A chance partnership more than 30 years ago kickstarted what has become one of the industry’s fastest growing label converters. Chris Geeslin, then a sales rep at Southeastern Label, and his friend Michael Wrigley, working with his family business, Atlanta Label, decided to take a leap of faith together and branched out to establish their own business. With two guys, a landline, and an upfront investment of about $3,000, Label Source, Inc. was born in 1991.

The company’s most recent growth has come in the form of a significant acquisition. Label Source acquired a division of OMNI Systems located in Bogart, GA, on June 2, 2023. This division was a long-time part of ITW Labels, which was recently acquired by OMNI Systems as part of a larger transaction.

According to Michael Wrigley, the new Bogart operation will serve as an integral part of Label Source’s strategic expansion plans. The addition gives Label Source three operating facilities, with the third currently located in Eatonton, GA.

“We’re really excited about this move, and it’s fueled our growth,” explains Wrigley. “Over the last four years, our growth has been 25%, 50%, and then we were planning on another 25% before the acquisition. But with the acquisition, our growth will nearly double. We think even after this year’s growth, we still anticipate we can keep growing our business at a pace of over 20%.”

Plus, in order to promote future growth of the label and package printing industry, Avery Dennison welcomed 35 attendees to its Mentor, OH, USA, facility for the inaugural Label Leaders of Tomorrow (LLT) Excursion event on July 18-19, 2023.

The TLMI group is open to members of all ages – encompassing young industry professionals and those ascending to leadership positions for the first time. Attendees were privy to education sessions, a leadership panel, plant tours at Avery Dennison, and networking opportunities.

“It’s an honor and a privilege to be able to host the first LLT event,” said Tina Hart, vice president of sales, Avery Dennison Label and Packaging Materials North America. “We take the future of our industry seriously, bringing in new talent and ideas. We realize how important this industry is, and there are a lot of opportunity regardless of your interests, from marketing to sales to product development. This allows new members to come in and learn more about the industry.”

Here are the highest-trafficked news items for the week ending on July 21:

1. Narrow Web Profile: Label Source, Inc.
2. TLMI’s Label Leaders of Tomorrow venture to Avery Dennison
3. Wegmann Companies appoints Keith Grimm general manager
4. Beontag announces four new tags leveraging Impinj M800 IC
5. Bostik explores newest label sustainability trends