Steve Katz, Editor04.27.15
There are several reasons why a company may choose to rebrand, and they include the need to differentiate, remain relevant, or promote something new and different. As a company evolves and expands, a rebranding can be an effective means to communicate its growth and enhanced capabilities to both new and existing customers.
Rebranding campaigns occur in all markets and industries, within companies of all sizes, and the label industry is no exception. Recently, La Crosse, WI-based Inland Label announced it is dropping the word “Label” from its moniker, and going forward will be known as “Inland.” A true family business, the company has a rich history, and is experiencing terrific growth while it expands into new markets with new equipment and capabilities.
Not the first name change
Founded in 1903 as Inland Printing, for nearly three quarters of a century the company specialized in brochures, catalogs and other commercial print items. In 1944, John Glendenning invested in Inland with two other partners, and in 1952 he bought out his partners and became the sole owner. Following John’s tenure, Jack Glendenning, John’s son, led the company through a period of steady growth.
In 1971, Inland Printing moved into the company’s current corporate headquarters in La Crosse. In the mid-1970s a local beer brewer, G. Heileman Brewing, approached Inland and inquired about beer bottle labels. While it was not something Inland had done before, the team was intrigued and up for a new challenge.
The beer label endeavor was a success, so much so that a few years later Inland added Budweiser to its list of beer label clients, and continued capturing more of the beer label market, gaining heavy recognition in the craft beer industry. In 1988, Mark Glendenning, Inland’s current CEO and John’s Grandson, joined the company.
The company’s label business growth during the 80s and 90s was so significant, that by the late 1990s the commercial printing side of the business was phased out and investment was focused solely on label printing. This ushered in a new era for the company, and its first rebrand, changing its name from Inland Printing to Inland Label.
Since 2008, a 65,000 square foot expansion was added to Inland’s Airport Road facility. (There are two inland facilities in La Crosse, one on West Avenue and one on Airport Road). Also, the expansion included the addition of four state-of-the-art Heidelberg XL presses, and another is on order for this fall. Inland is also looking to add additional flexographic printing equipment to its portfolio. Current capabilities include offset, gravure and flexographic printing, which allows Inland to offer cut & stack, pressure sensitive, in-mold, roll-fed, shrink and blow mold labels.
A 'refresh'
Inland has been well known in the beer industry, and is a major player in both the big beer and craft beer markets. The company also has customers in the water, ready-to-drink juice and tea, wine & spirits, food and consumer products markets.
“The rebrand was really more of a refresh,” says Jackie Kuehlmann, marketing manager at Inland. “We have excellent brand recognition in the beer industry, but as we expand into new markets, we wanted to be sure that our messaging was relevant to all of the markets in which we play. We also felt it was time for a change. As a company, we are going through a lot of changes and experiencing record growth. Since we’ve invested millions of dollars into new technology and equipment, it made sense for us to give our brand an update as well.”
In addition to the new Heidelberg press coming this fall, two XL-D rotary diecutters have been added to support Inland’s IML business. “Additionally, we’ve added a variety of finishing equipment to support our growth, including a sortation system,” Kuehlmann says. “We joke that our Airport Road facility is in a constant state of reorganization because since we built the expansion, we’ve done nothing but add new equipment.”
Along with changing the name to the concise “Inland,” a new logo and tagline are part of the rebranding campaign. The tagline “We Power Great Packaging” speaks to the contribution that Inland makes to the success of its customers’ packaging.
“In the past we’ve used Printing and Label as a descriptor and now the Inland name is used alone simplifying things,” Kuehlmann says. “Our goal with everything was to give it a clean, simple, updated look. We are a straightforward company, so we wanted our new brand look to help convey that. Inland’s business philosophy has remained unchanged, as our vision has always been one of growth – for our customers, our team members and our community. Our mission – to be a reliable, trusted partner that customers can depend on and help them realize aspirations they have for their brand – hasn’t changed either.”
Going forward
Inland sees the rebrand as part of its growth strategy for entering new markets.
“Our hope is that the rebrand will allow us to launch ourselves into new market segments where we haven’t had the type of brand recognition that we’ve experienced in the beer market,” explains Kuehlmann. “And we also hope it will help support our growth into new areas outside of labels.
“The thing about Inland is that we are never satisfied,” she adds. “We are always looking forward to the next thing – new processes, new equipment, new products, new markets. Our vision is one of growth and we anticipate a lot of it in the near future. Our employees are the best in our industry and that, together with a leadership team that is willing to invest back in the company, is a recipe for continued success. It’s an exciting time to be a part of the Inland family.”
