Business Management - Industry Trends

DALLAS, Texas—RSI ID Technologies (RSI), an RFID tag manufacturer and systems integrator, announced the release of two specialty RFID-enabled retail displays. The Pressiza Jewelry and Eyewear displays combine item-level RFID tracking and RFID-based access cards to maximize loss prevention and provide retailers with unprecedented asset visibility. For the first time, retailers can account for all items on the sales floor in real-time. Employees can access the Pressiza Jewelry and Eyewear displays by using an RFID access card. Based on the privileges set for each individual, they are either granted or denied access. When access is granted, the employee’s ID number is stored in the

CHARLOTTE, N.C.—SATO America, Inc., a global leader in barcode printing, labeling, and EPC/RFID solutions, today unveiled the new GL4e series for medium-duty industrial applications. As an RFID-ready printer, it is field-upgradeable offering flexibility and scalability to meet end users’ RFID printing requirements anytime. Only the GL4e series offers a field-upgradeable UHF RFID option; an industry-leading printer management utility; SATOnet CONNECT; standard tri-port communication protocols of RS232C serial, IEEE1284 high-speed parallel and USB 2.0 plus LAN and 802.11g Wireless LAN as options; an “automatic detection system” to conveniently switch between 203 dpi (GL408e) and 305 dpi (GL412e) print resolution; an Online Barcode Verifier (OBV)

NAPERVILLE, Ill.—Tag and Label Manufacturers Institute (TLMI) announced that seven of the association’s label-converter members have won first place awards in the World Label Association Awards Competition. The awards were formally presented at the recent TLMI Converter Meeting in Naples, Fla. In its 17th year, the winners of the World Label Association Awards Competition are chosen from a group comprised of first place winners from association label competitions around the globe including TLMI, the Japanese Label Foundation (JFLP), FINAT, and the Australian Label Association (LATMA). Label samples from companies are judged against each other in a variety of categories to determine the “World’s Best

NAPERVILLE, Ill.—Tag and Label Manufacturers Institute (TLMI) announces seven of the association’s label-converter members have won first-place awards in the World Label Association Awards Competition. The awards were formally presented at the recent TLMI Converter Meeting in Naples, Florida. In its seventeenth year, the winners of the World Label Association Awards Competition are chosen from a group comprised of first-place winners from association label competitions around the globe including TLMI, the Japanese Label Foundation (JFLP), FINAT, and the Australian Label Association (LATMA). Label samples from companies are judged against each other in a variety of categories to determine the “World’s Best Labels.” TLMI converter

PALO ALTO, Calif.—HP announced that it set new records in digital printing in calendar year 2006, surpassing several milestones that signify an acceleration in its Indigo digital press business, including: number of annual impressions printed on HP Indigo surpassed 10 billion; single-month record with more than 1 billion impressions printed in November; and HP Indigo year-over-year impressions grew by 40 percent. According to industry analyst firm InfoTrends, overall U.S. revenues for digital presses in the high-volume, “1M+ average monthly impressions” category is expected to grow from $3.5 billion in 2006 to $13.5 billion by 2010. “HP is addressing industry market growth by continuing to

Pressure-sensitive materials have staying power. Because of the many functional and decorative possibilities pressure-sensitive materials offer to meet consumer demand, it should not come as a surprise that most converters are heavily involved in the conversion of these substrates. While the food segment makes up a majority (almost 20 percent) of the pressure-sensitive market, beverage labeling—with an emphasis on clear film labels—accounts for 15.6 percent, according to the Tag and Label Manufacturers Institutes’s (TLMI) North American Label Study 2007. And, with more concern directed toward brand protection in recent years, there has also been a growing need for tamper-evident labels, according to the study.

The tag and label industry continues on a steady path of change. It wasn’t too long ago that primary product labeling meant one of two decoration formats—pressure-sensitive or glue-applied paper labels. But with major inroads being made by film materials and competition from other product decoration methods, tag and label printers find themselves dealing with a multitude of challenges and opportunities. Corey Reardon, president and CEO of AWA Alexander Watson Associates, acknowledges the changing landscape of the tag and label industry. “Product decoration and identification has become a much broader platform in recent years, with the two macro technologies—pressure-sensitive and wet glue labels—now

There’s a lot of the action in the package-printing industry coming from the flexible packaging sector. You can’t go into a supermarket these days and not see some new packaging configuration for products that previously had been packaged in a different form—tuna fish in a flat pouch, drinks in stand-up pouches, frozen foods in plastic bags—just to mention a few. From a printing and converting standpoint, even some of the more trendy labeling applications require press and converting capabilities geared toward the processing of flexible, unsupported materials. These include shrink sleeve labeling, in-mold labeling, and even pressure-sensitive film labels. It is not surprising

UNIVERSITY PARK, Ill.—MPI Label Systems was recently recognized by Berry Plastics as the first Berry Exceptional Supplier Team (B.E.S.T.) award recipient in the labels division. The award is a result of MPI’s outstanding product quality, continuous on-time delivery and cost-saving ideas. “Being nominated as a “BEST” supplier was quite an honor,” said John Holley, MPI Illinois general manager. “Our employees work hard to meet and exceed the quality expectations that all our customers have. To be showcased like this means our hard work is paying off.” MPI was presented with a trophy for excellence at a dinner provided by Berry. Randy Kocher, MPI president,

NAPERVILLE, Ill.—Tag and Label Manufacturers Institute (TLMI) announces the publication of the 2007 edition of the North American Label Study (NALS). NALS 2007 provides an up-to-date overview of the pressure-sensitive label and product decoration market. The study gives TLMI member companies—both converters and suppliers—access to market data and analysis to facilitate decision making in areas that may be critical to future business growth and profitability. TLMI President Frank Sablone comments, “Our members need and value the regular update that our NALS study—now in its sixth edition—provides.” The NALS 2007 delivers an assessment of the market structure for pressure-sensitive labels and other labeling and product