Market trends

Smarter selling: How to leverage AI to win more

Piotr Wnuk — Thu, 03 Jul 2025 01:49:39 +0000

Market trends 03 July 2025

Smarter selling: How to leverage AI to win more

AI-powered tools can revolutionize sales processes to boost conversion rates, personalize customer interactions and drive revenue growth.

In today’s competitive and ever-changing sales environment, the pressure is always on to move faster, respond smarter, and deliver more value to customers. Customers expect tailored solutions from suppliers that are easy to work with. Artificial intelligence (AI) isn’t just hype; it’s becoming a vital tool that B2B sales professionals can use to sharpen their strategy, focus their efforts, and accelerate results. Forward-thinking sales teams are using AI to work smarter and faster and deliver better results.

Here are five AI strategies to improve sales effectiveness.

1. Know your buyers’ motivations

Great salespeople sell solutions, not products, and that starts with understanding what your buyers truly care about. AI research can help you uncover those motivations more quickly and accurately.

• Use AI-powered intent data to track which companies are actively researching sustainability, speed-to-market, cost efficiency or other key drivers in the labeling and packaging space.

• Segment your customers with AI tools that analyze purchase patterns, vertical-specific challenges or trigger events like product launches.

Buyers’ motivations are changing quickly. When you understand what’s driving the buyer and key influencers for a project, you can align your message with what matters most.

2. Create compelling sales content

Your emails, presentations and proposals need to break through the clutter and content overload. Buyers expect highly personalized and relevant content. Your content must resonate and demonstrate how your solution will impact their goals. AI can help you generate, edit and improve content quickly.

• Use generative AI platforms like ChatGPT and Gemini to improve emails and proposals tailored to customer concerns or buyer personas.

• Optimize your sales materials with AI-driven writing tools that enhance clarity and engagement.

Better content that is relevant, anticipates objections, gets noticed, and generates a better response. By making content specific and concise, you improve the odds of breaking through and sparking meaningful conversations with prospects and decision makers. Always validate, proofread and edit before sending.

3. Summarize content to save time

Sales professionals are bombarded with RFPs, call notes and technical specs. AI can do the heavy lifting, giving you more time to sell.

• Use AI tools to summarize lengthy documents like RFPs or product compliance sheets.

• Automate meeting summaries with platforms like Teams, Zoom, Gong or Fireflies that capture key takeaways, objections and action items from calls.

• Translate technical product data into business-friendly language using AI, making it easier to engage non-technical decision-makers.

With AI as your note taker and assistant, you’ll spend less time digging through documents and more time moving deals forward.

4. Make better data-driven decisions

Gut instinct has its place, but smart sales teams are supplementing intuition with insights from AI.

• Forecast pipeline health using AI-enhanced CRMs that consider trends, deal velocity and historical close rates.

• Rank deals with AI tools that calculate lead and opportunity scoring.

AI turns your sales data into actionable information. Many tools like Salesforce and HubSpot have built-in AI functions that help sales teams prioritize which deals are most likely to close.

5. Free up time for high-value activities

Perhaps the biggest benefit of AI is giving sales team more time. It handles the tasks that distract from selling, so you can focus on strategy, relationships and closing.

• Automate early-stage lead nurturing with AI-based email workflows that educate and warm up prospects.

• Delegate scheduling, data entry and follow-ups to virtual AI assistants integrated into your CRM.

The result? More conversations, better pipeline momentum and stronger customer relationships.

The bottom line

In Issue 1 of Labels & Labeling, I wrote about sales success by knowing each customers’ ‘why’. AI isn’t about replacing salespeople; it’s about amplifying their value. In the label and packaging space, where every order is unique and the stakes are high, sales professionals who embrace AI are better equipped to deliver personalized experiences, build trust faster and win more deals.

The tools are here, and the time is now. Smart sellers are already making the shift. Are you?

Lois Ritarossi is a certified management consultant and president of High Rock Strategies, an independent management consulting firm focused on sales and marketing strategies and business growth for firms in the print, mail, communications and B2B sectors. You can read more about sales strategies at www.highrockstrategies.com. Email Lois at Lritarossi@highrockstrategies.com

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Fluctuating tariff policies create uncertainty for labeling industry

Selah Zighelboim — Tue, 01 Jul 2025 22:19:20 +0000

Market trends 01 July 2025

Fluctuating tariff policies create uncertainty for labeling industry

The Trump administration’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs are scheduled to resume on July 9.

