Market trends

FTA Mexico launches training program in Spanish

Adyasha Sinha — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 06:58:07 +0000

Associations, events & awards 14 August 2026

FTA Mexico launches training program in Spanish

FTA Mexico’s president Martin Maldonado believes the training and certification program can help professionalize the country’s flexo industry.

FTA Mexico has announced the availability of First (Flexographic Image Reproduction Specifications and Tolerances) 7.0 in Spanish, which the association’s president, Martin Maldonado, believes could be a transformative step in the development of the flexo industry in Mexico and the wider Latin American region.

First 7.0, developed by the FTA in the US, is the world’s leading technical standard for flexographic printing, establishing precise guidelines for achieving quality, consistency and control in image reproduction.

This edition is the first official version in Spanish, with FTA Mexico responsible for its promotion, distribution and marketing throughout Latin America (except Brazil) and in Spain.

The unveiling of First 7.0 in Spanish took place in April 2026 at the Juan José Arreola State Public Library of Jalisco in Guadalajara, bringing together specialized media and industry leaders interested in strengthening the quality and competitiveness of flexographic printing.

Speakers at the press conference included José Trinidad Padilla López, director of the library, Rubén Masayi González Uyeda, representative of the industrial sector and FTA Mexico president Martin Maldonado.

‘The arrival of First 7.0 in Spanish represents a fundamental step in raising the technical level of our industry and aligning
ourselves with international standards that are now essential for global competition,’ said Maldonado during the event. ‘This
effort not only impacts companies but also strengthens talent development and collaboration with academic institutions,
creating a more robust ecosystem for the sector’s growth.’

Key step

The initiative, finalized following extensive talks between FTA Mexico and its counterparts in the US, marks the first time this expert technical guidance is officially available in Spanish.

“With First 7.0 in Spanish, we are ready to begin the standardization and professionalization of the flexo industry in Mexico”

For Maldonado, it represents a key step in the development of the Mexican flexo industry.

‘With First 7.0 in Spanish, we are ready to begin the standardization and professionalization of this industry,’ he says. ‘Despite rapid growth in the Mexican packaging industry in recent years, thanks to nearshoring and a booming e-commerce sector, Mexico is not at the same level as the US and Brazil when it comes to the level of professionalization and standardization of processes.’

This rapid growth has brought pressure on the local industry, believes Maldonado. The nearshoring trend has seen international brands set up factories in Mexico to serve the US market with shorter supply chains. ‘This puts pressure on local
converters who want to serve these brands to meet certain quality and operational standards in order to guarantee the quality of their products,’ he says.

‘Since FTA Mexico was established in 2023, we’ve had several global companies based in Mexico contacting us saying they are interested in gaining certifications,’ Maldonado continues. ‘Unlike in the US, certifications for businesses and individuals are not mandatory in Mexico. With nearshoring, new accounts come to converters and say, “I love how you print, but can you guarantee that you have your certifications? Can you guarantee that you can print to the same standards as the company that prints for me in the US or Canada or Europe?” Many local converters don’t have the capacity to demonstrate this. The best way is through certification of the company’s processes or personnel.

‘Just as we have pending issues on the agenda, which Mexico needs to address, such as environmental sustainability, the
standardization and professionalization of the industry is one of those areas that can no longer be delayed.’

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

First 7.0 in Spanish could be a transformative step for the local industry, says Martin Maldonado

‘Due to Mexico’s proximity to the US, the FTA was always a reference point for the local industry,’ says Maldonado. ‘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.’

‘Progress since FTA Mexico’s foundation has been positive,’ says Maldonado. ‘We have been promoting ourselves and
establishing a presence in the country. We held forums at two prestigious universities, the Autonomous University of Guadalajara and the University of Celaya.

‘The goal is to promote the association, invite business owners and converters to see the importance of professionalizing the industry, and also, crucially, to try to attract young talent into the sector. This is of the utmost importance because our industry, like others, is experiencing a severe labor crisis. There is a generational shift.

‘The only way to address this is to go to universities and show students what the flexo industry is, its history and what we do, so they can see the opportunities that exist for professional development.

‘So, we kill two birds with one stone: we promote the industry and connect with students, and we build bridges between the universities and the private sector. We demonstrate FTA Mexico’s ability to create these connections.’

Interest

In the press conference marking the launch of First 7.0 in Spanish, FTA Mexico announced that commercial availability
would begin in May.

‘We’ve had lots of interest in the project in the short time since the announcement,’ says Maldonado. ‘As well as converters
in Mexico, we’ve been contacted by companies in Guatemala, Ecuador and El Salvador, as well as by associations in Chile, Colombia and Peru.

The unveiling of First 7.0 in Spanish took place in April at the Juan José Arreola State Public Library of Jalisco in Guadalajara

‘This is a great step forward for us because it projects us internationally as an association and pushes us to work and collaborate with other institutions throughout Latin America, and even Europe. We become the central hub. The agreement is to market, promote and distribute First 7.0 certification in Spanish from Mexico to Patagonia.’

The exception to FTA Mexico’s remit in Latin America is Brazil, where the local flexo association, ABFlexo, partners with the FTA to bring the latter’s technical standards and research to the Brazilian market.

There are three levels of First certifications for individuals. Level 1, Fundamentals, is for beginners and non-production personnel, learning the core concepts of flexography and First. Level 2, Implementation, is aimed at individuals applying the First methodology in their day-to-day workflow. Level 3,
Expert, is for experienced professionals who lead process control, optimization and communication across departments.

‘We are ready to begin the certifications in the third quarter of this year,’ says Maldonado. ‘The schedule will be released to begin offering online certifications in Spanish, which FTA Mexico will offer through the FTA platform in the US. They have all the technical infrastructure and the digital platform for the Spanish certifications to take place.’

“We’ve had lots of interest in the project in the short time since the announcement”

The next stage is in-person training and certification, which will take place at the Stampa Academy in Queretaro, launched two years ago. ‘It’s a certified flexo training center that operates within the facilities of CETis 16 [a technical vocational public high school] and is equipped with technology from DuPont, Tesa and Esko, among others, as well as a full 8-color flexo press,’ says Maldonado. ‘It includes every part of
the flexo printing process, but only for narrow web at the moment. So it’s still lacking, but it’s part of something that’s
just starting.

‘Our objective, as the FTA, is to encourage companies, entrepreneurs and the government to invest so an academy
like this can grow and not only have narrow-web equipment, but also mid- and wide-web too. And not only in Queretaro;
we want to have staff there, but also, let’s say, start-up academies in Monterrey, Guadalajara and Mexico City. It will be a phased process.’

With 25 years of experience in the Mexican flexo industry, Maldonado is a passionate advocate not only for the industry’s professionalization but also for a greater focus on environmental sustainability.

‘Sustainability is another area where we need to improve,’ he says. ‘Other parts of the world have regulations and legislation
around how to operate more sustainably. In Mexico, we are behind. Even countries such as Chile and Colombia, smaller
markets than ours, are implementing standards and adopting sustainability initiatives. But in Mexico, there is no government legislation that obliges companies to operate according to certain sustainability standards. FTA Mexico has to work with companies, with organizations and with the government to encourage progress in this area.

‘It’s time for Mexican suppliers and converters to organize and start setting our own operating standards. We’re still a step behind; we must acknowledge this. But more and more companies in Mexico are beginning to address this issue.’

