Not your typical label producer

If you are a print broker in Canada, you now have a new competitive edge when it comes to meeting digital label demands. Profecta Labels is breaking all the rules by providing not just the latest digital web technology, but the knowledge and tools to be successful

Profecta Labels in Quebec is not your typical label producer. Considered a leader in the Canadian flexographic trade printing industry; Profecta is pushing the digital label market forward by providing resellers with not just the technology to access new opportunities, but also the training to understand how to sell digital solutions. Located in Quebec, the company operates from a 25,000 sq. ft. facility and employees approximately 67 people. With an annual sales volume in excess of ten million, the company recentlycomplemented its flexo capabilities with the latest digital web printing and finishing solutions from HP Indigo and Rotoflex International.

For our company, the digital journey started with our customers. Every year, as part of our ISO process, we surveyed different segments of our customer base. One year it was manufacturing agents, one year it was printers, one year it was all end users. A couple of years back the results were unanimous. Give us more options, opportunities, flexibility and value,” says Pierre Roberge, President, Profecta Labels Inc.

In today’s competitive label industry customer expectations are up while loyalty is down. Increased price pressure encourages a ‘commodity mentality’ and manufacturers are searching for lean production tactics as a means to squeeze margins. Digital technology enables manufacturers to respond to these changes directly while creating new opportunities in the market place. “Our success is really a result of many things, but primarily it is due to the fact we are not production driven but customer focused. We give the customers what they want and guide them in their need,” adds Roberge

Digital Label Sales 101
How do you sell digital labels to the reseller market serving diverse industries such as pharmaceutical, food packaging and industrial? The key from Profecta’s experience has always been based on collaborative relationships with its agents. The company strives to educate its resellers on the latest advancements in digital labels as a means to create new revenue streams. “Our company is recognized as not just a supplier, but a partner who understands and respects brokers. Digital equals more variety and opportunity for the trade by opening up a lot of different niches,” explains Roberge.

We have been training our agents for the past year with technical information and it is now starting to pay off. We give them the understanding and support in terms of what this technology can do for their clients and they in turn actively seek out and sell digital solutions. They help their clients develop new products and add value to existing ones,” Roberge adds.

Labels Without LimitsAs one of the top manufacturers in the global label and packaging industry, HP stands out for driving new opportunities through technology and growth. “HP has been amazing so far. They are truly committed to the customer and their product. We have had the Indigo for a few months now and we’re just beginning to discover its potential.

We are offering a full range of products that are mostly adapted to what our customers want. We are also discovering the versatility of the Indigo in adapting new solutions to our customers’ demands. So far it is attracting a lot of new customers and jobs from existing customers that were unthinkable to produce with conventional presses. We are able to give our customers more options than ever before,” comments Roberge.

According to HP roughly 65% of current label print runs fall into the short and mid quantity range (runs less than 50,000 labels or under 6,500 feet). HP defines the Indigo ws4050 as “the most productive, cost-effective digital solution for self-adhesive labels and packaging.” The ws4050 can print up to 7-colors including full and spot combinations. Operators can change ink when printing to save time while processing a number of substrates including self-adhesive papers, plain and embossed papers as well as synthetic materials. Also variable data printing enables easy print variations such as barcodes, numbers, names, text and images.