Numerous industries are in limbo as they await the July 9 resumption of the ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs — the ‘reciprocal’ US duties on goods from nearly every country in the world that were in place for a week in April.

But with the Trump administration working on negotiating trade deals, and the legality of those tariffs still being reviewed by the US court system, there is a chance they may not actually be reimposed.

Meanwhile, a 10 percent tariff on imported goods from most countries remains in effect. Products from China are currently subject to a tariff of 55 percent. USMCA-compliant goods from Canada and Mexico are exempted from tariffs, while most noncompliant goods from those countries face a 25 percent tariff.

The US tariff situation has been in a constant state of fluctuation since the start of the second Trump administration earlier this year. Frequent changes to which countries and products are subject to tariffs, as well as the amounts of those tariffs, have created a challenging and uncertain landscape for companies to navigate.

Bryan Vickers, a partner at Pace, TLMI’s government relations consultant, thinks that the Liberation Day tariffs may be delayed again unless the Trump administration finalizes a multitude of trade agreements soon. Vickers has been supporting TLMI members by answering questions and providing information about tariffs, such as at the recent TLMI printThink virtual summit.

‘We’re looking for finalization on agreements with all of the countries,’ Vickers says. ‘We know that they’re in talks with representatives from dozens of countries. I know for certain they’re meeting with the top trade officials from the EU, from China, from India, from the UK, and from some of the larger Southeast Asian countries. Vietnam would be among them, and Malaysia and Thailand and Taiwan.

‘Things are happening behind the scenes that will absolutely adjust the tariffs with some certainty.'

Tariff landscape

The first Trump administration did implement tariffs, but those tariffs were smaller, less widespread and more product-specific than the ones implemented this year.

Those tariffs prompted TLMI in 2019 to issue its current stance on the matter.

In May of 2025, TLMI reiterated that stance to its membership: ‘It is imperative that the economic playing field is level across the globe for all manufacturers. Implementation of broad-based tariffs has added to the cost and availability of many products and raw materials throughout the tag and label industry supply chains. Tariffs should be individual, product-specific and justified with the effects to US manufacturing well understood.’

TLMI’s statement continues by expressing its opposition to ‘arbitrary and undefined tariff rate schedule increases for imported products’. The statement also conveys TLMI's support for an exemption process being made available for stakeholders, with the association highlighting what that process should entail.

Tariffs most significantly impact TLMI members in two ways, says Vickers.

Firstly, many TLMI members buy machinery and equipment from Europe. That machinery is now subject to a 10 percent tariff. Because this machinery can be very expensive, even a 10 percent tariff can be significant.

Secondly, the US imports millions of rolls and sheets of labelstock material annually, much of it from Canada, China and Mexico. In 2024, the US imported 25.5m rolls and sheets of self-adhesive paper from Canada, 5.4m from China, and 1.4m from Mexico.

In the first quarter of 2025, imports of self-adhesive paper from China decreased by about 24 percent, compared to the first quarter of 2024. Meanwhile, imports from Canada increased by approximately 10 percent and those from Mexico by about 26 percent during the same time.

In April of this year, when tariffs on goods from China were at 145 percent, imports of label materials were higher than they were in April of last year. Label material imports from Canada and Mexico were about the same as in April of last year. Vickers thinks this may have been caused by an increase in rush orders that didn’t reach the US in time to avoid tariffs. May import data, which will become available the first week of July, may reveal more.

Jennifer Dochstader, owner of LPC, a marketing and research firm in the print and packaging space, noted that the labeling industry will also be impacted by tariffs’ effects on consumer goods. Container bookings from China to the US declined by as much as 60 percent in April, according to supply chain management company Flexport, indicating that brands are ordering fewer goods. The downstream effect of those decisions will be that they need fewer labels and packaging, Dochstader says.

Shipping containers, Dochstader says, are ‘the red blood cells of the consumer economy’.

After the US and China declared a truce in May and lowered their tariffs to current rates, container bookings soared by nearly 300 percent, according to container-tracking software company Vizion.

Impact on businesses

For companies that import and export goods to and from the US, tariffs are an additional cost they must either pay themselves or pass on to their customers. Changing tariff policies makes it more difficult for companies to determine the best way to handle the tariffs.

