South & Central America

Etival Mexico installs Mark Andy P7 press

Piotr Wnuk — Mon, 15 Jul 2024 02:39:30 +0000

Etival Mexico, one of the premier providers of high-quality flexographic labels and shrink sleeves, has invested in a Mark Andy P7 press as part of its commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technology to drive growth and innovation.

Etival Mexico, established in September 2016 by Jose Luis Ceballos Uribe and Jose Alfredo Jimienez, has consistently been at the forefront of flexographic printing. It operates out of a 1,600-square-meter state-of-the-art facility and employs 52 skilled professionals.

Under CEO Jose Luis Ceballos Uribe’s leadership, the company has become a key player in the Mexican label market, known for its dedication to quality and customer satisfaction.

Etival Mexico has relied on Mark Andy’s renowned equipment since its inception to meet its production needs.

‘Choosing Mark Andy was a decision made from the very beginning,’ Ceballos Uribe. ‘Its reputation for high-quality and reliable machinery aligned perfectly with our goals.’

The latest addition to Etival’s production floor, the Mark Andy 17-in P7 press, is ideally suited for the company’s extensive range of premium labels and shrink sleeves. The press handles a variety of substrates, including films and BOPP, which are essential for the company’s diverse product offerings.

‘Our experience with Mark Andy has always been exceptional. The P7 press enhances our production capabilities and opens new avenues for product variety and finishing,’ adds Ceballos Uribe. ‘With this technology, we can now offer innovative solutions like booklet labels, cold foil applications, and delam-relam processes, meeting the ever-evolving needs of our customers.’

The decision to invest in the Mark Andy P7 press was driven by Etival Mexico’s desire to expand its product range and improve operational efficiency with the press’s advanced features, including its ability to adapt quickly to different job requirements.

Kenjiro Celaya, sales manager for Mexico at Mark Andy, said: ‘I was impressed with the quality of the labels that Etival produced on their 4200 Mark Andy press, and feel confident that the new P7 will expand their capabilities and support their growth in this fast-growing market.’

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Etival Mexico installs Mark Andy P7 press

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The new press is set to boost capacity and enable the company to deliver more sophisticated and high-value products.

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The new press is set to boost capacity and enable the company to deliver more sophisticated and high-value products.

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MCC to open IML production plant in Brazil

Piotr Wnuk — Thu, 11 Jul 2024 22:02:36 +0000

MCC, one of the largest label companies, has confirmed its plans to open a new in-mold labeling (IML) production plant in Louveira, Brazil. The facility is expected to be fully functional at the beginning of 2025.

According to the company, the potential of in-mold labeling technology continues to grow as new regions and market segments are exploring its numerous benefits.

Following its commitment to be local and close to customers, MCC is opening a new IML production facility in Louveira, near São Paulo in Brazil. This strategic expansion will strengthen the relationship with regional customers, serving them with high-quality IML labels in the best and most sustainable way.

‘Customer centricity is one of our key pillars. Our aim is to always be close to customers and whenever possible, support them in their own language following local customs. Our Brazil-based sales representative has been instrumental in building our local presence over the last couple of years. Aiming to meet the growing demand and tighten our partnership with existing and future customers, we’re taking IML production to Brazil,’ said Mathieu Nieuwenhuyse, senior vice president of global IML at MCC.

The new IML plant will be adjacent to the existing MCC plant (formerly known as Flexcoat’s label and lamination operations). MCC’s team is working to ensure the new facility is equipped with the latest IML technology, adhering to the highest standards of environmental sustainability.

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MCC to open IML production plant in Brazil

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This strategic expansion is expected to strengthen the relationship with regional customers.

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This strategic expansion is expected to strengthen the relationship with regional customers.

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Etirama launches SPS4 flexo press

Piotr Wnuk — Thu, 04 Jul 2024 02:35:48 +0000

Brazilian flexographic machinery manufacturer Etirama has launched SPS4, a new press developed for printing shrink sleeves, in-mold, wraparound and self-adhesive labels.

The new press was presented for the first time during the recent Flexo & Labels Expo in São Paulo, Brazil.

The new equipment, configured with a maximum material width of 430mm, is equipped with transmission through Schneider servomotors and features electronic print register adjustments, in addition to laser pre-positioning.

For flexible films, the machine is equipped with a chill drum and offers a hybrid drying system, which can be configured with conventional UV, UV LED and hot air technologies. The new machine also features a die-cutting station and efficient waste rewinder system.

The company has already sold nine SPS4 presses. Then will be installed by label converters in Brazil, Chile and El Salvador.

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Etirama launches SPS4 flexo press

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The company has already sold nine presses to converters in Brazil, Chile and El Salvador.

