Reporter Clips
- Published: May 01, 2001, By Edward Boyle, Contributing Editor
Narrow Web Converting Industry News
Label Adds “Pop” Plus Info to Shamrock Dairy Products
FARMINGDALE, NY, USA—Seal-It Inc. is printing eye-popping graphics on the full sleeve labels for Shamrock Farms Dairy.
Reverse gravure printed in eight colors, including a metallic silver, the heat-shrinkable sleeve label reportedly enhances the Shamrock product and offers strong shelf appeal. The Seal-It label completely covers a container that is reminiscent of silver milk pails from years ago. A large splash of milk appears in a color that is complementary to the flavor. The 360-deg label has room for nutrition facts, bar code, ingredients, tag line “Farm Fresh,” and graphically designed “mmm milk.” The labels are used on the single-serve and quart-size milks.
Mark Andy Announces Acquisition of Comco
CHESTERFIELD, MO, USA—Mark Andy, a leading mfr. of narrow web presses, has acquired Comco, headquartered in Milford, OH. Mark Andy president John Eulich made the announcment at a news conference on April 4, explaining that Comco in recent years has concentrated on film and folding presses. “That is why,” explained Eulich, “we knew this would be a good fit. There is very little overlap. The strengths of the two companies fit together superbly.”
The manufacturing operation of Comco will remain in Cincinnati, and the product lines will remain separate, although Eulich said there may be some common modules.
He noted that Mark Andy will now standardize all of its UV lamps with equipment from UVT, a Comco co.
Eulich added that the impact of the acquisition may be even bigger internationally than it will be in the US, since Mark Andy has a strong presence overseas, while Comco has had problems establishing such a presence. Comco will now have the benefit of the strong Mark Andy sales presence around the world.
Eulich emphasized that Comco's educational seminars have been very successful and will continue.
“There are good reasons for consolidation and bad reasons for consolidation,” Eulich summed up. “There were good reasons for this consolidation.”
Steinbeis Adds National Label's Battery Label Div.
LAFAYETTE HILL, PA, USA—National Label Co. has sold its battery label division to the Steinbeis Packaging Group, Holzkirchen, Germany. These operations will be owned and operated under the name Steinbeis Packaging LLC. National Label, with manufacturing facilities in Pennsylvania and Puerto Rico, is one of the world's largest label manufacturers. It supplies advanced technologies in label manufacturing for battery, beverage, cosmetic, health care, and personal care product manufacturers and marketers.
The Steinbeis Packaging Group, with headquarters in Germany and three major manufacturing facilities located in Europe, will manage the combined battery label manufacturing operations of both companies.
The company now will have multiple European and North American manufacturing facilities and is planning to open a state-of-the-art facility in Asia within 24 mos.
Matik N.A., ILMA Sign Agreement
WEST HARTFORD, CT, USA—Matik North America has signed an agreement to represent ILMA in the US, Canada, and Mexico. Matik is the exclusive distributor for Goebel, OMET, Codimag, and other premier manufacturers in the paper processing industry. ILMA is a Swiss-based mfr. of combination letterpress, flexo, screen, and foil stamping presses for the production of high quality labels, especially the new Model 420 for narrow web flexible packaging.
Mineral Springs Reaps Profits with Digital Press
PETERSBURG, PA, USA—John Adamonis, VP of the Mineral Springs Bottled Water Co. has been selling high quality water under the Mineral Springs label for more than a decade. For the past four years, Mineral Springs also has been producing “private label” water for everyone from top fashion designer Ralph Lauren to NBC, MTV, HotJobs.com, and other major corporations. It's a part of the business that's become increasingly profitable, Adamonis says, thanks to the recently installed Indigo Omnius WebStream digital offset color press.
“If we were doing 1,200 labels with a conventional four-color process, it would run us about 24 cents a label using an outside printer,” Adamonis says. “With the Omnius, we can knock them out for about two or three cents [each].” The imaging and registration is wonderful. So is the crispness and clarity of the colors. But specifically, we went with the Omnius because of its ability to do short runs at a reasonable cost, and because of its versatility when it comes to printing on a variety of substrates.”
Mineral Springs, which began printing private labels in 1996, is now one of the only water companies with a fully staffed in-house graphics department — as well as one of the few that fills not only private label large quantity orders but also those as small as 120 bottles. It has a network of “co-packers” around the US and Canada that helps it quickly fill a rising volume of requests for private label spring water.
“We started out as a typical bottled-water company,” Adamonis explains, “and then we started getting inquiries from people who wanted their own labels. But many potential customers would call up and say, ‘I want 200 bottles or 2,000 bottles,’ or whatever. To have an offset print job done on anything under 10,000 labels, with a four-color process, not only took weeks but was also prohibitively expensive.”
After investing in a toner-based digital printing system—which allowed them to print cut-and-stack economy labels but not much else — Mineral Springs decided to switch to Indigo's digital web-fed Omnius WebStream press, which runs both p-s and non-p-s stock. Adamonis says the WebStream's ability to produce a clear label with reversible imprints is another definite advantage, as is its speedy production time — an important requirement for Mineral Springs' customers, which range from large pharmaceutical firms to hotels, restaurants, and colleges.