Dochstader believes some companies are making fewer capital expenditure investments, as they wait and see what happens with tariffs.

Channeled Resources Group is an American company that sells siliconized release liners, pressure-sensitive materials and blank labels. The company produces silicone release liner in Canada, which is imported to the US. The months of fluctuating tariffs on Canadian imports were difficult for the company, says president and CEO Cindy White.

These fluctuating tariffs include a 25 percent tariff announced on February 1, then paused two days later. That tariff resumed on March 4, then received a 30-day pause two days later. In April, the Trump administration clarified that USMCA-compliant goods are exempt from tariffs. There have also been product-specific fluctuating tariffs on aluminum, steel, potash, automobiles and more that have impacted US-Canada trade.

White says that CRG’s Canadian business could not have sustained the 25 percent tariff and would have been forced to close.

‘I don’t know how many companies can take a 25 percent increase,’ she says.

CRG’s Wisconsin facility also produces silicone release liner, White notes. However, the release liner is manufactured on wider equipment than in Canada, making the Canadian product more suitable for smaller-sized companies. To move that business to the US would have been inefficient and financially detrimental.

Additionally, CRG purchases base paper for its release liner globally, much of which is now subject to a 10 percent tariff. The company has passed half of this tariff on to its customers.

The company also brokers materials from India and Thailand. CRG is not passing this tariff on to customers. White is concerned about the tariffs on this material increasing to 27 percent and 36 percent, respectively, on July 9.

‘On July 9, will we go back to that?’ White says. ‘Will it stay at 10 percent? There’s just so much uncertainty. It’s very, very, very hard to plan.’

John McDowell, president of converter McDowell Label, a Resource Label Group company, states that McDowell and Resource Label Group are closely monitoring the tariff situation and acting preemptively to mitigate its impact.

For instance, Resource Label Group, which has facilities across the US and Canada, moved its business for one of its customers, a large national brand, from Canada to the US.

‘We've been actively and intrinsically engaged with brand owners and supply chains to make certain that we are still a customer-first, customer-forward company,’ McDowell says.

McDowell notes that the labeling industry’s supply chains are global, with materials, inks, resins and more coming from all over the world. Resource Label Group is a large and growing company, which gives them leverage in negotiating tariff responsibility with supply chain partners. As a result, McDowell says that the company has been able to mitigate or eliminate the cost of tariffs coming through the supply chain.

McDowell says that, in a perfect world, there would be fair and open trade. He believes that tariffs are a ‘long overdue conversation’ and a short-term tool to achieve the longer-term goal of fairer and more open trade.

‘There's a lot of negotiation, a lot of excitement, a lot of anticipation, probably fair to say some level of anxiety,’ McDowell says. ‘But since day one, I personally looked at this as a long play.’

Staying ahead in challenging times

Relationships are key to overcoming these types of economic obstacles.

McDowell says that the company’s relationships with customers and supply chain partners will help it steer through any potential challenges caused by tariffs.

‘We’re customer-driven,’ he says. ‘That is the impetus of who we are and what we are, the old proverbial saying “KYC” — “know your customer”. It’s important for our supply chain to parrot the same esprit de corps and ethos of business operations that we employ because all customers ultimately have a choice.’

Dochstader also notes the importance of relationship-building: ‘Converters are going to have to really figure out ways to make sure that their customer base understands their value as a supplier. In turn, suppliers to the industry have to figure out ways to ensure and reinforce to their converter customers that they can help them create and build value as a customer.’

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Finding new customers in the TikTok age

Piotr Wnuk — Thu, 03 Jul 2025 01:43:38 +0000

Market trends 01 July 2025

Finding new customers in the TikTok age

As the consumer landscape evolves, label converters are turning to creative outlets to meet customers where they are and secure new business.

Back in the days of consumer brand loyalty, dominant global brands and long runs (broadly 1970s to the early 2000s), the relationship between label converter and customer was straightforward.

The global brands, or major regional brands, had their own packaging specification departments. They worked either with outside specialist design agencies or their own internal design teams on the final approved design.

The role of label converters was essentially passive. They were sent the final artwork, materials and finishing specifications, delivery times, locations and scheduled the job into their work plans.

