South & Central America

Mark Andy honors Etipress with Legacy Award

Piotr Wnuk — Mon, 28 Apr 2025 21:51:57 +0000

Mark Andy has presented a Legacy Award to long-time customer and partner Etipress, during a customer open house event held in conjunction with Labelexpo Mexico 2025. The award honors Etipress and its founder, Juan Carlos Arroyave, for their continued partnership, innovation and utilization of Mark Andy printing technology over the years.

The award was presented at Etipress’s facility in Guadalajara, where more than 100 attendees from over 30 companies across Latin America gathered for a live demonstration of the Digital Series HD press and an evening of industry networking.

‘Juan Carlos and the entire Etipress team exemplify what’s possible when a business fully leverages the technology and support we provide,’ said John Vigna, LATAM sales manager at Mark Andy. ‘From the installation of their first Performance Series press in 2016 to the demo-ready operation they run today, their growth and operational excellence are no accident. It is the result of vision, discipline and partnership.’

The Legacy Award recognizes Etipress’s operational success and its openness in supporting the broader Mark Andy customer community. According to Vigna, Arroyave has consistently welcomed prospective customers into his facility, provided honest feedback about his experiences, and served as a trusted peer to those considering a Mark Andy press.

‘Etipress has allowed us to host events, show live demos, and build trust with future customers by sharing their journey,’ said Kenjiro Celaya, Mark Andy’s Mexico sales manager. ‘This award reflects the impact of that generosity, and the value of true partnership.’

This award marks the third recognition Arroyave has received from Mark Andy. Previous awards acknowledged his role as a pioneer in Mexico and Latin America for acquiring the first Digital Series HD and for his ongoing investment in Mark Andy products.

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Mark Andy honors Etipress with Legacy Award

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The award recognizes a long-standing partnership and commitment to excellence.

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The award recognizes a long-standing partnership and commitment to excellence.

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Labelexpo Mexico 2025 recap

Piotr Wnuk — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 23:05:29 +0000

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Cartes opens new office in Mexico

Selah Zighelboim — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 15:21:56 +0000

Cartes is expanding its presence in Mexico with the opening of a new office in Guadalajara, Jalisco.

Located at 100 Paraísos Street at Colonia Paraíso in Zapopan, the new office will provide sales and after-sales services. The new space will also house a warehouse with parts and consumables.

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Cartes opens new office in Mexico

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The new office in Guadalajara will provide sales and after-sales services.

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Mark Andy celebrates success at Labelexpo Mexico

Piotr Wnuk — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 22:32:26 +0000

Mark Andy has been celebrating a successful return to Labelexpo Mexico 2025. The show marked a significant milestone for the company with a packed booth, a dynamic open house event and the official launch of its enhanced service model in Mexico.

Mark Andy welcomed visitors to its booth, where attendees experienced live demonstrations of the Evolution Series E5 flexo press and a full lineup of finishing equipment from Rotoflex, including the VSI 330, VPM 200 plate mounter and Anilox Roll Cleaner.

Mark Andy Print Products (MAPP) representatives were also on-site, showcasing the company’s growing portfolio of pressroom consumables and supplies.

‘Our presence in Mexico is stronger than ever,’ said John Vigna, LATAM sales manager for Mark Andy. ‘From the traffic in our booth to the energy at our customer event, we saw firsthand the enthusiasm for Mark Andy technology and support.’

To kick off the show, Mark Andy hosted a Tacos & Drinks Open House at the facility of long-time customer and partner Etipress. Guests were treated to an exclusive demo of the Digital Series HD press in a production environment and heard directly from CEO Duane Pekar and other company leaders on the company’s commitment to the region, including new initiatives to enhance customer experience in Latin America.

One of the key highlights of Labelexpo Mexico 2025 was the formal announcement of Mark Andy’s new service organization in Mexico, powered by a strategic partnership with Canvitech. This move introduces a locally based, Mark Andy-trained technical team, providing in-country parts availability, faster response times, and expert support across flexo, digital and finishing products.

‘This expansion is about putting customers first,’ said Duane Pekar, CEO of Mark Andy. ‘We’re investing in the people, resources, and infrastructure needed to deliver faster service and greater peace of mind for converters across Mexico.’

Mark Andy has also recently hired two new full-time team members to the Mark Andy Print Products (MAPP) division, Rosario Frayre and Juan Manuel Peralta, to strengthen its position in Mexico.