About First

First, which as an acronym stands for Flexographic Image Reproduction Specifications and Tolerances, is the flexographic industry’s leading set of best practices, specifications and process control guidelines. Developed and continually refined by industry experts, First provides a standardized approach that ensures consistent, predictable and high-quality print. By aligning people, processes and technology across the entire workflow, First helps organizations achieve efficiency, accuracy and repeatable results from job to job and press to press.

Companies can also achieve First Company Certification once a specific percentage of their staff is individually certified, signaling to customers that the entire facility adheres to these
high standards.

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Coca-Cola turns sleeves into collectibles

Will Drysdale — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 09:27:38 +0000

Brand owners & design 12 August 2026

Coca-Cola turns sleeves into collectibles

The beverage giant's latest collaboration with Panini demonstrates how shrink-sleeve technology, automation and responsible sourcing can transform a label into a marketing channel. Will Drysdale reports.

Coca-Cola is never far from launching a major consumer campaign, and the 2026 FIFA World Cup was just that.

It has now come to an end, with Spain crowned champions of what is regarded as the biggest tournament in the competition's history, and once again, the beverage giant turned to Panini to engage football fans through packaging.

Founded in Italy in 1961, Panini is best known for its football sticker albums, which have become renowned during international tournaments. The companies have collaborated before, including a promotion for the UEFA European Championship in 2016 that reportedly placed around 265 million stickers across Europe.

For the latest campaign, Coca-Cola integrated exclusive Panini stickers into the labels of selected Coca-Cola bottles. Consumers could peel back the promotional label to reveal one of 12 player stickers designed to fill a dedicated spread in the official FIFA World Cup 26 sticker album. The players included Harry Kane, Lamine Yamal, Virgil van Dijk, Lautaro Martínez, Joshua Kimmich, Gabriel Magalhães and Weston McKennie.

"For the labels and packaging industry, however, the campaign is more significant than a football promotion. It represents a sophisticated example of packaging being used as a direct consumer-engagement tool."

The promotion turned the label from a largely informational component into an interactive part of the product. Rather than receiving a separate giveaway at the point of sale, the consumer discovers the collectible within the packaging itself.

For retailers, the objective is to increase purchasing frequency, create theatre around tournament displays and give shoppers an additional reason to return in search of particular players. For the labels and packaging industry, however, the campaign is more significant than a football promotion. It represents a sophisticated example of packaging being used as a direct consumer-engagement tool while still fulfilling its conventional branding, regulatory and protective functions.

Collectible campaign

The collectible stickers are produced at Panini's headquarters in Modena, Italy, before entering a broader packaging supply chain, where they must be accurately paired with the appropriate promotional labels.

Although the finished concept appears simple, placing a paper collectible beneath a shrink-sleeve label introduces a series of production challenges. Each sticker must remain securely attached during converting, transport, bottling and distribution, while also being easy for the consumer to remove without damaging the image.

Unlike a standard shrink-sleeve application, the promotion requires an additional component to be inserted into an already highly optimized production workflow. The sticker must be positioned accurately beneath the sleeve and temporarily secured with an adhesive that withstands transportation, warehousing, application, heat and refrigeration.

At the same time, the sticker must detach cleanly when the consumer removes the sleeve. Too little adhesive could allow the sticker to move or fall away during production. Too much could damage the sticker, affect its appearance or make it difficult to remove.

Achieving that balance across hundreds of millions of units requires extensive testing and validation. Small variations in adhesive coat weight, temperature, humidity, substrate performance or application pressure can influence the result. A process that works successfully during a short trial must be repeatable across multiple production sites and markets.

The sticker itself also requires protection. Panini stickers are typically intended to be stored in albums, but those concealed beneath beverage labels must withstand far harsher conditions. Exposure to moisture, temperature fluctuations and condensation throughout the supply chain could otherwise affect a standard paper construction.

"When production volumes extend into hundreds of millions of units, the consequences of a minor error are magnified."

A protective laminating varnish is applied over the printed surface to prevent moisture from reaching the image during transport and handling. The finished collectible may pass from a production line into a warehouse, a distribution vehicle, a supermarket refrigerator and finally into the consumer's hands before it is removed.

Integrating the sticker into a beverage bottling environment poses an additional challenge. Large-scale bottling operations can process tens of thousands of bottles an hour, leaving little room for additional handling stages. Any promotional component must therefore be incorporated without affecting efficiency, output or line reliability.

The sticker insertion process must operate in synchronization with the label and decoration systems. Automated feeding equipment positions the collectible accurately beneath the sleeve before the completed construction is applied. Even a small disruption could generate bottlenecks or result in bottles being produced without stickers.

When production volumes extend into hundreds of millions of units, the consequences of a minor error are magnified.

Quality-control systems are therefore crucial, as inspection equipment can verify the presence and position of each sticker and reject defective products before they leave the production environment.

CCL coordinates global production

CCL Label has confirmed its involvement in producing the packaging for the promotion, describing the campaign as an example of what can be achieved when a global manufacturing network operates as one team.

In a social media post, the company said executing a project of this scale required 'flawless coordination across borders', involving its sites in the US and teams in Austria. It compared the collaboration to a well-organized football team, with different operations contributing to the quality and production volumes required by Coca-Cola and Panini.

That contribution illustrates why global promotional campaigns increasingly depend on converters with multinational manufacturing footprints. Materials, graphics, production specifications and quality requirements must remain consistent even where labels are produced at different locations and supplied to multiple bottling operations.

The involvement of facilities in the US and Austria also reflects the geographical complexity behind what consumers experience as a single campaign. Promotional components may be printed, converted, assembled and distributed across several countries before reaching the final bottling line.

Consistency is therefore as important as speed, as every aspect of the process must remain within the required tolerances at every participating facility.

Shrink sleeves have become one of the fastest-growing decoration formats in the beverage sector partly because of their ability to cover complex container shapes and provide 360-degree graphics. They also give brands a large printable area for promotions, limited editions and connected-packaging features.

Modern converting systems use high-definition flexographic, gravure or digital printing to produce vivid graphics with fine detail and consistent color. Increasingly sophisticated registration and inspection systems allow converters to maintain tight tolerances across long production runs, which is an important consideration when promotional components must align precisely beneath printed imagery.

After printing, sleeves are normally seamed into tubes and supplied in reels for application. On bottling lines, automated systems cut each sleeve to length and position it over the container before the container passes through a steam or hot-air shrink tunnel.

For this campaign, those established processes must accommodate the additional sticker without reducing line performance. The collectible needs to remain securely in place as the sleeve is applied and shrunk but must not be affected by the heat used to mold the film around the bottle.

Packaging as media

Brand owners are increasingly treating labels and packaging not simply as containers for products, but as owned media channels capable of encouraging interaction, collecting data and supporting wider marketing campaigns. For example, Wimbledon Tennis and the Belgian lager brand Stella Artois have been collaborating for more than a decade and develop further each year, including Stella Artois and Wimbledon branded clothing.

Unlike digital advertising, a package is guaranteed to reach someone who has already purchased the product or is actively considering it. It remains physically present throughout the consumption experience, giving brands a direct route to the consumer.

This has driven investment in QR codes, connected packaging, variable-data printing, promotional mechanics and collectible formats. Coca-Cola's partnership with Panini combines several of these principles with an established emotional connection that is the tradition of collecting and swapping football stickers.

The value of the promotion comes partly from turning routine packaging into something consumers actively search for. A label that would ordinarily be discarded becomes the gateway to a collectible associated with one of the world's largest sporting events.

It also demonstrates that consumer engagement does not have to depend entirely on digital technology. The physical sticker provides the immediate reward, while the packaging itself creates the element of discovery.

