DULUTH, Georgia - April 19, 2001

With an eye on the environment and its bottom line, Marion Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company of Marion, Illinois, has purchased a new, simple-to-use pallet stabilization system from Nordson Corporation (Nasdaq – NDSN). The new system has enabled Marion Pepsi to reduce material and operations costs, streamline production processes, and minimize environmental waste.

Previously, cases of Pepsi were glued with large strips of adhesive, then stacked on pallets and secured by manually wrapping each pallet with multiple layers of stretch-wrap. The new pallet stabilization system from Nordson allows Marion Pepsi to palletize and secure its cases with small beads of hot melt adhesive, eliminating the use of stretch-wrap from the packaging process and subsequently the waste stream. The system’s precise bead deposition has also reduced Marion Pepsi’s use of adhesive from two cases a day to just one case a week.

Adhesive beads applied only to the corners of Pepsi cases provide slip resistance, eliminating shifted loads before and during shipping. Pallets also maintain stability on partial and mixed pallets, reducing potential accidents caused by products falling from high-rack storage, better protecting employees and customers.

By eliminating the manual stretch-wrap process, Marion Pepsi has reduced man-hours and labor costs formerly dedicated to the task of stretch wrapping. Employees are now able to focus on other line responsibilities, increasing yields and efficiencies.

According to Bob Bourque, production manager, “We couldn’t be happier with the Nordson system. This new equipment ensures that our pallets are extremely secure during transport and storage, providing a superior level of protection for our employees and customers, and we’ve more than made up for our investment due to the material and labor cost savings we’re experiencing. Also, by eliminating stretch-wrap from our process, we’ve reduced environmental waste, which is important to us as a community citizen.”

For more information about pallet stabilization systems, contact Nordson Corporation, 11475 Lakefield Drive, Duluth, Georgia 30097. Telephone: 800-683-2314. Fax: Toll Free 866-667-3329.

Nordson Corporation is the world’s leading producer of precision dispensing equipment. Nordson systems apply adhesives, sealants and coatings to a broad range of consumer and industrial products during manufacturing operations, helping customers meet quality, productivity and environmental targets. The company also manufactures technology-based systems for curing and surface treatment processes. Headquartered in Westlake, Ohio, Nordson has direct operations in 31 countries and 4,250 employees worldwide.