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Mark Andy celebrates success at Labelexpo Mexico

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The company hosted an open house and launched its enhanced service model in the country.

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The company hosted an open house and launched its enhanced service model in the country.

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Opportunities in the Mexican label market

Selah Zighelboim — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 18:33:27 +0000

Market trends 14 April 2025

Opportunities in the Mexican label market

L&L hosted a recent webinar focused on the Mexican label market.

Labels & Labeling’s recent webinar looking at the Mexican label market featured panelists Cristian Reyes, group director of Mexican label converter Mayapack; Martin Maldonado, president of FTA Mexico; and Francisco Jiménez, applications manager for Latin America for Esko. The panel was moderated by L&L’s Latin America correspondent James Quirk. Here are edited highlights of the discussion.

L&L: How is the Mexican label market performing? Are you seeing good levels of growth?

Francisco Jiménez: We have seen growth in the Mexican market be a little more contained since the end of last year, but it is picking up again at the moment. It is not that growth has stopped, but it’s not quite as strong as it was in the years immediately following the pandemic.

Cristian Reyes: As a converter, we are optimistic about our sales within Mexico. We had high expectations for exports thanks to the nearshoring trend, but there is some caution about the export market at the moment. But local consumption is still strong and is driving growth within our company.

Martin Maldonado: The flexo market continues to grow, but I agree that there has been a slight deceleration recently due to political uncertainty. But it remains a very interesting market and one which has a lot of work. Narrow web and mid web flexo are performing strongly.

L&L: How have the recent elections in both Mexico and the United States affected the economy and consumer confidence in Mexico?

Francisco Jiménez: There has perhaps been some impact on consumer confidence, although it hasn’t stopped the companies themselves from continuing to invest. There is some caution due to uncertainty around tariffs on exports. So there has been some impact, but not to the extent that it has caused a significant slow-down.

Cristian Reyes: It’s an interesting question, but we also have to consider other variables that are impacting the market in the country – for example, there has been a raise in the minimum wage, and this generates increased consumer confidence. So I don’t think there has been an impact on consumer confidence at a national level. There is always a period of uncertainty for a couple of months before and after elections, but things have returned to normal pretty quickly.

However, in terms of foreign investment into the country and the strength of our export markets – which had both been performing at record levels – sadly, there is some uncertainty because of what might be coming. So in this context there has been an impact, because our expectations as a converter were high. It is up to us as Mexicans to reinvent ourselves and to bet on national and local consumption. This is what we see our clients doing, and these months of transition have allowed us to strategize and increase sales in the local market.

Martin Maldonado: Local consumption doesn’t seem to be suffering, and indeed there is interesting growth in this area. Therefore there hasn’t been much of a slowdown for local converters serving the Mexican market. Companies in the industry – both suppliers and converters – are continuing to invest.

L&L: Which end-user markets have performed particularly strongly?

Cristian Reyes: Sectors such as beverage, personal care and household cleaning products have been showing good growth for us. Nutraceuticals is also a market which has continued to perform strongly since the pandemic – there is a trend towards consumers wanting to take care of themselves with health supplements. Logistics is also an important sector, because manufacturing companies have had to take measures to safeguard their products through the supply chain. So we have seen growth in security labels. In terms of label formats, the biggest growth we saw last year – and it has continued this year too – was in shrink sleeves, which offer 360-degree coverage and are widely used across many different sectors. Demand has risen greatly.

Francisco Jiménez: Our clients report strong growth in the food and beverage sector, as well as pharmaceutical and cosmetics. Nutraceuticals too, as Cristian mentioned. We have also seen our clients’ shrink sleeve production rise significantly in areas such as beverages and some food products, as well as the automotive market for products such as oils and lubricants.

Martin Maldonado: I agree with the markets mentioned by Cristian and Francisco that are showing strong growth. Personal care in particular is showing strong growth. I would add that there is an increasing trend towards personalization in consumer products in general.

L&L: During the pandemic, we saw many commercial printers shift toward label and packaging production, while their traditional sectors were affected. How has this increased competition affected the market?

Cristian Reyes: It is true that there is increased competition in the market. This forces us to think about how we can differentiate ourselves and how we can improve our customers’ experience. I think that service can be a competitive advantage. It has also put pressure on margins, but rather than focus on price, we believe the answer is to focus on the added value that we can offer. We have to focus on technical capabilities and the close relationships we have with our clients in order to maintain our position. As other companies enter the sector, bringing their own capabilities, it makes us improve.