However, as packaging becomes more elaborate, promotional impact must increasingly be balanced against environmental performance. Additional layers, adhesives, varnishes and components may improve the consumer experience, but they can also add material and complicate end-of-life treatment.

That tension makes responsible sourcing and design considerations an important part of the campaign rather than a separate discussion.

Sourcing at scale

The official FIFA World Cup sticker collection packaging carries the FSC Mix label, indicating that its paper-based materials come from a combination of FSC-certified forests, recycled material and controlled sources.

"It also means that the environmental stakes are higher, because the choices made at this scale can have a much larger impact."

Helen Chepkemoi Too, senior director of markets at FSC International, notes that responsible sourcing at this scale depends on establishing clear supplier expectations and verification processes throughout the supply chain.

'When we talk about complex global supply chains and campaigns involving millions of products, responsible sourcing means setting clear supplier requirements and having robust verification systems in place to ensure all involved partners are meeting them,' she says.

'FSC certification helps provide a tested and practical framework to help companies ensure their forest-based materials are sourced in-line with rigorous environmental, social and economic standards, even when production volumes are exceptionally high.'

The 2026 Panini collection is the largest World Cup edition produced by the company, containing 980 stickers, including the dedicated Coca-Cola spread.

Too says that operations capable of supplying such volumes require strong management systems to ensure sourcing standards are applied consistently.

'The scale of such a campaign only reinforces why certification matters,' she explains. 'When millions of items are being produced, consistency depends on having recognized processes and structures in place. It also means that the environmental stakes are higher, because the choices made at this scale can have a much larger impact.'

The campaign involves numerous companies, including brand owners, material suppliers, converters, bottlers and licensing partners. FSC chain-of-custody certification provides those participants with a common framework for handling and making claims about certified material.

'For a global project involving brand owners, converters, printers and licensing partners, that common framework matters,' says Too. 'It helps ensure that responsible sourcing is not just based on trust alone but supported by audited processes that can verify the materials were handled appropriately throughout the supply chain.'

For the consumer, much of that activity remains invisible. Shoppers see the finished label or sticker rather than the sourcing and production network behind it. The FSC mark is intended to link the finished product to a verified chain-of-custody system that includes supplier controls and independent auditing.

Too adds: 'The FSC label is not just a symbol, it is backed by a framework which includes chain-of-custody controls, supplier verification requirements and regular third-party auditing.'

Creativity and responsibility

Promotional packaging creates a highly visible platform for brands. Still, Too argues that sustainability should be built into such projects from the beginning rather than considered after the creative concept has been agreed.

'Packaging is not always at the center of sustainability conversations, but it should be,' she says. 'It's one of the most visible touchpoints between brands and consumers, and its impact can be significant.

'This is why sustainability needs to be considered alongside creativity and marketing impact from the outset. Certification helps brands move beyond vague sustainability claims to sending a clear signal of responsible business practice.'

For global sporting events, that visibility creates both an opportunity and a responsibility. Sponsors can use campaigns reaching millions of consumers to demonstrate that engagement and responsible sourcing do not have to be competing objectives.

"Packaging is not always at the center of sustainability conversations, but it should be."

Too expects sourcing requirements to receive greater attention from tournament organizers and sponsors as environmental claims face closer scrutiny.

'We're already seeing that responsible sourcing is moving from a "nice to have" to a baseline expectation in many sectors,' she says. 'Major sporting events are highly visible and closely scrutinized, so it is reasonable to expect that organizers and sponsors will give greater weight to responsible sourcing requirements.'

This could ultimately extend into licensing decisions. Production capacity, consistency and product quality have traditionally been central to the selection of partners for major global promotions. Too believes certification should increasingly sit alongside those commercial criteria.

'Licensing criteria should reflect the growing expectation that brands take environmental responsibility seriously, particularly when their products depend on natural resources,' Too says. 'Credible certification can act as a signal to help brands assess whether suppliers can meet responsible sourcing expectations at scale before entering into partnership.'

Fanatics-owned Topps is expected to take over production of FIFA's official stickers and trading cards from 2031, ending Panini's long-running World Cup relationship after the 2030 tournament. Too says future producers should retain credible sourcing requirements while also examining recycled content, efficient manufacturing and waste reduction.

For converters and packaging manufacturers, the opportunity extends beyond certified fiber. Material reduction, lower production waste, recycled content and improved end-of-life performance can all help reduce the impact of high-volume campaigns.

'For large-scale campaigns, even small improvements can go a long way,' Too says. 'The key is to make sustainability a part of the planning process, so that every decision from sourcing to production to end-of-life considerations supports the same environmental goals.'

A repeatable model

For the labels and packaging sector, the Coca-Cola and Panini campaign is a reminder that innovation does not always require an entirely new decoration technology. Sometimes it comes from combining established materials, machinery and processes in a way that creates a different consumer experience.

By using shrink sleeves to coincide with one of football's most recognizable collectibles, Coca-Cola and Panini have shown how packaging can become an active participant in the consumer experience rather than simply a vehicle for delivering a product.

As competition for consumer attention intensifies, similar campaigns are likely to become more common. Combining converting technology, automated manufacturing and carefully designed promotional mechanics gives brands a means of engaging consumers directly through packaging.

For the labels industry, it is another example of how labels continue to evolve, creating new opportunities for converters, material suppliers and machinery manufacturers while placing greater emphasis on traceability, consistency and environmental responsibility.

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New York Label & Box Works unites labels, carton production

Adyasha Sinha — Mon, 10 Aug 2026 10:38:33 +0000

Folding cartons 10 August 2026

New York Label & Box Works unites labels, carton production

Third-generation family-owned company brings together labels and in-line folding carton production, offering customers faster time‑to‑market.

New York Label & Box Works is redefining what it means to be a modern packaging converter. The 148-year-old company, based in New York’s Long Island, has been steadily expanding into folding carton, bringing both label and carton capabilities under one roof.

The company is unique in offering both labels and folding cartons. New York Label & Box Works can streamline its production, match labels and cartons, reduce complexity and offer customers a faster time-to-market at a lower cost.

Equipment

New York Label & Box Works offers both sheet-fed and in-line carton production and pressure-sensitive labels. The labels are produced on twin 10in, 10-color legacy Mark Andy presses, while in-line carton production is done on a pair of Edale FL5 presses, first installed in 2021. New York Label & Box Works was the first converter in the US to invest in the 20in, 8-color Edale in-line folding carton press.

With the Edale press, the converter can print on both sides of 700-micron board material and offer its customers other value-added features, such as coating, laminating, cast-and-cure, varnishes, foil stamping and embossing and in-line die-cutting, all in a single pass. But what brands really love, the company says, is its ability to match color between label and folding carton jobs.

New York Label & Box Works president Steven Haedrich explains that this process allows its customers to achieve brand and color consistency across formats, a quicker time-to-market and reduced costs. Offering those same value-adds and embellishments on a sheet-fed production line would mean higher operational costs and longer lead times.

“I looked at our customers who were ordering labels and cartons, and I said, ‘well what if we could do both?’ It’s kind of a no-brainer”

‘A big factor for our investment [in Edale FL5 machines] was the ability to embellish in-line, including front and back printing, film lamination, cold foil and the use of specialty UV ink,’ Haedrich said at the time of the installation. ‘There are so many advantages to running everything in-line rather than on separate pieces of equipment as in a typical sheet-fed factory,
which takes more time, needs more people and ultimately costs more.

