SMART DESIGN

LABELS&LABELING |33
SOME EXAMPLES of Eurostampa North America's work
Italian converter
succeeds in US heartland
IN FIVE YEARS Eurostampa North America has established itself through its broad portfolio of both sheetfed
offset and flexographic presses. And that’s not all, writes Danielle Jerschefske
Eurostampa North America was founded in Cincinnati, Ohio
in 2007, expanding from company headquarters in Cuneo,
Italy where label converting operations have been in place for
40 years. An Italian converter opening-up shop in the heart of
America where some of the nation’s best label converters reside
sounds bold, and it is. But it also made great sense and the
business has experienced staggering growth over the last
five years.
Initially the intention wasn’t specifically to locate in Cincinnati,
but after searching from sea to sea for over a year president Gian
Franco Cillario found PepperPrint, a sheetfed offset label printer,
with compatible synergies to serve as a basis for establishing
Eurostampa’s US operations. PepperPrint was a 15 year-old
company that serviced some of the Jim Beam accounts with a
number of sheetfed Heidelberg presses.
Eurostampa North America president, Gian Franco Cillario
says, ‘In this way we focused right away on cut and stack label
production and after moving a few Gallus machines from Italy, we
started producing in-line flexographic pressure sensitive labels.
‘With multiple locations there’s global insurance for servicing
the needs of large international brands. The location is central
and close to the nation’s foremost bourbon manufacturers, so
products can be delivered quickly locally and nationally. And it’s
a big enough city to find good, hardworking associates and has
universities in the area.’
In five years with US operations, Eurostampa has earned
business from a number of large multi-national liquor, beer
and beverage brands with big values that require reliable
communication. ‘Our goal was to create a name in the market,’
explains Cillario, which is precisely what Eurostampa NA has done.
COMPANY GROWTH
The acquired facility was tight with 25,000 sq ft. Today
manufacturing is housed in a built-to-need 70,000 sq ft stateof-the-art
facility with offices housed between two channels of
open window panels that carry light through to the shop floor.
The converter is in operation five to six days each week running
three shifts with a total of 100 employees – up from 35 at its
inception.
Starting in sheetfed offset, transitioning into flexo, Eurostampa
NA in many cases shifted brand labels from wet-glue to
pressure sensitive. Cillario says, ‘The pressure sensitive
business has grown extremely fast.’ Funny though, at the same
time a number of big brands have retreated from using pressure
sensitive labels, in which case the converter has been able to
hold onto the business with its dual technology platform.
The main section of the plant is effectively divided into
two wholly separate work streams for sheetfed and roll-fed
production. Through the acquisition, Eurostampa gained two
Heidelberg machines, both of which have been upgraded with
UV capability. A number of Bobst embossing machines finish
labels to one complex piece that can also include foil and hot
stamping. The converter estimates that 35 to 40 percent of its
sheetfed business is also hot stamped. Three Blumer Atlas
die-cutting lines complete the labels before an automated,
proprietary system checks quality.
Most recently Eurostampa NA installed the new Gallus EM
410S launched at Labelexpo Europe 2011. The machine is a
16-inch, 12-color all UV monster equipped to convert the most
complex of pressure sensitive labels using hot stamping, rotary
screen heads, embossing and foiling inline. Registration on the
JULY 2012 | L&L