Storied Past, Successful Future

The Gintzler International team with one of its three Gallus ECS 340 presses.

As Gintzler International approached its 100th year in business, CEO and Owner Bryan Scheible asked a few employees to do some research on the company’s past to help commemorate the centennial.

But as they were looking through various records and ads at the local library, they made a shocking discovery. It appears the company was late to its own birthday party … by about 15 years, depending on which historical record they referenced. As they pored through historical documents, they uncovered references that indicated Gintzler’s history may date back a decade and a half further than expected.

Despite this turn of events, 2016 is going to be a big year for Gintzler International. The narrow-web label, shrink sleeve and product identification printer and converter, which has locations in Buffalo, N.Y. and Liberty Hill, Texas, has several events planned to celebrate its more than 100 years of packaging excellence.

These include:

• Partnering with Re-Tree WNY by planting trees in Buffalo, N.Y., on Arbor Day.
• Holding a blood drive in an effort to donate 100 pints of blood.
• Giveaways and celebrations with customers and employees.
• Partnering with the Make-A-Wish Foundation with donations and a charity event.
• Food drives and participating in a festival of trees.

Though the discovery at the library was a surprise, it’s hardly the only oddity in Gintzler’s history. Before it became a national player in the packaging market, ownership of the company was bet on — and lost — in a 1930s poker game.

“I don’t think the company was much to speak of back then, but the owner gambled it away,” Scheible says with a laugh. “The way the story goes, the man who won it kept the former owner on to manage it.”

Today’s Gintzler International is the result of combining two separate companies. Scheible, a fourth-generation printer, launched Texas-based International Print and Packaging in 1996. He purchased Buffalo, N.Y.-based Gintzler Graphics about six years ago.

The combined company, Gintzler International, is a leading narrow-web label, shrink sleeve, and product identification printer and converter, specializing in servicing the prime consumer product and pharmaceutical packaging industries. The company boasts more than 20 press production lines, including both digital and conventional equipment.

Gintzler International services a variety of packaging markets and major brands, including medical and pharmaceutical; health and beauty; gourmet food and beverage; consumer products; and automotive/electronics/toys.

A dedicated group of 55 employees work at the 54,000-square-foot Buffalo, N.Y., location, including some long-tenured workers who have been with Gintzler Graphics for up to 40 years. Meanwhile, 35 employees work at the 35,000-square-foot Texas location.

The company has invested more than $6 million in equipment and upgrades since 2012. Most recently, a new Gallus ECS 340 label printing press was installed at the Buffalo plant. This is the third Gallus ECS 340 press the company has purchased since the model was released in 2009.

The Gallus ECS 340 has 10 flexo stations, UV curing, screen, cold stamping capabilities, a turn-bar for two-sided printing, register control and two die stations.

“I really like printing technology,” Scheible notes. “And I always like to have the latest and greatest. I am big on quality and I want things done right.”

Scheible finds having two locations has its advantages. Both plants have the same equipment, so jobs can easily be moved from location to location. The plants are networked together to add transparency to the company and it comes in handy to have a disaster recovery plan if an emergency arises at one of the facilities.

“You have a lot of peer support between the plants,” he points out. “And it also puts national accounts in play.”

Scheible notes that he is proud of the state-of-the-art 3D modeling software the company uses for mockups and trial testing.

“That is cool stuff,” he enthuses. “It allows the customer to actually see the finished product before you invest in making plates for sample press runs. Customers have been blown away. They aren’t just getting a flat sample. They are getting a video of the finished piece.”

The company is also utilizing real-time Web-based portal technology for advanced inventory management and production tracking.

“We have made a significant investment not only in equipment but also in people,” Scheible adds.

The company has enhanced its quality assurance department, added a marketing department and also brought on additional management to encourage growth.

“We have a fun and happy culture, and we have low turnover,” Scheible says, noting that the company has grown about 40% in the last five years. “I want to get even larger so we can get into the mid-web market.”

Gintzler International has achieved certifications to ISO 9001 and 13485 standards for stringent quality and service requirements in the medical and pharmaceutical industries. It is also Graphic Measures International for the Print Industry certified, and holds UL certification in Texas.

The company embraces the notion of sustainable initiatives and is committed to environmental consciousness efforts. To this end, the company strives to protect the environment, conserve energy and safeguard natural resources for future generations.

“I think the expectation today is that you are doing things in an environmentally conscious way,” Scheible maintains. “Customers want a vendor that continually pushes the envelope in those areas.”

Scheible wants to see the company continue to grow and provide customers with the highest quality packaging products that jump off the shelves.

“We are selling quality,” he concludes. “Our employees support that, so our customers get a high-quality product.”