Narrow Web Profile: NextGen Label Group

200 Stewart Drive, North Syracuse, NY, USA 13212
18 New Courtland Street, Cohoes, NY, USA 12047
www.nglabel.com

In the spring of 2022, three New York-based, employee-owned packaging and converting companies – Syracuse Label & Surround Printing, Macaran Printed Products, and W. N. Van Alstine – merged. In early 2023, the merged entity officially rebranded itself as NextGen Label Group, signifying a commitment to deliver on a promise of next-generation experiences for employees, customers, and the greater marketplace. At the same time, NextGen introduced its promise of brand custodianship, a philosophy based on three unwavering tenets: Employee-Centric, Customer-Centric and Solutions-Centric.

The new entity was 100% employee-owned, with greater scale, capacity and capability – one that brought tremendous value to the customer and the markets it served.

“In the years prior to the merger, the label and packaging market was experiencing massive consolidation,” explains Tom Sargent, president and CEO, NextGen Label Group. “Smaller, regional label and packaging converters were being consolidated into more significant, private equity-backed concerns, creating large operating organizations with more scale, capability, and reach. We realized that a merger was necessary to maintain our ESOP status, ensure the security of our employee-owners, protect the proud legacies of each company, and sustain growth in an extremely competitive mid-market.”

Today, NextGen Label Group has approximately 170 employee-owners across the three divisions. The organization is led by a deeply experienced and collaborative C-suite dedicated to brand custodianship, ensuring that all employee-owners embody its three core tenets. The group boasts 165,000 square feet of total manufacturing space, with three facilities – two in Syracuse, NY, one in Cohoes, NY. The company has also launched new operational, business, and planning initiatives to enhance communications with customers and vendors, ensuring seamless information flow between all facilities.

“Since the merger, much effort has gone into developing the vision and strategies necessary to operate NextGen Label Group,” states Sargent. “This effort is collaborative, relying on a C-suite team deep with industry experience. The company has grown in many ways, and the evolution is constant. We’ve spent much time and energy harmonizing our business, crafting our plan, and consolidating our approach. And we are making a particular promise to the marketplace: to become the ‘custodian of your brand’.”  

According to Sargent, NextGen Label Group defines “Brand Custodianship” with absolute clarity and conviction, and it’s the philosophy that drives every decision the organization makes. “Our dedication to these principles is unyielding, and we are confident that they form the foundation of a successful and sustainable business,” notes Sargent.

Employee ownership is paramount to NextGen Label Group, and management has maintained a deep commitment to continuous development and growth of its employee-owners. This includes robust training and education. Plus, the company is committed to nurturing its talent to further enhance the expertise of the industry’s future leaders.

Establishing a strong company culture, complete with a vibrant and innovative workplace, has been key for this leading label converter. “Our culture thrives on active listening,” says Jessica McCarthy, VP, HR. “By consistently valuing employee voices and integrating their feedback, we adapt our strategies to meet their needs and create an environment where every team member feels respected, valued, and engaged in our collective success. When our employees feel respected, this commitment shines through in the quality of our products, reflects our customer-centric approach, and enables us to innovate in ways that embody our solutions-centric focus.

Several new initiatives have been established, as well. NextGen Label Group provides competitive benefits, and it conducts stay interviews and surveys to understand employee needs. The Albany Business Review also recently recognized NextGen Label Group as one of the Best Places to Work in the region.


“We focus on promoting from within, empowering our employee-owners with development opportunities to advance as our company grows,” adds McCarthy.

The company operates a proprietary inventory management system in response to the “Just-In-Time” manufacturing requirements of many customers. The system is integrated across all market segments, is capable of interfacing with a variety of customer forecast models, and delivers customized Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) options tailored to the specific needs of the customer.

Daniel Rosenbaum, NextGen Label’s chief financial officer, has emphasized lofty goals for the company’s future, too. “With a strong emphasis on teamwork and shared purpose, we will continue to keep our promises to the communities we serve, ensuring we deliver on our promise of brand custodianship to our customers,” he states. “This will include obsessing over our customers’ details and focusing on delivering innovative solutions, a continued expansion of our footprint within the mid-market space, capital expenditures into our business as needed, providing training and education investments for our employee-owners, and continued facility integration/best practices adoption/continuous improvement.”

A Solutions-Centric Approach

As part of its Solutions-Centric approach, the company has prioritized R&D, investment in new technologies, and expansion into new markets. Recent innovations include an RFID platform and enhanced prepress and ink systems. It also includes relationships to bring innovative solutions to the converter’s customers, including semi-rigid resealable labels under license from OPM Group Ltd., and unique aluminum containers from Kingston Aluminum Technology.

NextGen also asks key supplier partners to participate in its vision. “We value the relationships we have with our suppliers and regularly collaborate with their experts to support our customers,” explains Paul Roux, chief technical officer. “Identifying each supplier’s strengths and aligning our product development, material selection, purchasing strategies, and inventory management with the appropriate supplier has had a significant impact on our ability to be competitive, and we look forward to continuing these relationships.” 