‘Our investment allows us to present to our clients new embellishment possibilities, a lower cost of manufacturing due to greater operational efficiency and speed of response. Traditionally, it can take between eight and 16 weeks for carton production. We aim to reduce this time by at least 50 percent.’

Deming philosophy

The agile operation at New York Label & Box Works not only reflects where the industry is headed, but it’s a philosophy
rooted in the management theories outlined by Dr W Edwards Deming.

The team at New York Label & Box Works setting up an Edale press

Deming is an American statistician and management thinker whose principles for operational performance were popularized after WWII and became widely recognized after a revealing documentary was produced in the 1980s. Deming
transformed manufacturing by focusing on quality, efficiency and continuous improvement. Haedrich not only took the Deming management principles to heart but also wove them throughout every facet of the business. Haedrich also serves as a board member in the Deming Institute, a group that honors the teachings of Dr Deming.

At its core, the Deming philosophy focuses on building a system that consistently produces quality outcomes and continuously refines processes, products and services. Businesses should reduce variation, as stability and predictability are essential for quality, Deming says.

The Deming philosophy appears well-timed for today’s label converter, many of whom are reassessing their position in the packaging value change and diversifying their product portfolios.

“You must have quality and must have innovation, and when you can do those two things, well, you’ll be on the path to success”

Reducing press variability means better print quality; process control means less waste; supplier relationships mean more
stable performance; and continuous improvement means easier expansion into new areas. For New York Label & Box Works, that meant a move into in-line folding cartons.

‘One of the key tenets of the Deming philosophy is that you’ve
got to innovate and delight your customers,’ Haedrich explains. ‘If your customer is buying a label and a carton, you’re helping them by producing both. I looked at our customers who were ordering labels and cartons from other suppliers, and I said, “What if we could do both?” It’s kind of a no-brainer.’

Haedrich became interested in Deming’s philosophy shortly
after taking over operations at New York Label & Box Works in
1996, when the company’s largest customer demanded improved quality from all its vendors. He then began reading everything he could about quality. He soon discovered that in every book he read, Deming’s name appeared. Haedrich credits the Deming philosophy for guiding the company through economic ups and downs, and shaping decisions that didn’t always look obvious at first glance.

Haedrich admits that he’s not particularly risk-averse. Especially if he’s confident it’s the right business move. This no-fear attitude led him to invest in a second Edale carton press before the first had reached full capacity. In his view, it
wasn’t a gamble, but a necessity.

The Loupe and Labels & Labeling team with Steven Haedrich from New York Label & Box Works

‘A client does not want to walk into my shop and see one press,’ Haedrich says. ‘Their immediate reaction is what if this press goes down? How will I get my cartons? So, I’m of the opinion you had to have two machines.

‘My people just looked at me and said I was crazy. But if you
look at every single innovator in the last 200 years, they’ve all
been called crazy. I’m not innovating. I’m just using innovative
technology, and to my customers, their perception is we’re ahead of the curve. And that’s everything.’

Customers

New York Label & Box Works caters to the vitamin, cosmetic and food industries. In addition to color consistency and a ‘one-stop-shop’ mentality, what customers really love is the speed-to-market it provides.

‘Our biggest competitive advantage is that we can turn around
jobs faster than any billion-dollar printer,’ Haedrich says. ‘And
that is the magic bean. Because the world changes so quickly,
people can’t accurately predict their inventory levels. When
they’re out of labels or cartons, they’re out. So, we’ve got to get to the order quickly. It’s very difficult to predict people’s buying patterns right now.’

History

New York Label & Box Works was founded in 1878 in New York City, providing labels and folding cartons to pharmacies across the city. ‘At the time, pharmacies were like Starbucks; there was one on every corner. It was a very good business back then,’ Haedrich says.

In 1930, Frederick Haedrich Sr, Steven’s grandfather, purchased the company. Steven is the third generation in his family to run the company. Today, the company has 53 employees.

Examples of jobs run at New York Label & Box Works

As New York Label & Box Works has evolved from labels to
cartons, it has maintained a focus on high-quality production
by leveraging advanced technology and maintaining strong
vendor relationships.

‘We don’t beat up vendors,’ Haedrich says. ‘We want them to
make money. We want them to stay in business. We want them to continue to be our partner. We want them to continue to help us improve our quality continuously.’

It’s exactly what New York Label & Box Works looks for in its
own customers as well.

‘It’s always messy, it’s always challenging, there’s always a
learning curve. But Dr Deming said, “You must have quality and must have innovation, and when you can do those two things, well, you’ll be on the path to success”.’

Edale on the future of folding carton

Technology alone will not define success in 2026. Workflow
intelligence and production resilience will.

Converters are no longer chasing a single perfect technology. Instead, they are building mixed fleets of digital, offset and flexo presses, and making practical decisions about which process fits each job best. It is less about tradition and more about what works.

Flexo’s role is shifting from a high-volume method to an efficient production platform, delivering automated, repeatable output, particularly where in-line finishing and process consolidation reduce complexity.

Automation will be judged less by how impressive it looks and more by what it removes: labor pressure, variability and work in progress. Stability, predictability and ease of operation will matter more than novelty.

At the same time, brand owners are pushing for consistency
across labels and packaging, further blurring the line between
label and carton production.

The converters who outperform in 2026 will be those who
simplify and use data to orchestrate production for efficiency,
quality and resilience.

Industry ambassador

Steven Haedrich, president of New York Label & Box Works, has been selected as a Loupe Americas 2026 industry ambassador. As a Loupe ambassador, Haedrich will share his
knowledge and insights on moving into in-line folding carton production. He joins ambassadors representing other segments and key topics. Katie Harrington of Winpack will
serve as future leader ambassador, David Totten of Nosco will serve as flexible packaging ambassador, Tyler Matusevich of Brook + Whittle will be sustainability ambassador and Corey
Reardon of AWA will serve as label market intelligence ambassador.

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Five generations in print at DWS Printing & Packaging

Adyasha Sinha — Fri, 07 Aug 2026 07:30:04 +0000

Conventional printing 07 August 2026

Five generations in print at DWS Printing & Packaging

New York-based DWS Printing & Packaging has been in business for 161 years. With a legacy in offset and flexo printing, it looks toward the future.

It could be said that the modern trajectory of DWS Printing &
Packaging was changed by a horseradish sauce company.
Of course, for a 161-year-old printing business, there were many twists and turns before a fateful condiment company
changed its direction. And there certainly were peaks and valleys after, but for this story, it all begins with horseradish.

It was 2008, and brothers Andy and Tom Staib were running DWS, a successful cut-and-stack label business on New York’s Long Island, catering to food and beverage brands.

One of its top customers, the aforementioned horseradish company, changed its packaging format from glue-applied cut-and-stack labels to a pressure-sensitive format. DWS was an
offset label printer with no flexo assets at the time.

So, the Staib brothers had a choice. Turn to flexographic printing or lose one of its biggest customers. Together with the deep expertise of its COO, John Gulino, DWS bought its first flexo press, a Nilpeter FB, which is still considered the workhorse of the facility, printing some of the company’s
longest flexo runs.

‘We noticed a lot of beverage brands were also going from cut-and-stack labels to pressure-sensitive labels or even shrink sleeve,’ Gulino says. ‘We saw that evolution and said if it’s going to happen to one account, it could happen to any one of them. We need to be able to change with our customers.’