Supplier Information
Indigo America Inc., Woburn, MA; 781/937-8800
TLMI Releases Revised P-S Standards Manual
NAPERVILLE, IL, USA—The Tag & Label Mfrs. Inst. (TLMI) has released a newly revised edition of its guide, “A Manual of Recommended Standard Test Methods For P-S Labels.”
The TLMI Standards Manual, complete with testing methods for both paper and film substrates, includes more than 60 different test methods, ranging from substrate properties, such as stiffness and ink adhesion, to performance properties, including heat and chemical resistance. The cost for the manual is $49, plus shipping, for TLMI members. The nonmember fee is $149, plus shipping.
In addition to research by the subcommittee itself, the new Standards Manual also includes information developed by other industry sources, such as the FTA, TAPPI, and ASTM.
To order the manual, sign on to the TLMI web site at tlmi.com/literature/standard.html, or contact TLMI headquarters at 630/357-9222; fax: 630/357-0192; e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Dunsirn to Distribute for Forest Alliance
NEENAH, WI, USA—Dunsirn Industries announces that Forest Alliance has named Dunsirn exclusive distributor of its products for the narrow web flexographic market. As a result of this distribution agreement, printers can order Galerie Card paperboards directly through Dunsirn's Rapid-Roll program.
To order or receive samples of Galerie Card, contact Dunsirn Industries' RapidRoll Customer Service at 800/743-2424; e-mail: rrinfo@dunsirn; web: www.dunsirn.com.
TLMI Coaches Members to Persevere
PEBBLE BEACH, CA, USA—The February converter meeting of the Tag & Label Manufacturers Institute in Pebble Beach, CA, offered members tools to help them persevere as they face challenging struggles on their way to the top of the heap.
Themed “If it's so lonely at the top, why can't I get there myself?”, the meeting recognized that none of the members had accomplished their goals without the strength, wisdom, and support of others. As meeting chair Jim Valestrino of Los Angeles Label Co. pointed out, “Indeed, if you really think it's lonely at the top, you've probably done something wrong along the way — and may not be at the top at all!”
While the tag and label business traditionally has enjoyed consistent growth over the years, some members admitted that it was now time for examining new markets to supplement slowing growth. This meeting tended to exhibit an unusual, albeit slight, edge of uncertainty, somewhat damp-ening the typically optimistic tone of TLMI.
Some members confessed that as new ways of doing business have materialized with the advent of e-commerce, such as bidding for jobs on line, maintaining such growth has been difficult. In fact, some feel that participating in such bidding wars has done nothing but reduce the value of their products to a commodity item with a low price tag, ignoring quality altogether.
Held in one of the most beautiful geographic regions in the world (“Big Sur country”), the meeting's locale served to refresh the spirit (PFFC was in attendance). Speaker Dr. Denis Waitley, recognized as a world authority on high-level achievement and personal excellence, addressed “Being the Best: A Change Master and Future-Proof Leader.” He offered action steps on how to out-think, outperform, and outlast the competition. He also coached members on how to plant the seeds of greatness in themselves, their associates, and their families.
Ed Gale of Franklin Intl. and Cameron Wright of Printech summarized their research on “Developing Industry Trends,” the name of a new committee spearheaded by past president Suzanne Zaccone. Promising opportunities, they explained, exist in the pharmaceutical, medical device, and related healthcare markets. One market observation cited by The Pointcast Network in a commentary and analysis on the pharmaceutical industry states, “Globally, the over-65 population is forecasted to rise from 380 million to over 690 million by year 2025, according to a World Health Organization study.” Involvement in these markets, including those of neutraceuticals, should provide many growth opportunities for labels, folding cartons, and flexible packaging.
Motivational speaker Art Berg talked about how “The Impossible Just Takes a Little Longer.” Originally diagnosed as a quadriplegic in 1983 after a car accident, Berg coached members on how to fulfill their dreams in the face of virtually impossible odds. The result was a standing ovation.
The last speaker, Dean Scarborough, president and chief operating office of Avery Dennison, identified the two most important issues facing the tag and label industry: growth and profitability. He admitted the slowing economy has affected profitable revenue growth, with flat to declining economic growth for the last three quarters. Doing business for tag and label converters in a world economy has been complicated by added cost pressures imposed by customers; the elimination of multiple suppliers; a need for global supply; e-commerce; the demand for more innovation; and the challenges of alternative decorating methods.
Fortunately, said Scarborough, the fundamental drivers of growth are still intact. While the easy scapegoat for slowing business is an inability to maintain growth in a mature market, the wiser and more productive response is to examine not market share but market demand. In other words, companies must think in terms of enlarging the pie instead of their share of the pie.
Scarborough was so convinced of the necessity for this mindset change that, upon concluding his presentation, he gave each TLMI attendee a free copy of Every Business is a Growth Business by Ram Charan and Noel M. Tichy. He explained that this book was responsible for changing his understanding of profitable growth and hoped that others could benefit from its fresh perspective.