Francisco Jiménez: We have seen lots of new companies enter the label market, for example from other areas of print such as flexible packaging. They can’t always print the same kind of products that a specialist label converter can print, such as a self-adhesive label, so often they will aim to leverage their existing equipment to print different kinds of labels which are not necessarily being produced by the traditional market.

Martin Maldonado: It’s a very interesting question. There was a ‘before’ and an ‘after’ for the industry when it comes to the pandemic. For many label converters in Mexico, 2021 was their best-ever year. It showed what this industry is about, showed its strength, and showed how fortunate we are to be operating in this market. It prompted many companies from different print markets to look at the label sector. Flexo is such a flexible printing process that companies who were dedicated to wider-format package printing were able to pivot towards label production.

L&L: What impact has the nearshoring trend had on the Mexican label market in recent years, and has it increased the need for transparency in the supply chain?

Francisco Jiménez: It has prompted a shift in culture. Demand for technologies that facilitate collaboration and traceability – which were perhaps not being fully taken advantage of by some converters before the pandemic – has risen. These include software systems, automation, and RFID among others. And it’s a shift that has not only happened in the label market, but in the wider packaging market as well.

Cristian Reyes: It has had an interesting impact on the evolution of technology being used. Nowadays, there are many options for platforms that allow traceability for products as they move through the supply chain, collecting accessible data along every step of the journey. A simple QR code, for example, allows the tracking of a product not just in terms of where it is in the supply chain but also all sorts of other interesting data points. I think this has happened not only due to the nearshoring trend, but certainly there is greater demand than ever for this kind of traceability in the supply chain. Nearshoring has increased the demands on us as converters to keep improving, because we are not just competing with our fellow converters on a national level, but also internationally too.

Martin Maldonado: Nearshoring is helping to drive the professionalization of the industry in Mexico. It has increased the need for not only traceability in the supply chain, but also for certifications. The global brands who have set up manufacturing facilities in Mexico to serve the US market require converters to meet certain quality and operational standards in order to guarantee the quality of their products. The US is a big export market, and this increases quality demands on Mexican converters, which in turn raises the quality standards in Mexico itself. This is part of the reason why we founded FTA Mexico – to help to develop and train the local industry.

L&L: How is environmental sustainability impacting the Mexican market? Is there growing pressure from brands and consumers?

Cristian Reyes: There is certainly growing pressure from brands for environmental sustainability, above all from international brands but also increasingly from national brands as well. Beyond there being pressure, for some brands it is simply a requirement. When it comes to consumers, there is a growing awareness and culture of environmental sustainability. But in order to strengthen this culture even more, we need the involvement of the authorities too. There is increasing interest in recyclable or compostable substrates and wash-off adhesives – products which can make label printing more sustainable. But thereis still a certain taboo around the pricing of more environmentally sustainable products.

Francisco Jiménez: There is increasing pressure on a national level. I think the market is also affected by norms in other parts of the world – for example the shift away from conventional curing towards LED curing. I think industry suppliers are united in their desire to lower their carbon emissions, and there has been much progress in different areas such as inks, substrates and more energy-efficient machinery, for example.

Martin Maldonado: It not so much a trend nowadays as simply part of the public consciousness. It has become a normal way of thinking for both the consumer and the industry itself. It should be a question of common sense. It’s a topic that has risen on the agenda in recent years. In other countries it has been a focus for more than a decade – it has become the norm. In Mexico it is a little more recent, but in the last six or seven years it has become an important focus.

L&L: More and more label converters are moving into flexible packaging production. What are the challenges and opportunities of entering this type of production?

Cristian Reyes: Diversification in general is a great opportunity to offer a more comprehensive range of products to our clients. Flexible packaging is one area of possibility for a label converter, if you are using presses with sufficient width. There are technical challenges and financial challenges – for example the investment in equipment. There are challenges in acquiring the kind of specialized knowledge that you need. While there are certain similarities between the processes of printing labels and flexible packaging, it is not as simple as swapping the substrates and suddenly being able to print different products. You need to learn about different laminate constructions. The adhesive requirements are different. There are some basic similarities in the converting process but also huge differences. Label converters who move into flexible packaging production can offer certain advantages which are appreciated by brands, such as shorter runs and quicker time-to-market.

