Looking Forward to the Next 30

From left: Andrea Pontarollo, president of Lorpon Labels and her father Bob Pontarollo, the company’s founder.

In the 1950s, the Pontarollo family left the town of Bassano del Grappa in Northern Italy in search of new opportunities. Upon reaching North America, the family planted its roots near Toronto, where Bob Pontarollo, the eldest of two sons, eventually began his career in sales.

Pontarollo became passionate about providing his clients with quality labels, on-time delivery and application support. In 1985 he mustered the courage to launch Lorpon Labels in Toronto. Thirty years later, Lorpon Labels has established a highly experienced next generation leadership and the capital equipment to drive the business forward.

“I knew the label industry was a great way to provide for my family and be a leader,” Pontarollo, the company’s CEO, says. “I haven’t made any bold decisions over the years — never tossed the dice with any of the choices that needed to be made. Our last decision made to invest in digital printing was not daring. Our business had a need for it, and we made the purchase.”

Family Affair

With his wife Lorraine at his side to manage the finances, Pontarollo carefully scaled his business.

“I would not be here without her,” he says.

He began the company with a small, one-color press at his home.

After a few years in operation, Bob Pontarollo’s mother, Rose, lent him the money to purchase Lorpon Label’s first three-color press, a key milestone in driving the business forward.

“She had always given me the encouragement I needed to launch the business and keep it prospering,” he says.

After doubling in size consistently through the 1990s, both in sales revenue and operational space, Lorpon Labels purchased an eight-color Mark Andy flexographic press in 2000. Today, Lorpon specializes in manufacturing labels and narrow web flexible packaging for food, beverage, health and beauty and many other segments using a fleet of seven flexographic presses and one digital press.

Andrea Pontarollo, Bob’s daughter, has since joined the family affair and has completed her first year as the company’s president. She caught “label fever” at an early age — she was six years old when the company started — and was groomed to take over leading the business, having gained some professional experience outside of the industry.

“We have a very strong next generation leadership team in place,” Bob Pontarollo says. “The people around me are the best and I trust them 100 percent.”

Andrea Pontarollo explains that in her first year as president, she was encouraged by the company’s drive to provide all employees with a sense of involvement.

“It’s been an incredible first year serving as president,” she says. “I think the most incredible characteristic of our business is that we don’t run a dictatorship. Everyone has a say, and the feeling of being part of a family is felt throughout our operation.”

Next Gen

Lorpon Labels entered the world of digital label printing at the end of 2014, purchasing an HP Indigo WS6800 digital press.

“The decision to go to digital was easy to make because it is the future,” Bob Pontarollo says. “At this stage, I wanted to prepare my daughter and everyone around us for future stability and growth. As a professional salesman, in order to be successful you need the tools. Without the tools you can’t be successful.”

In September 2015, Lorpon Labels rebranded, updated its website and began full-time promotion of its new digital printing capabilities. The company refreshed its logo and website to reflect its advancement over the past 30 years. The changes also forecast how business will be conducted in the label industry as purchasing habits evolve among consumers, young label buyers and brand managers. Though Lorpon Labels mostly produces pressure sensitive labels, it is slowly moving into short runs of flexible packaging by following strategic marketing plans. 

The Lorpon Labels team celebrated the company’s 30th anniversary in 2015.

“I think the way the Pontarollos have run the business is much like an extension of their family,” Jeff Sommer, Lorpon Labels’ vice president of business development, says. “They have been great in making the changes we needed to make the company more relevant and more active, and we’ve already experienced new opportunities.”

Lorpon Labels has had little time to celebrate its 30th anniversary. With the installation of the new digital press and the fluctuation between Canadian and U.S. currency to manage, the small business has focused on reacting quickly in a competitive landscape.

“We have always tried to obtain the best in people and maintain the tools we have to support them, which allows us to pursue excellence,” Pontarollo says. “I don’t have any regrets. I’m very proud about what I’ve built and confident that our team has the assets required to continue finding success.”