Everyone knew where the brands ‘lived’, and for sales teams, it was a question of arranging face-to-face meetings to sell the company’s capabilities and understand the customer’s price, lead time and delivery requirements.

What then happened was an extraordinary and rapid deconstruction of this whole ecosystem.

“The problem for label converters was that nobody knew where these new challenger brands lived. They did not have packaging specification departments and did not work with the big packaging design agencies”

Consumers fell out of love with mass-market products, and an entirely new generation of start-ups arrived to satisfy the demand for more customized products that reflected different aspects of consumers’ lifestyles. Consumers liked the idea that they were at the center of new product design and marketing rather than buying standardized products from impersonal corporate entities.

The problem for label converters was that nobody knew where these new challenger brands lived. They did not have packaging specification departments and did not work with the big packaging design agencies.

The first thought for the challenger brand owner was, not surprisingly, on their product. They developed new marketing channels reflecting their social media habits, using apps and influencers to promote their products. This bypassed traditional advertising and promotional channels and bypassed the usual ways of buying print.

When challenger brands look for packaging printers, it is generally the last step in their product launch process, and it generally involves typing ‘Label Printer Near Me’ into a search engine.

This requires label printers to adopt a new approach to finding customers. Where do these start-ups, and the next start-ups down the road, ‘live’? What communication channels do they use?

Short video approach

In the current edition of Labels & Labeling, our China editor Yolanda Wang interviews Jiang Herun, founder of Kaidun Printing, who tells the story of how he found new business by working up a presence on the major e-commerce platforms and embracing a ‘short video’ marketing approach.

Kaidun Printing established a video team and a customer acquisition matrix determined by where a desired customer might ‘live’ in a different online space. From 2022 to 2024, 1,200 customers were brought on board to Kaidun Printing, generating an additional 2.88m USD of new business and accounting for 12.5 percent of total turnover in 2024.

Herun’s experience is important not only in the innovative way he brought in new challenger brand customers, but in how those customers were sold new added-value services. Working with customers who have little or no idea about packaging specification, but very clear ideas on how to market their product, gives a ‘clean sheet’ opportunity to discuss innovative and added-value format and decoration approaches.

This is where digital, hybrid and automated flexo can really mesh. Herun relates how customers moved quickly from marketing samples to multiple variants, then to serial production of successful ranges, with each stage exploiting the capabilities of different kinds of equipment.

Going forward, the ability to offer different labeling and packaging formats will increase value to this kind of customer. Not only labels, but also short runs of embellished single-pass folding cartons and stand-up pouches. Or combinations of all these products, like resealable labels on pouches, security and track and trace labels, or booklet labels on folding cartons.

New channels

Application and packaging equipment could provide another avenue for growth. Hiring label applicators with operators for labeling seasonal products, pouch-making machinery and folder-gluer equipment to capture more value and offer a true ‘one-stop’ service that keeps the new buyer engaged.

The success of the challengers has pushed the big brands to adopt many of the same attributes: develop new marketing channels, bring to market mass customized or short-run promotional items, multiple variants and innovative packaging formats. The move by big brands to become small brands, rewards the converter’s investments in flexible print, converting and packaging systems.

The good news is that Labelexpo is also moving in this direction. From Labelexpo Europe 2025 onward, you will see these disruptive converting systems on show, from labels to short-run value-added flexible packaging and folding cartons, and the way these products interact. The ‘challenger brand’ future will bring significant challenges and equally big rewards.

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Stahl inaugurates Customer Center of Excellence in León

Adyasha Sinha — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 11:33:59 +0000

Stahl, manufacturer of specialty coatings for flexible materials, has relocated and opened its enhanced Center of Excellence in León, Mexico. The new facility features state-of-the-art offices, application laboratories, and testing capabilities, enabling the delivery of advanced, lower-impact products closer to customers across Latin America.

This strategic investment follows a series of recent expansions, including the doubling of capacity in China, a new production facility in Ranipet, India, a Center of Excellence in Apex, a new laboratory in Japan and a new PUD facility in Singapore. With a significantly larger footprint than the previous León facility, the upgraded center provides a more comprehensive customer experience, encompassing multi-substrate design support, application development, testing and training.

