24 June 2020

Biaoyin creates a brand for the future

While Guangdong Biaoyin is a new company, its founder Wu Zifeng worked in this industry for nearly 18 years. Since moving into labels in 2002, Wu Zifeng has worked in a variety of roles, including pre-press design, color management, production management and sales.

Label Source in-line flexo press at Biaoyin

His final job before founding Guangdong Biaoyin was as a salesman, exploring label applications in the FMCG market. ‘With so many years of industrial working experience, I am optimistic for label products progressing in the Chinese market,’ explains Wu Zifeng. ‘As the founder, I will try my best to create a model label printing company based in south China but serving all of the Chinese market. This is also the origin of our company name – Biaoyin,’

With this business strategy in mind, he registered the company in November 2019 and installed one Label Source 12-color in-line flexo press, one Label Source 10-color flexo press and inspection and die-cutting/finishing equipment in little less than half a year, putting the company on the right track for growth.

For the choice of equipment, Wu Zifeng had his own considerations. ‘As a smaller private company, my first priority is that the cost/performance ratio must be high. Taking the Label Source in-line flexo press, for example: I had contacted them quite a long time ago, and been satisfied with both their product quality and service system. In particular, Label Source engineers can communicate with me to make improvements without any delay whenever I raise some special production requirements.’

As to the Covid-19 epidemic, Wu Zifeng says the company has not suffered too much. Indeed, the ‘suspended’ status of the bulk of China’s industrial production allowed Guangdong Biaoyin time to prepare, including planning the workshop, recruitment of employees, purchasing new facilities and equipment, exploring new business opportunities and implementing an efficient batch production system, all making optimal use of its 10 million RMB investment.

As production has resumed in China, Guangdong Biaoyin has been able to launch its business proposition at full speed. Its third Label Source press and one Zhongtian 5+1 intermittent offset press were scheduled to be installed as L&L went to press, enhancing significantly the company’s productivity.

Target the right market
Statistics show that China’s label printing industry has passed the period of rapid growth. Taken together with the ‘new normal’ development rate of the overall economy and increasingly fierce market competition, the annual growth rate of the domestic label printing industry has fallen to around 10 percent.

In addition, the implementation of stringent national environment protection policies means the whole label printing industry is undergoing a transition towards sustainability, digitization and intelligence.

As a new brand in the label industry, the appearance of Guangdong Biaoyin might seem badly timed. However, Wu Zifeng disagrees: ‘Market demand for label products has never decreased. For any label printer, as long as he can capture the right market and supply high quality products for customers, there will be a bright future.’

Guangdong Biaoyin has a clear product line and business scope. Its key products include labels for bottled water, milk, beverage and spices in the FMCG market. ‘FMCG growth in the Chinese market is very promising, especially when the new generation becomes the main consumer. They have huge demands for bottled water and milk products, so the needs for label products will correspondingly increase. I have been exploring these market trends for years and have guided customers and provided them with personalized FMCG solutions. Now we have these established customer supply chains which form the basis of our business.’

Moving from simply supplying labels which satisfy customers’ existing needs, to proactively recommending innovative label solutions for customers is what Wu Zifeng thinks will move the converter to the leading edge of the label industry.

As for Guangdong Biaoyin’s future business plans, it will add two more presses later this year, and total production value for 2020 is expected to reach 40-50 million RMB (7m USD).

Your correspondent noticed several calls coming to Wu’s cellphone during the interview, and he also reported that he has a very full schedule, visiting or receiving customers until late every day.

During L&L’s visit, the whole company seemed busy, with both workers and machines running non-stop. Wu’s confidence in his business model seems well-placed, and looks set to bring new vitality to the local label market.