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LABELS&LABELING |37<br />
FRANCESC EGEA MARCo of IPE Innovaciones Para Etiquetajes<br />
with one of the company’s range of label presses<br />
Innovative Spanish converter<br />
looks to the future<br />
GROWING RAPIDLY and at the forefront of the Spanish and European label industry, IPE Innovaciones is<br />
taking steps towards becoming a world leading label converter. Mike Fairley reports<br />
There can be little doubt that the world of labels is changing<br />
fast. Brand owners want ever more added-value products<br />
and services from their suppliers, while materials price<br />
increases, environmental issues, on-going education and<br />
training of employees, all add to the complexity and challenges<br />
facing converters.<br />
It is therefore refreshing to find a label converter that is truly<br />
at the forefront of these industry changes, not only developing<br />
new label applications and markets, but also becoming a<br />
far-sighted leader in R&D, innovation and hi-tech options.<br />
Based close to Barcelona, Spain, IPE Innovaciones Para<br />
Etiquetajes has been printing labels and packaging since<br />
1962, and today has modern installations for label printing,<br />
warehousing and distribution that covers the whole<br />
Spanish territory and, at a world level, through its clients<br />
in various countries.<br />
While few label converters are yet fully up-to-date with the<br />
use of apps, QR codes, interactive websites and the latest<br />
developments in augmented reality (AR) labels, IPE is already<br />
using QR codes with customers and on all its own promotional<br />
material. It has been supplying clients with AR labels and the<br />
related mobile phone apps for the past year, has an interactive<br />
website in three languages, and produces one newsletter a<br />
month, again in three languages. It is also believed to be the<br />
first label converter in Spain to have a blog.<br />
According to Francesc Egea Marco, assistant to management<br />
at IPE and the grandson of the company founder, ‘The<br />
company principles are innovation, quality and service. Our<br />
overriding aim is to provide a professional and personalized<br />
service to all our customers that sometimes includes a quality<br />
label. Indeed, we look to create with our clients new labels and<br />
applications with designs and prints that transmit and promote<br />
the image of the represented brand. Everything is orientated<br />
towards customer satisfaction – and everything is undertaken<br />
in-house. This includes website development, writing copy<br />
and newsletters, production of QR and other codes, and<br />
even apps.’<br />
Last year, the company introduced an ‘Eco-awareness’<br />
program and is currently working to close the loop through<br />
an organized recycling initiative with their customers. Further<br />
initiatives are for the implementation of a more formal<br />
education and training program for all employees, from<br />
production to sales.<br />
This approach has undoubtedly proved successful for IPE. An<br />
impressive double digit percentage growth in turnover in 2011<br />
with, already, some 20 percent of its output exported. It plans to<br />
substantially increase this percentage in the future.<br />
Now the company is looking to further develop its customer<br />
JULY 2012 | L&L
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