Reynders label printing
Nijverheidsstraat 3, B-2530 Boechout, Belgium
www.reynders.com


Marc Reynders believes that within a successful label printing operation, every technology has its useful place in a converter’s arsenal. As CEO of Reynders Label Printing, Marc has a unique vantage point, as his perspective comes from seeing his six decades old, family-owned label business evolve from a small, one machine, traditional print shop to a multinational power within the global label industry.

Reynders Label Printing’s roots date back to 1956, when Emiel Reynders, Marc’s father, started a stationary printing business in the back room of the family home in Mortsel, Belgium, just outside of Antwerp. Business grew steadily, and also expanded beyond commercial printing to include self-adhesive labels among its product portfolio. In the 1970s, when self-adhesive labeling began to take off in Europe, so too did Reynders. 

Outgrowing its home base, the business moved in 1970 from Mortsel, to an industrial building in nearby Aartselaar, and then moved again in 1983 to what is now Reynders’ current headquarters in Boechelt, Belgium. Shortly after this move, due to concerns about his health, Emiel took a step back in his role with the company and entrusted the day-to-day operation of the business to his three sons – Paul, Jacques and Marc. Paul would manage finances, Jacques handled sales, and Marc took over production – roles that the three brothers maintain to this day, with Marc assuming the position of chairman and CEO.

Under the Reynders brothers’ leadership, the company has experienced significant growth, while pinpointing where to focus its strengths. In the early 1980s, the company eschewed its commercial printing roots to focus solely on labels. Dedicated label printing equipment of varying technologies – with more colors and capabilities – has continuously been added.

When Reynders first started in the label business, the focus was on basic supermarket promotional labels. The company has come a long way over the years, and has carefully considered areas within which to focus. In 1991, Reynders Pharmaceutical Labels was established. “The creation of this new division – to focus specifically on the pharmaceutical label market – was a rather bold move for us at the time,” recalls Marc Reynders. “Instead of thinking broadly, my brothers and I opted to start a new company that was going to work exclusively for one sector – the pharmaceutical industry with its strict GMP rules, which became the guiding principles for all working methods as of Day One.”

In tandem, Reynders Label Printing and Reynders Pharmaceutical Labels made a vow to supply its customers more than what was considered as standard in the market. The company’s charter called for “perfect quality and full customer satisfaction.” In 1995, both companies became the first label printers in Belgium to earn ISO 9002 certification.

The following year, 1996, Reynders seized an opportunity. A fellow Belgian label business – who specialized in the beauty and cosmetics markets – closed down. Making a rather bold decision at the time, the three brothers presented a business plan to rescue the company, as it had a proven track record of being a valuable supplier to the cosmetics industry. Three months later, Eti-Plus – located in the heart of the Ardennes forests – became the third pillar of the now emerging Reynders Label Printing. Under new ownership, it regained the trust of its former customers and was awarded an ISO 9002 certificate, as well. Its name changed to “Reynders Etiquettes Cosmétiques” in 2007.

The year 2001 signaled another major milestone with Reynders expanding to the east. Encouraged by a number of customers, Reynders began looking for opportunities outside of Belgium. The fourth Reynders facility opened its doors in Pabianice, near Lodz in central Poland. Reynders Etiketten Polska serves the growing local market while introducing its label printing expertise to Polish brand owners. In 2004, the Polish operation moved to Tuszyn and in 2010 a new plant was built in the neighboring hamlet of Kruszow.
Further expansion took place in 2004 with the acquisition of a former Avery Dennison site in Avelin, near Lille, in Northern France, called “Reynders Etiquettes France.” The facility specializes in high-end industrial applications, as well as fan-folded and sheetfed labels for variable data printing. It also serves as Reynders’ center for the production of shrink sleeves.

Perhaps Reynders’ most ambitious expansion endeavor came in 2008. Following a trip to a label show in New Delhi, India, which resulted in a modest presence in the region through a joint-venture with a local Indian printer, the Reynders team decided to give it a go on their own with the opening of Reynders Label Printing India, an independently operated label manufacturing facility in Chopanki, in the state of Rajasthan. To date, the venture is a work in progress. Marc Reynders says,  “It’s a difficult market for a European company to penetrate,” he says. “It’s a different culture, and there’s a unique approach to doing business there. We continue to look for good salespeople to help us to develop our business there.”

Following more than a decade of aggressive expansion, today there are six specialized printing divisions and eight manufacturing sites, and Marc says there could be more to come. “We are growing every year, but it’s something that’s not so easy to do. We want to become better and also bigger, so we are looking for opportunities – maybe through cooperation with companies in the UK and the US. Not so much acquisitions, but perhaps mutually beneficial relationships.”

Reynders has continued to improve and evolve its Belgium-based facilities with new constructions while expanding storage and manufacturing capacity. In addition, in 2003, a division called “Reynders Security & Specialty” emerged for the production of specialty labels, innovative label constructions and tailor-made security labels on specially constructed machines. Ten years later, with a brand new building, the division tripled in size.

