Size & Stature
Lisa Milburn, managing director Labelexpo Global Series, urged attendees to “Future proof your business.” She pinpointed concepts like workflow automation and shrink sleeve technology, and suggested, “Explore the future reflecting the extraordinary innovations we are increasingly seeing in our industry; especially true of automation and flexible packaging—set to become the fastest growing segment.”
15th Label Industry Global Awards
Innovations by Avery Dennison, Dow Chemical, Hamillroad Software and RotoMetrics received 2019 Label Industry Global Awards at Labelexpo Americas.
Specifically, Alex Knott, Dow Chemical, stood before 300+ celebrants and accepted the R. Stanton Avery Pioneer Award. Alex is a senior scientist and leader of a global team that pioneered the latest innovations in pressure-sensitive silicone release liner coating technology, including the introduction of Dow’s Flat Release Systems. This technology revolutionized high speed, low coating weight, high performance and labelstock release liner production. It’s credited with helping drive down silicone coating costs.
Hamillroad Software took home the Award for Innovation (companies up to 300 employees) for its new product solution, Bellissima, which combines the best-of-breed technologies of plate, anilox and screen. The system, a winner of FTA’s 2018 Technical Innovation Award, is a set of Digitally Modulated Screens (DMS), developed and optimized specifically for flexo. Imaged at 4,000 dpi, Bellissima provides a high level of image reproduction (more than 300 lpi equivalent), with no screen or content moiré.
RotoMetrics captured The Award for Innovation (companies with more than 300 employees), for its RotoRepel, a revolutionary non-stick coating that’s available on its solid and flexible cutting dies. This technology minimizes adhesive pick-up and transfer and has resulted in significant benefits, including: improved press efficiency, presses running faster, significant reduction in downtime, longer tool life, waste reduction and lower tool costs.
Flint Group Narrow Web sponsored both Innovation Awards.
Avery Dennison won the Award for Sustainability, stemming from having partnered with EcoVadis, a leading sustainability performance rating solution, to operate a collaborative dashboard providing sustainability ratings and performance improvement tools for the global supply chain. The platform delivers simple and reliable scorecards to monitor supplier best practices. In total, 21 internationally recognized sustainability criteria are reviewed and separated into four criteria themes: environment, social, ethics and supply chain.
When all was said and done, she reported that the 16th edition of the biennial trade show was the largest in its history. A total of 487 exhibitors were spread across the biggest floorspace yet, at 203,642 sq. ft., with almost 30 percent of exhibitors new to this year’s show. Re-sign rate approached 85 percent for the 2020 edition. Attendance topped 16,400, with visitors from 86 different countries passing through the doors.
Tasha Ventimiglia, Labelexpo Americas event director, said: “The tremendous feedback we’ve had from exhibitors and visitors alike at this year’s Labelexpo Americas demonstrates that there’s a real momentum in the industry right now. That was reflected in buyers’ moods, with numerous sales achieved on the show floor and a strong international focus… More fascinating innovations than ever before, providing even more choice for buyers, and the significant increase in exhibitors, really shows that press manufacturers and the industry supply chain are upping their game.”
Federico D’Annunzio, strategic product marketing director, Bobst, shared similar thoughts when interviewed. “The quality of attendance at the show was very high. It was not only a U.S. show—we had very steady international traffic—so it met our objectives.”
Juan Da Silva, AVT director of sales for the Latin American region, echoed the observation: “This is not a local show, this is an international show! People that speak many different languages, from many different regions, share the same goal, which is to actually improve quality and lower cost.”
Ed Dedman, flexo technical support/product manager, Zeller+Gmelin, commented, “Tuesday and Wednesday were probably the best two trade show experiences I can recall in my almost 40 years in the industry. The number and quality of the visitors in our booth were exceptional!”
Tom Alba, vice president, Mark Andy Print Products, reported, “As the largest consumables business in North America, our inaugural reception to the show was well-received and has recommitted our efforts to maximizing prepress and pressroom efficiencies for our customers.”
Some spoke directly to feature elements of the event. For example, Dr. Paulo Vieira, research and development director, Flint Group Narrow Web North America, who led the master class session on inks, coatings and varnishes, said: “The Label Academy master class program provided a unique, open forum to discuss fundamentals of label, inks and printing technologies, as well as main challenges and trending market scenarios, aligning knowledge to practice, making it a true instrumental tool for excellence in printing.”
Micheal Lane, CEO, The Meyers Printing Companies, who took part in the CEO panel discussion on day one of the show, added: “Clearly we are in a good economic cycle; people are buying. This show is as good as any I’ve ever seen. And there’s more options, more solutions, than perhaps ever. This whole idea of digital and flexo melding together to create different solutions than [what] existed before, is an example of where technology is going.”
Federico seconded the opinion. “The U.S. market is developing toward a digital perception of the workflow. We’re flexo and digital at the same time.”
Innovation Trendline
Guillaume Clement, president for Narrow Web, Flint Group, acknowledged, “The industry is doing well. Everybody is looking for the next step and asking: ‘What’s coming?’ ‘What is the extra mile?’ ‘What more can we deliver?’… Recognizing innovation is always so important in our industry; we cannot stand still.”
Craig Moreland, president and CEO, Coast Label Co, stood among many who cited the entrepreneurial and innovative nature of the industry. “Things are constantly improving, constantly evolving—sometimes even products that have been around for many years… There is always a better machine, a better labelstock, a better ink coating coming… Equipment is more sophisticated. It runs faster. It makes better products. It produces less waste in the process. It’s more automated. It’s easier for operators to learn to use and easier for them to get great results. Improvements that happen each year are noticeable and appreciated.”
David Lukshus, chief operating officer, Cog, while speaking in one conference session, mentioned stronger engagement with brands and innovative applications as trends driving business decisions. “Prototyping graphic extensions—two to 10 years out for P&G” is what David spends his days on. Without giving away any secrets, he noted, “Flexibles are hot, CPCs are moving away from rigid packages to create more premium luxury effects.” He proclaimed, “Exciting stuff lies ahead—including inflatable flexible packaging.”
Dean Wimer, chief executive officer, WS Packaging Group, indicated that today’s converters are stressing “brand consistency, no matter the substrate; no matter the application.” He decreed, “Our No. 1 concern is SKU proliferation. We’re marketing differently to the client base than ever before!” Dean offered an example: “360-degree advertising on sleeves has rendered the application a more value-added product than traditional labels. Today, there are 2,000 label converters in the U.S., but only a few hundred are shrink sleeve specialists.” His recommendation: “Challenge big boy production. Know what you’re doing.”
Kristin Yerecic Scott, marketing director, Yerecic Labels, admitted, “We are in a print industry that has wasteful effects on the environment. Consumers care about that. Brand owners care about that. It’s the right thing to do for us to also care about it… It’s good to see that we’re on the right track. We feel like we’re on top of innovation… Automation is always great. It helps us to see how we can improve efficiencies and pass savings on to our customers.”
Geert De Proost, director solutions marketing, Esko, observed, “If you truly want to innovate and help those in the industry, it’s important to have a message that connects with businesses. You also have to show tangible technology. People come to Labelexpo to see it happening, in practice, on the show floor.” An innovator’s task, he stressed, is to, “Make it happen! Make it real, concrete, and tangible—especially when it’s software.”