BLANCO LABELS

Parkway Brewing Converts Labeling Process

By Dana W. Todd

With the frenzy of craft brewery grand openings coming to a close, the ever-evolving industry is showing signs of maturation. Although it is still growing, there is some deceleration as brewery closings increased over the last two years, according to the annual State of the Craft Brewing Industry presentation at the 2017 Craft Brewers Conference & BrewExpo America. The craft breweries that remain are maturing in their production processes, marketing, and customer service — the way an emerging company becomes a well-established company in any market. “When I began working in the industry, there were about a dozen breweries in Virginia,” says General Manager and Brewmaster Mike Pensinger of Parkway Brewing Company, which has been in business since 2012. “Now there are 230.” As one of the “seasoned” players in Virginia, as least as far as the craft brewing industry goes, Parkway Brewing is maturing in its processes. Earlier this year, the company decided to change over its labeling production process, including the type of labels it uses on about 25 different brews it produces annually. Since the company’s inception, it has used traditional cut and stack labels on its bottles. Some in the company felt it was time to explore making a change to pressuresensitive labels (PSLs) to take advantage of expanded marketing capabilities and perhaps cost-saving benefits. Others were not as quick to jump on the bandwagon.

“I used cut and stack my entire career, and I have had my feet wet since 1982 when I joined the bottled water industry,” says Parkway Brewing’s packaging manager, Paul DeLuise. “So I was against switching to PSLs at first.” After further internal discussion, however, DeLuise changed his mind and decided PSLs were the right labeling choice for Parkway Brewing’s current situation. “There was no learning curve with PSLs,” he says, “but we did discuss keeping room on the line for a glue machine (for cut and stack labels). We threw it out because we ultimately didn’t need it.” Parkway Brewing chose Blanco, a label and labeling equipment supplier just a couple of miles down the road in Salem,

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Virginia, to supply materials, equipment and service for the changeover. Both DeLuise and Pensinger said choosing a reputable supplier was the most important consideration when changing the labeling process and materials. “Blanco is our customer, too, and Parkway Brewing likes to buy local when possible,” says Pensinger. “Plus, Blanco set up our existing labels for free, helped us finance a lower price on our new labeling equipment, and is right down the road if we need service.” Although there are benefits to both types of labels, ultimately Parkway Brewing felt PSL’s benefits outweighed cut and stack labels for its particular needs. There were four main reasons pressure-sensitive labels became the labelof-choice for the expanding brewery. • Creative and Design Flexibility: While Parkway Brewing was required to buy at least 30,000 cut and stack labels at a time, PSLs have a smaller minimum order quantity, which allows the brewery to produce short runs of a few thousand bottles of each specialty brew. “We buy enough labels to reduce costs and save money in the long run and then divide up those labels to package a variety of different brands. With shorter runs, we are able to individually print and number specialty brews and be more creative in the type of labeling materials we choose,” says Pensinger. According to Avery Dennison, the manufacturer who makes the label material used by Blanco and Parkway Brewing, PSLs are perfect for “creating look-at-me labels with eye-catching color, standout imagery, unique shapes, and surprising textures.” The company explains further that pressure-sensitive labeling makes it easier for smaller beer brands to compete on the shelf with specialty printing techniques likes foiling, embossing and varnishing. • Lower Labor Cost: Although the per piece price of a pressure-sensitive label is slightly more expensive than the alternative, DeLuise says one reason PSLs are less expensive in the long run is the lower labor and consumable costs associated with these labels. They do not need glue to adhere to bottles, which saves a minimum of one to two hours of manpower per day. Cut and stack labelers have to be cleaned mid-stream and at the end of each day to remove glue residue, a maintenance service that is not needed for PSL labelers.

“I appreciate the fact I can just stop the equipment and go home, without waiting for cleanup to be done,” DeLuise says. • Intuitive Machinery: There is no learning curve using PSLs and machinery such as Pack Leader’s PL-501 fully automated labeler, according to DeLuise. “The whole process is easier with PSLs and PSL applicators,” says Kurt Webber of Blanco. “Changeover times are faster, which is a big plus for shorter runs. PSL equipment is very simple to operate and not overly mechanical so it doesn’t require the amount of maintenance and expensive part changes that cut and stack labelers do.” • Sense of Community: As previously mentioned, Blanco and Parkway Brewing are practically neighbors and have forged a good working relationship. As a dealer of Pack Leader labeling equipment, Blanco provided affordable financing for Parkway Brewing to complete the changeover that it could not otherwise have managed.

“We are not trying to make a huge profit on labeling equipment,” says Webber, who deals in PSL labeling equipment simply so his customers can trust Blanco labels will work well with the equipment. Blanco also provides service and parts, so Parkway Brewing feels secure that any needs will receive immediate attention.

Although it is only a few months since the changeover, DeLuise says Parkway Brewing is embarking on a project it would not otherwise have been able to do with its old cut and stack equipment — produce labels for cans. According to Avery Dennison, cans are being increasingly used instead of bottles because of the efficiency of the packaging process and a larger surface area available for printing branding messages and logos.

“We will be able to run the can right through the equipment and add the label,” DeLuise says.

The new-found flexibility of PSLs means the creativity door is now wide open for Parkway Brewing, which has always hired local artists to create its labels. Now the artists will have even more freedom for ingenuity and inspiration.

Dana W. Todd is a professional writer and public relations consultant who writes for news outlets and publishers nationwide.

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