[dropcaps style=’2′]Marks Emballage in Baddi has earned the unique distinction of being the first Indian label printing company to invest in two Gallus Labelmaster flexo presses in a single order, as part of its new plant expansion with a total planned investment of 5 million euros. The acquisition sets the stage for Marks to work in more productive and path-breaking ways, while broadening its footprint in high-growth market segments. The print house expects the huge capital investment to enhance its capacities and capabilities in the label industry.[/dropcaps]
Commenting on what is one of the largest deals in the Indian label printing industry in recent times, Aaditya Kashyap, managing director of Marks, says, “This is a future-ready investment. In a 3000-crore label market, even a 15% share translates to about 450 crores worth labeling jobs. Any printing firm with solid infrastructure and excellent production capacity can take a shot at this untapped potential that is up for grabs. The Gallus Labelmaster gives us incredible power to effectively align our business goals with the market opportunity.”
Gallus Labelmaster is available in three configurations – the basic Labelmaster, Labelmaster Plus, and Labelmaster Advanced. Marks Emballage is buying the Plus and Advanced versions, with 8- and 10-color combinations, to be installed at its new and second plant in Baddi. Founded in 2013 by Kashyap, a young and dynamic entrepreneur from a successful pharma business family, Marks Emballage has made giant strides to evolve into a full-fledged printing facility specializing in customized labeling solutions for reputed pharma companies.
“Excellence is a tradition at Marks. To stay on top of our game, we need best-in-class equipment. The Labelmaster fits the bill immaculately. Short setup times, high level of automation, substrate and configuration flexibility, lightweight aluminum printing cylinders to facilitate quick job changes, finest print quality at any speed level… just the press we were waiting for,” says Kashyap.
“Even at high speeds, the Gallus Labelmaster produces premium print quality with high-end finishing, as the printed image is always in the register. At all times, an optimized ink chamber facilitates optimal ink transfer to anilox rollers with minimal splashing and foaming. Printing units can be changed quickly to accommodate a wide range of substrates. A locking system positions the printing units on the base unit with absolute precision to ensure 100% register accuracy across the substrate,” adds Pravin Mahajan, AGM – equipment sales of Gallus.
Samir Patkar, regional sales head of Gallus Asia, says, “The Labelmaster is built to shorten job-changeover times and minimize material waste, thereby addressing the main challenges that cut into the profits of label printers. The press is specially focused on increasing overall equipment effectiveness (OEE). A short web path of 1.4 meters between two print units shaves wastage significantly, and a speed of 200 m/min makes the Labelmaster the fastest label printing press from the Gallus portfolio.”
Chandrakant Gadhia, vice president, operations of Marks Emballage, says, “What really tipped the scales in favour of the Labelmaster is the comfort in the knowledge that a competent Gallus team would be around 24 x 7 for technical support. Other features are equally appealing. The Labelmaster offers the flexibility of working with labels, monofoils, shrink sleeves and lamitubes, while minimizing material consumption and wastage. Faster make-ready time for shorter run-lengths is a bigtime productivity booster. All in all, it’s a great buy. We believe the Labelmaster will strengthen our existing pharma label business, and support our entry into new segments including, cosmetics, personal care, FMCG, and Wine.”
Going forward, Marks has a definite game plan in place to become a leading label supplier to the pharma and consumer goods marketplace. The print-shop is planning aggressive capital investments in a state-of-the-art production facility to offer a comprehensive suite of label solutions to consistently meet customers’ dynamic packaging needs and business objectives.
“The Gallus Labelmaster heralds a new era of growth and profitability for Marks. As we explore new revenue avenues, Marks Emballage will continue to help our customers sell more products with innovative and inspiring labeling solutions. And with Heidelberg and Gallus, we believe this will be the beginning of a long and fruitful partnership,” concludes Kashyap.
— Pranay Mathur
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