Hogenkamp worked with his client to design the label and research the proper adhesive. Then he called on Trebnick Systems Inc., a manufacturer in Springboro, Ohio, to supply 4 x 21/2-inch labels for the polybags and 4 x 13-inch labels for the containers. The container labels included a perforation in the middle so they could wrap around corrugated material. The client thermally imprints specific contents of each shipment onto the labels. "This particular order involved a specialty adhesive and stock," Hogenkamp says. "Trebnick deals in synthetic and specialty fibers primarily, so it seemed a good fit."
Hogenkamp first learned of Trebnick Systems through an advertisement, and he was attracted to the firm's specialization in synthetic films and its Ohio location. Hogenkamp discussed label-making with CEO Gregg Trebnick before working on their first joint project. "After talking with us for a year and a half, Glen had confidence in our shipping department, our customer service and the quality of our special materials," Trebnick says.
Floor Mat Firm Ships with
Pressure Sensitive Labels
A manufacturer of automobile floor mats needed new labels for its polybags and shipping containers. The adhesive on its old labels was failing, and labels often peeled off during transit. Glen Hogenkamp, account manager at PPI Graphics, Canton, Ohio, suggested the manufacturer switch to pressure sensitive labels. "We considered tags, but they were knocked off when the containers were loaded on the truck," he says.
Glen Hogenkamp, account manager at PPI Graphics, Canton, Ohio, recently sold pressure sensitive labels to a manufacturer of automobile floor mats. Trebnick Systems Inc., Springboro, Ohio, manufactured the labels, which were used to track shipments in containers and polybags. Trebnick supplies a variety of labels and tags using synthetic and specialty fibers.
Kevin Smith, owner and president of PPI Graphics, says his sales associates' experience and the distributorship's use of technology are its most powerful assets. Part of that technology includes a password-protected web site that enables clients to request orders and check on job statuses online.
Trebnick says technology is key in any market, including labels. "My job is to help distributors compete against direct sales," he says. "By using great equipment, I can produce an order more efficiently, more economically and with a higher quality than other presses."
--Christine Mersch
Ask questions. When working with new clients, Kevin Smith, owner of PPI Graphics, Canton, Ohio, says it's important to know which industry and for what purpose labels will be used: Is the client part of the manufacturing or service industry? Will the labels be used outside, therefore needing extra support to withstand harsh weather?
Trust yourself. Upgraded technology and in-house commercial printing capabilities allow PPI to produce many of its jobs without using manufacturers. "If you have an 81/2 x 11-inch flier sitting on your desk, you can email it to me and I can print out 5,000 copies in full color in 16 minutes," Smith says.
Rely on technology. PPI Graphics and Trebnick Systems, Springboro, Ohio, rely on new technology to maintain a competitive advantage. "We'll spend the money to buy the equipment that will make our systems go faster," says Gregg Trebnick, owner of Trebnick Systems.
