Imprimerie Ste-Julie installs Ravenwood’s Com500 coater

Founded In 1975, Imprimerie Ste-Julie remains a family-owned business. Besides linerless, IMPSJ prints pressure-sensitive labels, shrink sleeves, and labels for circular containers, including bottles. It employs a team of 110 staff, all operating out the main head office facility in Quebec. 

The company is certified by Carbone boréal for offsetting its carbon emissions and certified as an eco-responsible company under Ecocert's leadership. In addition to its certifications, the company has also set up an in-house sustainable development committee, which undertakes a series of initiatives to monitor and reduce the carbon footprint.

According to IMPSJ, linerless is an emerging technology in Canada and is gaining much interest due to many retailers and packers striving to become more environmentally friendly. Adding linerless to its product portfolio is a natural transition for the printer with its established fleet of print presses.

The Com500 Coater has been installed at the IMPSJ 30,000 s ft facility in Quebec. The building is due to be extended further in 2021 due to increased demand across all of its product ranges. Where linerless is concerned, the company is currently working on several projects within the fresh meat, fish, and baked goods sectors.

Linerless labels are highly sustainable, involving a unique production process. After the reel has been printed, the adhesive is applied to the back of the label, and silicone release coating is applied to the face, in the same position, suiting the specification of the tray. Unlike self-adhesive labels, linerless labels feature no backing paper. The absence of the liner allows for more labels per roll, fewer changeovers, less downtime, and promotes a cleanroom environment in the packing factory. 

Éric Thibault, business development manager, said: ‘Imprimerie Ste-Julie is always on the lookout for innovative and eco-friendly products. The addition of linerless to its arsenal perfectly reflects the ecological trend that the company has been following for several years. As a business development manager for linerless in Canada, I am truly proud to be able to present this new generation of zero waste labels to clients. It is with great optimism and confidence that we will introduce this great product to the Canadian market.’

Paul Beamish, managing director of Ravenwood, added: ‘We are thrilled to welcome IMPSJ on board with their many years of printing expertise and industry knowledge. 2020 has been challenging, but an extremely busy and successful year.’

You can read more about Ravenwood Packaging in Issue 5, 2020 of Labels & Labeling magazine or online on our website.