Francisco Jiménez: As Cristian says, while there are some similarities in the production of labels and different kinds of packaging, they are all distinct areas of expertise. You need different areas of knowledge. The technical requirements for printing labels are different to those for printing flexible packaging. If the packaging is coming into direct contact with food, then that brings additional standards and requirements. We do see some of our label converter clients making this transition into flexible packaging production, but it is not an easy journey.

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James Quirk

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Promographic & Design invests in Vetaphone corona technology

Selah Zighelboim — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 15:45:42 +0000

Promographic & Design, a Mexican narrow web converter of labels, pouches and shrink sleeves, has fitted Vetaphone corona technology to its Nilpeter flexo and HP Indigo digital presses.

Promographic & Design was founded in 2005 by Ricardo Villar and Federico Padilla in response to a growing demand for consistent high-quality labels, initially from Natura Laboratories (now Henkel Mexico). The company has since grown to become a supplier to the food and beverage, pharmaceutical, automotive and electronics markets.

Villar said: 'Promographic & Design specializes in the production of high-quality shrink sleeves, self-adhesive labels and pouches. Our core commitment is to excellence in both printing and service, which is why we continuously invest in cutting-edge equipment, premium materials and highly skilled personnel.'

Today, the company’s workforce of 75 produces sales of around 7m USD from its 14,000 sq ft (1350 sqm) production facility in Guadalajara, with products distributed to 52 countries across five continents.

'The majority of revenue, approximately 60 percent, comes from the production of heat shrink sleeves, with the remainder derived from self-adhesive labels and pouch solutions, which continue to see strong demand across multiple industries,' said Fabiola Renteria, who leads the commercial department.

All of this requires technology in a clean and efficient production environment, backed up by support and service.

Daniel Renteria, who heads production at the plant, commented: 'Our plant is designed with controlled climate conditions to ensure consistent color reproduction and optimal production quality. Additionally, our white epoxy flooring not only enhances the aesthetics of our facility but also plays a crucial role in maintaining cleanliness and hygiene. We also have a skilled maintenance team that ensures all our equipment functions at peak performance.'

The company’s relationship with Vetaphone began around 20 years ago with the installation of a Nilpeter FB 3300 narrow web flexo press.

Daniel Renteria said: 'As a company that prioritizes cutting-edge technology, we sought the best solutions available in the market. Our research and discussions with industry experts led us to Vetaphone, a company renowned for its superior quality and innovation in surface treatment technology.'

Promographic & Design's new Vetaphone investment was for two 410mm wide VE1A-A units with four ceramic electrodes in each.

Daniel Renteria added: 'Vetaphone has a proven track record as an industry leader. Its equipment is synonymous with efficiency and cutting-edge innovation, and, given our commitment to working only with world-leading technology and equipment, we made the strategic decision from the outset to partner exclusively with Vetaphone for our surface treatment needs. Vetaphone technology has consistently exceeded our expectations, delivering outstanding performance and reliability. The precision and efficiency of their equipment have been instrumental in maintaining the high-quality standards that our clients expect from us.'

Marcus Knapp, Vetaphone sales manager for the Americas, commented: 'This commitment to excellence aligns well with Vetaphone’s own core values and long-term objectives. There is a natural synergy between the two companies that will ensure continued success as the partnership expands with the close cooperation of our local agent, Mario Flores of Flexuministros.'

And the success is already quantified with industry-recognized accreditations from ISO 9001:2015 and HACCP, with ISO 22000 certification on the horizon.

Villar said: 'We are focused on expansion and technological advancement. In the short term, we are investing in two additional printing presses: a third HP Indigo press and a third Nilpeter press, which will significantly enhance our production capacity. Additionally, we are about to install new finishing equipment for prime labels, which will allow us to offer a full range of embellishment finishes, and we are also evaluating Karville equipment for heat shrink sleeve production.'

The next phase will see the company embark on the construction of a new industrial plant that will increase production capabilities.

Villar stated: 'Promographic & Design was born out of necessity and has committed itself to delivering superior printing solutions with exceptional quality and service. Our vision is to remain at the forefront of the labeling and packaging industry, and investments, such as those made with Vetaphone, are key steps toward achieving that goal.'

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Promographic & Design invests in Vetaphone corona technology

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The Mexican converter invested in two 410mm wide VE1A-A units.

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Escala Impresores invests in Hontec FlexiCon 460-8C press

Piotr Wnuk — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 04:02:19 +0000

One of Colombia's leading narrow web converters, Escala Impresores, has invested in a Hontec FlexiCon 460-8C flexographic press to enhance its printing capabilities and quality.

