Grand Rapids Label expands leadership team

Before joining Grand Rapids Label, Bergstrom was president of ThinkWise, a pure technology and data shop, where he was responsible for operations, team building and organizational strategy. Bergstrom has also spent more than 10 years as national sales manager at Terryberry, where he helped build and manage a high-performance sales force and developed employee recognition programs for thousands of clients ranging from small family businesses to Fortune 500 companies.

‘Grand Rapids Label is one of only a handful of companies in the industry that can offer customers a high caliber level of performance and customization,’ said Bergstrom. ‘Our goal is to engineer winning solutions by thinking differently about the value our labels can provide.  I’m really excited about the opportunity and it’s an honor to be a part of such a strong brand.’

Bergstrom replaces Crosby, who held that position from 2007, having joined Grand Rapids Label in 1995 and previously served in a variety of roles. In his new role, Crosby will be responsible for the on-time performance, quality, efficiency and safety of the company’s manufacturing operations. Crosby brings an engineering background to his new role, based on prior work with The Boeing Company, as well as an Aerospace Engineering degree from the University of Michigan.

‘I love a good challenge, and I believe our ability to solve what may seem like an impossible task has truly set us apart in the industry,’ said Crosby. ‘Given our track record for delivering exceptional products and services, and the excellent team we’ve assembled, the future is extremely bright at Grand Rapids Label.’

The changes to its leadership team are part of an organization-wide strategy to pursue new growth opportunities in the durable label market. Grand Rapids Label has extensive experience creating durable label products, which are designed to withstand exposure to water, sunlight, extreme temperatures, multiple chemicals and the test of time. The company also creates safety and operational information labels that must remain intact and legible in extremely harsh conditions, requiring the use of both strong adhesives to ensure the labels stay in place, and extensive top coating options to prevent damage. 

Bill Muir, Grand Rapids Label president, commented that the printing industry has gone through a lot of changes since the business was founded over 130 years ago. ‘Our ability to adapt to changing market conditions helped us survive the industrial revolution. Embracing new, state of the art techniques and innovations, and focusing our efforts on markets with the greatest potential for growth during this new-era technology revolution, will continue to be the key to our longevity and success.’

Grand Rapids Label serves the label needs of customers spanning multiple industries including automotive, heavy machinery, agriculture, aerospace, appliance and food manufacturing. The company also creates specialized durable labels for security, anti-theft and product authenticity. The company conducts ongoing research and development using their own lab to engineer products tailored to cope with the most extreme conditions and meet the most exacting requirements. This ability to create custom options, particularly in the durable label category, that will be the focus for the new leadership team going forward.