'Mexico is an important market for Stahl, with a strong base of automotive, fashion and footwear customers,' said Maarten Heijbroek, CEO of Stahl. 'By investing in this enhanced facility, we are staying close to where our customers are and giving them access to the very best technologies, people and expertise. This is a clear example of how we are growing with purpose, to serve our partners better today and tomorrow.'

The León site is part of Stahl’s global network, comprising over 30 application labs, 10 Centers of Excellence, and 15 manufacturing facilities.

Saul Rios, managing director of Stahl LATAM, added: 'This new regional capability strengthens our customer-intimate business model. Here, we can directly collaborate with our customers and brands, accelerate our customers’ innovations, and deliver outcomes tailored to regional needs. Our focus remains on co-creating products that touch lives, while always contributing to a better world.'

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The León site is part of Stahl’s global network, comprising more than 30 application labs, 10 Centers of Excellence, and 15 manufacturing facilities.

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The León site is part of Stahl’s global network, comprising more than 30 application labs, 10 Centers of Excellence, and 15 manufacturing facilities.

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Siegwerk expands in the Middle East

Adyasha Sinha — Fri, 27 Jun 2025 08:12:33 +0000

Siegwerk has opened a new site in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, further strengthening its presence in the Middle East. The new facility comprises an office building and a warehouse, designed to improve service proximity and logistical efficiency, thereby ensuring faster delivery times and enhanced support for customers across the Middle East region.

The expansion underscores Siegwerk’s commitment to being closer to its customers, enabling it to better meet local market needs.

'As demand for high-performance and sustainable packaging continues to grow in the Middle East, we are excited to establish a stronger local presence through our new site in Dubai now,' said Stefan Rosenberg, head of sales of the narrow web business unit at Siegwerk. 'The investment allows us to be closer to our customers, provide faster and more flexible support, and offer products that help them meet ever-changing regulatory and sustainability requirements. This includes, for example, our advanced LED Dual Cure ink technology, which enables packaging printers to switch to more eco-friendly production processes without compromising on performance.'

Siegwerk has been developing UV and LED-curing inks and coatings for decades, resulting in a broad portfolio of products that are continuously optimized to meet evolving market requirements, such as new raw materials and the increasing performance of LED/UV lamps. With its Sicura Nutriflex LEDTec series, Siegwerk offers a low-migration UV flexo ink suitable for primary food, pharmaceutical and hygiene packaging applications. Its Sicura Flex Dual Cure can be used for standard applications, such as PSL or sleeves. Both series can be cured using both LED and UV arc lamps. Both ink technologies comply with the latest regulations, including the German Ink Ordinance (Sicura Nutriflex LEDTec) and offer benefits such as lower energy consumption, reduced CO2 emissions and improved recyclability of printed substrates. This underscores Siegwerk’s commitment to pioneering the development of forward-looking printing inks and coatings that facilitate compliant and safe packaging production while promoting a sustainable and recyclable packaging industry.

'Our Dual Cure inks are perfectly suited for the needs of packaging printers in the Middle East, where sustainability and compliance with international and local regulations are becoming increasingly important,' added Rosenberg. 'With our local experts and new infrastructure, we are ideally positioned to support customers in their transition to LED curing as future-ready printing technology.' With potential electricity savings of up to 50 percent, LED is becoming an increasingly attractive alternative for printers, not least due to the recent high and volatile energy costs.

The expansion to Dubai marks another strategic milestone in Siegwerk’s broader global strategy to invest in key growth markets and foster sustainable innovation throughout the packaging value chain. The company continues to collaborate closely with partners and customers worldwide to co-create products that strike a balance between economic and ecological needs.

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Sustainable plastic packaging market grows

Akanksha Meena — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 11:35:16 +0000

A new report by Towards Packaging, the sustainable plastic packaging market, has reported that the market is projected to grow from USD 111.71 million in 2025 to USD 178.79 million by 2034, registering a CAGR of 5.43 percent.

The growth is primarily driven by rising awareness of environmental concerns, a shift in consumer behavior towards eco-friendly products, and strong demand for cost-effective and durable packaging in sectors like food, beverages, and healthcare.

Asia Pacific led the global market in 2024 due to technological advancements and increasing consumption of packaged consumer goods. North America, powered by innovation and recycling infrastructure, is expected to see notable growth during the forecast period.

‘Sustainability is no longer a buzzword it's an imperative. Industries are adopting biodegradable, recyclable, and bioplastic materials not just for compliance but also to align with evolving consumer values,’ said Towards Packaging Consultants.