‘You have to keep in mind that we knew nothing about flexo when we started looking at it,’ Gulino recalls, comically. ‘I was literally looking at the plate, saying: “why is it rubber?” We had no experience, except that we were losing a customer from our cut-and-stack side that we wanted to keep, and it was enough work to spend the money in the press to learn about it.’

Eighteen years after that first flexo purchase, pressure-sensitive labels make up half of the company’s jobs.

A defining moment

Another turning point for the company came in 2020, when Tom Staib passed away all of a sudden, a loss that profoundly
altered the organization.

Anyone who knew Tom knew he was just as passionate about the family business as he was about his own family. He was equally as enthusiastic about music as an avowed ‘Deadhead’ and drummer.

“It’s important for us to be as efficient as we can be so we can compete against anyone”

Tom’s presence is woven into the fabric of the facility. From the Grateful Dead stained glass hanging in the front window, to the rock concert photos that line the walls of the hallway to the office he once shared with his brother, Andy. Tom’s son, TJ, was then three years with the company when his father passed, assumed the role of president.

Tom was a well-respected and engaging figure in the label industry. He frequently attended TLMI events and other industry conferences, often called upon to speak on panels and happy to swap stories of successes and setbacks with fellow label converters. Tom was not afraid to take a leap of faith on new equipment if it meant moving the company in the right direction.

‘The move into flexo opened up a whole new area and marketplace to compete in,’ says Andy Staib, owner and CEO.

DWS was an early adopter of in-house platemaking and ink mixing, as well as expanded color gamut printing. In 2017, it was the first converter to purchase a new MPS EF Symjet hybrid press with Domino, which helped the company better serve the craft beer and beverage markets.

Rounding out its PS label assets is an Omet XFlex X-6 in-line flexo press that helped the company expand into shrink sleeves and further into roll-fed labels; and an HP digital press for its short-run shrink sleeves and PSL work. DWS runs a Heidlberg XL 106 press for its cut and stack labels.

‘Flexo changed the course and the direction of our business,’ Gulino says. ‘The Heidelberg gave us the capacity, the quality and the speed that we needed to keep competing in the market we were in. The Nilpeter gave us the speed, quality and capacity to get into completely different markets.

‘If we didn’t get into flexo, we wouldn’t be doing shrink sleeves or printing on films. I think without our first flexo equipment, we wouldn’t get the hybrid press, or the Omet press, or the HP. You probably wouldn’t have seen 15-plus people that we’ve employed to work on this equipment.’

History
DWS stands for David Weil’s Sons, a company that started as a lithographic printer in 1865 in New York City. Charles Staib, the great-great-grandfather to Andy, Tom and sister, Kathy, joined the company in 1888 and worked with the Weil family for more than 50 years, later becoming principal.

“We need to automate as much as possible, if not more, to remain competitive. We automate wherever we can”

Tom joined DWS Printing in 1987, at a time when the company’s growth was fueled by large beverage customers like Coca-Cola, Yoohoo and Snapple. Andy joined later in 1991, the pair assuming the roles of president and vice president in 1996. Kathy joined in 2013 after spending more than 25 years outside the company in print advertising sales. Kathy has since retired.

‘Back when I joined the company, it was really Tom and me. Tom inherited my uncle’s shoes, which was the administrative, due diligence and procurement side. You know, all the stuff I didn’t really care for and wasn’t very good at,’ Andy says, laughing. ‘I inherited my dad’s role, which was sales, which I really enjoy. Tom and I really had that balance.’

Today, TJ sits at the desk his father once occupied, while Andy and Andy’s daughter, Hope Staib, are across the large room. Tom, Andy, Kathy, TJ and Hope formed the fourth and fifth generations of this proud and enduring family business.

TJ oversees operations, planning and R&D. A graduate of Villanova (like his father), TJ went to work for Heidelberg in
Germany after graduation, before signing on at DWS in 2017.

Hope is the newest Staib to join the family business, taking over many of Kathy’s accounts and leading new sales and
marketing initiatives.

‘I think I’m bringing a young, fresh energy to it,’ Hope says.

And like any good Gen Zer, she takes a digital-first approach to finding new business, often using Instagram, LinkedIn or even Slack channels to scout for new leads.

‘I think I am trying to embrace the digital age, but I also know how important face-to-face meetings are,’ she says.

DWS Printing & Packaging were early pioneers of expanded gamut printing

Markets

DWS continues to serve food and beverage brands, including craft beer, while expanding into pet care and cannabis markets. Much of its growth is driven by the digital side of the business.

‘The cannabis industry has really come in strong for us and leads to a lot of growth on our digital machines,’ Andy says. ‘They have all the different strains, different percentages of THC and CBD, and it’s always changing, so these customers can’t order a lot, because if the strain changes, then those labels are no good. They need quick-to-market, short-run, high-quality. It’s perfect for digital.

‘But for us, our bread and butter are still our longer runs,’ Gulino adds.

Looking forward

While DWS’s history provides a strong foundation, the company is firmly focused on where it’s headed. They strive to be responsive, agile and ever evolving.

Longevity like that at DWS is increasingly rare in the North American label landscape, giving the company its competitive edge. Customers choose DWS for its adaptability and ability to move quickly to solve their problems, which they say is ‘just as valuable as the label itself.’

That mentality also reshaped production operations, with a stronger focus on efficiency at every stage.

Gulino says: ‘We compete against the big guys, and we have a lot of the same technology, but on a much smaller scale, and under one roof. So, it’s important for us to be as efficient as we can be so we can compete with anyone.

‘Being out on almost the furthest part of the East Coast, in a very expensive area, can make it very difficult. So, we need
to automate as much as possible, if not more, to remain competitive. We automate wherever we can.’

That automation at DWS starts the minute a job comes through the door.

Company leaders quickly recognized during the Covid-19 pandemic that the bottlenecks had shifted from the production floor to the front end of the business. A surge in orders during
that time meant that moving jobs through estimating, pre-press and the art department began to slow down overall production.

‘As we were increasing efficiencies in the pressroom, we were able to push out more work. It gave the sales team more tools to go out and sell more, but those files and all have to be entered into our systems, and estimates need to go out, or the
artwork needs to be automated, and that’s constantly evolving,’ Gulino explains.

‘Right now, our biggest focus is automating on the front end: how are we going to get the work into the art department fast? Because you still have to write up a job ticket, you still have to estimate it and enter it into our MIS system. How can you automate all that? For us, it’s very tricky because we’re dealing with a very wide range of clients, but we’ve come a long way.’

Honoring the past

While the company’s legacy speaks to resilience and continuity, the Staibs are open-minded about the future.

‘We get solicited all the time, and you know we never say never. But this has been in our family for 161-plus years; there’s a lot of weight to that.’

That enduring legacy feels especially poignant in light of Tom’s passing.

In a tribute video produced by Domino, Tom’s own words echo what generations built before him: ‘I think our forefathers
would be proud’.

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Jet Technologies expands Vietnam operations

Piotr Wnuk — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 04:40:30 +0000

Jet Technologies has strengthened its Vietnam operations less than two years after launching in the country, growing its active customer base by more than 250 percent, nearly tripling its local workforce and relocating to a new 500 sqm office and warehouse facility in Ho Chi Minh City.

The new facility is positioned closer to customer manufacturing operations and features expanded warehouse capacity, dedicated technical support areas and a purpose-built ink laboratory for local color matching, product testing and customer training. The company has also expanded its consumables offering to include UV flexo inks, foils and specialty films alongside its existing portfolio of printing and converting technologies, enabling customers to access equipment, consumables, technical expertise, training and after-sales support from a single local partner.