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The company has already sold nine presses to converters in Brazil, Chile and El Salvador.

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Leftech opens US foil operation

Akanksha Meena — Wed, 26 Jun 2024 07:42:26 +0000

Finishing & embellishment 28 June 2024

Leftech opens US foil operation

Argentina-based Leftech has opened a foil slitting center in Florida to expand its Latin America coverage and ultimately target the US market.

Argentina-based Leftech’s foray into foil distribution, which began in 2019 and which L&L wrote about in December 2020, has proved such a success that the company has since set up a second dedicated facility in its native country, founded an operation in Brazil, and – at the beginning of this year – opened a site in Florida to expand the business throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, and ultimately serve the US market.

This latest move comes despite Leftech’s Buenos Aires factory ceasing production for three months after it was ravaged by a fire in December.

Leftech is the Latin America distributor for Japanese water-wash flexo plate manufacturer Toyobo and CtP equipment from China-based Amsky.

CEO Martin Fraire began to investigate the foil market in 2018, identified a gap in his local market, and installed a dedicated foil slitter from Chinese company Hansoar Machinery in Leftech’s Buenos Aires facility the following year.

The move was quickly vindicated. ‘We had a great reception from the market in Argentina,’ says Fraire. ‘Hot foil in particular is important for the wine label market here.’ Demand soon outstripped supply, so Leftech added a second slitter in Buenos Aires to increase capacity and installed a third in a new dedicated slitting center in Mendoza in 2022.

‘Mendoza has a concentration of big label converters specializing in the wine sector, so it made sense to open a foil slitting center there,’ explains Fraire. ‘We can slit and deliver to local converters on the same day.’

Rapid growth meant that by 2023 Leftech was the second-largest importer of foils to Argentina, only just behind market leader Kurz. Foils rose to represent 30 percent of Leftech’s overall business – and closer to 40 percent in Argentina, according to Fraire – in just three years.

‘We installed very efficient equipment, so we were able to disrupt the market quickly,’ says Fraire. ‘The Hansoar Machinery slitter can run at up to 500m/min, though we usually run it at 300m/min. It is much more efficient than the machinery used by some of our competitors – indeed, two of the main ones have since installed the same machine.

‘I already had great relationships with all the leading converters in Argentina, thanks to working in the label industry for many years, which was also a big advantage.’

Soon after establishing the foil operation in Argentina, Fraire saw the potential in doing the same in neighboring Brazil.

‘As in Argentina, the foil market in Brazil is dominated by a small number of international suppliers, who generally serve the country’s label converters from distribution centers in São Paulo,’ says Fraire. ‘I decided to open a facility in the south of the country – close to Brazil’s emerging wine industry in the “Sierra Gaúcha”, and home to several leading label converters.’

The site in Brazil was swiftly established, equipped with another Hansoar Machinery slitter, but the pandemic and recruitment issues delayed its full operation, which Fraire believes will begin properly this year.

Opportunity

Leftech’s latest venture is the opening at the beginning of this year of a slitting center in Florida, with three staff and again equipped with a Hansoar Machinery slitter. The new operation took 18 months to plan and launch. Fraire’s primary motivation is to better serve the rest of Latin America – which he says is easier from Florida than from Argentina or Brazil.

Many distributors like to import and sell on. We prefer to get involved, to get our hands dirty, and to add value

‘It is easier to serve the Bolivian market, for example, from Florida than it is from Argentina,’ he says. ‘The Florida site will help us serve Central America, the Caribbean and northern South America – countries such as Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador. Brazil and Argentina, plus Paraguay and Uruguay, will be handled by the local facilities.’

‘Though the initial target is converters in Latin America, we are also looking to sell to companies in Florida and some nearby states. We might target more of the US market in the future,’ he says.

Cold foil represents 60 percent of the volume of Leftech’s foil business, with hot foil the remainder. ‘There is a big opportunity for cold foil in offset packaging production – toothpaste packaging is an example,’ says Fraire. ‘It is a more environmentally friendly product compared to laminating carton and adding a metalized finish. And more economic too: you can apply it in-line during production in the same pass.’

Fraire admits that he did not expect to be serving the wider Latin American region within such a short space of time. ‘It was the reaction from the market that led us to realize the level of opportunity not just in Argentina but across the whole region,’ he says. ‘We are from a country where there are regular financial crises – we are used to seeing an opportunity and moving quickly. Our company has a regional culture: we have been selling Toyobo plates and platewashing equipment around the region for 20 years, so our network was already in place.

