Polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, is a shrinkable, plastic-like material that has been used in the flexible packaging industry since the late 1970s. It was furst used to make evidence of tampering easily detectable in pharmaceutical products. In the 1980s its use as apackaging material spread to the food and beverage industry, to discourage tampering and increase product visibility using colorful text and graphics. It also made it easier to advertise special features or promotions without changing the container"s standard packaging (ex, "Sealed for your protection" / "Buy 1 Get 1 Free"). In the "70"s and "80"s, most PVC packaging materials were imported from Taiwan, Korea, and Japan. By the early 1990s many domestic packaging companies began to promote shrinkable PVC as an affordable alternative to traditional polyethylene overwrap. As a result, PVC usage grew slowly but steadily until, in the mid-1990s, the Arizona Beverage Company designed a new line of bottles that was covered from top to bottom with a high-color shrinkable label. The public response to the new design was immediate and overwhelming and helped to generate vastly increased sales of the company"s products. At the same time that PVC and PETG packaging were experiencing their unprecedented growth, the way American shop began to change. More and more consumers began to shop at major mass merchandizing stores such as Wal-Mar, Target, BJ"s, and Sam"s Club. This has opened a new market for PVC packaging as multi-packs have become more and more common. The just-in-time delivery requirements for such packaging has drastically cut the lead time that manufacturers have to fulfill orders. As a result, it is no longer practical for PVC and PETG converters to import finished product from Asia. A converter"s ability to recommend packaging solutions and deliver finished product in one to four weeks has become critical to its success in the marketplace. Packstar"s ability to respond to manufacturer"s time-critical needs while maintaining the highest-quality product in the industry have been keys to our continued success.