Label Line was working with a number of commercial printers that wanted to supply roll labels but couldn’t print them. While the printing side of Label Line’s business was never specifically intended to be a significant contributor to the bottom line, Label Line has grown its printing revenue every year. Adding a digital press to its existing fleet to help deliver high-quality, short-run jobs at a competitive price was crucial for Label Line’s ongoing growth.
“I support the Konica Minolta machine 100 per cent because it does the job and does it well. I wouldn’t be surprised if, in 12 months’ time, we’ve got a second Konica Minolta machine in operation.”
- Maurie Conry, Owner And Founder, Label Line
Maurie Conry, Owner and Founder, Label Line, said, “Label Line already had flexographic and letter press machines. Now digital is essential to cope with short and medium runs of label printing. Being able to offer other printing companies digital sheet printing and roll printing was crucial. Sheet-fed printing might be in decline, but labels are real. They’re on every product and they’re not going anywhere, so it made sense for Label Line to capitalise on this opportunity.”
Label Line has built a strong relationship with Konica Minolta over the years based on trust, so when it decided to look for a web-fed digital label solution it was confident in backing Konica Minolta’s recommendation of the AccurioLabel 230.
Maurie Conry said, “We knew that roll printing was important and the finished quality of the label would be crucial. When we saw the quality of the Konica Minolta AccurioLabel 230, we had no doubt that this machine was exactly what Label Line needed.”
As part of the decision-making process, the Konica Minolta team provided considerable due diligence with regard to substrates. Nearly a dozen reels were sent to the Konica Minolta showroom for testing.
Maurie Conry said, “The printed files proved that the quality was good and the AccurioLabel 230 would be able to print on substrates already in use at Label Line without precoating. That helped convince the staff that digital was more than acceptable in terms of quality and productivity.”
Since implementing the AccurioLabel 230, Label Line has achieved approximately 25 per cent year-on-year growth.
Maurie Conry said, “This growth has been because Label Line has been able to leverage digital printing. This has opened the door for Label Line to do work for other printing companies that are only capable of offset and digital sheet printing. Being able to offer rolls of labels as well as sheets has been a turning point.”
With the addition of the Konica Minolta AccurioLabel 230, Label Line now has 10 methods of print in house, giving the business the flexibility to handle whatever customers need in an efficient and cost effective way.
Maurie Conry said, “Being able to do a number of labels at one time on the AccurioLabel 230 means Label Line can produce high quantities economically. It also means there is no need to buy plates, which can add up to savings of a few hundred dollars. This means Label Line can do lots of rolls and still be competitive versus doing it on a flexographic press. Most of the time, the AccurioLabel 230 can do jobs efficiently and cost effectively and, where it makes sense to use another method of production, Label Line can do that.”
Maurie Conry credits the strong relationship Label Line has built with Konica Minolta for providing the confidence and impetus to introduce new services. Maurie Conry said, “We didn’t know where COVID-19 would take the business and the success of the AccurioLabel 230 has proven that the decision to work in a collaborative partnership with Konica Minolta was the right decision.
“To find a partner that doesn’t just give verbal advice but shows real support in where Label Line is going has been a real plus for the business. The positive working relationship with Konica Minolta is important for the future of this company