Des Moines firm invests in digital labels

Label Advantage, a custom manufacturer of labels and tags, has been using Rotoflex's Vericut 2 for reliable digital label production.

A traditional Des Moines label manufacturer has been meeting the growing demands for digital web printing.

Label Advantage owners, Tom Weisner and Brian Patterson, have invested in Rotoflex's Vericut 2 digital finishing system.

" Servicing clients in food and beverage, medical, automotive, agricultural, advertising and cosmetics - Label Advantage has quickly learned that digital printing is all about the brand.

Established in 1996, Label Advantage is a custom manufacturer of labels and tags for companies not just in Iowa, but coast-to-coast ".

We provide a closed If you don't think "Hawkeye State" when it comes to leading edge digital web printing and finishing - think again.

A traditional Des Moines label manufacturer meets the growing demands for digital web printing in the mid-west with technology from HP and Rotoflex International.

In 2007, Forbes magazine ranked Des Moines, Iowa as the fourth "Best Place for Business" in the US.

That might come as a surprise, but with its big city bustle and small town charm, Des Moines has become a hub for big business nationwide.

Just ask Label Advantage owners Tom Weisner and Brian Patterson what digital means to their customers and you will hear comments like, "...shorter times to market...brand inspired label designs" and "...pack- "...saved a significant amount of production time and material, enabling us to increase the bottom line and become more competitive through short-run product diversification." This system provides our customers with fast turnaround and state-of-the-art quality," notes Weisner.

With over 19 years of industry experience, partners Weisner and Patterson are involved in every aspect of the company's operation from customer service to shipping.

"We had a company mission to become the premier supplier of labels by providing superior customer value though continually improving our procedures and processes.

In 1998, we acquired our second flexo press and then in 1999 purchased an image setter and platemaker to become a complete in-house operation.

In 2003, we moved to a 12,000 sq ft facility expanding our capabilities with a third press.

Our success in the marketplace has resulted from having a team of dedicated employees, adding new technology, and meeting the needs of our customers.

In 2007, we added the HP ws 4050 digital web press and the Rotoflex Vericut 2 putting us on the cutting edge of technology for label printing," adds Patterson.

According to a Packaging Strategies study, digital printing for packaging will grow at a compound annual rate of 20 percent through 2007.

The typical new package development process involves multiple concept designs and extensive test marketing.

So what does digital printing have to offer the package design market in the mid-west? Faster time to market and significant cost savings compared to traditional flexo methods.

Our innovation is derived from our ability to prototype different material constructions and inks for specialised applications.

We help customers resolve difficulties in the design, production and application of labels.

We are currently producing 4 colour process short runs with multiple design skews both on paper and film.

" comments Patterson ".

Digital is all about the customer's brand and getting products off the shelf.

It supports our business building goals, but more importantly supports the needs of our customers." Complete Digital Label Production " The label business is very competitive, but our new HP Indigo and Rotoflex finishing system quickly changed the playing field in our favor.

The combination is the ideal compliment to our traditional flexo business," notes Weisner.

We like the HP Indigo because it provides us with the ability for quick change overs with little to no material waste.

This is important in our business as paper is the number one cost of doing business.

The HP Indigo ws 4050 has helped in adding new accounts for new markets and expanded our customer base," comments Patterson.

The Rotoflex Vericut 2 is the ideal finishing solution because it is a second generation and Rotoflex is a trusted brand in die cutting and label converting.

We like that we were able to get more features for our dollar with the Vericut 2 system versus other finishing units on the market.

We also like the user-friendly interface for entering job information and the fact that once the job is set up, it maintains outstanding registration.

The Vericut 2 system has been reliable and has exceeded our expectations for finishing of the HP digital label production," adds Patterson.

We joke that we're the first 'digital house on the prairie', but the fact remains that we won't be the last.

Digital is all about the customer's brand and getting products off the shelf.

It supports our business building goals, but more importantly supports the needs of our customers.

We're pleased to be at the forefront of the digital evolution in the mid-west," notes Weisner.

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