‘Many distributors like to import something and simply sell it on. We prefer to get involved, to get our hands dirty, and to add value to the supply chain with a customized product.’

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All4Labels opens first factory in the Northeast of Brazil

Akanksha Meena — Fri, 28 Jun 2024 07:16:13 +0000

All4Labels Global Packaging Group has opened its first plant in the northeast of Brazil on June 27 in the municipality of Conde (PB). With this plant in the João Pessoa metropolitan region, All4Labels now has 12 plants in the country.

All4Labels has 56 units around the world and more than 6,000 employees, serving approximately 13,000 customers.

The new site is strategically positioned to support the expansion plans of the group in the region. All4Labels will invest up to 3 million EUR by end of 2025 to equip the new site with flexo technology, counting on more than 20 trained and talented employees. The new hub of excellence will best serve customers located in the Northeast of Brazil. The region is fast growing in the food, health, home and personal care markets which is responsible for 11 percent of the Brazilian GDP.

Jaison Schlickmann, vice president of sales in South and Central America at All4Labels, said: ‘We are able to face any challenges related to people's well-being and to protect our planet with the best premium, sustainable solutions and products offering customers in the Northeast of Brazil quality, sustainability, security of supply and innovation, with a diversified portfolio and fast response times. Our global DNA and focus on developing new packaging together with our customers guarantee the finest embellishments and customized projects, ensuring a high level of service and continuous technological progress in the region.’

All4Labels is known to be a global company with regional service, committed to contribute to the development of the northeastern packaging and label market, initially with self-adhesives (PSL) and already planning to expand into digital printing.

Guenther Weymans, CEO at All4Labels, added: ‘We're very excited to be expanding into a region of Brazil. Our goal is to offer high quality service and security of supply focused on local brands, bringing packaging innovation to the Northeast. All4Labels is a solid partner for local customers that values quality, dynamism and flexibility.'

The multinational's first factory in the Northeast of Brazil began operating on June 1, 2024, the official presentation and opening takes place on June 27.

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All4Labels opens first factory in the Northeast of Brazil

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The global packaging group is growing in the south and central Americas region with a new hub in in the João Pessoa metropolitan region.

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The global packaging group is growing in the south and central Americas region with a new hub in in the João Pessoa metropolitan region.

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RRD invests in more than 15 HP presses

Piotr Wnuk — Tue, 04 Jun 2024 00:31:20 +0000

RR Donnelley & Sons Company (RRD) has confirmed it will install more than fifteen new HP Indigo and PageWide Presses to expand its production capacity across its facilities in North America, China and Central America.

HP and RRD have been working together for the past 30 years, and this new expansion of RRD’s existing fleet will drive efficiency and time-savings throughout the entire production cycle. This expansion will enhance productivity and flexibility to support their clients’ diverse needs.

John Pecaric, chief operating officer at RRD, said: ‘We are committed to delivering the highest quality brand experiences for our clients’ customers through multiple touchpoints in the physical and digital customer journey. We have a strategic relationship with HP that provides us with early access to innovative technology that continues to make print a valuable medium.’

Haim Levit, senior vice president and division president at HP, added: ‘HP’s platform of solutions derived by its Indigo and PageWide InkJet solutions are the most comprehensive in the Industry. Our R&D investment has brought to market equipment solutions that help print organizations differentiate their market approaches. We are launching several new solutions during drupa that will showcase the broad industry applications we can solve. We are excited to see the thirty-year relationship with RRD grow in new and exciting ways in the future.’

Lisa Pruett, president of packaging and labels segment at RRD, added: ‘The market is constantly changing, and with our highly connected, global network we remain committed to investing in the right technology to meet our clients’ evolving needs. Speed to market, high-quality products, and strong partnerships are important to our clients — we continue to keep those priorities top of mind.’

Craig Roberton, president of commercial print at RRD, commented: ‘Our network of 43 connected US commercial print facilities relies upon executing programs for our clients across multiple sites on a daily basis. We need the best technology in print to execute high-quality print reliably. HP helps us make that happen.’

In April 2024, RRD has expanded its labels production capacity with the installation of four new presses in ISO 9001:2015-certified facilities across the US.

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RRD invests in more than 15 HP presses

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US-based converter expands its production capacity through the installation of more than fifteen HP Indigo and PageWide presses.

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US-based converter expands its production capacity through the installation of more than fifteen HP Indigo and PageWide presses.

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ePac converts fleet to HP Indigo 200K

Piotr Wnuk — Mon, 03 Jun 2024 23:21:46 +0000

ePac Flexible Packaging has entered a multiyear strategic agreement with HP to convert its fleet to the new HP Indigo Gen 5 200K, as it continues its expansion in the digital print market.