Leading the market
Throughout what has been a storied history, Reynders has continued to grow year over year, in spite of a sometimes uncertain economic climate. Marc Reynders attributes the company’s success to having the capacity, flexibility and technology to meet evolving customer demands. But also, he points out, his company’s role as an industry leader is pivotal.

“While we work hard in following the market, we are also motivated to try and lead the market,” he says. “And we have often been the earliest adapters of some of the industry’s most groundbreaking technologies, such as digital printing, inkjet and HD Flexo. We’re taking the risks, but when we succeed, it pays off for not only us, but also our customers.” Illustrating Reynders presence as a market leader, in 1996, the company became one of the very first in the label industry to invest in digital printing – before the technology was proven, adding one of the first Xeikon digital label presses in 1997.

Today, the company has more than 60 printing presses at its eight production sites. For flexo presses, it’s a mix of mostly servo-driven Gallus and MPS machinery. On the digital side, there’s a variety of Xeikon and HP Indigo technology, as well as inkjet presses. “We have a lot of techniques and technologies,” Marc says. “From screen printing to cold foil to HD Flexo to a variety of digital printing technologies – and we’re constantly upgrading our assets.”

Reynders was an early adopter of inkjet technology for label printing, having successfully used Agfa Dotrix machinery for more than a decade. In 2013, the company became the first to install a Domino N600i inkjet label press – a prime example of its role as a marker leader.  Explains Marc, “The label industry has been facing new challenges with customers demanding ever tighter delivery deadlines, shorter average run lengths, more personalized data; but still the highest quality of end product. As a result, we need to find solutions that can not only address these changing demands, but that also enhance our service offering.

“I think there is a place for every technology,” he adds, “And we have just about every conceivable option in-house. Sometimes we think a particular job could be better printed on a certain machine – some are faster than others, some require more colors or specialization. It’s comforting knowing that we have so many technologies to turn to.”

With regard to the markets served, Reynders specializes in pharmaceutical and cosmetics labels, and nearly half of its business comes from these sectors. The chemicals and industrial arena, along with food and beverage, are also key markets.

Giving back
When Marc Reynders started working for the family business, he estimates there were around 10 employees. Today, he oversees more than 400, and has enjoyed watching the company grow and succeed. Throughout its evolution, Reynders has fostered a culture of providing programs that promote health and prosperity within its workforce and the community at large, and also sustainability.

A rotary heat exchanger allows Reynders to recover a large part of the heat in the exhaust air of the pressrooms, which are illuminated by low energy consuming LED lights. Also, presses are equipped with the latest hi-tech UV drying systems for reduced energy consumption.

The recycling effort is extensive. Almost all of the incoming packaging materials are collected, sorted and re-used or recycled. Wooden pallets and other wood-based materials are either used for transporting finished products or collected for recycling. Also, all PE and PP matrix waste as well as hot foil and cold foil waste is collected separately and recycled. Reynders also invites customers to join its release liner recycling program, with the yearly goal of removing an extra 150 to 200 tons of release liner from the waste stream.

Environmental efforts go beyond the production operation.  Reynders has installed a charging point for electric cars in its Boechelt parking lot and reserved the two adjacent parking places for environmentally conscious visitors. It is also home to “Zoë,” Reynders’ own electric car that is part of a sharing pool for cooperators and customers.

Two separate projects help to reduce water consumption. The first “Rainwater Collector” connects to a cooling tower and to the closed circuit that provides cooling to the converting machinery. “Rainwater Collector II” provides rinse water to sanitation facilities. A newly constructed “green roof” is part of that collector.

The company’s social programs are numerous. In 2002, The Reynders family acquired a neglected old soup factory in the center of Boechout. In cooperation with the town council, the building was transformed into a sociocultural meeting place for the community. It holds a theater with seating for 200, as well as a café and restaurant. In 2003, when a fourth Reynders site in Boechout was built for storage of raw materials and finished goods, a portion of the facility was created to house “The Little Prince,” a day care center for toddlers whose moms and dads work for Reynders.

Several company events take place throughout the year that promote health and fitness, including bike races, marathons, first aid training and volunteering. Notably, Reynders spearheaded the Peace Forest and Playground project in 2009, where the company helped to plant 5,300 trees and 3,000 shrubs. Today it serves as a public space for outside play.

The expansion into India presented new philanthropic opportunies. Recently,  through a local school project and on the occasion of Diwali – the Indian festival of light – Reynders brought “light” to 500 children and their families who live in the slums of Chopanki, the home base of Reynders Label Printing India. They all received a “solar lamp” that they can charge in the sunlight. It radiates for six hours, bringing bright light for families to read, study, cook or work.

The Reynders motto, as stated in its Corporate Social Responsibility charter, translates to “Our Smile is Our Force.” The motto can be seen with a picture of a smiling employee on the walls of every Reynders building. It was the result of a meeting in which a handful of people from different divisions were having a brainstorming session on how to create added value in their jobs. It was unanimously decided that a pleasant work atmosphere is an invaluable asset.