Local Label Solutions – 3 New England Producers

Our business has been rooted in Vermont for decades and in that time we’ve had the pleasure of partnering with some of New England’s leading, local brands. From specialty foods, to craft beer and hemp producers, we’ve teamed up with some of the areas most well-known companies, delivering custom label solutions that stick.

When it comes to labels and packaging, every business has its own unique set of challenges.  We’ve picked up our fair share of tricks along the way and our years of experience help us to fast-track custom label solutions for all kinds of customers. We thought we’d share some of the issues we’ve come across over our years in business. So, we picked few of our favorite, local companies and with their blessing, decided to tell you a little more about how we helped them overcome their labeling hurdles.

North Country Smokehouse

As one of the America’s few remaining, family owned smokehouses, North Country Smokehouse has been crafting artisanal smoked meats and cheeses for more than a century. Their new smokehouse is located in Claremont, NH and as you can imagine, producing smoky meats for the masses means meeting strict safety, environmental, and equipment standards.

Challenge: NCS moved into a new facility just a few short months before we met them, and with that came a long-list of challenges. The company had been labeling their products the same way for years and up until the move, they had it all figured out. That was, until their first day of production in the new smokehouse. The labels were no longer sticking but why?

Solution: Our label gurus headed on over to the new smokehouse. Choosing a local label provider means feet on the ground when problems arise. After a brief assessment, we learned that the new smokehouse was built with tighter temperature controls and the label application was a bit colder than it was previously. The temperature changes, however small, were preventing the adhesive from binding to the flexible packaging substrate. We paired a new aggressive, cold temp adhesive with a polypropylene media and moisture resistant over laminate, and had NCS up and running again in no time.

Bent Hill Brewing

This three barrel brewery is located on a 16-acre farm in the Braintree Mountain range of central Vermont. They produce a variety of artisanal craft beers using ingredients from their own land. They grow their own hops, blackberries, blueberries, currants, and cherries. How cool is that?

Brewing over 20 different styles of beer means they had a lot to think about – and anyone who knows anything about craft beer knows one thing. These days – the labels are everything.

Challenges: The first order of business for Bent Hill was finding a local label provider that can respond quickly and ship fast. The brewery is known for producing seasonal flavors in short runs and it was important to them that their provider be quick and nimble. Next in line, was sourcing a cost effective label supplier who could print variable labels without stacking up expensive setup fees.  When you have two dozen label versions, hidden artwork charges can add up fast. Last but not least, beer cans are made from aluminum and have a smooth surface. The low surface energy of the beer cans and cold, wet environments required ultimate label performance.

Solution: With over a decade of experience labeling craft beer cans, we were more than familiar with Bent Hill’s label requirements. Our low label minimums, complimentary setup for variable designs and 5-day shipping guarantee made us the right fit for this brewery, and lucky for us, we’ve been printing their labels for some time. We worked with them to pair specialty media with the right cold temp adhesive combination that survives refrigerated environments and enhances their intricate label designs. 

VT Bacon Soap

If you cock your head to the right, stand on one foot and squint – you can see Okemo Mountain from our office. At the base of the mountain sits VT Bacon Soap. In case the name didn’t give it away, they make soap…. with BACON. Aside the obvious points for coolest company ever, their making strides towards sustainability by producing soaps, shower gels and sugar scrubs that are phthalate and paraben free, non GMO, without harsh chemicals or preservatives. Despite everything they’re doing right, the fact remains, labeling soap can be hard. 

Challenge:

VT Bacon Soap called us looking for a flexible label with good contour to accommodate their specialty shapes. The label had to hug the soap just right, without cracking, wrinkling or curling. It also had to survive the life cycle of the product by resisting oils and residue, to maintain a shelf stable presentation.

Solution:

First things first – we sent multiple sets of media over for testing. With a little finesse and a  lot of teamwork, VT Bacon Soap found a media combination that was malleable enough for their specialty label shapes and could withstand the soaps natural characteristics. Our laser cutting Spartanics system meant VT Bacon Soap could avoid expensive tooling charges, and by printing digitally, they saved money on color charges. This was an ideal solution for their them, being that their custom soap labels are vibrant with a full color floodcoat.

So, there you have it. Three local label challenges and the solutions that made them stick. For more information about how ImageTek Labels can help you overcome your labeling hurdles, simply drop us line by emailing sales@imageteklabels.com or calling (866) 403-5223.