Page 34 - Packaging News magazine March-April 2022

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LABELS & LABELLING | www.packagingnews.com.au | March-April 2022
Labelhouse comes through the storms
The past two years have been anything but ordinary for this label print business, but faith in its strategy has seen it emerge all the stronger, reports Wayne Robinson.
base, as vintners seek out something special on the label to position their product in the minds of the public.
Wichmann says, “As well as print and finish we foil, screen and emboss very well, we know what works from a technical and economic perspective. We aim for a higher level of detail, which is what a certain sector of the market wants. That is not to say we only do that type of work, we are well capable of the longer run jobs as well.”
Sales of course are what drives any business, and with his team suddenly thinned it was the senior sales man- ager Frank Smout, working double time who kept sales coming in whilst all else seemed very hard. Wichmann also brought in the former sales man- ager at his old company Pemara as sales consultant. One of the first moves was to hire a full-time rep for Tasmania, which for most of Covid was largely restriction free, with strong relations developing. Today Labelhouse has the Tasmanian sales manager, and similar staff in both Victoria and South Australia.
Customers are also content with the knowledge that Labelhouse only runs the cream of the crop produc- tion equipment, with HP Indigo digital presses, Gallus flexo and offset presses, and a Smag embellishing sys- tem. The new factory that Labelhouse was moving into when Wichmann joined is itself technically advanced, with humidity and air pressure all strictly controlled, and the workflow optimised.
Two years after that tumultuous time when Wichmann joined the busi- ness he has the air of satisfaction, as the ship has been steadied and is now on a stable course. He says, “We are a family-owned business, we give a high level of service, with good lead times, and provide expert embellish- ing options. The market has welcomed our position, and we are well set to serve that market, offering it some- thing that is clearly appreciated.”
Any business can expect ups and downs in its journey, Labelhouse has had its share in recent times, but the business, which will celebrate its cen- tenary in two years, is ready for what we now call the new normal. ■
HEN Dave Wichmann took over as general manager of Victorian business Labelhouse in March 2020 the company was in the midst of moving to its new factory. One week later Covid smashed through Australia,
lockdown was implemented, and the general manager from Labelhouse’s sister business, LabelPlus, who was set to handle the transition, had to hightail it back to Brisbane before the border closed. Then at the same time much of the Labelhouse sales force unexpectedly moved to pastures new.
Quite an introduction for the for- mer Navy man, who had latterly been employed by Pemara, and had also worked for blue chip packaging out- fits such as Visy and OI Glass, who then essentially found himself on his own, running the business and sell- ing its service.
Human resilience and ingenuity though is a remarkable thing, and Wichmann set about instilling his engineering disciplines into the busi- ness, while seeking expert input. He said, “It was quite an introduction, but we came though it thanks to a commitment to our values, which are centred on serving our customers to the best of our considerable abil- ity, maintaining our standards, and operating with transparency.”
Labelhouse was established in 1924 by the Staas family, in whose hands it stayed until Terry Rowney bought to join his growing label empire, which also included LabelCraft in NSW and a WA label printer, as well as LabelPlus in Brisbane. Today, wines and spirits labels make up 70 per cent of the busi- ness, and that focus on embellishment excellence and innovation has led to a growing reputation, and customer
Labelhouse well set to serve the market: (l-r) Dave Wichmann and Frank Smout