Channeled Resources Group (CRG) has taken a big step in its goal of providing high-quality release liner, blank shipping labels, and pressure sensitive roll labelstock to a wide variety of industries. CRG has added significant coating capacity to its facility in Marathon, WI, USA, which will contribute to more than doubling the company’s business.

Not long after adding their first specialty wide web coater in their Marathon City location, CRG recognized an opportunity to increase their silicone release liner coating capacity further with the installation of another state-of-the-art machine. The new 5-roll coater allows CRG to better deliver silicone across the web, running faster with enhanced lay-flat capabilities.

“We keep evolving and getting better and better with our technology,” says Cindy Frost White, president and CEO, CRG. “This new coater allows us to provide a really high-quality, excellent sheet at competitive pricing. The faster we run, the more competitive we can be. For the first time out of all our machines, the new coater has turrets on both sides of the machine. That means it never stops, so we can run 24 hours, five days a week, and never stop the machine.”

CRG established its silicone coating operation in Toronto, Canada, in 1995 with the formation of GMC. After reaching capacity on several machines, the company installed a new coater in Marathon in 2019, allowing the company to focus on a broader range of customers. Initially, GMC only focused on narrow widths and small quantities. CRG can now service wider widths and larger volumes.

“The majority of companies that buy release liner aren’t 40” and under,” explains White. “We put in a wider machine in WI, so that we could also print – making it a specialty coater. Not everybody can print and silicone coat inline. We reached capacity on that machine about a year-and-a-half ago.”

The new investment, which was installed earlier this year, allows CRG to expand in the growing release liner market. The company can deliver release liner solutions to multiple industries, from labels and envelopes to automotive foams and industrial applications.

CRG is in the early stages of qualifying customers, but the company is excited about the prospects of the quality coming off the machine. “Manufacturing is the future for our company,” states White. “We’re incredibly excited to have this amazing new equipment that will give our customers a better product and our employees greater growth opportunities. We’ve grown a lot since 2019. And we anticipate doubling our growth from where we are today.”

CRG has also been in tune with meeting demand for the latest manufacturing trends. The industry is seeking release liner solutions that meet performance and sustainability trends as well as end-of-life options.

“As a company, we are working to switch people to clay coated release liners over polycoated liners because clay coated liners can be recycled. We also offer release liner products made with post consumer waste papers. It’s important to us to not only have sustainable product options but to also be a resource for customers to help them make smart decisions for the bi-product they produce.”

CRG boasts four facilities, including headquarters in Chicago, IL, as well as facilities in Wisconsin, Toronto, and Indiana. In the last four years, the company has added more than 40 employees, bringing the total to 160.

“Adding new equipment has given us the opportunity to grow and bring in young people who give us new ways of thinking,” comments White. “We’re getting out in the market and building our reputation as a manufacturer. As a WBENC (certified women owned, operated and controlled business), we’re also now 30% women in our business, and we were not like that in 2019. It’s exciting to see.

“We really feel that our employees are part of our family,” she adds. “We try and spend as much time with them as possible, so they feel that connection. Culture in manufacturing is so important.”

In the future, CRG will focus on Lean principles in its manufacturing processes. Now that we have all our equipment in place, we’ll embark on this major initiative in 2024.”

To learn more about CRG’s recent Ecovadis Bronze certification, click here.