Demand is being driven by continued investment across food and beverage, pharmaceutical, personal care, logistics and consumer goods sectors in Vietnam, creating opportunities for suppliers combining advanced technology with responsive local service.

'Across Southeast Asia, we're seeing a clear shift towards digital, flexographic and automated production as printers look for ways to improve efficiency and remain competitive,' said Jack Malki, managing director of Jet Technologies. 'Vietnam is a key part of that story, and we've seen strong demand from customers looking for both leading technology and local support. Our investment reflects the direction the market is heading.'

'As our customer base has expanded, we've needed to expand with it,' added Loi Huynh, country manager of Jet Technologies Vietnam. 'Being closer to our customers means we can spend more time on site, respond faster when support is needed and provide the practical technical expertise that helps them get the best performance from their equipment.'

'Vietnam is an important part of our Southeast Asian business, and we see significant opportunity ahead,' noted Malki. 'We'll continue investing in our local team, technical expertise and product offering so we can support customers as the market evolves.'

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Clemson University prepares students for print careers

Adyasha Sinha — Tue, 04 Aug 2026 11:28:35 +0000

Market trends 05 August 2026

Clemson University prepares students for print careers

Amid an industry struggling to find enough qualified workers, Clemson University’s graphic communications program is developing the future workforce.

Step inside the Advanced Lab at Clemson University’s Godfrey Hall, and you will see machinery donated from suppliers in the print industry. This includes a Nilpeter FA-17 and a Comco Captain press from 1990 that allow students to get a feel for printing labels. Outside of the Advanced Lab, Clemson University has two additional label presses: a Sohn 4400 small stack press and an Omet VaryFlex 530 press, the latter of which is in the university’s Sonoco Institute of Packaging Design and Graphics.

‘We’re not teaching them to be perfect every time,’ says Michelle Fox, a senior lecturer in Clemson University’s graphic
communications department. ‘We’re teaching them to learn how to make mistakes, think critically and figure out how
to solve problems.’

Clemson University’s graphic communications program prepares students for careers in the print industry, including label manufacturing. The university, located in Clemson, South Carolina, is a state school with about 24,000 undergraduate students and 5,000 graduate students. It offers one of the country’s leading graphic communications programs, with about 400 students, who learn the steps of print production, from Adobe design tools to platemaking and
print technologies, including flexography, offset and screen printing.

Alongside its graphic communications major, Clemson also offers a packaging science program that focuses on the structural and materials science aspects of packaging.

The graphic communications program is housed at Clemson University’s Godfrey Hall, while the packaging science program is located at the Sonoco Institute.

Students go into a variety of careers, including sales, branding, marketing and flexography. Fox notes an increasing trend of students pursuing roles in flexo, sales and R&D.

Education today

Clemson’s graphic communications program starts with the fundamentals, such as the principles of design and what plates are. Throughout their time in the program, students learn how to conduct market research, create promotional and
functional labels, and provide and receive peer feedback. Alongside these technical skills, students also learn employability, or ‘soft’ skills.

Fox says that education today focuses more on employability skills, such as having difficult conversations, owning deadlines
and taking charge of the learning process, than it did in the past.

‘So many of our students are coming in strong, motivated and highly intelligent,’ Fox says. ‘It’s those small little tweaks that I believe make us more dynamic, like thinking ahead of a deadline, speaking with more confidence and handling a project with more confidence.’

Fox has taught print for 20 years, 10 years at the high-school level and 10 years at the higher-education level.

She has seen the student body become more diverse, with more women and more ethnic diversity in the program.

“I really loved how wide open this major was, the number of options it offered”

Schools are still recovering from the changes brought by the Covid-19 pandemic, Fox says. It moved many students online, and teaching hands-on content to them in a virtual setting was
challenging. Though students are no longer learning virtually, the pandemic has had a lasting impact.

‘Confidence isn’t where it used to be in students,’ Fox says of the impact of Covid-19. ‘They’re so smart that if they give themselves the chance to be a little bit more confident, they could do so much more. One of the things I hope I instill in them, is the confidence to be independent and do really great things, or to try and fail at them. Making mistakes is really scary to them, and I think the fear of mistakes is one of the biggest changes I’ve seen. But I’ve also seen over the past year or two that with some gentle nudging, they’re really growing and having a lot more confidence.’

Student perspective

Caroline Yaman is going into her senior year as a graphic communications major at Clemson University. She chose to pursue this degree because she felt it would open a variety of opportunities for her.

‘I really loved how wide open this major was, the number of options it offered. Because I really don’t like being tied down
to one thing,’ Yaman says. ‘I loved how there were about 10 different tracks, which had both creative and technical aspects to it.’

Yaman is particularly interested in flexography. ‘It’s really interesting with all the complexities with it,’ she says. ‘I really enjoy platemaking and the pre-flooding process and color management. I’m a big problem solver; I really like working through things. With flexo, there are just so many things that can go wrong, and you have to figure them out. There are so many elements in it that you have to figure out to get the perfect print.’

The graphic communications program requires students to
undertake two internships. Yaman’s first was a sales internship at a commercial printing company; she intends for her second to be in flexo.

During her time as a student, Yaman has enjoyed running the Nilpeter and Comco presses and making plates. She has had the opportunity to be a teaching assistant for the inks and substrates lab. Yaman has been able to attend industry events, such as the Flexo Pre-Press Platemakers Association conference and the Flexographic Technical Association’s Women of Flexo conference, with support from both Clemson University and the events themselves.

Labels produced on the Comco press in the Advanced Lab at Clemson University’s Godfrey Hall

For a future employer, Yaman wants someone who is, she says, ‘not only supportive of me and trusts me, but also has high expectations and pushes me. Learning is really important to me. So, an employer who encourages me and gives me opportunities to continue learning and not just stay stagnant.’

Challenges

Print programs in education are tackling one of the most significant issues facing the industry: the shortage of skilled labor. But these programs at both the high school and university levels are shrinking in number, as they close or get absorbed, leaving fewer funnels through which students enter the industry.

Fox believes that a longstanding myth that print is dying has
fueled closures of these programs.

‘That’s really concerning to me,’ Fox says. ‘It’s not that there is
a lack of need in the industry, because there very much is a need that’s being unmet.’

Fox wants to get the industry involved in keeping these
programs alive. She also hopes university students can help
keep them running by going to high schools themselves to teach these programs.

Fox herself has gone into elementary schools to introduce young students to basic print production concepts. She even once taught a group of girl scouts to run the Comco press.

‘If we can keep those high school programs alive and well, and feed them into the community college and college programs, that’s going to help keep the print programs stay healthy and ensure our workforce stays healthy,’ Fox says.

Additionally, Fox has seen companies in the industry pull back on offering internships in recent years due to smaller staff sizes.

‘They don’t necessarily have the bandwidth to take on interns,’
Fox says. ‘For our program that requires two internships, it makes it even more difficult to place students with meaningful experiences.’

Amanda Bridges, an assistant professor in Clemson’s graphic
communications department, has been teaching in higher
education since 2005.

She says that, like all fields in education, resources can be a
challenge, though Clemson University’s program fares well in that regard due to support from the print industry and the university. Some of the substrates, plates and machinery that students make use of are donated by industry suppliers. Finding qualified faculty who are interested in teaching can also be difficult.

“Any graphic communications educator would tell you that money, resources and just being able to get the things you need to teach can sometimes be an issue”

‘Any graphic communications educator would tell you that
money, resources and just being able to get the things you need to teach in this field can sometimes be an issue,’ Bridges says.

