FOSTER CITY, Calif.—Electronics For Imaging, Inc., a leader in customer-focused digital printing innovation, announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire Radius Solutions, a leading ERP/MIS software provider focused exclusively on the packaging and printing industry.
Digital printing and workflow developments for package printing, including products from NewPage, Griffin-Rutgers and Masterpiece Graphix.
Labelexpo Asia confirmed its status as the leading label event in Asia when the show welcomed a record 16,601 visitors in early December—compared to 14,004 in 2007, an increase of 18.5 percent.
Labelexpo Europe 2009 defied the recent economic downturn. Not only was there an increase in exhibitor numbers and exhibition space, but visitor numbers were almost the same as the previous show, resulting in a large number of machinery sales.
ROSEMONT, Ill.—Despite the current unstable economic situation, Labelexpo Americas—which took place in Rosemont, Ill., Sept. 9-11—still saw a good turnout, with numbers exceeding 12,000. By the end of the show, more than 80 percent of the exhibition space had already been rebooked for Labelexpo Americas 2010. The show saw 420 national and international suppliers bringing their latest developments in technology and materials to demonstrate to the North American market. There were many new presses launched by market leaders: Nilpeter introduced its new FG-line of UV flexo presses; Mark Andy unveiled the Comco C1 ProGlide and demonstrated its updated XP5000 shaftless press. EFI Jetrion
Labelexpo Americas 2008 should have left little doubt in attendees’ minds that digital printing has made major inroads in the package-printing market. This influx is not necessarily representative of other print processes losing market share. Rather, digital printing’s emergence can be attributed to changes in brand owner preferences for shorter runs and the recent surge in regional packaging. Ken Stack, vice president/general manager of EFI Jetrion, stated in his presentation at Labelexpo that four factors are driving label printers toward digital printing: targeted marketing, localization, time to market, and the supply chain. All four factors cause brand owners to migrate toward shorter print runs.
ROSEMONT, Ill.—Hundreds of global suppliers, converters, trade associations and media gathered to celebrate and reward excellence in the label industry at the Label Industry Global Awards gala dinner, Sept. 9 at Labelexpo Americas. Votes were collated from across the world, and winners were announced in four categories: • CONTINUOUS INNOVATION AWARD - sponsored by Labels & Labeling, Label & Narrow Web, NarroWebTech This award is for a long-established supplier or converter company within the label industry that has shown innovation and creativity over the years. Winner 2008: ExxonMobil Chemical The judges commented: “ExxonMobil puts a lot back into the industry through its own excellence
Counterfeiting, diversion, and contamination of products are big, “burning platform” problems. The results of a recent Purchasing Magazine survey show that 42 percent of buyers consider counterfeiting a “serious problem,” and 44 percent report falling victim to counterfeiting. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) estimates counterfeiting costs brand owners $200 billion annually. The food industry was hit hard by a series of recent contamination issues. The U.S. spinach market was down about 40 percent a year after E. coli killed three and sickened 200. A recent survey of U.S. households found that 88 percent of consumers would buy a traceable product
Last month, packagePRINTING attended the pre-drupa media conference, where industry leaders announced somewhat guarded plans for the two-week-long trade show, to be held May 29-June 6 in Dusseldorf, Germany. Although much of the focus was on the commercial print industry, several companies discussed what package printers can expect at drupa 2008. Heidelberg is stepping out with its new “HEI TECH” campaign, which includes its “HEI Performance” and “HEI Value” solutions. The company’s Packaging Print Solutions Hall will feature HEI TECH Centers for Special Applications and Very Large Format and Integrated Packaging Production, as well as Information and Business Centers and A HEI School, for
BRUSSELS, Belgium—Spartanics and EFI Jetrion have formed a partnership to offer complete short-run job turnaround in just minutes for narrow web printers that combine EFI Jetrion’s 4000 Series UV Inkjet Systems with Spartanics Finecut Laser Cutting System technology. Kenneth Stack, vice president and general manager of Jetrion Industrial Inkjet Systems explains that Jetrion’s new UV inkjet system is aimed at the short run market, and finds a natural complement in the tool-free digital die cutting systems made by Spartanics. Stack said, “The Jetrion 4000 is the first narrow web digital press that delivers real economic value for run lengths up to 50,000 labels and
