FOUR LAKES LABEL
861 Progress Way, Sun Prairie, WI 53590 USA
www.orderlabel.com

Four Lakes Label comes from modest beginnings, initially opening its doors with one customer, one press and just three employees. The company has experienced significant growth since its establishment in the mid-1980’s, though.

Continued growth has necessitated several expansions. Four Lakes Label occupied three locations before settling in its current facility in Sun Prairie, WI, USA. The company constructed its new 36,400 square-foot building in 2009, which, according to Four Lakes Label, is 20% larger than the previous location and provides ample room for future expansion. The new facility houses 80 employees and operates 24 hours a day. It was designed to improve production and provide more energy efficient features like a tilt-up concrete foundation to offer better insulation and a 50% savings in energy costs.

Four Lakes Label’s customer-base has improved along with the building too. With thousands of current customers, the company relies on its customer support team, led by sales executive Brian Roske, general manager Tim Bresser, vice president of operations Eric Schmidt, and senior vice president of sales and marketing Greg Retzer.

“Mirroring Wisconsin’s strong reputation in manufacturing, our facility is located in the Madison area that currently boasts a 3% unemployment rate,” says Retzer. “That said, finding skilled labor is a challenge. We are working with and continuously seeking partnerships with educational institutions and other programs to help fill employment needs.”

According to Retzer, Four Lakes Label strives to provide a one-source label experience, beginning with the right questions, testing and sampling. “Testing is essential to a label’s success in a chosen application, while samples give tangible proof that a label fits a specific need,” he says. “Because testing and product samples are so important to us, we ask lots of questions. We determine the right materials for the product and the application. We try various adhesives and substrates to make sure the product performs at its required storage temperatures and in expected environment, and adheres appropriately to the designated surface identified. We keep at it until the label is exactly what a customer is looking for, and is produced effectively and efficiently. Testing and product samples also help us to recommend reliable process improvements that often save customers money.”

In order to meet its customers’ needs, Four Lakes Label relies on flexographic and digital printing. The company’s start-to-finish label capabilities include an in-house graphics department, a digitally automated printing and laser diecutting system, slitting and coating, plus computerized shipping and package tracking.

Four Lakes Label has enjoyed a fruitful partnership with Fujifilm. “Our newest equipment addition at Four Lakes, Flenex, has truly transformed our business,” explains Ryan Nelson, imaging manager at Four Lakes Label. “It delivers the highest flexo print quality at the fastest production times, while significantly lowering cost-in-use compared to thermal, solvent or other water-wash technology. It enables us to make plates 25% faster with 175 lpi, 1% dot, and superb dot structure. Projected cost savings with this equipment is 50%.”

The Mark Andy Performance Series P5 Printing Press provides 4-color processes to go along with eight colors. This press remedies orders requiring versioning, localization, regionalization, language and color changes, which are often seen in the narrow web label, tag and ticket market. The P5 runs at max print speeds of 500 fpm at widths up to 13″. The company also utilizes two other Mark Andy presses. The Mark Andy 2100, 8-color flexographic label press is a 7″ modular, inline, web-converting system that features independent registry controls on each unit to ensure excellent registration during printing, while the Mark Andy 2200, 8-color flexographic press allows for multiple diecutting across the web.

In 2004, Four Lakes invested in digital printing to spur growth. “Digital was becoming prevalent on the landscape,” says Retzer. “We see the future growth of digital and flexo as being paramount to our success.”

The company’s DT2 digital inkjet label press answers the need for customizations and short runs. “The busiest presses in our facilities that run nonstop are the flexographic label presses and leading-edge digital presses with laser diecutting capabilities,” says Retzer. “Four Lakes also has more than 8,500 dies in stock and laser cutting capabilities that save customers time and money.”

Four Lakes Label offers finished labels in rolls, sheets, poly-bagged packaging and shrink wrapping, as well as fanfolded into a stack for easy feeding into a printer. The company has solutions for applications in the retail, industrial, food and beverage, and household product markets. Custom label printing is available across 85 stocks, including reflective, metallic, semi-gloss, matte, film and much more. The company also manufactures permanent or removable labels for virtually any surface or temperature condition.

Four Lakes prides itself on customer service, as well. The company is currently developing an online ordering system designed to enhance the customer experience. “We take pride in keeping pace with developing technologies that will benefit our customers,” explains Retzer. “We only add capabilities if they will have a direct and positive impact on the products and services we can provide for our customers.”

Keeping in line with its customers’ expectations, Four Lakes Label will continue to emphasize digital printing capabilities and sustainable options. “Our ongoing customers’ needs for dynamic, smart and cost-effective labels are what propel us into the future,” says Retzer. “We will continue to embrace technology and equipment. We will continue to test and provide samples for every new label project. We will continue to listen to our customers. We will continuously improve and remove costs from our processes while reducing cycle times. We will keep moving forward, doing whatever it takes to create labels that do more, perform better and enhance our customers’ business.”  –Greg Hrinya