AI in the classroom

AI has been a complex topic in education across various fields
and levels. Fox doesn’t want students to rely on AI to do their thinking for them. Rather, she wants them to command AI and use it as an accessory.

‘I know our students are resilient. I know they’re leaders. I know that they have tons of skillsets, and they’re going to find
how to implement AI in the workplace to make things more
efficient, to make things part of a process, but not take over a
process,’ Fox says.

AI could create opportunities in the classroom. For example,
Fox would value having students provide and receive more peer feedback than they currently do, but they are limited on time. Feedback from an AI agent could potentially fill that space.

‘It’s not driving their decisions,’ Fox says. ‘It’s giving them a
litmus test opportunity to get a baseline before they take it to
their peers.’

In Bridges’ design classes, students learn to use generative AI
options in Adobe software products. Students also can use AI to generate some of the content in their designs.

‘We definitely want to be on the front end,’ Bridges says. ‘We
don’t want to be left behind in this. The industry is going to drive how we use it. It could just be a tool, or it could be something that really impacts our industry in some different ways. So, it’ll be interesting to see.’

Yaman says many of her professors support the use of AI in the classroom. In one of her classes, the students learned how to code and create personal assistants using AI.

‘You are going to go into the workplace, and you are going
to need to know how to use it,’ Yaman says. ‘I’ve been getting
opportunities to learn it a lot more and how to apply it responsibly in a design way and also in a practical production way.’

Overall, Fox is excited for the future of the industry for her
students and for how quickly it is changing.

‘The fact that there’s a press that runs off of an iPad, and now
we can add digital stations at the end – that’s something that I
never thought I’d see in my lifetime,’ Fox concludes.

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Selah Zighelboim

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Australian paper body rebrands as APPIA

Piotr Wnuk — Mon, 03 Aug 2026 23:03:38 +0000

The Australasian Paper Industry Association has rebranded as the Australasian Paper and Packaging Industry Association, known as APPIA, reflecting the expansion of fiber-based packaging across Australia and New Zealand and the growing role of international mills and fiberboard substrate manufacturers in the regional supply chain.

Executive director Kellie Northwood said fiber-based packaging categories in Australia had grown more than 50 percent over the past decade, with APPIA's membership now spanning paper manufacturers, packaging converters, fiberboard substrate suppliers, merchants and recyclers.

'The industry we represent today is broader, more sophisticated and more strategically important than at any other point in recent history,' said Northwood. ‘Fiber-based packaging has experienced extraordinary growth across Australia and New Zealand as governments, brands and consumers seek more sustainable packaging solutions. Our Association has evolved alongside that growth, and it is critical our identity reflects the full breadth of the industries we represent.’

APPIA holds a seat on the APCO Materials Stewardship Committee and is engaged in consultations on kerbside recyclability frameworks and packaging guideline reforms. A new industry website is due to launch in the coming quarter.

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Loupe session to explore labor market

Selah Zighelboim — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 15:52:16 +0000

Baby boomers are retiring, the younger generations are not large enough to fully replace them, and fewer people are choosing to enter the print industry.

This workforce dynamic is a pressing topic for many label converter business leaders, who frequently cite hiring as their greatest difficulty.

On Sept 16 at 12:15 pm at Loupe Americas 2026, Claudia St John, founder and CEO of The Workplace Advisors, and Carrie Aaron, general manager at Maryland-based converter Hub Labels, will sit down for a conversation about labor market dynamics.

‘Put simply: the labor pool is shrinking, aging and not being replenished, and this is hitting label and package printing hard,’ St John says.

Their conversation is a part of two days of educational programming at Loupe Americas. In addition to workforce development, sessions will explore RFID, packaging diversification and EPR compliance, among other topical subjects.

'We have been hearing about the “silver tsunami” for a long time,’ Aaron says. ‘The issue is not just a labels and packaging issue.’

St John says that the print workforce tends to skew older, and a retiring operator’s knowledge and skills can take years to replace. Underscoring this, the Congressional Budget Office projects that the US in 2030 will see more deaths than births for the first time.

Aaron notes that the labels industry hasn’t adopted as much automation as other manufacturing sectors, which can help alleviate labor shortages.

St John recommends that employers prioritize retaining their staff and ensure that their compensation rates are competitive. They should identify who might be retiring soon and look to hire earlier than they would have in the past to allow more time for training.

In addition to discussing the labor market, St John and Aaron will also explore practical strategies for navigating workforce challenges during their session.

'Effective hiring alone isn’t enough if retention and engagement are poor,’ St John says.

To hear more from St John and Aaron, visitors to Loupe Americas can purchase an all-access Education Pass, which includes admission to all keynotes, conference sessions and workshops. Education Pass holders will also receive recaps of each session so they can review takeaways and insights on presentations they may have missed.

To learn more and view the full two-day program, click here.

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Mark Andy, Talkin’ Things host RFID workshop in Poland

Adyasha Sinha — Thu, 30 Jul 2026 08:59:33 +0000

Interactive technology 31 July 2026

Mark Andy, Talkin’ Things host RFID workshop in Poland

Industry experts explore how smart labels are gaining momentum, as RFID continues to be incorporated across labeling and packaging.

RFID is shifting from an underused technology into a practical
tool, now being deployed at scale across packaging, retail
and logistics. As costs fall and regulatory pressure intensifies,
the industry is increasingly embedding smart labels into production lines to improve traceability, speed up operations and link physical products to digital data.

A recent RFID workshop by Mark Andy and Talkin’ Things in
Warsaw demonstrated how RFID can now be integrated directly into label production and move from specialist adoption to mainstream industrial use.

Talkin’ Things, based in Warsaw, Poland, is a technology
company that develops connected packaging technology using NFC and RFID chips that then enable interaction between physical products and supply chains.

During the workshop, the companies said that the adoption
of smart labels was slow between 2019 and 2022, but in 2023, the number of tags rose to 44.8 billion from 28.1 billion. This is predicted to climb to 171.8 billion by 2032 according to the most recent statistics from the graph on the right, with the retail sector accounting for more than half.

One of the constraints for investing in RFID labels has been cost, which, as the materials and technology become cheaper, will soon be less of an issue.

The workshop wasn’t just a high-level discussion around RFID
as a technology; it was centered around real-world applications. The focus of the workshop was to demonstrate how RFID can be integrated into label production environments, as shown in a live production demo on a Mark Andy Evolution Series E5 press at the Mark Andy demonstration center in Warsaw, followed by a visit to the Talkin Things RFID factory.

RFID inlays were applied in a single, streamlined workflow. This production-ready approach is becoming increasingly important as converters shift their attention from merely understanding RFID to actively exploring its implementation on the press floor.

Speaking at the RFID smart label workshop, Jacek Terski, sales and business development director at Talkin’ Things, explains how RFID is moving beyond a specialist technology and becoming a central tool for brands seeking traceability, efficiency and consumer engagement, using the graph to show how adoption has increased and how it is predicted to grow.

‘Each corporation wants to connect packaging with digital
identity,’ he says, adding, ‘RFID is currently the most practical
technology to achieve that.’

As the day progressed, it became clear that Mark Andy and
Talkin’ Things believed RFID could become one of the most
transformative developments in the labeling and packaging
industry, enabling brands to connect physical products to digital information and unlock new levels of supply chain visibility.

How RFID works
Unlike barcodes, RFID tags do not require line-of-sight to scan, allowing multiple items to be identified simultaneously.

