Innovative Spanish converter looks to the future

Growing rapidly and at the forefront of the Spanish and European label industry, IPE Innovaciones is taking steps towards becoming a world leading label converter. Mike Fairley reports

There can be little doubt that the world of labels is changing fast. Brand owners want ever more added-value products and services from their suppliers, while materials price increases, environmental issues, on-going education and training of employees, all add to the complexity and challenges facing converters.

It is therefore refreshing to find a label converter that is truly at the forefront of these industry changes, not only developing new label applications and markets, but also becoming a far-sighted leader in R&D, innovation and hi-tech options. Based close to Barcelona, Spain, IPE Innovaciones Para Etiquetajes has been printing labels and packaging since 1962, and today has modern installations for label printing, warehousing and distribution that covers the whole Spanish territory and, at a world level, through its clients in various countries.

While few label converters are yet fully up-to-date with the use of apps, QR codes, interactive websites and the latest developments in augmented reality (AR) labels, IPE is already using QR codes with customers and on all its own promotional material. It has been supplying clients with AR labels and the related mobile phone apps for the past year, has an interactive website in three languages, and produces one newsletter a month, again in three languages. It is also believed to be the first label converter in Spain to have a blog.

According to Francesc Egea Marco, assistant to management at IPE and the grandson of the company founder, ‘The company principles are innovation, quality and service. Our overriding aim is to provide a professional and personalized service to all our customers that sometimes includes a quality label. Indeed, we look to create with our clients new labels and applications with designs and prints that transmit and promote the image of the represented brand. Everything is orientated towards customer satisfaction – and everything is undertaken in-house. This includes website development, writing copy and newsletters, production of QR and other codes, and even apps.’

Last year, the company introduced an ‘Eco-awareness’ program and is currently working to close the loop through an organized recycling initiative with their customers. Further initiatives are for the implementation of a more formal education and training program for all employees, from production to sales.

This approach has undoubtedly proved successful for IPE. An impressive double digit percentage growth in turnover in 2011 with, already, some 20 percent of its output exported. It plans to substantially increase this percentage in the future.

Now the company is looking to further develop its customer orientated business. Changes have been made in the organization style, new goals are being set and the workforce is working more towards a team approach. ‘We also believe we are the only label converter in Spain’, says Marco, ‘that has its own dedicated R&D department. This includes a color laboratory and an ink chemist.’

Working on a key account basis, IPE’s major customer base is in health and body care labels, wine labels, home cleaning and personal care, and food labels. Options for these markets include self-adhesive labels, sleeve labels and sachets, as well as collar labels, scratch labels, VOID and authentication labels, and self-destruct labels. A more recent range of stamping and relief labels gives labels a notable and unique appearance. Indeed, the company claims that some 98 percent of labels produced incorporate foil stamping.

Special application labels which adapt to a container’s functionality, design and material are also produced, such as Easy Open & Close labels for flexible containers. These allow easy opening and closing of the product and are used on packets of wipes for personal hygiene, cleansing, make-up removers, etc. The label is placed to guarantee the security of the first opening and allows easily opening and closing of the packet, fully preserving the product’s properties.

Another example of an IPE adaptable label is a holographic image that it prints to create a color beaming effect – depending on the angle at which the label is looked at – which, in turn, creates a constant visual play on the different multicolor tones and lights, making the product stand out even more on the shelves.

Other exciting innovations from the company include labels for flexible tubes. These are made with an innovative component that forms a transparent film which adapts to the tube’s shape and covers the container’s surface completely. Labels can be made for tubes of different diameters and lengths.

Supporting the innovative and creative side of the company’s business is a comprehensive label production operation with EskoArtwork workstations, color proofing, sophisticated pre-press that includes offset plates and screen process, and a pressroom that utilizes a range of Nilpeter and other manufacturers’ presses, as well a a total of five inspection machines.

A division of IPE Group, Sleeve Direct, specializes in the printing of high quality shrinkable sleeve labels. ‘We offer a global service in the whole process,’ says Marco, ‘from the printing of the labels to the commercialization of the applicator machines and the hot air, steam and infrared sleeves shrinking tunnels.’

All labels are made to strict quality controls standardized through an ISO 9001 certification, from receiving the raw material, through the different manufacturing processes and warehousing operations to the final control and shipment. Staffare continuously trained so that they are always up-to-date with the latest technologies, themes and recycling requirements.

Not unsurprisingly, IPE is a member of various national and international associations from Finat to the Association of Continuous Feed Label Manufacturers (Anfec) in Spain, the Catalan Union of Graphic Industries and ATEF, a Spanish Technical Group. Currently, Marco is the president of the Young Managers Club of Finat – a club for young directors who interchange experiences and elaborate proposals to optimize company management, as well as the promotion and interchange of knowledge to lead the future of companies that are dedicated to the manufacture of self-adhesive labels.

Marco commented, ‘We want to build the on-going future of Finat to supply training and experienced management for the label industry, and perhaps work towards eventually establishing a University or Institute of Labels.’

Certainly there can be little doubt that the future of IPE – and of the label industry itself – should be in safe hands.

Pictured: Francesc Egea Marco of IPE Innovaciones Para Etiquetajes with one of the company’s range of label presses

This article was published in L&L issue 3, 2012