The report highlights key market trends. Polyethylene (PE) held the largest share in 2024 due to its strength and durability, while bioplastics are forecasted to grow at the fastest rate. Flexible packaging led in 2024 for its low material usage, while rigid packaging is gaining traction due to its resilience and long shelf-life.

Primary packaging dominated due to direct contact with products and demand for freshness. Biodegradable packaging topped the market in 2024; however, recyclable packaging is projected to expand significantly. The food and beverage industry leads due to its volume and regulatory shift, while healthcare packaging is growing due to its safety requirements and material reliability.

The report also includes recent industry highlights. In May 2025, Oroville Flexible Packaging, introduced Oroflex, a next-generation sustainable flexible packaging and recycling system. In March 2025, Mars and Berry Global jointly launched 100% recycled plastic jars for popular brands like M&M’s, Skittles, and Starburst.

Top companies in the market, according to the report, include Amcor, Mondi Group, Be Green Packaging, Berry Global, Sealed Air Corporation, Tetra Pak, Ball Corporation, Uflex Limited, DS Smith, Stora Enso, BioPak, and others.

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Sustainable plastic packaging market to reach USD 178.79 Million by 2034, says Towards Packaging.

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Sustainable plastic packaging market to reach USD 178.79 Million by 2034, says Towards Packaging.

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Esko partners with The Grey Elephant

Adyasha Sinha — Thu, 19 Jun 2025 12:01:37 +0000

Esko has partnered with The Grey Elephant, a leading provider of innovative print software, to enable customers to achieve workflow automation efficiency.

The new integration of The Grey Elephant’s Brain4Tools software and Esko Automation Engine enables packaging converters to automatically compare art files for commonalities and sequence print jobs based on their complexity, saving potentially thousands of hours of manual work and valuable operator time.

'The need to frequently stop the press to change plates for short print runs has a significant impact on a business’s material and labor costs, and therefore profits,' explained Robert Kohl, CEO of The Grey Elephant. 'Today’s converters have thousands of artwork files, but searching through them all for potential common separations is as time-consuming as it is arduous. Similarly, the increase in skilled and experienced prepress employees retiring from the industry means the expertise and knowledge, crucial in identifying commonalities and optimizing press runs, is leaving many businesses.'

The integration of The Grey Elephant’s Brain4Tools with Esko Automation Engine addresses these challenges, enabling converters to maximize productivity and drive efficiency in plate manufacturing and job changes over time at the press. 'Once a print file is uploaded to Automation Engine, Brain4Tools automatically looks for commonalities, examines what a business has on file already, and optimizes production to eliminate unnecessary changeovers and reduce press refitting times,' Kohl said. 'In the simplest terms, fewer plate changes during job changes at the press means less downtime, resulting in a more efficient production workflow – and greater profitability.'

The Grey Elephant’s advanced software can identify files dating back years and recognize those that require minimal changes to maximize press time. 'The system might identify a file with a 99 percent match, that just requires a logo to be moved a few millimeters or a slight text change, rather than having to recreate the entire file from scratch,' said Kohl. 'The potential operator time saving is huge, as the need to check every OneUp and Step and Repeat job file is eliminated.'

Esko's chief marketing officer, Jan De Roeck, stated that the latest strategic collaboration simplifies the integration process by providing customers with a clear understanding of the requirements for both Esko Automation Engine and The Grey Elephant’s Brain4Tools.

'We are delighted to be cementing our relationship with The Grey Elephant, working together to address the ever-evolving needs of converters with a technology that delivers tangible benefits both for operators in the production facility, and for business owners on the bottom line,' he said.

A new Standard Integration paper has been developed to facilitate the effective implementation of the integration by customers.

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Esko partners with The Grey Elephant

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The new partnership enables packaging converters to compare art files for commonalities and sequence print jobs automatically.

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The new partnership enables packaging converters to compare art files for commonalities and sequence print jobs automatically.

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Siegwerk joins topac for tobacco packaging

Adyasha Sinha — Wed, 18 Jun 2025 07:01:38 +0000

Siegwerk has joined topac, an alliance for the tobacco packaging industry, to provide market and technology updates, supporting printers, converters, and brand owners with best practices and trends.