This simultaneous identification was demonstrated during
Terski’s presentation. Bags were handed out upon entry, each fitted with an RFID label, bearing the guest’s name. Terski then walked up and down the room, and within seconds, every RFID label had been scanned and identified, proving how much time can be saved on a warehouse stock take, for example.

Terski says: ‘On one hand, you have the RFID label, which
contains a chip that stores information and an antenna that allows the tag to communicate with a reader.

‘The reader collects the data, but that’s only the beginning. You need a system to process and use that information; otherwise, the technology has no real value.’

Talkin’ Things provides software systems for its customers that
can be fully integrated into the current management systems,
which are then linked to the Talkin’ Things internal systems.

When discussing how the label performs in extreme conditions, such as extreme heat or cold, Terski notes that this is not a problem if the right components are used, including the adhesive.

“Each corporation wants to connect packaging with digital identity, and RFID is currently the most practical technology to achieve that”

However, he did say that a problem for the apparel sector is that RFID labels can lose effectiveness when close to the human body because the water in the body affects the radio frequency emitted by the microscopic chip. This problem still needs to be solved.

Regulations driving adoption

One reason RFID labels could be gaining traction in Europe is due in part to sustainability regulations. The Digital Product Passport (DPP) and the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) are forcing companies to take accountability by introducing measures to ensure transparency throughout the lifecycle of product packaging.

A key part of this will be tracking the materials used, their
composition, recyclability and carbon footprint. Terski shares that the materials used to create RFID labels are so small that they do not qualify for tracking under the regulations.

DPP will be rolled out gradually from 2026 across sectors
such as textiles, electronics and construction products, and each physical product will require a data carrier, such as a QR code, NFC chip or RFID tag.

As regulators demand more detailed sustainability reports and
lifecycle transparency, Terski believes that technologies like RFID could move from optional add-ons to essential components of the supply chain, as tracking material sustainability is not the only benefit.

Retail, the largest adopter

The technology has seen its fastest adoption in retail, particularly in clothing, where brands use RFID to improve inventory accuracy and automate stock management.

Major retailers, such as Walmart and Decathlon, are already
using RFID at scale to improve overall supply chain efficiency.
Decathlon has integrated the technology into its inventory
management and checkouts, which has resulted in an 11 percent increase in sales, holding onto inventory for 23 percent less time and reducing the time a customer spends at the checkout by two minutes on average.

However, Terski believes RFID adoption in retail is only just
beginning. Other sectors, including logistics, pharmaceuticals and food, are exploring the technology to enhance traceability and product authentication.

Terski says: ‘Retail started the adoption, but other industries are following. It’s the same technology used in contactless credit cards. With NFC-enabled RFID, a consumer can interact with a product using their phone.’

In simple terms, RFID is designed for speed and automation in industrial systems, while NFC is a short-range, consumer‑focused form of RFID, designed for controlled, one-to-one communication.

While the hardware is essential, Terski emphasizes that the
broader ecosystem around RFID, including software, data
management and system integration, is what delivers value.

‘The label generates data, but the real benefit comes from how that data is used,’ he says.

RFID in logistics

UPS is expanding its use of RFID package sensing technology across its US network. A key part of this rollout is the installation of RFID sensors across major hubs, alongside plans to introduce RFID label printing capabilities for customers between 2026 and 2027.

UPS is targeting a future where almost every package in its
network is RFID-enabled, supported by more than 100 million
USD already invested in the technology. Lower tag costs are a key enabler here, helping move RFID from specialized use cases, such as healthcare and retail, into a vast array of sectors.

RFID allows parcels to be automatically detected as they
move through the network, reducing manual scanning
processes, with UPS aiming to eliminate nearly 20 million
manual scans per day.

This could be a strong indicator that RFID is no longer an
emerging technology, but one that is increasingly being embedded into everyday logistics workflows at scale.

Inside the RFID factory

The Talkin’ Things workshop also gave attendees insight into the production capabilities of the company that operates an RFID manufacturing facility in Warsaw, Poland, through a tour of the factory. The company designs and manufactures RFID and NFC tags used across sectors, including retail and logistics.

“The label generates data, but the real benefit comes from how the data is used”

At the site, the company combines product design, prototyping and manufacturing under one roof, allowing engineers to develop and test RFID tags before moving them into production. R&D laboratories simulate the conditions labels would encounter in the real world, enabling engineers to develop the correct antenna designs and ensure tags perform reliably when embedded in various packaging types.

The production floor is equipped with bonding and converting
lines that attach microchips to antennas and transform inlays into RFID products such as labels and hang tags.

These lines can produce tens of thousands of smart labels per
hour while maintaining high-quality standards.

Quality assurance plays a central role in the process, as the chip must fit within a space of 120 microns, Terski shares. Advanced testing systems verify tag performance throughout both the design and production stages.

The company produces hundreds of millions of tags per year at the facility, highlighting how RFID manufacturing is growing to meet demand from global brands looking to digitize their products and supply chains.

Moving to necessity

As the workshop in Warsaw demonstrated, RFID is no longer
considered a niche technology. The technology is improving; chip prices are dropping, and more rules are being implemented. As a result, smart labels are becoming more common in the labeling and packaging industry.

While new skills pose as constraints in handling inlays, adhesives and testing systems, the benefits of adding RFID to labels outweigh the constraints. Brands want to see what’s happening in their supply chains, and regulators want more information on materials and sustainability, which could mean RFID labels could soon be a standard part of modern packaging.

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Will Drysdale

Europe Editor

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Avery Dennison inaugurates new distribution center in India

Akanksha Meena — Thu, 30 Jul 2026 07:07:19 +0000

Avery Dennison South Asia has inaugurated its new distribution center in Bengaluru, a significant step in the company's ongoing commitment to being closer to its customers.

The new facility is more than double than its earlier facility and is designed to support growing demand across labels, intelligent labels, tapes, graphics and reflective products.

The expanded facility reflects Avery Dennison's strategy of scaling its infrastructure ahead of demand, enabling the company to improve delivery speed and reliability as its business continues to grow. The facility is also home to a dedicated customer experience center, which provides brand owners with an opportunity to explore Avery Dennison's latest products and innovations first-hand.

Saurabh Agarwal, vice president and general manager, South Asia, Avery Dennison, said: ‘India remains one of our fastest-growing and most strategic markets globally. This investment goes beyond expanding warehousing capacity, it reinforces our long-term commitment to the region. As customer demand for speed and reliability accelerates, Avery Dennison is ensuring we do not just deliver world-class solutions, but stand right beside our customers where they need us most.’

Adding to this, Hemant Tewari, operations and supply chain director, South Asia, said: ‘Across the materials and labeling industry, agile supply chain has become as important as product quality itself, customers today expect consistency and reliability at a pace. This new facility is a direct response to that shift. It's not just about adding capacity, it's about rethinking how we could serve our customers better”.

The new facility is strategically located with excellent connectivity via peripheral roads, enabling faster, more efficient movement of goods across India. Being situated outside city limits also frees operations from city timing restrictions that typically constrain last-mile logistics, a key enabler for the company's goal of achieving one-day delivery within Bangalore.’

With this inauguration, Avery Dennison reinforces its long-term commitment to the Indian market, building infrastructure that supports both current operations and future growth across its key business verticals.

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Avery Dennison inaugurates new distribution center in India

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The new facility in Bengaluru is more than double than its earlier facility and is designed to support growing demand in India.

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The new facility in Bengaluru is more than double than its earlier facility and is designed to support growing demand in India.

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