The advanced Hontec narrow web flexo press complements the company’s label printing section, helping Escala better serve its existing customer base.

The FlexiCon 460-8C features a full-color UV dryer and a hot air dryer, ensuring fast, high-quality curing for a wide range of labels. In addition, it integrates a multi-layer label system, offering flexibility and precision for complex, multi-layered designs.

With the new press, Escala will be able to improve both production speed and quality, meeting the growing demand for high-performance labels in the market. The addition of this machine marks another step forward in Escala’s commitment to providing outstanding labeling solutions to its customers.

‘We are proud to continue our partnership with Escala Impresores and look forward to supporting them as they expand their production capabilities,’ commented Hontec’s spokesperson.

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Escala Impresores invests in Hontec FlexiCon 460-8C press

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Colombian label converter enhances its print capabilities and quality.

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Colombian label converter enhances its print capabilities and quality.

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Growing against all odds

Piotr Wnuk — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 00:38:31 +0000

People 14 April 2025

Growing against all odds

During nearly 50 years as a family-run business, Borsellino Impresos has created a culture of hard work, high quality and diversification.

During nearly 50 years as a family-run business, Argentine converter Borsellino Impresos has created a culture of hard work, high quality and extraordinary levels of diversification.

When Pedro Borsellino, co-founder and sales manager of the Rosario, Argentina-based converter that bears his family name, gives a presentation to prospective clients, he always begins with the same slide: an image of turbulent seas and crashing waves with the words ‘Crecer contra viento y marea’. The Spanish idiom translates literally as ‘growing against wind and waves’ and carries the sense of growing against all the odds. Over the past five decades, the company has borne all the economic chaos Argentina has thrown at it — hyperinflation, import restrictions and currency controls — not only surviving but thriving.

“We are printers, we know how to print. Because of this experience, it has always been easy for us to move into new markets”

From humble beginnings as a letterpress printer in the mid-1970s, Borsellino Impresos has grown into a fully integrated behemoth offering design, pre-press, printing and application services, with more than 120 different production lines covering everything from labels, shrink sleeves, flexible packaging and cartons through to point-of-sale promotions, brochures, envelopes, direct marketing materials and books. Now, it is preparing for the next phase of its relentless expansion, with a new 15,000sqm factory being added to its two existing facilities, which are due for inauguration later this year.

History

The history of Borsellino Impresos is not just that of a company but of a family, and even of the immigrant experience of fleeing poverty in Europe to find a better life in the new world.

Maria and Antonio Borsellino, Pedro’s mother and father, arrived in Argentina from Sicily in 1950, equipped only with ‘good immigrant values of the importance of education and hard work,’ as Pedro Borsellino puts it. They were part of a wave of hundreds of thousands of Italians settling in the country in the aftermath of the Second World War.

Francisco Borsellino passed away last year. Maria Borsellino died in 2019

Maria and Antonio bore two sons, Francisco and Pedro, who founded what was then known as Borsellino Hermanos as young men in their 20s, and two daughters, Antonia and Vicenta, who joined their brothers as partners in the company shortly afterward, as did Maria.

Beginning in 1976, the fledgling company’s early years were spent printing basic products on old letterpress machines. Production, and diversification, ramped up in the early 1980s with the inauguration of the company’s first proper plant and the installation of a Heidelberg Kord 64 offset press.

Borsellino Impresos added a continuous forms press later that decade to diversify further. The 1990s, by which time the company had also developed a thriving editorial printing business with binding equipment from Muller Martini, saw it add new capabilities with the installation of its first 5-color offset press with in-line varnish before a move into label production took place with the addition of a Comco Cadet flexo machine.

Borsellino Impresos’ first plant in Rosario, Argentina, in the mid-1980s

In the 2000s, Borsellino Impresos invested in offset presses from Heidelberg and Gallus and added a second facility of 9,500sqm. It also moved into digital printing with the installation of sheet-fed and roll-fed HP Indigo presses. More recent investments have included flexo presses from Nilpeter, shrink sleeve production equipment from Karlville and finishing machines from Cartes and Rotoflex. Two additional machines are currently on order: another Nilpeter flexo press and the new HP Indigo 200K for flexible packaging production.

‘We are the only company in Latin America that is completely integrated, offering everything that a brand needs from design through to when the product is on the supermarket shelf,’ says Pedro Borsellino. ‘We target smaller companies who need smaller runs of products with high quality and variable data. Our target is to offer the best campaigns. We want to print high-quality, beautifully finished products. Anyone who needs our services, we are happy to help them.’

