The team at EPI Labelers would like to congratulate Matt McLean on his promotion to the role of Engineering Manager!  In his five years at EPI Labelers, Matt has become an integral part of our organization.  He has driven many of the new projects and technologies which are responsible for the growth of our company.

Under his new title as Engineering Manager, Matt will be responsible for managing all aspects of the engineering department, spearheading new product and technology development, and serving as a single point of reference for companywide engineering functions.

We are proud to support Matt as we welcome him to his new role.  We wish him the best of luck!

Labels can be used in a variety of useful ways to give information about the products within, but at times they may seem redundant or ironic.  A factor in this is that many consumers today are sue-happy, and companies go the extra mile to prevent a lawsuit.  The resulting labels are often humorous, as this list proves!  http://www.rinkworks.com/said/warnings.shtml

This may be the funniest warning label out there!  Be safe this holiday weekend and have a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

With the holidays upon us, it may seem like our to-do lists are never-ending.  While most gifts have been bought, it’s never too late to think of festive and creative labeling when wrapping your packages.  There’s a plethora of Christmas labels available for gift-wrapping over the holiday season.  A little creativity can personalize even the most simple of gifts. 
Often, people are looking for last minute housewarming gifts when rushing out to holiday parties.  If this is the case for you, the right label can dress up a simple gift idea!

The blog “caramel potatoes” suggests making your own label to transform a homemade treat into a holiday treat.  Homemade caramel is sure to be a hit at any party, but when it comes wrapped in a festive label, you score points for your creativity and cooking skills!  Visit the website to download and print the Christmas Caramel Label!  Adding a holiday label is a simple way to improve the presentation of this gift!  http://www.caramelpotatoes.com/2011/11/29/christmas-caramel-cooked-in-the-can-with-printable-label/

Countless people gift wine over the holiday season, but a unique label can make your bottle stand out from the others!  Sites like bottle your brand offer personalized labels that you allow you to add names, dates and pictures to decorate your gift for the season.  This would make the perfect hostess gift to bring to holiday parties. 
http://www.bottleyourbrand.com/personalized-wine-labels/holidays

The latter are just a few examples of how, with minimal effort a label can transform a package.  The holidays are a great time to take advantage of the simplicity of labeling, but it’s important to remember that the label speaks for your package no matter what time of year.  Consumers and friends alike form impressions based on the packaging before they ever reveal what’s inside.  The right label makes all the difference!
MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE TEAM AT EPI LABELERS!!!

Sustainable Labels

There’s a host of sustainable packaging ideas out there, but what about sustainable labeling? 

Scott Amron www.amronexperimental.com/Fruit_Wash_Labels.html has created a labeling concept that is not only eco-friendly, but also timesaving.  Amron managed to eliminate the struggle of peeling the label off of fruit, while cutting out the extra step of washing it with soap and water.  His concept for a Fruitwash label that dissolves into an organic produce wash is an innovation in the labeling industry.  You simply rub the label and watch it dissolve into an organic produce wash that helps remove wax, pesticides, dirt and bacteria.  In addition it displays price look-up codes for fast check outs. 

Fruitwash Label

The Fruitwash label is garnering plenty of attention;  with mentions in countless blogs, on Tumblr, and even in magazines.  Many will find this to be a novel idea, it will be interesting to see if the concept gets picked up.  Amron is currently selling a 10% stake in the Fruitwash Label Intellectual Property (patents).

Sustainable Packaging

A growing trend in the packaging industry is sustainability, and with that, companies are getting more creative with their eco-friendly packaging.  No matter the industry, most companies can find creative ways to package their product while reducing energy output.  And there are some brilliant concepts out there!   Whether they’re just proposals or already implemented designs, these companies show that making environmentally sound choices can be a lot of fun!

Sustainable Bottles

Joe’s Daily (http://www.joesdaily.com/2011/11/09/colorless-coke-can/) recently featured an interesting proposal by Ryan Harc for a colorless Coca Cola can.  It eliminates the need to separate toxic color paint from aluminum in the recycling process, thus saving energy.  In addition to being 100% recyclable, the can itself has a sleek, modern look that would surely be popular with eco-friendly fans!

Sustainable Beauty Packaging

While the Coca Cola idea is just a proposal, Lush Stores have already implemented fun sustainable packaging for their products.  Glamour magazine Beauty Editor Beth Shapouri recently blogged about her charmingly unexpected packaging experience at Lush.  (http://www.glamour.com/beauty/blogs/girls-in-the-beauty-department/2011/10/isnt-this-the-most-charming-wa.html)  Beauty products come bundled in a trendy and fashionable scarf.  Not only is the scarf beautiful, it’s sustainable – it’s hard to believe but it’s actually made from two recycled bottles!