Topac is committed to enhancing collaboration across the value chain, fostering innovation, and providing a platform for knowledge exchange among industry stakeholders. Dr Daniel Drochner, global head of technology at Siegwerk's Tobacco Business Unit, expressed his enthusiasm for joining this initiative. He stated: 'It is an honor for the global Siegwerk tobacco community to be part of this alliance along with strong partners like Janoschka, Daetwyler SwissTec, Koehler Paper, Pujadas, Bobst, Marbach, and Focke. Together, we can drive advancements in tobacco packaging and ensure a sustainable future for our industry.'

The inaugural topac summit took place in Surabaya, Indonesia, on May 14-15, 2025, bringing together key players from across the tobacco packaging value chain. The summit served as a platform for discussing the latest innovations, sharing best practices, and exploring future developments in the industry. Participants engaged in insightful discussions, highlighting the importance of collaboration and knowledge sharing in navigating the evolving landscape of tobacco packaging.

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Siegwerk joins topac for tobacco packaging

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The company aims to provide market and technology updates, supporting printers, converters, and brand owners with best practices and trends.

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The company aims to provide market and technology updates, supporting printers, converters, and brand owners with best practices and trends.

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Siegwerk continues its commitment toward SOS Children's Village

Adyasha Sinha — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 08:38:03 +0000

Siegwerk has partnered with SOS Children's Village to develop a joint strategy that opens up new opportunities for disadvantaged children and young people, transitioning their lives into independent and successful ones.

The collaboration between Siegwerk and SOS Children's Villages worldwide began in Mexico City in 2010 when the SOS Children's Village on-site had to be completely rebuilt due to severe structural defects. Siegwerk financed the construction of a new building for eight children and their SOS mother. This project marked the beginning of a long-standing partnership.

Since then, Siegwerk has annually supported projects run by the children's rights organization in South America and Asia with a contribution of 1.15 million USD. Additionally, employees from nearby Siegwerk sites contribute their expertise and time to selected projects, supporting young people in their personal and professional development by mentoring, training and teaching them relevant social and technical skills. These projects also align with Siegwerk's values and core themes, such as digitalization and sustainability.

Following this mentoring approach, Siegwerk has partnered with the global employability initiative YouthCan!, run by SOS Children's Villages worldwide, since 2018. This project empowers young people to transition to independent careers. Local Siegwerk employees are personally involved in supporting young adults through skills training and by acting as role models, trainers, and mentors. Joint workshops and events are regularly organized to promote the professional and personal development of youth participants. Siegwerk volunteers share their knowledge and experience while also providing young people with access to the working environment. Some young people have since become Siegwerk employees themselves. Between 2020 and 2024, Siegwerk and the local SOS Children's Villages associations have implemented more than 150 projects and activities as part of YouthCan!

'Social commitment is firmly anchored in Siegwerk's corporate culture. We want to give back to the communities in which we operate,' said Dr Nicolas Wiedmann, CEO at Siegwerk. 'We are very proud that our employees have contributed their expertise and time for 15 years to help children and young people pave their way to a better, self-determined life. SOS Children's Villages worldwide is a strong partner that makes this possible and does exceptional work.'

Siegwerk currently supports ongoing projects in Brazil, Guatemala, Mexico, the Philippines, and Thailand. In addition to promoting vocational qualifications, the goal is to also provide young people with the knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes necessary for a sustainable and resource-efficient society and economy.

This collaboration benefits both parties, as employees gain valuable experience and improve their skills. This is confirmed by the annual survey conducted by SOS Children's Villages worldwide among Siegwerk volunteers and YouthCan! participants (YouthCan! Volunteer and Youth Surveys, 2020–2023).

89 percent of volunteers feel that their work has helped them improve relevant skills, such as presentation, teamwork, leadership, and communication.
93 percent are also more satisfied with their job and feel prouder to work for Siegwerk.
Of the young adults, 90 percent say that participating in YouthCan! has given them a positive outlook on the future and a plan for their next steps in life.
Looking back, 91 percent of young people confirm that the skills they gained are essential for their job.

'Our 15-year partnership with Siegwerk demonstrates how sustainable corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategies can bring about positive social change,' said Barbara Gruner, a member of the executive board of SOS Children's Villages worldwide. 'Through the active engagement of its employees and global cooperation as part of the YouthCan! Initiative, Siegwerk is setting standards for corporate engagement. This effective, long-lasting partnership serves as inspiration and a model for future-oriented corporate social responsibility.'