Borsellino cites cosmetics and pharmaceuticals as particularly good markets, given their need for added value. However, the company’s output is so diversified that there are almost no markets in which it doesn’t participate. Borsellino is the sales manager, but he has no sales team to manage. ‘We don’t have salespeople: all our sales come from word of mouth,’ he says. ‘The only marketing strategy we have is to tell the truth, respect our clients and give them good service. Our advantage is that we print very well and with great quality.’

A recent venture has been a move into in-mold label production, for which Borsellino Impresos began a partnership with synthetic material manufacturer Yupo five years ago. ‘We see a great deal of potential in in-mold label production,’ says Pedro Borsellino. ‘It is a very recyclable material, which is a big advantage. Yupo advised us how to print and cut the labels. They have provided great support.’

Flexible packaging is another format for which Borsellino has seen increased demand in recent years. ‘Our label customers increasingly request flexible packaging instead of labels,’ he says. ‘As the materials become more recyclable, this will only continue. Brands like that it saves them money by eliminating the need for the rest of the packaging, glass for example.’

Borsellino Impresos began printing in-mold labels five years ago using materials from Yupo

‘We are printers, we know how to print,’ says Pedro Borsellino of the company’s philosophy of diversification. ‘Because of this experience, it has always been easy for us to move into new markets. The challenge is how to finish the different products.

‘Diversification comes from our culture as a business and our desire to give our clients what they need. Whether it’s one product or a million, it doesn’t matter. So whenever they need some kind of printed product, they think of Borsellino. We also think about what the customers of our clients want, this helps to inform our business too. And of course, in an environment that can be economically unstable, diversification is a way of helping to protect the company.’

Family

Borsellino Impresos remains a family-run enterprise. Antonia Borsellino is administration manager, and Vicenta Borsellino oversees regulatory compliance. The four Borsellino siblings, Maria’s children, are now three following the death of Francisco, who was operations manager as well as co-founder alongside his brother Pedro, last year. Maria, their mother, worked tirelessly in various roles until she died in 2019. Of the 11 members of the next generation, seven are working at the company.

Pedro Borsellino gives short shrift to the suggestion that some family-run converters can find the integration of the new generation a challenge. ‘It hasn’t been a problem,’ he emphasizes. ‘The culture of the company is non-negotiable. Anyone who doesn’t want to work hard, the door is open and they can leave.’

Clockwise from left, Antonia Borsellino, Vincenta Borsellino, Francisco Borsellino, Pedro Borsellino and Maria Borsellino

He practices what he preaches. Approaching five decades in the business, Pedro Borsellino is in the office at 7 am every day. ‘We were brought up in a hard-working immigrant culture,’ he explains. ‘My parents were always working.’

Borsellino Impresos consistently reinvests much of its profit into the business. This has facilitated its expansive investments

“The culture of the company is non-negotiable. Anyone who doesn’t want to work hard, the door is open and they can leave”

in new technology over the years and funding a further widening of its footprint: a new 15,000sqm factory will be inaugurated in the middle of 2025. The move is prompting a reorganization of the production spaces.

The company’s original factory will continue to house letterpress presses and application equipment. The second 9,500sqm site will be dedicated to all commercial production, while the new facility will produce labels, shrink sleeves and flexible packaging.

Click here to learn more about Borsellino Impresos.

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Market focus: Mexico

Piotr Wnuk — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 00:18:28 +0000

Market trends 14 April 2025

Market focus: Mexico

The label market in Mexico is somewhat of an outlier compared to the rest of Latin America.

A country of more than 130 million people, Mexico has a large domestic consumer base and a robust manufacturing sector. It also boasts a strong export industry and the presence of the world’s largest consumer market, the US, to its north, which gives the Mexican label sector a unique dynamic.

It is increasingly common to find label converting operations often, but not always, part of international groups, boasting world-class technology and production quality and geared to serving the US market.

And yet it is also a market in need of professionalization, according to the FTA Mexico, which was founded 18 months ago to address the issue.

Growth in Mexico has been strong in recent years, particularly due to the nearshoring trend, which has seen international brands set up factories in Mexico to serve the US market with shorter supply chains.