With new equipment and capabilities, and the expected growth it will bring, Inland is looking at adding 30 new positions to its staff – in areas from general production to professional support. All of the open positions are posted and can be applied for via www.inlandcareers.com
For more on Inland's rebrand, check out the L&NW slideshow.
Rebranding campaigns occur in all markets and industries, within companies of all sizes, and the label industry is no exception. Recently, La Crosse, WI-based Inland Label announced it is dropping the word “Label” from its moniker, and going forward will be known as “Inland.” A true family business, the company has a rich history, and is experiencing terrific growth while it expands into new markets with new equipment and capabilities.
Not the first name change
Founded in 1903 as Inland Printing, for nearly three quarters of a century the company specialized in brochures, catalogs and other commercial print items. In 1944, John Glendenning invested in Inland with two other partners, and in 1952 he bought out his partners and became the sole owner. Following John’s tenure, Jack Glendenning, John’s son, led the company through a period of steady growth.
In 1971, Inland Printing moved into the company’s current corporate headquarters in La Crosse. In the mid-1970s a local beer brewer, G. Heileman Brewing, approached Inland and inquired about beer bottle labels. While it was not something Inland had done before, the team was intrigued and up for a new challenge.
The beer label endeavor was a success, so much so that a few years later Inland added Budweiser to its list of beer label clients, and continued capturing more of the beer label market, gaining heavy recognition in the craft beer industry. In 1988, Mark Glendenning, Inland’s current CEO and John’s Grandson, joined the company.
The company’s label business growth during the 80s and 90s was so significant, that by the late 1990s the commercial printing side of the business was phased out and investment was focused solely on label printing. This ushered in a new era for the company, and its first rebrand, changing its name from Inland Printing to Inland Label.
Since 2008, a 65,000 square foot expansion was added to Inland’s Airport Road facility. (There are two inland facilities in La Crosse, one on West Avenue and one on Airport Road). Also, the expansion included the addition of four state-of-the-art Heidelberg XL presses, and another is on order for this fall. Inland is also looking to add additional flexographic printing equipment to its portfolio. Current capabilities include offset, gravure and flexographic printing, which allows Inland to offer cut & stack, pressure sensitive, in-mold, roll-fed, shrink and blow mold labels.
A 'refresh'
Inland has been well known in the beer industry, and is a major player in both the big beer and craft beer markets. The company also has customers in the water, ready-to-drink juice and tea, wine & spirits, food and consumer products markets.
“The rebrand was really more of a refresh,” says Jackie Kuehlmann, marketing manager at Inland. “We have excellent brand recognition in the beer industry, but as we expand into new markets, we wanted to be sure that our messaging was relevant to all of the markets in which we play. We also felt it was time for a change. As a company, we are going through a lot of changes and experiencing record growth. Since we’ve invested millions of dollars into new technology and equipment, it made sense for us to give our brand an update as well.”
In addition to the new Heidelberg press coming this fall, two XL-D rotary diecutters have been added to support Inland’s IML business. “Additionally, we’ve added a variety of finishing equipment to support our growth, including a sortation system,” Kuehlmann says. “We joke that our Airport Road facility is in a constant state of reorganization because since we built the expansion, we’ve done nothing but add new equipment.”
Along with changing the name to the concise “Inland,” a new logo and tagline are part of the rebranding campaign. The tagline “We Power Great Packaging” speaks to the contribution that Inland makes to the success of its customers’ packaging.
“In the past we’ve used Printing and Label as a descriptor and now the Inland name is used alone simplifying things,” Kuehlmann says. “Our goal with everything was to give it a clean, simple, updated look. We are a straightforward company, so we wanted our new brand look to help convey that. Inland’s business philosophy has remained unchanged, as our vision has always been one of growth – for our customers, our team members and our community. Our mission – to be a reliable, trusted partner that customers can depend on and help them realize aspirations they have for their brand – hasn’t changed either.”
Going forward
Inland sees the rebrand as part of its growth strategy for entering new markets.
“Our hope is that the rebrand will allow us to launch ourselves into new market segments where we haven’t had the type of brand recognition that we’ve experienced in the beer market,” explains Kuehlmann. “And we also hope it will help support our growth into new areas outside of labels.
“The thing about Inland is that we are never satisfied,” she adds. “We are always looking forward to the next thing – new processes, new equipment, new products, new markets. Our vision is one of growth and we anticipate a lot of it in the near future. Our employees are the best in our industry and that, together with a leadership team that is willing to invest back in the company, is a recipe for continued success. It’s an exciting time to be a part of the Inland family.”
With new equipment and capabilities, and the expected growth it will bring, Inland is looking at adding 30 new positions to its staff – in areas from general production to professional support. All of the open positions are posted and can be applied for via www.inlandcareers.com
For more on Inland's rebrand, check out the L&NW slideshow.