FINAT offers international platform to Russian printers

With Russian consumer demand rising on one of the fastest growth rates in the world, its emerging self-adhesive label printing industry is enjoying a boom in trading as manufacturers seek labels that are comparable in the design and quality of their foreign imports competitors.

Annual demand for labels in Russia and the neighboring states is growing at around
20-25 percent on the back of increased consumer prosperity and the rapid growth of the retail sector – providing ‘boom’ conditions for locally-based specialist printers.

Now FINAT is seeking to help those Russian printers meet and match the abilities of their Western counterparts by inviting them to join the organization. Its 2009 annual congress will be held in Antalya, Turkey, and the organization is hoping that the easier travel arrangements for Russians to that country will persuade many printers to take up membership and see for themselves the range of facilities that are available.

Jan Frederik Vink, president of FINAT said: ‘Russia’s growing importance has been recognized by some of the world’s major label printing groups who have already moved to establish plants in Russia and the neighboring CIS states, but we also recognize that modern indigenous label printing in Russia and the CIS is a relatively new industry and the people involved need help to match and meet these challenges from abroad.’

Past president David Harrisson said: ‘Many multi-national companies are moving production into Russia and are demanding local label supplies. FINAT’s long experience can help local printers develop their abilities to supply these demands.’

To extend its ‘helping hand’ to Russian printers, FINAT is launching a recruiting campaign to provide its members-only services to help them advance their businesses.

FINAT managing director, Jules Lejeune, said: ‘FINAT is a unique blend of printers, suppliers and customers who, over the 50 years of our existence, have pooled their knowledge to create unique services for their fellow members without compromising competition.

‘We provide the means for all parts of the self-adhesive label industry to get together to discuss mutual problems, encourage trading links and identify emerging trends, set world-class technical specification standards, organize technical seminars to explain new techniques and methods, promote the wider use of our members’ products and encourage better management of their companies.

‘Russian printers can obtain these benefits through the value of FINAT membership which has already been recognised in the Far East where many Asian printers are now joining our ranks.’