Meet Mike
Michael Hoffman has been with Constar since 1995, beginning his journey with the company as vice president of Operations. In 2002, he was promoted to president and CEO and has led the company ever since. Mike has more than 20 years experience in packaging. Prior to Constar, he was a director of Crown, Cork & Seal’s Aerosol Manufacturing division. Before that, he worked at various Crown manufacturing facilities as a plant superintendent and manager. Mike gained additional experience at the Continental Can Company. Mike is a graduate of the University of Delaware where he earned Bachelor's of Science degrees in Mathematics and Psychology. When not working, Mike enjoys fishing, golfing and skiing and is a relentless NY Giants fan! He's been known to reward himself with an icy cold energy drink after working out. |
Straight Talk from Our CEO
To Our Stakeholders,
It has been a momentous year for Constar. On May 29, 2009, Constar successfully completed the pre-arranged debt restructuring that was launched in the last days of 2008. Constar emerged with a healthier balance sheet, lower interest costs, and the improved confidence of its customers. We are very grateful for the support we received from our bondholders, customers, vendors and employees during the last year. With this fresh start, we are determined to deliver attractive returns to our investors by leveraging our proprietary packaging technologies and operational expertise to deliver sustainable, cost effective and consumer-preferred products to customers around the world.
Building on our history of accomplishments in barrier technology, we recently obtained U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for our newly reformulated DiamondClear® oxygen scavenging technology. With this latest improvement in the technology, we can package virtually any oxygen-sensitive food or beverage product in a lightweight PET container with DiamondClear. With glass-like clarity and a robust monolayer structure, PET containers with DiamondClear are the “clear choice” for companies looking to convert from glass or multi-layer plastic containers.
Retailers and consumers drive ever-increasing demand for sustainable packaging. We believe that Constar is especially well positioned to meet sustainability requirements without sacrificing performance. Our panel-less Vertical Compensation Technology™ (VCT™) enabled LiDestri Foods, a premier U.S. manufacturer of pasta sauces, dips, and salsas, to complete a conversion program for 45 oz Pasta sauces that reduced packaging weights. This marked the first commercial application of Constar’s VCT technology in a wide-mouth, hot-fill PET container. Constar has successfully commercialized our X4™ panel-less technology for use in packaging hot-fill beverage products. Containers with X4 technology provide the visual and tactile appeal of traditional bottles in a sustainable, unbreakable, and lightweight format.
In the midst of a global recession, however, we are also acutely aware of the challenges all companies face in this environment. With reduced consumer spending, we are implementing cost reduction initiatives designed to offset declining market trends in our base beverage business. This is a continuous effort that undergoes regular review and competitive evaluation.
I thank you for your steadfast support of Constar. Constar's technologies continue to open doors around the world and we are excited about the potential growth opportunities.
All the best,
Mike Hoffman
President, CEO & Director
Constar International, Inc.