Mark Andy appoints new CEO to lead company to growth

Mark Andy’s new CEO, Duane Pekar, has joined the company at an interesting time. 

The label industry still reeling after several years of supply chain disruptions, rising costs of raw materials, excess inventory and a labor shortage that is looking more systemic every day. 

Pekar, however, is no stranger to leading organizations through periods of transformation. 

As he gets to know Mark Andy, its customers and the industry as a whole, he is committed to leading the company with a customer-centric approach that extends beyond just selling capital equipment. 

‘If you’re not focused on your customers, at some point, you’re going to wake up and find out that you don’t have any customers,’ he tells L&L. 

Since he started at Mark Andy earlier this year, Pekar has been on a whirlwind tour visiting Mark Andy’s facilities in the US and abroad, as well as touring converter customers’ facilities to help him understand the label industry. 

‘It’s just so exciting to visit with our customers, to learn how they make a living, how our customers support their customers, and what Mark Andy can do to help them all,’ Pekar says. 

‘I’m starting with our customers and understanding what Mark Andy already does well, what we’re not doing well, and most importantly, what we need to focus on to help them. 

He continues: ‘We really are consultants to our customers, which means we focus on their needs, not just what we want to sell and that’s really the approach we’ve taken, and that’s Mark Andy has been so successful. 

Labelexpo debut 

Pekar joins as the company looks to make a splash at Labelexpo Americas this fall, where the St Louis, Missouri-based company will exhibit on its home turf. 

Mark Andy will bring five printing presses to Labelexpo, including the launch of its new P Series S9 for label and flexible packaging markets. This new press features flexo sleeve technology in 22in and 26in web widths. 

Mark Andy will also showcase a 2200 flexo press featuring a mounted Domino iQ-R digital engine. 

The company will also bring a Digital Pro Max press with Konica Minolta digital engine and its Digital series HD hybrid press. 

A Mark Andy Pro Series press will be featured in the Domino booth. The Pro Series is fully servo-driven and will integrate Domino’s K600i and K300 high-speed monochrome variable data printing technology. This collaboration between Mark Andy, Domino and Konica Minolta is clear evidence of what Pekar believes is central to the company’s success: its partnerships. 

Under Pekar, the company will continue to be ‘a leading industry integrator’ of both digital and flexo technology because, as the way he sees it, there’s room for both technologies on any shop floor. 

‘We are really doubling down on digital and flexo innovation,’ he says. ‘We absolutely believe that there’s a future for both. Hybrid is the sweet spot in the middle, and we plan to play in all of those areas because that’s what our customers need.’ 

On the road 

Pekar spent years honing his expertise in operational efficiency, strategic planning and business development. His most recent role is working with private equity firms to lead complex organizations through periods of transformation. Pekar started his career at General Motors and has worked at other Fortune 500 firms like Carrier Corporation, United Technologies and Honeywell, where he honed his expertise in operational efficiency, strategic planning and business development. 

“The future of the industry may not be only in pressure-sensitive labels”

Pekar looks to spearhead Mark Andy’s strategic initiatives to enhance its product portfolio, expand its global footprint and strengthen its market position in North America. 

‘Mark Andy enjoys a real leadership position in the flexo and the hybrid press space in North America and it’s an enviable position to be in,’ he says. ‘We have a strong reputation for highly reliable products, technical support and services. Mark Andy presses are workhorse machines at the heart of many label operations.’ 

Pekar is focused on leveraging Mark Andy’s packaging experts as more label converters are expanding into other print markets, like flexible packaging, in-mold and shrink sleeves. Pekar is looking at what that means for how Mark Andy machines are deployed. In the immediate term, it means presses, like its new P Series S9, are getting wider. 

‘The future of the industry may not be only in pressure-sensitive labels,’ Pekar says. ‘The trend of shorter runs benefits the narrow web converter, as wide web converters are finding their runs getting shorter, and they’re looking at 23in or 26in flexo presses that can be more efficient on flexible packaging or folding cartons.’ 

He continues: ‘We may not be printing the same things on Mark Andy flexo presses five or 10 years from now, but I’m pretty sure there are going to be flexo presses around.’