Growth

According to Mordor Intelligence, the value of the label market in Mexico is estimated at 1.31 billion USD in 2025. It is expected to reach 1.62 billion USD by 2030, at a CAGR of 4.24 percent during the forecast period (2025-2030). The analyst cites food, beverage and cosmetics as sectors particularly driving growth.

Data from Mexico’s National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) has shown growth in the food and beverage sectors in recent years. It estimated the food industry’s production value in 2022 to be just over 13 percent higher than the previous year, while the beverage sector grew by 14 percent in the same period. Such rises in domestic production boost demand for labels and packaging.

Export markets have also been booming in recent years. According to the World Trade Organization, in 2022, Mexico exported goods valued at around 578.19 billion USD, a 54.6 percent increase from 2016.

The nearshoring trend has grown significantly since the pandemic and is a contributing factor to rising exports. Local label converters are taking advantage, with increasing numbers producing labels for goods destined for export to the US.

“Many commercial printers have moved into label production, seeing opportunities in the market”

‘The nearshoring trend has brought international manufacturers to Mexico, and this has been a benefit to the economy and a benefit to label converters who can label these products for export to the US,’ says Keren Becerra, operations director of Mexican label converter Etiquetas Lobo Impresores and president of Anpack, the Latin American association of packaging and labels manufacturers. ‘There are even converters in Mexico who export most of their production across the border. Border cities are showing strong economic growth. It has increased demand not only for prime labels for sectors such as pharma, cosmetics and electronics but also for logistics labels.’

A knock-on effect of this trend, according to FTA Mexico president Martin Maldonado, is increasing pressure on the local industry to professionalize its processes, operations and people.

‘The industry in Mexico is still in need of professionalization in terms of training and certifications,’ he explains. ‘The nearshoring trend has added pressure to professionalize because the global brands who have set up manufacturing facilities in Mexico to serve the US market require converters to meet certain quality and operational standards in order to guarantee the quality of their products.’

It was in recognition of this need for professionalization that FTA Mexico, headquartered in Guadalajara, was founded in 2023. The initiative was driven by a group of industry suppliers, led by DuPont, which pitched the FTA in the US to set up a branch of the Flexographic Technical Association in Mexico. Among its 42 supplier members are Comexi, Esko, Flint Group, Gallus, Hybrid Software and Mark Andy.

‘These are top-level companies who understood the importance of an association such as the FTA and knew the benefits of the technical education and standards that it could bring to the Mexican market,’ says Maldonado.

‘Due to Mexico’s proximity to the US, the FTA was always a reference point for the local industry. Converters here have always been keen to be a part of it, but there is often a language barrier, which makes it hard to take advantage of the conferences, studies and research. And there is the problem of distance.’

FTA Mexico will certify converters and host forums and roadshows around the country. It has the same objectives and philosophy as its US counterpart, says Maldonado: to aid the professionalization of companies and individuals in the country’s flexo sector to grow the local industry.

Legacy

If nearshoring is a legacy of the pandemic, so too is strong growth in online sales with the knock-on effect of increased demand for shipping labels.

‘Online shopping has been booming in Mexico since the pandemic,’ says Becerra. In 2023, Mexico’s retail market surged to 314.2 billion USD, a 22 percent increase from the previous year, as reported by Euromonitor. The country’s e-commerce retail sales rose from 28.3 billion USD in 2022 to 36.3 billion USD in 2023. A steady growth trajectory is now widely anticipated, with a CAGR of 12 percent expected to propel e-commerce retail sales to 66.3 billion USD by 2028.

A further shift in the local market has occurred since the pandemic. With commercial print businesses struggling during lockdowns, many wider web converters moved into label and packaging production.

‘There are many more label converters operating in the market in recent years. There has been an explosion in competition,’ says Becerra. ‘Many commercial printers have moved into label production, seeing opportunities in the market. Their businesses suffered greatly during the pandemic, whereas the label sector remained strong. This encouraged them to explore the market and diversify into label printing.

‘Part of the motivation is the same as what has encouraged label converters to move into sectors such as flexible packaging — helping to serve existing clients with the products they need. The result has been an increasing homogenization of the market.’

Etiquetas Lobo Impresores, for its part, serves a diverse array of end-user sectors, with Becerra citing food and pharmaceuticals as particularly important markets. Its export business has also been rising in recent years, she reports.

A strong tequila export industry is a driver of interest in GM’s high-specification finishing equipment, says the company’s global sales manager, Jos Kabouw, who describes Mexico as a ‘crazily competitive market with many players.’ GM is represented in Mexico by local agent EXI.

