The Converting Curmudgeon
The Converting Curmudgeon is a regular reality check into the true value of all that impacts the management and growth of your business.
Lessons from your peers
Four leading labelmakers gave their peers plenty of helpful business advice Tuesday at the TLMI Converters Meeting. Participating in the 90-min panel were Joel Carmany of Consolidated Label, Frank Gerace of Multi-Color Corp., Dave McDowell of McDowell Label & Screen Printing and Mike Falco of Topflight. Here are some of the topics and their responses: What types of metrics do you use and how a ...... Read More
Comments (0)Five traits of consistently growing companies
At the TLMI Converter Meeting on Monday, business consultant Jason Jennings laid out the rules for “Hitting the Ground Running” in The Great Economic Recovery of 2010. Here are his five traits of companies that grow consistently no matter how the rest of the economy might be doing. Trait 1: The leadership of companies that grow consistently turns what they do into a CAUSE. A cause is ...... Read More
Comments (0)The "Converting Heartland" Show
About 500 industry professionals got together in The Converting Heartland yesterday to check out the nearly 100 displays at the 2010 Converters Expo. The third annual event is really gaining significant regional interest and influence as evidenced by exhibitors and attendees from as far away as Chicago, Milwaukee, Madison (WI) and Minneapolis. Check out the photos below. Some of the converter an ...... Read More
Comments (2)Going to Converters Expo on Thursday
The Green Bay Packers may have barely made it to the playoffs, but you’ll feel like you’re in the “Super Bowl of the Converting Heartland” if you attend (along with me) the 2010 Converters Expo on Thursday. The third annual event, to be held once again at the Lambeau Stadium Atrium in Green Bay, WI, can be considered (in one sense) the biggest converting industry trade ...... Read More
Comments (0)How to make counterfeit wine labels
Want to make a lot of money fast? Here’s how to make your own counterfeit wine labels. And not only make them fast but, as any thief would want, also cheaply. After all, what’s the point of counterfeiting a product if it costs you too much? Okay, in reality, I’m about to describe the latest Brand Protection Conference project into counterfeiting. At Friday’s BPC event ( ...... Read More
Comments (1)How the recession will change packaging
This morning at the PLGA Global meeting in Miami, Dr. Joe Webb offered a wide ranging look at how the volatile (and sometimes unpredictable) US economy is likely to change packaging in the next five years. He spoke before a pleasantly robust audience of about 150 attendees (a welcome 35% increase over last year’s event). Webb’s Six Factors Impacting Packaging: Bottom-Line Economics: ...... Read More
Comments (0)PLGA meeting starts Wednesday
Just a quick note to remind all you packaging printers that the Package & Label Gravure Assn. Global’s 2010 Operational Conference starts Wednesday in Miami. That night the winners of the Print Quality Awards will be announced at a special reception. Look for a complete list as well as photos of the Best of Show honorees in our Website’s Frontline News on the homepage on Wednesda ...... Read More
Comments (0)Need labels? There's an app for that
iLabel, the first iPhone label-quoting application, hit cyberspace Wednesday courtesy of Denver-based Lightning Labels LLC. Founder Peter Renton has always been on the cutting-edge (to use a tired phrase) of just about everything with his all-digital label printing company. But this time, I think he and his colleagues have outdone themselves. With iLabel, customers can reportedly get a free custom ...... Read More
Comments (0)Six CPG trends impacting converters & packaging-machinery makers
Yesterday I spent an interesting two hours with several Thought Leaders in the packaging industry at a dinner hosted by PMMI. Along with a preview of the many new initiatives that will take place at PACK EXPO Intl. 2010 this fall, representatives from six packaging-machinery manufacturers gave their insights on a broad range of issues facing them and their CPG customers (who, by the way, are also ...... Read More
Comments (0)Warming up to ICE USA
This morning I met with Michael Boyle, event director for the new ICE USA 2011 show. To potential exhibitors and attendees, here’s a one-sentence summary: It won’t just be CMM with a different name. I’m not going to waste kilobytes rehashing the arguments pro and con about the demise of the former industry tradeshow standard bearer. Suffice it to say, that’s history. Ne ...... Read More
Comments (0)Real recovery or more "cope and change?"
A TLMI-hosted Webinar Feb. 23 (with the above title) will look at the domino effect of economic downturns on everything from consumers to label and packaging printers’ operations. Set for 2 p.m. Eastern, the Webinar will feature printing-industry veteran Joe Webb as he discusses the economy and what lies ahead for manufacturers and consumers. He’ll will also present his forecasts and ...... Read More
Comments (1)Is live chat a good idea for your Website?
“Ask Max” is the newest addition to the customer services available on the Fife, Tidland and MAGPOWR Websites of web-handling components provider Maxcess Intl. From the three home pages, you can click on the link (shown below) and chat live with a company representative. Converters and package printers can get anything from a quick answer to an immediate question to information on pr ...... Read More
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