This deal is set to revolutionize ePac Flexible Packaging’s portfolio and aims to solidify its position as an industry leader with the flexible packaging sector. The advanced capabilities of the HP Indigo 200K series, including enhanced speed, quality and versatility, will enable ePac Flexible Packaging to offer innovative packaging with unparalleled customization and efficiency.

This expansion of its HP Indigo digital press fleet will empower the company to meet the increasing demands of customers for high-quality, sustainable packaging while maintaining a competitive edge in the digital printing landscape.

ePac Flexible Packaging’s vision is to utilize digital print to give a voice to small and medium brands and revitalize local communities. Established in 2016 ePac has achieved annual growth rates of 50-100 percent, showcasing its consistent upward trajectory in the market.

In November 2022, ePac has launched ePacONE (One Netwrok Everywhere), creating the world's first and largest integrated network of packaging plants across the globe to serve all brands, regardless of run length.

Virag Patel, ePac’s CEO, said: ‘In our first eight years we were able to create a new market for small and medium-sized brands and build a technology foundation that enabled us to rapidly scale our operations, so our infrastructure is sound. We’ll serve 4,500 to 5,000 customers this year, and with that kind of volume workflow automation is critical to meeting our SLA’s. Our commitment to technology will position ePac for the next phase of growth and serve larger, more complex customers – serving brands of all sizes.’

The HP Indigo 200K digital press is said to deliver a 30 percent increase in speed and a 45 percent boost in productivity compared to the HP Indigo 25K. It features gravure-matching color quality based on the HP Indigo Liquid Electro Photography (LEP) and One-Shot Color technologies and is designed to print high coverage packages with white on most industrial substrates, both surface and reverse.

‘Our agreement with HP’s Indigo 200K platform seamlessly integrates with ePac Flexible Packaging business growth as the leader of the global digital flexible packaging movement and underscores ePac Flexible Packaging commitment to staying at the forefront of technological advancements in the industry,’ commented Patel.

The multiyear strategic agreement is a significant step for the longstanding partnership between HP and ePac. In October 2022 both companies signed an agreement to purchase 50 HP Indigo presses and installed an HP Indigo 200K at its Toronto facility just a few weeks ago.

Noam Zilbershtain, vice president and general manager of HP Indigo & Scitex, added: ‘HP Indigo and ePac Flexible Packaging have always had a joint vision for transforming the flexible packing space through digital innovation. Our HP Indigo 200K series with its significantly higher productivity, versatility and cost of print, will provide ePac the ability to go further and faster as it continues to disrupt this segment and deliver new value to its customers. This strategic agreement further signifies our commitment to this continued collaboration and an important step in our journey together.’

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ePac converts fleet to HP Indigo 200K

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A new, multiyear strategic agreement will see the flexible packaging specialist convert its fleet to HP Indigo 200K.

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Beontag enters Latin American wine market

Akanksha Meena — Tue, 14 May 2024 12:29:50 +0000

Beontag, manufacturers of pressure-sensitive adhesives and smart tags, has launched its range of self-adhesive wine labels in the Latin American market.

The move represents a commitment to excellence through tech innovation for Beontag, as well as for the region’s globally celebrated winemaking traditions.

Beontag’s Grass Natural label is made of up to 40 percent grass fiber combined with FSC certified cellulose. Along with the White Martelé label, it offers sophistication and moisture resistance.

Mauro Lerner, general manager LATAM GLM (graphic and label materials), said: ‘We are proud to enter the Latin American wine market with the innovative approach that has come to define our place in the many sectors that we serve. By offering improved and innovative label materials solutions to the wine market, we support a highly respected global industry while maintaining all of the relevant product and brand information that customers expect.’

This announcement comes during a period of global expansion, investment, and innovation for Beontag. The company recently announced the next step in its North American expansion, having taken on a 200,000 square foot facility in Dayton, Ohio which will house two new modern coaters.

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Beontag enters Latin American wine market

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Manufacturer introduces self-adhesive wine labels in the region.

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Manufacturer introduces self-adhesive wine labels in the region.

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Label Summit Latin America 2024 showcases Colombia’s growth and potential

Piotr Wnuk — Tue, 14 May 2024 02:52:31 +0000

Associations, events & awards 14 May 2024

Label Summit Latin America 2024 showcases Colombia’s growth and potential

Latin American event returns to the region for the first time since 2020 and draws 750 visitors from 25 countries to Bogota.

The dynamic labeling market in Latin America is prime for opportunity, as industry experts estimate the percentage of digital presses in the region is still below that of the global average. And in this rapidly growing and diversifying market where cost is king, there is plenty of room for growth, as the Label Summit Latin America 2024 highlighted.