Recent investments include a Gallus Labelmaster press and a Heidelberg-Gallus One hybrid press. The goal is to enable customers to push the creative limits of their label projects. The Labelmaster combination press features a 17" web width and 14 colors. Meanwhile, the Gallus One is a 17", 15-color hybrid press that blends the best of flexographic and digital printing technologies, making it the first of its kind in North America. Nick Noyes, chief operating officer at NextGen, worked closely with the team at Heidelberg-Gallus to custom configure this latest addition to the organization’s versatile equipment offering.

“This consistency in technology, particularly in embellishments, offers a unique advantage to brand owners,” remarks Noyes. “Brand owners can now utilize the Gallus One for smaller print runs when rebranding, testing, or launching new products, then seamlessly transition to the Labelmaster for larger volumes as their initiatives gain traction. This streamlines the process and ensures brand consistency across different production scales. NextGen Label Group is now one of the few, if not the only, label printers in North America with this unique combination of Gallus presses.”


Investing in this new press is designed to benefit the company’s customers and employees. “The driving force behind adding the Gallus One was our continued commitment to our core tenets,” states Noyes. “The press enhances our overall capabilities and gives us the ability to better meet our customers’ objectives and requirements. It adds inline hybrid printing capabilities (digital and flexographic) and advanced embellishments (cold foil, spot varnish, and tactile laminations) to help them design without compromise. We’re optimizing our operations through advanced technology and automation.

“We are also providing our employee-owners with the tools and resources they need to excel at their craft and allow customers and brands to design without compromise,” he adds. “This not only enhances our current capabilities but also positions us for continued success and future growth.

And the award goes to…

NextGen Label Group has reaped the benefits of its efforts in multiple areas. During Labelexpo Americas, NextGen Label Group was honored as the 2024 Converter of the Year in the Label Industry Global Awards program. The distinction comes on a global level, as the organization edged companies from the UK and India.

“Winning the Converter of the Year Award at Labelexpo was an incredible honor, reflecting our dedication to excellence across the label and packaging industry,” remarks Sargent. “Competing against finalists from India and the UK, this recognition highlights our commitment to key priorities such as fostering a diverse, inclusive work environment; providing robust employee training and growth opportunities; supporting community and charitable initiatives; driving sustainability and eco-friendly practices; and innovating with new products and programs to elevate customer satisfaction.

“This award is a powerful validation of our dedication to our core values, and we’re honored to be recognized on the global stage for our commitment to people, innovation, and excellence in all that we do,” adds Sargent.

A multitude of factors contributed to the organization’s triumph at the awards ceremony. As part of NextGen Label Group’s Employee-Centric tenet, the company believes diversity and inclusion are vital to its success. NextGen Label Group actively recruits from diverse talent pools and implements training programs that champion respect, dignity, and equal opportunity for all. With policies that encourage career advancement, work-life balance, and zero tolerance for discrimination, the company cultivates a workplace where every employee-owner feels valued, heard, and empowered. And these efforts were rewarded by the Label Industry Global Awards judging panel.

“Our employee development initiatives are grounded in comprehensive training,” notes McCarthy. “Every role at NextGen Label Group has detailed training, and new hires complete a thorough orientation. Off-site leadership and skills-based training also prepare our future leaders with critical knowledge. Through tailored development plans, our leadership team helps employees set and achieve their career goals.”


Giving back to the community is woven into the company’s fabric, as well. Community service is core to its identity as a 100% employee-owned company. “Employee-owners lead and engage in initiatives such as food drives, Earth Day cleanups, charity fundraisers, school supply drives, and holiday donations,” states McCarthy. “These efforts reflect our commitment to making a positive impact where we live and work.”

In addition to Converter of the Year, NextGen Label Group also received two TLMI Printing Excellence First Place Awards in Wine & Spirits categories this year. The company’s label for Virginia Distillery’s “Brewer’s Coalition” was recognized, as was its label for Catalyst Spirits’ “Howler Head for Heroes.” The TLMI Printing Excellence Awards celebrate outstanding printing and converting achievements in the North American label and packaging industry. The awards recognize all print processes, including digital, flexography, gravure, offset, and more.

NextGen Label Group has also been recognized for its extensive commitment to sustainability and has notched several recent achievements, including its SGP certification at Syracuse Label, an EcoVadis Silver Medal – awarded for two consecutive years – and the 2022  Calvin Frost Champions of Change Sustainability Award.

“NextGen Label Group continues to expand its impact in the industry by staying true to our brand custodian tenets: being employee-centric, solutions-centric, and customer-centric. These values are at the heart of our growth, and it’s our collaborative and experienced leadership team that drives our success. Together, we’re committed to innovation and excellence, creating value for both our employee-owners and our customers,” concludes Sargent.