Page 32 - Packaging News Magazine May-June 2020

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PACK & LABEL PRINTING | SPONSORED www.packagingnews.com.au | May-June 2020
Agility amplified
Maverick. Pioneer. Innovator. Ross Read, founder and managing director of Read Labels & Packaging, is all three. In 2000 he established the first label making company in Australia to offer only digital print, and in the ensuing two decades has successfully delivered the technology to flexible packaging, enabling small food and beverage brands to create a big impact on shelf.
ever the entrepreneur, saw a gap in the market for short-run flexible pouches. He knew then what he still knows now: digital print could offer small brands agility and a creative edge to compete in niche sectors in a way that big FMCG brands could not. With no requirement for platemaking or mini- mum length of runs, and offering vari- ability within the print run, digital print enabled unprecedented speed to market and the ability to mount a nim- ble response to seasonal opportunities and special events through the branded packaging platform. Variable designs and limited-edition packag- ing could see a small brand create cut- through with consumers at a level that was previously not possible.
“Previously, if you were a small producer of protein balls and you were looking for some flexible bags, you’d have to go to one of a few large packaging companies and buy 150 kilograms’ worth,” Read says
“The language has changed. Thanks to digital printing, we can offer runs of 2000 pouches or less, and on top of that, we’re able to split that 2000 into multiple SKUs. It’s a completely differ- ent story. Now brand owners small and large can conduct market trials for a new product quickly and at relatively low cost, or create seasonal packaging, limited edition and personalised pack- aging. And all of this can be scaled up for mainstream production.”
BEING first to market with a product and service no-one else can offer gives Ross Read tremendous satis- faction. This is why, as one of Australia’s first label printers to take the leap of faith in digital – purchasing an HP Indigo press
back when digital printing was very much the new kid on the block – he was able to grow his business significantly by servicing the small end of town.
And it’s this same sense of satisfac- tion he seeks to deliver for his cus- tomers, many of them start-ups or artisan brands needing help to amplify their market presence through high quality, head-turning, printed labels and packaging. Companies like Chai Spice Beverages are among Read’s many customers whose testimonials showcase how digitally printed packaging has unlocked value for their businesses.
WHERE IT BEGAN
As the first label printer to focus on a digital-only offering, Read quickly grew his customer base in the bou- tique wine industry, and also among food and beverage start-ups, by addressing the need for labels with high quality graphics, produced in short runs and for multiple SKUs.
With the labels side of the business ticking over at a steady pace, Read,
It’s usually risk-takers, true entrepreneurs that seek us out, and we find a like-minded kinship in the pursuit of a packaging solution that will give their brands an edge.”