The 20th edition of Label Summit Latin America returned to Colombia this March, taking place in Bogotá for the first time, and returning to the region for the first time since Chile in March 2020.

The two-day conference, held at the Agora Bogotá Convention Center, brought together 750 visitors from 25 countries, with 13 conference sessions aimed at equipping delegates with in-depth label and package printing trade knowledge, market insights, regional trends and the latest technologies.

Hosted by Labelexpo Global Series, the conference program topics ranged from neuromarketing insights and industry sustainability to design innovations and coffee labels, as well as the impact of automation, the rise of counterfeiting and a keynote on the Colombia Plastics Pact.

More than 25 experts from well-known Colombian brands, label converters from the region and leading associations in Latin America’s label and package printing industry shared their insights and knowledge about the trends and technologies that are shaping the future of the market.

Meanwhile, converters participating in the conference included Viappiani, Servibarras, CCL, All4Labels, AlfaPrint, Everest Printed, Impresos y Acabados, Ideartes Impresores, Etiflex Mexico, Kuresa and Sismode.

The conference program was accompanied by a tabletop exposition featuring 54 industry suppliers.

‘The two-day annual conference is a renowned educational highlight for local label converters looking to network with key suppliers and share knowledge with the industry,’ says Mirco Mazzarella, Labelexpo Global Series event manager for Latin America. ‘Colombia in particular has one of Latin America’s most advanced label and package printing industries, driven in part by its flourishing coffee production market and Label Summit Latin America 2024 provides a big opportunity for label converters to grow their business.’

Day one

Chelsea McDougall, Labels & Labeling group managing editor, kicked off the two-day event with ‘Industry overview: the Changing Global Market.’

‘The label industry has shown impressive global growth over a number of decades and continues to do so when other print sectors are in decline,’ McDougall says. ‘Commercial print is seeing a decline in volumes in recent years. In contrast, packaging and label work is booming.

‘This is leading to a new focus for print service providers outside the labeling sector starting to look at the label and packaging market in order to diversify their product offerings.’

Next, Tatiana Duarte, executive president, Andigraf, and Cesar Bernal Gonzalez, executive director, Everest Luxury Packaging, zeroed in on the relevant market with ‘Colombia and the Wider Region: Market Analysis and Forecast.’ The session addressed some key trends in a post-pandemic industry, developing new markets in Latin America and challenges ranging from economic to political and the supply chain.

The two-day conference offered 13 sessions to equip attendees with in-depth trade knowledge, market insights, regional trends and the latest technologies

Andrés Felipe Peláez, R&D director at Arclad, the event’s platinum sponsor, talked of the responsibility of the industry to adopt and practice sustainability, and how Arclad is leading that charge in ‘Demystifying Label and Package Printing Sustainability,’ putting the planet above profit.

Arclad is leading the industry on that front with two products: sugar cane paper facestock and bio-based repulpable adhesives that wash off so the container can be recycled.

‘Right now the market is not demanding sustainable products because of the high cost,’ he says. ‘The market is price dependent. But we believe the initiative starts with us.

The first-day keynote, ‘The Colombia Plastics Pact,’ featured Laura Reyes Castellanos, executive director at Cempre, and Kari Virtanen of CCL Label who both spoke on greenwashing versus green hushing, as well as how label converters can contribute toward a circular economy and support brand owners.

Reyes Castellanos says: ‘The Label Summit Latin America 2024 event represented a valuable opportunity to explore and understand the dynamics of a consumer-oriented industry that has enormous potential to lead transformations that drive the circular economy and encourage changes in behaviors. Having these kinds of spaces is essential to continue exchanging knowledge and inspiring the development of sustainable solutions.’

In the afternoon, ‘Exploring Innovations in Packaging Design’ featured Juan José Posada of VML (previously Grey Colombia) and Eric Pell of supermarket chain Makro Colombia on how they partnered to address food waste, one sticker at a time, offering a simple solution to a massive problem. These stickers use colors, not technology, to help show consumers how their produce can be used at every stage of ripeness.

The first day concluded with ‘Neuromarketing Insights for the Label Converter to Consider’ from Fernando Arendar, founder of Nitid Studio, and ‘Creating the Perfect Coffee Label’ from Daniel Jaramillo of Alico and Juanita Jiménez of Buendía.

Packaging’s purpose is twofold, Arendar says: to package your product but also to advertise it. ‘The more exposed we are to a brand, the more familiar it becomes,’ he adds.

