Leading from the front

Mike Fairley, chairman of this year’s Label Industry Global Awards judging panel, discusses the reasons why the judging panel selected Helmut Schreiner for the R Stanton Avery Lifetime Achievement Award 2011.

The Schreiner Group, like many other founding label companies, began its life in a garage. This was in 1951 when Helmut’s parents, Theodor and Margaret Schreiner, founded a small factory to print embossed seals and labels. They etched their own plates, cut material to width with a self-made roll-cutting machine, and had one single-color seal embossing press. Helmut joined the company as an apprentice at the age of 13, attending evening classes and working during the day printing anniversary labels.

It was from this background that Helmet Schreiner went on to study printing and operations technology. He also spent several years in employment with major companies in the graphics industry before returning to his parent’s business. A wealth of ideas and huge enthusiasm spawned the development of new products and led to large companies being gained as customers.

By 1974 the process of changing from the first generation of the family to Helmut Schreiner as the second generation was finalized. The company was renamed ‘Schreiner Labels and Self-Adhesion Technology’ and the company’s corporate values of Innovation, Quality, Performance and Enthusiasm were developed. Everything the company did was looked at through these values.

Great importance in Schreiner factories is attached to optimum, process-capable working conditions. All operating areas are air-conditioned; workplaces are ergonomically tested; work rooms are like living rooms; every building is designed for a happy environment, while performance is rewarded by success-orientated remuneration systems and intensive advanced training programs. The company also offer employees facilities for exercise, Pilates, etc, and provide company flats for new employees, apprentices and other personnel until they can afford to buy their own homes. All the ladies in the Schreiner Group even receive flowers on Valentine’s Day. With such a working environment and facilities it is perhaps not surprising to find a very low staff turnover.

Every single employee is expected to keep learning, to develop their skills, to apply themselves accordingly and to participate in the company’s further development. A comprehensive advanced training program is operated and they have their own advanced education institution – the Schreiner Academy – which offers around 150 training programs as well as more than 500 online seminars and, currently, some 43 apprentices.

Over the years since 1974, under Helmut Schreiner as executive manager and owner, the company has evolved into the Schreiner Group with activities in many countries, global sales of 120 million euros and more than 720 employees in factories in Europe and the USA. Today, under Helmut Schreiner’s charismatic leadership the group has become a world leading innovator within the label industry, developing new technologies and applications in areas that include electro-luminescent labels, printronics, RFID and anti-counterfeit technologies.

But it was not only the development of his company where Helmut Schreiner has been particularly active. He was a founder member of VskE, the German label association in 1980, became deputy chairman in 1982, chairman in 1995 and honorary chairman in 2010. One of the most respected label associations in Europe, VskE has always been far-sighted and, says Helmut, ‘has always looked beyond the tip of its nose’ – something which has contributed to the success of German label converters for many years.

In addition, he has been an active member of Finat and is a past chairman of the Finat Converter Committee. Put all this together and you can see why the judging panel felt that his inexhaustible passion for his company, his pioneering innovation, his input into industry associations, and into the training and development of his employees, make him an outstanding nomination and worthy winner in 2011.


Pictured: Helmut Schreiner

This article was published in L&L issue 5, 2011