THE SINCLAIR ADVANTAGE

Why Sinclair Systems International is more than just labels Synergy. Resource sharing. Credibility. Trust. Sustainability.

When you think about the power and promise of building partnerships, these are characteristics that jump to the forefront. Partnerships are strategic alliances that when shared and complemented show that you are as strong as the forces you align yourself with. They enable you to share expertise, networks, resources. They provide entry into new customer segments and markets, providing a collaborative platform that can offer new ideas, perspectives and knowledge.

Sinclair Systems International is built on the premise that crafting and sustaining strong partnerships is at the heart of who and what we are. As a label manufacturing plant, we are committed to servicing and supporting our customers where and when they need us. But, as our partners find, we are more than just labels on produce packaging. We are a resource that not only helps build solutions, but also sees the big picture.

Driven by innovation and a commitment to supporting the environment, our footprint is steeped in the characteristics that define us. It is the same qualities we seek in the companies we work with.

By Michael Obradovich

For the Sinclair Systems International brand and the scores of vendors we work with, value is everything. Take our relationship with Fujifilm. When we embarked on our relationship in 2019, the company was marketing its new Flenex-FW water-washable flexo plates. The Fujfilm team said the plates would improve sustainability credentials, while maintaining quality and productivity. The innovation was touted as a game-changer for the label sector.

Conducting our due diligence, we started to review our options, sitting down with four vendors, including Fujifilm. When you know something is right, you can feel it. The innovation, the customer service—everything— felt right. The overall Fuji package was the best way for us to go. This February, we implemented Fujifilm’s Flenex into our portfolio.

To date, we currently have a C-Touch 25x30 machine and an AR kit that uses Fuji Flenex plate material. The working relationship, support and everything that Fuji has been able to offer has been the kind of experience that we seek out. The improvements and feedback from our customers has improved across the board. Part of that feedback is that our platemaking workflow is more efficient and cost effective than ever before.

By finding a partner that aligns with the tenets you strive to reach, the system and processes work. Fujifilm’s Flenex-FW water-washable flexo plates have indeed helped us improve our sustainability, while maintaining the quality and productivity of our work. A win-win.

In the beginning... and beyond Sinclair Systems International is steeped in a history of achievement. More than three decades ago in Norwich, England, the majority of produce branding was on the box. Individual fruits and vegetables had no identity. Times, we decided, must change. It was time to give fruits and vegetables the branding they deserve.

Pioneering the development of a patented technology in automatic high-speed fruit-labeling systems for individual pieces of fresh produce, we started to run at 12 fruit per second. Today, with more than 79 issued patents, excellence in innovation is the fiber of our company.

With a U.S. presence in Fresno, California, and our digs in Norwich, Sinclair now operates nine label-manufacturing sites around the world. That includes labeling systems installed in more than 45 countries worldwide. By partnering with vendors like Fujifilm, we are able to continue our pursuit of making sure this is safe and that it complies with requirements of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Union (EU).

As we look to the future, our path is defined by the innovation, processes and partners we continue to build and sustain. It is The Sinclair Advantage.

is Manufacturing Manager for Sinclair Systems International, a world leader in produce labels, labeling machinery and technical service support in the fresh produce industry. The company is part of a family of companies operated by Gulftech, which has an international footprint spanning 85 countries.

For example, its EBeam technology eliminates the need for a secondary lamination layer, which, in turn, reduces raw material use and allows for recyclable, compostable and biodegradable materials to be utilized. By choosing flexible packaging, GOpak is putting itself and its consumers one step ahead of the game.

AJ Buran, President of Sales at the flexible packaging option provider, says it started with two pillars in mind: speed to market and sustainability. In tandem, the digital press and its EBeam technology hit the bullseye of both speed to market and improved sustainability. That way, its customers can eliminate a layer of material by using the EBeam technology to protect the inks rather than reverse printing and laminating. Most of the flexpack industry reverse prints on PET, then glues the film to the rest of the structure, which adds a couple of days of set-aside time for the adhesive to bond properly.

In a time when all eyes are on a brand’s sustainability efforts, GOpak continues to expand its offerings. “There tends to be a lot of talk around sustainability, but the action taken has been slow. There is so much confusion, politics and greenwashing in the marketplace. But brands are getting more educated to make good choices for their businesses. Ultimately, sustainability needs to make financial sense for the brands to operate.”

For companies like GOpak and others in the flexible packaging space, one of the biggest challenges is the limited ability to recycle and reuse the plastic. This is due to different types of plastics that are laminated together. Chemical recycling, which some have as about 10 years out, is being developed and scaling to be able to separate the layers to be reused.

When it comes to print on paper, the right things are often buried under an avalanche of misinformation driven by corporate greenwashing, pop culture media, competitive interests and anti-paper environmental activists.”

– Kathi

President, Two Sides North America

Today, the GOpak team continues to expand its sustainable offerings. Take electron beam curing, which is designed to help protect the inks and graphics without adding a layer. This makes it easier for compostable materials to compost and recyclable materials to be recycled. It also has been using landfill biodegradable materials called PakZero. Because it is biodegradable, it breaks down in an anaerobic landfill environment.

Buran says that digital printing has been another player in helping to reduce waste. In addition, RFID/NFCsmart packaging and QR codes help give consumers access to updated information, as well as assist brands in tracking and tracing.

The answers are out there

From where she sits, Kathi Rowzie has a unique view on the commercial print industry’s sustainability story. As President of Two Sides North America, she helps steer the group’s straightforward, balanced approach to the greening of print, paper and paper-based packaging.

As part of the non-profit Two Sides global network, Two Sides’ reach can be pretty wide. The global network includes more than 600 member companies across North America, South America, Europe, Australia and South Africa. Its member companies span the graphic communications and paper-based packaging value chain, touching the areas of forestry, pulp, paper, paper-based packaging, chemicals and inks, pre-press, press, finishing, printing, publishing, envelopes and postal operations.

Rowzie says print customers and their customers are increasingly aware of the environmental impacts of the products they buy and use. That means everyone understandably wants to do the right things— even if doing so becomes a battle between fact and disinformation.