Day two

Day two kicked off with ‘Business Diversification: How to Become a One-Stop-Shop’ from Carolina Petro Otero of Ideartes Impresores and Alfonso Cifuentes of Suprapak who discussed diversifying their portfolios into new markets such as flexible packaging and shrink sleeves.

‘Flexible packaging was the big winner,’ Petro Otero says.

The speakers also emphasized the importance of finding niche market opportunities and acquiring the appropriate technology and training.

Then ‘Unlocking Your Continuous Improvement Potential’ by Aislan Yaron Baer, CEO of ProjetoPack, offered tips on improving operational efficiency and financial management, and prioritizing business investment choices.

Consider, for example, ‘the impact of an untrained operator,’ he says.

In another session, María Paula Murcia Sánchez, a talent hunter and career adviser, advised on diversifying the workforce and bridging the skills gap.

‘It is essential to foster a business culture based on data, research, critical thinking, learning and creativity,’ Baer says, urging the audience to ‘think outside the box’ and ‘question the status quo.’

The second afternoon started with a panel discussion, ‘Pan-Regional Growth Opportunities for the Label Converter,’ led by Giovanni Gomez of Asociación Nacional de Comercio Exterior.

He was joined by three panelists: Jaime Yoshiyama of Kuresa, Alessandra Costa of All4Labels and Francisco Arias of Sismode exploring ways to make the converter business more commercially viable and choosing the right suppliers amid the trend of diversification.

Label Summit Latin America 2024 brought together 750 visitors from 25 countries

‘Overall, it’s a good outlook with nearshoring bringing vendors and suppliers closer to home to reduce dependency on China,’ Arias says. ‘This is going to put Latin America on the map.’

However, cost remains a major obstacle in the region, which has always been hyper-focused on the bottom figure, according to several experts.

‘[In Latin America], everything is very focused on costs,’ Costa says.

In ‘The Rise of Counterfeiting and Opportunities in Brand Protection Through Traceability,’ Ari Vonderwalde of Etiflex Mexico, Santiago Cadavid of ScanTrust and Juan Zuluaga of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization offered the latest on RFID, QR codes and traceability via smart labels and digital product passports.

The second and final day of the conference concluded with a forward-looking panel, ‘The Converter of the Future: What Will It Look Like, and Are You Ready?’

David Ricardo Muñoz, editor-in-chief of El Empaque + Conversión, moderated the discussion with Manuel Yepes of Viappiani de Colombia, Luis Fernando Herrera Salinas of Impresos y Acabados, Jorge Galofre of Alfa Print and Angela Espinosa of Servibarras Official.

The panel addressed light-out converting, digital versus flexo, and the impact of digital technologies and automation.

The audience was curious about that precise tipping point from digital to flexo, but panelists advised it depends on various figures like volume, budget, quality and what the client is specifically looking for.

Leading exhibits

On the exhibit floor, 54 industry suppliers from across the label and printing value chain showcased tabletop exhibition.

Arclad, the event’s platinum sponsor, focused its messaging on sustainability.

Carolina Jaramillo Osorio, marketing director at Arclad, states, ‘Having the opportunity to share information on sustainability to our customers and industry delegates means a lot to us, understanding how to meet the requirements of sustainable labeling can be very challenging, and we believe this event provided the perfect platform for us to continue working together towards this goal.

‘At our booth, we were able to experience a significant number of client visits, coming from different countries across the region, contributing to a very dynamic atmosphere where we even successfully closed several business deals.’

Other leading industry suppliers, HP and Grafix Digital, were the gold sponsors for this year’s event. Grafix Digital discussed how HP Indigo digital presses are uniquely placed for customization in label printing.

Finishing equipment manufacturer, Cartes, was a silver sponsor, as well as an exhibitor at the accompanying exposition, presenting the latest finishing solutions to produce printed labels.

Also joining Cartes and Eco3 as silver sponsors was Avery Dennison, which specializes in the design and manufacture of a wide variety of labeling and functional materials. It showcased a range of products, including its RFID and NFC inlays at a display of connected products.

Baldwin offered its upgraded Guardian PQV 4.0 with the new Wizard-iQ Interface. Wizard-iQ can set up a repeatable process with a few clicks, lowering the barrier of entry for new employees. PQV 4.0 incorporates automated-Delta-E color monitoring and both single- and dual-sided 100 percent print quality inspection.

Debuted was the Corona Narrow Web, a modified version of its corona surface treatment system for the narrow web industry with improved handling on a higher level. The handle grip is designed for easy removal of the cassette from the corona unit, allowing for simple cleaning and maintenance.

Beontag showcased its portfolio of products and sustainable technologies, including Eco RFID Tag, Couchê PCR, Liner rPet and linerless self-adhesives, all of which are also based on paper or recycled materials.

