Longtime Grafisk Maskinfabrik engineer retires after four decades

Denmark-based Grafisk Maskinfabrik's (GM) longest-serving employee Steen Knudsen has retired after over 40 years in the label converting industry.

Knudsen, an engineer who joined the Danish business in 1978, retired last year after helping keep the label equipment manufacturer at the forefront of the industry.

'Steen has been an integral part of GM for over four decades, instrumental in getting the company to where it is today,' said CEO Uffe Nielsen. 'I have personally known him since I was very young and have fond memories of our many trips together visiting customers all over the world. Steen is part of the family.'

Knudsen further discussed the benefits of a family company that is reflected in customer loyalty.

'Many of our customers have been with us right from the beginning, so you build up a special relationship,' he said. 'I could mention BärenDruck GmBh in Germany, where they installed one of our very first converters and have just added another GM machine. Another example is Aberker in Saudi Arabia. They bought a slitter-rewinder and a core cutter back in 1991. When I was there to help install a new DC330Mini last year, those two machines were still running happily. Those are just some of the many stories that will stay with me forever.'

With his knowledge and expertise, Knudsen has had a hand in the development of every piece of GM machinery, from design and construction to installation and training, becoming a familiar face to label printers worldwide, according to the company.

Knudsen has seen the industry evolve over the decades.

'When I first started, servo motors were very expensive, so we used belt drives and cylinders, which was a nightmare,' he said. 'It’s incredible to think about all the improvements we have made to the process since then, with faster speeds, better quality, and so many great opportunities to add more value to labels. That’s one of the main reasons why this job has kept me interested, there’s always something new and exciting to explore, another problem to solve. It has been an amazing journey!'

Looking ahead, Knudsen also shared some insights: 'Foiling techniques will continue to grow, because brand owners and consumers love shiny labels and packaging, even when it comes to medicines. Product safety and track & trace are also key developing areas. Above all, I believe automated workflows and connected machines is the future, because it will allow printers to run faster and require less human input. Full connectivity will be the real game-changer.'