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Something rather unusual - some might say most unusual,
perhaps unprecedented - occurred in October at the TLMI awards banquet
in Orlando. A company that had been printing labels using flexography
for only two years won the Best of Show award for a flexo wine label.
For that Bridlewood Syrah label the company also won a first place
award in a flexography wine and spirits category. That's not all:
It took two other first place awards and one second place prize.
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The company is G-3 Enterprises, located in Modesto, CA, USA. Its
label division is one of several units in the group (others specialize
in bottle closure manufacturing, logistics and real estate). The
printing operation has been around for more than two decades, but
its focus on labels began in the early 1990s, and its products were
sheetfed offset glue-applied labels for wines.
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Pictured operating a Rotoflex Model VLI-400 eDrive machine for
inspection, slitting and rewinding is Arman Disu of G-3 Enterprises.
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G-3 waited out the 1990s
and the first few years of this decade before moving into narrow web
flexo label production. When it did, the move was swift and successful,
and it has the awards to prove it. |
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The label division
today is focused intently on wine and spirits labeling, and seeks
only challenging work. It is committed to continuous improvement,
to sound environmental practices and to hiring and empowering the
best employees. |
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G-3 Enterprises has a legacy.
It is owned by members of the Gallo family's third generation - Gallo
being the well known wine family of California. These family members
developed separate businesses in the orbit of the wine industry, and
in 2003 pulled them together as G-3. The combined company has grown
well through centralized marketing efforts and a focus on quality
customer service. |
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Tom Gallo is director and
general manager of the label division. A graduate of California Polytechnic
Institute in graphic communications, he has always been a printer,
and he has specialized in beverage labeling. To him, and to the members
of his team, these market segments are distinct and require special
knowledge and attention. |
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"There are some players
in the wine and spirits label industries who do very well," he
says. "There have been others who see a very profitable business,
because they are looking at the market through the glasses of a commodity
label company that doesn't have to provide extra services and produce
the level of quality that the wine market and spirits market require.
We have seen companies come in, we've seen companies go out, companies
go under. We've seen them bought up. We have seen individuals and
investors look at this market for opportunities because they see high
margins. But this is a different market with a different challenge.
Different customers have different levels of demand. When you have
a $10, $20, $50, or $80 bottle of wine, the label is very important
to marketing the brand. They want that label to be perfect, and they
want to be able to create unique looks through technologies. Read
complete article… |
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by Jack Kenny, Labels and
Narrow Web Magazine |
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