Ricardo Lobo, Beontag CEO, says: ‘LATAM is a critical market for Beontag – it’s where it began for us, and we look forward to meeting with customers, clients, friends, and partners to discuss their priorities and needs for 2024. Label Summit LATAM is another great opportunity to showcase Beontag’s diverse portfolio, including self-adhesives, RFID technology, and linerless labels.’

Eco3, a global supplier of prepress systems to the offset industry formerly known as Agfa Offset Solutions, debuted at Labelexpo Europe 2023 to demonstrate its portfolio for the flexo label segment. Eco3 was a first-time exhibitor at Label Summit Latin America 2024 as a silver sponsor. It presented its Magis portfolio, a complete solution for flexographic label printers, from editing and improving image quality to producing the highest quality water-based flexographic plates.

Fujifilm discussed its Flenex FW, water washable flexo plate range, which the company says improves productivity by reducing platemaking times to 40 minutes, while still achieving high-quality resolution and better ink transfer significantly lowering the cost-in-use compared to solvent plate processing systems. The company also highlights its narrow web UV and LED inks for flexo.

GEW showcased its Aero LED, an air-cooled UV LED curing system. AeroLED is a high-power system for full cure, printing, coating and converting applications up to 60cm wide.

K Laser, a global manufacturer of metalized substrates and holographic paper, showcased four holography applications for the first time: traditional cold foil, Viridian holographic sheets and paperboard, holographic lamination, and Kast and Kure.

Mark Andy, the lanyard sponsor of the event, says there was a lot of interest in hybrid technology as companies seek to reduce costs and increase efficiency. Investment activity in the Andean region has slowed recently, mainly due to politics, but the Latin American sales manager expects that to turn around.

‘Companies are a bit more cautious and are waiting before investing. But that always changes eventually.’

Nilpeter promoted its FA-Line and new FB-14/-17, which was launched earlier this year. The company also used the Latin American show to push for Labelexpo Americas, where we will bring both the FA-26 and his new FB-14/-17.

Nilpeter’s Andean sales manager, Juan Pablo Patino Arevalo, says there is a notable increase in shrink sleeve production in the region, as countries like Peru, Ecuador and Colombia are mandating the use of shrink sleeves, particularly in dairy products. Meanwhile, the rest of the food industry is moving away from cardboard packaging in favor of flexible packaging.

‘Overall volumes are on the rise, but they’re spread across more SKUs,’ Arevalo says. ‘Customers are looking to reduce job change times and minimize waste.’

Other press OEMs were on hand at the exhibit, including Bobst, Konica Minolta, Omet and Pulisi.

Maxcess Group, which includes RotoMetrics, WebEx, Magpower, Tidland and Componex, discussed its full portfolio of narrow web offerings from every stage in the flexo printing operation, including rotary dies and tooling, web guides, vision systems, and winding, slitting and tension control rolls. Maxcess has a facility in Brazil for which it services the Latin American region.

Nazdar Ink Technologies showed its range of inks developed for narrow-web printing applications and explained the benefits of its UV and LED flexo, UV offset and UV letterpress inks, durable UV coatings, water-based flexo, UV and LED rotary screen inks, and UV and LED overprint varnishes and adhesives.

‘Latin America Label Summit is a great opportunity for businesses in the label and packaging markets - and those considering moving into them – to meet us and discover why our inks and coatings are used worldwide,’ comments Mike Harjung, Nazdar vice president of narrow web products.

A longtime supporter of Label Summit shows Yupo discussed the sustainability benefits of its in-mold label materials.

‘We always expect good things, and the Label Summit delivered,’ says Alex Cruz, Yupo director of sales. ‘Our expectations were fulfilled, we saw key industry players that was evident in the quality of the speaker lineup and attendees coming by our booth.’

Mazzarella concludes: ‘Label Summit Latin America always aims to deliver highly engaging, educational content with an esteemed line-up of expert speakers looking into the latest industry trends and market insights that are shaping the future of the industry.’

Stay tuned for Labelexpo Americas 2024, taking place in Chicago September 10-12, and Labelexpo Mexico 2025 in Guadalajara next April.

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Chelsea McDougall

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Christine Won

North America editor

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Cautious optimism in Latin America

Piotr Wnuk — Mon, 13 May 2024 00:09:50 +0000

Market trends 13 May 2024

Cautious optimism in Latin America

Optimism remains for the year ahead despite a sluggish Latin American market in 2023.

As in much of the world, 2023 saw a subdued performance from the Latin American label market. High inflation caused a dip in consumer demand, meaning excess stock that accumulated following the previous year’s material shortages took longer than expected to flow through the supply chain.