‘Labor continues to be cheap but highly skilled, so as a result, there is not a high level of automation,’ says Kabouw. ‘For example, converters in Europe and the US have been quick to adopt GM’s auto-knife box for automatic setting of the slitting knives, but it has been a bit slower in Mexico. Speed is often not crucial for local converters. Usually, the natural trend is for converters to install faster machines, but this doesn’t happen quite so much in Mexico.

‘The local economy benefits from the many Mexicans who work in the US and send the money to family back home,’ he continues. ‘This helps to generate wealth and increase consumption. So, despite a political background that is like many other countries in Latin America, Mexico is not affected the same way.

‘The US is a big export market, and this increases quality demands on Mexican converters, which in turn raises the quality standards in Mexico itself,’ Kabouw says. ‘I’ve visited many label converters in Mexico and the US, and the Mexican companies often work to better standards. The top level of converters in Mexico are world-class in technology and production, but not in automation, due to the cheap and skilled labor force at their disposal.’

“Mexican converters are investing in technology. There is a strong trend toward growth”

FTA president Martin Maldonado, who has more than 25 years of experience in the Mexican printing industry, believes there is optimism in the local market. ‘Mexican converters are investing in technology. There is a strong trend towards growth, which can be seen in the number of sales into the country by equipment manufacturers.’

One crucial challenge Maldonado identifies is recruitment.

‘There is a struggle to attract young people into the sector. There are many factors, but one has been a lack of representation from the industry to promote itself to students and show them what it has to offer. FTA Mexico has set up agreements with six universities and various local governments to get closer to young people and attract them to a career in the industry.’

FTA Mexico, an association partner of the show, will exhibit at Labelexpo Mexico 2025 and promote its industry initiatives and events. ‘We are very happy to be partnering with Labelexpo Mexico. We want to support it and see it continue to grow. There was a lack of this type of industry-focused event in Mexico.’

Labels & Labeling hosted a webinar that discussed trends in the local label market and the technology exhibited at Labelexpo Mexico.

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James Quirk

Latin America Correspondent

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Mark Andy strengthens MAPP team in Mexico

Piotr Wnuk — Thu, 10 Apr 2025 21:22:31 +0000

Mark Andy has hired two new full-time team members to the Mark Andy Print Products (MAPP) division, Rosario Frayre and Juan Manuel Peralta, to strengthen its position in Mexico.

For more than 50 years, Mark Andy has been one of the preferred partners for label converters in Mexico. It offers one of the widest installed bases of narrow web equipment in the region and a reputation built on reliability, engineering excellence and support.

With the recent opening of a dedicated MAPP distribution center in Guadalajara, the company is extending that legacy into parts, supplies and consumables. Adding Frayre and Peralta reflects Mark Andy’s ongoing investment in providing faster, more personalized customer support across Mexico.

Frayre has joined as inside sales representative, bringing a degree in Mechatronics Engineering and several years of experience managing manufacturing operations. Fluent in Spanish and English, she brings technical insight and operational strength to the team, helping ensure smooth communication and internal coordination.

Peralta steps into the role of outside sales representative. With a degree in Industrial Engineering and more than eight years of experience in the flexographic printing industry, he has worked directly with converters on the supply side. He understands the pressures of the pressroom and brings a customer-first approach to solving technical challenges quickly and effectively.

‘Rosario and Juan are exactly the kind of people we want representing Mark Andy in this market,’ said Dave Telken, senior vice president of Mark Andy Print Products. ‘They bring experience, energy, and expertise - and they share our commitment to supporting converters not just with products, but with people they can count on.’

The new hires will be based at MAPP’s Guadalajara facility, a regional hub for pressroom consumables and service coordination. While the operation is launching with a focused inventory of high-demand products, additional growth is expected as customer demand scales.

Mark Andy’s expansion into Mexico through MAPP reflects a broader global strategy to meet converters where they are and to support them with localized expertise that delivers measurable results. This enhanced presence is further strengthened by the recent launch of a dedicated Mark Andy service and support team in Mexico, ensuring customers have direct access not only to critical parts and supplies but also to factory-trained technicians who understand their equipment inside and out.

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Mark Andy strengthens MAPP team in Mexico

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Rosario Frayre and Juan Manuel Peralta join as inside and outside sales representatives.

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Rosario Frayre and Juan Manuel Peralta join as inside and outside sales representatives.

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Mark Andy strengthens MAPP team in Mexico