Artist
- Alan MacBain
#6 Bonnie Lane
Collegeville, PA 19426
610-489-3641
alanmacbain@aol.com
Sponsor
- Sealstrip Corporation
103 Industrial Drive
Gilbertsville, PA 19525
www.sealstrip.com
610-367-6282
Artist Alan MacBain, cartoonist for the Pottstown Mercury, is a popular caricature artist and illustrator. Alan’s fans enjoy his humor and unique approach to life in general; he’s someone who sometimes enjoys bending the rules, someone who is always curious about what will happen next to challenge him.
Provoking a smile is Alan’s goal, and he certainly achieved it with his collection of Bear Fever bears: “Celia,” sponsored by Sealstrip Corporation; “Bubbles,” sponsored by O’Brien Gere; and “Booboo,” sponsored by Prince Law Firm.
Bear Fever finds Alan when a call for a Disney-esque, Looney Tune or comic aspect is requested; he’s not afraid to change the face, utilize Magi Sculpt or other materials to create a desired effect.
When Paul commented on the Disney effect of “Bubbles,” Alan said, “I’ll take that as a compliment; I applied the classic Disney template….” (I didn’t know there was such a thing as a Disney template! I love learning!) ~jane stahl
About the Sponsor: Sealstrip Corporation
“Making Packaging Easier since 1967” serves as the company’s motto. Sealstrip Corporation has an intriguing history of developing new ideas for easy opening and resealable packaging. Some of these ideas have revolutionized convenience packaging and has often been ahead of their time in the marketplace.
Sealstrip's roots began with Formatron, founded in 1959, by Pat Forman. Intrigued by the new shrinkable film introduced by DuPont, he built and patented the first Automatic L-Sealer for shrink packaging.
In the late 1960's, in response to customer requests for an easy open system for shrink packaging, Pat Forman invented Shrink-String. Shrink-String was applied around the product, on the inside of the shrink film, by a Shrink-String applicator and provided an easy open for shrink packaging.?In 1967, Tearstrip Systems, Inc. was formed.
In the mid 1970's, Shrinktape was developed; the company was located in Conshohocken. In the late 1970s, in response to a customer request, the Sealstrip Resealable Package was developed. Sealstrip provides easy open, reseal and tamper evident features.
In 1979, Sealstrip Corporation was formed with Pat Forman as president and our first resealable product: Sealstrip. The two companies, Tearstrip Systems and Sealstrip, worked together, answering consumer demands for easier packaging. The systems include pressure sensitive tapes and the applicator/converting equipment to create the convenience features for flexible packaging.
In 1990, the company relocated from West Conshohocken to Boyertown. In 1994, FreshPak was developed. In 1995, Peelwrap was developed. In 1996, Jo Anne Forman became president of Tearstrip Systems and Sealstrip; there were 22 employees.
In 2002, the two companies merged and have since been providing easy open and resealable features as Sealstrip Corporation.
In 2005 OpenEasy and Peel&Seal products were developed. In 2007, Heather Chandler was named president of Sealstrip.
In 2009, Sealstrip relocated from Boyertown to the current location in Gilbertsville and currently has 44 terrific employees and celebrated its 25th anniversary with a prestigious Open House and ribbon cutting.
Sealstrip’s primary markets served are food, medical devices, pet food, and personal care industries. The Gilberstville facility is newly renovated and with an approved land development plan for this location, Sealstrip forsees continued future grown. In addition to serving the USA market, Sealstrip exports to Japan, Western and Eastern Europe, China, Australia, Canada, and Mexico.
Over the years, we have counted some of America's largest and best known companies as our customers, such as Kellogg's, Kraft, Keebler, Pillsbury, Breyer's, Gillette, Nabisco, Becton Dickinson, Corning and Glaxo.??The company growth has been measured and deliberate, and we have experienced the ups and downs of the consumer economy over several decades.
We are proud of our many long-term relationships with employees, customers, and suppliers. As we thrive through the 21st Century with new innovative solutions, we look forward to our continued success, stability, and growth