After a strong rebound from the pandemic and continued resilience in early 2023, economic growth in Latin America and the Caribbean slowed from 4.1 percent in 2022 to 2.3 percent in 2023 and is projected to remain at around this rate in 2024, according to the latest Regional Economic Outlook report from the IMF.

After reaching 7.8 percent in 2022, headline inflation in the region (excluding Argentina and Venezuela) declined to 5 percent in 2023 and is forecast to fall to 3.6 percent in 2024.

While globally, emerging markets and developing economies are projected to have 4.4 percent average growth, Latin America’s GDP is expected to expand annually at about 2.5 percent, similar to its pre-pandemic historical average.

“Nearshoring has been key, but there has also been a rebound in the value of the Mexican peso – it is the strongest it has been for many years”

Yet as inflation continues to fall, consumer confidence should return, so suppliers to the region remain cautiously optimistic for improved market conditions in 2024.

One bright spot is Mexico. The success of the first Labelexpo Mexico exhibition last year reflected the strong recent growth in that market, in part thanks to nearshoring: the country’s manufacturing sector is thriving as US companies look to shorten their supply chains.

‘Mark Andy saw significant growth in Mexico last year. It was our strongest international territory,’ says John Vigna, the press manufacturer’s Latin America sales manager. ‘Nearshoring has been key, but there has also been a rebound in the value of the Mexican peso – it is the strongest it has been for many years.’

Elsewhere in the region, Vigna reports early signs of recovery in Venezuela and Argentina – both beset by rampant inflation in recent years. ‘There is the beginning of an uptick in business in Venezuela. We have a large installation base there, mainly from before all the economic problems, and a strong local agent.

In Argentina, converters have responded positively to the new president Javier Milei, and enquiries have increased. There is deregulation going on and the country is trying to gain stability, but it is early days.’

Martin Fraire, CEO of Argentina-based distributor Leftech, says that 2023 was good for the country’s converters, but hard for any suppliers importing materials from abroad. ‘Inflation was rising so fast and it was hard to convert pesos into dollars to pay for imports. But it was a good year for converters – they were spending their money as quickly as possible, as were the brands. This year could be tough because the country is running a huge deficit and it will take a while for the situation to improve.’

Argentina’s rightward shift following the election of libertarian Milei is the exception among a move to the left in the region’s bigger markets – Brazil, Chile and Colombia have all elected left-wing presidents in recent years. Capital equipment expenditure typically slows in those circumstances, says Vigna, as companies become more cautious about investing. ‘The Chilean market, for example, is always quite stable, but even there, they have had some political issues which have had an impact.’

Vigna points to Central America as a region showing good growth. ‘Guatemala is our strongest market there, but we have also been installing machines in Costa Rica and El Salvador, among others. Guatemala has a strong local industry, particularly in the fruit label market as it is a big exporter of fruit.’

Overall, sales in the region have remained ‘pretty consistent’ in recent years, according to Vigna, with 2021 (when Mark Andy achieved record sales in Latin America) and Mexico’s performance in 2023 the main outliers.

This sentiment is echoed by Carolina Jaramillo, marketing director at Colombia-headquartered material manufacturer ARclad. ‘Latin America has remained reasonably stable, with a slight reduction in demand across the continent. Some markets have been affected more than others. Central America is one area that has continued to show strong growth.’

Areas of growth

As consumers in the region dealt with high inflation, they increasingly turned to retailers’ private-label brands and discounted goods. According to Kantar, the number of private label items purchased rose by 38 percent in Ecuador and ‘even’ 26 percent in Colombia, which it describes as ‘the traditional brands’ stronghold’.

Two label formats showing strong growth in Latin America are in-mold and shrink sleeve. The latter, according to Mordor Intelligence, is forecast to grow by 6.52 percent a year to 2026. Future Market Insights predicts IML to grow at a CAGR of 5.8 percent over the next decade, up from 2.6 percent from 2018-2022. It estimates the food segment represented 42 percent of the Latin American IML market in 2022, and forecasts it to grow by 1.9 times its current value from 2023 to 2033.

‘Latin America remained a consistent market for us in 2023,’ says Alex Cruz, sales manager for North and South America at Yupo, which manufactures synthetic materials for IML applications. ‘It is keeping pace and showing solid growth. The market has not fluctuated as much as some other parts of the world. The adoption of IML continues to grow. We’ve seen a trend of brands replacing paper with sustainable plastics and as one of the few companies that are APR-certified that is an advantage for us. Sustainability is a key aspect, but IML also allows brands to increase their margins.’

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James Quirk

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