These are just a couple examples of how marketers are coming up with new and exciting ways to make sustainable packaging interesting to the customer.  They’re also great lessons of how a little creativity can combine practicality with originality, proving that effective packaging does not have to be boring!

EPI Labelers will exhibit its top labeling equipment at Pack Expo Las Vegas, Sept. 26 through Sept. 28, 2011, with an all-new larger booth, C-433.  EPI Labelers will show a variety of machines, including labelers new for 2011.  Engineered for ease of use and reliability, EPI’s labeling systems are designed to integrate to existing specific packaging lines.  

Labelers at the show will include; the Flex-Pac, the U-II, the Print & Apply, the M-Series, the Clamshell Labeler, the B-Series Wrap Labeler, and the all-new Label Dispenser with Inkjet Printer(http://epilabelers.com/new-label-dispenser-inkjet-printer). 

EPI Labelers offers machines to label; paper, clamshells, cartons, boxes, bottles, and flexible packages for VFFS, HFFS, pouches, and bread and bun bags.  For a detailed product list, visit http://epilabelers.com/products.

EPI Labelers will be offering show specials to Pack Expo attendees, Facebook fans (http://facebook.com/epilabelers) and Twitter followers (http://twitter.com/@epilabelers).

 For more information call 717-235-8345 or visit us at http://epilabelers.com.

Click top mugs featuring our 30th Anniversary logo

This year at SCAA 2011 in Houston, we’ll feature a brand new 20 ft. booth where we’ll showcase our latest, as well as existing machinery, for the coffee industry.  Stop by Booth 1509 to check out our Flex-Pac Labeler, our M-Series Labeler, and the all-new L-Series Automatic Label Dispenser.
In addition to showcasing labeling machinery, we’ll be handing out flash drives with information about EPI, and videos of our machines in action.  Be sure to stop by to see us to get information on joining our social media sites, http://www.facebook.com/epilabelers and http://twitter.com@epilabelers.  Follow us and you’ll be entered to win exciting giveaways, such as EPI Nike hats, and appropriately for this show, limited edition 30th Anniversary EPI travel mugs. 
We’re excited to meet people in the coffee industry and eager to sample the huge variety of coffee that will be featured at SCAA.  Can’t wait to see you there!

Despite the troubled economy, EPI Labelers has enjoyed another year of tremendous growth, thanks to our loyal customers. We are committed to making 2011 a year to build upon that success and make our brand even more beneficial to you!

This year, we introduced two new machines, the B-Series Wrap Labeler and the Top & Bottom Labeler. Both machines have the capability to label a wide variety of materials, simply and accurately. With each new machine, we are expanding our capacity to label a growing list of packaged products, thus expanding into industries which have not been traditional consumers. With this growth comes the opportunity to reach a larger audience and receive more feedback. As always, customer service remains a top priority moving into the New Year, and our PMMI certified service team provides after-sales support that sets us apart from our competition.

At EPI, we believe it is that personal commitment to our customers that makes our business a success. We take the time to get to know each customer, their manufacturing environment, and their goals. We design a system that integrates accordingly, and our technicians are available at a moment’s notice if an issue arises with equipment. The relationships we have developed with customers allow us to bring customer service to the next level, so that we can anticipate your needs going forward. In 2011, we’ll celebrate our 30^th Anniversary and the relationships that have made the past three decades possible. We hope to continue to foster those relationships and build many new ones in the upcoming year! From all of us at EPI – thank you for your support!

We’re debuting our brand new wrap-around bottle labeling system at Pack Expo 2010!  The self-calibrating bottle labeler is ideal for; contract packaging, private label, personal care, nutraceutical, and spice and condiment companies. 

It works on any type of round, plastic or glass bottle and has the ability to label:
nutraceutical and vitamin bottles; wine and beer bottles; oil and vinegar bottles; spice and condiment bottles; and much more!

“This labeling system has the capability to label such a wide variety of bottles and products,” says Jim Immel, Sales.  “And it’s easy to use – all functions on the labeler are controlled by a color touch screen HMI.”

Adding to its ease of use?  Simple adjustments make for easy set-up and fast changeovers, most within a few minutes.

We’re excited about all the possibilities our bottle labeler has to offer and we’ll be on-hand at Pack Expo to answer questions and demonstrate the labeling machine.  Come see us at booth N-4014 to learn more!