean-white styling is the first enhancement customers will notice. This unique styling was selected based on an extensive global study on styling preferences completed in early 2007. The study indicated that printers and end users clearly prefer styling that is described by many as being "clean white” in appearance, compared to competitive cover grades that were ranked lower because they were too blue, yellow or grey. Before finalizing the new styling targets, Tango Advantage samples were tested for ease of getting to color, accurate color reproduction on press, and fade resistance over an extended shelf life. Tango Advantage performed superbly through all of these tests, indicating that the clean-white styling would serve to enhance the products’ performance. Barry Calvert, MeadWestvaco’s commercial print technical manager, says styling is only part of the story. "Tango Advantage is about more than improved styling,” he says. "Our market research continues to show that what our customers value most is outstanding runnability and consistency, and that’s why we’ve responded with further expansion of a Six Sigma® production methodology that has significantly increased the consistency of our Tango Advantage products from run to run.” That consistency translates into greater runnability. Field complaints for the Tango cover line during the past year were down to less than one-third of one percent – that’s practically trouble-free. Even with remarkably few complaints, Calvert says the company isn’t satisfied with almost perfect. "We have a relentless pursuit for perfection,” he says. "We are continuing to explore new ways to refine our manufacturing process since runnability is so important to our customers.” MeadWestvaco’s awareness of customers’ needs makes it possible to achieve the ultimate combination of performance and aesthetics in Tango Advantage. "Being responsive to our customers helps us deliver what they need to profitably grow their business,” says Kevin Clark, MeadWestvaco’s commercial print business manager. "Tango Advantage’s better runnability and consistency translate to lower printing costs and improved customer satisfaction as jobs are completed on time and under budget. Tango Advantage’s improved aesthetics translate to a finished printed piece that enhances brand image to drive top-line sales for the end customer. That’s value, and that’s the Tango Advantage competitive edge.” Tango Advantage coated cover is available as a C1S in 8, 10, and 12 pt calipers with a 9 pt available as a making grade and as a C2S in 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 22, and 24 pt calipers, with both 9 and 20 pt calipers available as making grades. For more information contact Amida Mehta, marketing manager, at (804) 201-2317, or contact your local MeadWestvaco sales professional or merchant representative. About MeadWestvaco MeadWestvaco is a global packaging company that delivers high-value packaging solutions and products to the world's most recognized companies in the food and beverage, media and entertainment, personal care, home and garden, cosmetic and healthcare industries. The company also has market-leading positions in its Consumer & Office Products, Specialty Chemicals and Specialty Papers businesses. MeadWestvaco, with operations in more than 29 countries, has been selected for the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes, and manages all of its forestlands in accordance with internationally recognized forest certification standards. For more information, please visit www.meadwestvaco.com.