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2 weeks 4 days ago

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Siegwerk continues its commitment toward SOS Children's Village

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Siegwerk supports projects run by the children's rights organization in South America and Asia with an annual contribution of 1.15 million USD.

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Siegwerk supports projects run by the children's rights organization in South America and Asia with an annual contribution of 1.15 million USD.

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Konica Minolta Australia earns 2025 Great Place To Work certification

Adyasha Sinha — Thu, 12 Jun 2025 08:44:46 +0000

Konica Minolta Australia has received Great Place To Work certification for 2025. The prestigious award is based entirely on what current employees say about their experience working at Konica Minolta Australia. This year, 72 percent of employees said it’s a great place to work, which is 12 percent higher than the average Australian company, according to the Great Place To Work 2024 Australia National Employee Engagement Study.

Great Place To Work is the global authority on workplace culture, employee experience, and leadership behaviors proven to deliver market-leading revenue, employee retention, and increased innovation.

Gabrielle Stevens, chief people and culture officer at Konica Minolta Australia, said: 'Being certified by Great Place To Work is more than an endorsement; it’s a meaningful recognition of the inclusive, empowering and values-led culture that Konica Minolta Australia works hard to cultivate. This certification validates that Konica Minolta Australia is a workplace where everyone feels supported, respected and able to thrive. It reflects Konica Minolta Australia’s long-standing commitment to listening to its employees and creating a culture built on equity, inclusion and opportunity.'

Konica Minolta Australia’s employee experience and culture programs are designed with a clear focus on consultation, authenticity and continual improvement. Its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) committee is employee-led, with members selected through expressions of interest to support broad representation across teams, backgrounds and lived experiences. This group drives grassroots input into key initiatives and plays a central role in shaping the company’s strategic focus across disability inclusion, gender equity, LGBTQIA+ representation and cultural awareness. Its work is complemented by a long-running annual engagement survey, which tracks how employees experience the workplace and identifies where change is most needed. High scores year after year, including consistent results in the DEI category, reinforce the effectiveness of this approach and guide areas for further investment.

Stevens said: 'What makes Konica Minolta Australia a Great Place To Work is the way it centers people in everything. Konica Minolta Australia is committed to fostering a culture where everyone can belong and succeed, from progressive workplace policies to inclusive hiring practices and robust internal pathways for career growth. Konica Minolta Australia’s DEI committee unites passionate representatives from across the business to shape initiatives that reflect the company's values, while long-term partnerships with organizations such as atWork Australia help remove barriers and open doors. Konica Minolta Australia is proud to be a workplace where diversity is embraced and where everyone has the chance to make a meaningful contribution.'

Sarah Lewis-Kulin, vice president of global recognition at Great Place To Work, said: 'Great Place To Work certification is a highly coveted achievement that requires consistent and intentional dedication to the overall employee experience. By successfully earning this recognition, it is evident that Konica Minolta Australia stands out as one of the top companies to work for, providing a great workplace environment for its employees.'

Konica Minolta Australia takes a deliberate and structured approach to implementation, with a calendar of meaningful events and initiatives that are grounded in community relevance and employee priorities. These include awareness and training activities for the International Day of People with Disability, Harmony Week celebrations, and International Women’s Day events that feature voices from charity partners, such as the Breast Cancer Network Australia. Each initiative is designed to reflect the realities of employees’ lives and the diversity within the workforce, creating opportunities for education, connection, and advocacy. The strength of the employee experience stems from both policies and the genuine commitment to inclusion that is embedded throughout the organization’s rhythm and routines.

According to Great Place To Work research, job seekers are 4.5 times more likely to find a great boss at a certified workplace. Additionally, employees at these workplaces are 93 percent more likely to look forward to coming to work and are twice as likely to be paid fairly, earn a fair share of the company’s profits and have a fair chance at promotion.

Posted date

3 weeks 2 days ago

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Konica Minolta Australia earns 2025 Great Place To Work certification

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This year, 72 percent of employees affirmed it as a great place to work, well above the national average.

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This year, 72 percent of employees affirmed it as a great place to work, well above the national average.

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Konica Minolta Australia earns 2025 Great Place To Work certification