Profile: Roll Flex Label Company

Roll Flex Label Company
199 Lee Place, Hackensack, NJ, USA 07601
www.rollflex.com

In the infancy of pressure sensitive labels, Bill Zink recognized what was a burgeoning industry. Having once worked as a salesman for Stan Avery, Zink, a visionary, relied on his label expertise and entrepreneurial spirit to establish Roll Flex Label Company in 1983. He opened the company in South Hackensack, NJ, working out of a small garage with one Mark Andy 830 flexo press and a few offices. 

Zink immediately found success printing labels, and he ran the company that way until the age of 88. “I had just graduated high school when my father went out on his own and started Roll Flex Label,” explains Margaret Boyle, owner. “The business took off right away, and he outgrew that space quickly. We moved to our current location on Valentine’s Day 25 years ago, and we still celebrate it to this day.

“The early years were quite profitable and business grew quickly for my father,” adds Margaret. “He really developed a good reputation in this surrounding area. He also had great operators around him, and Roll Flex became a strong business.”

Looking at succession, Zink realized he did not want to sell to private equity or another label company because he valued the independent, family atmosphere he had cultivated over nearly 40 years. 

Zink found eager ownership waiting in the wings, though. Today, Roll Flex Label Company is thriving under second-generation ownership. On July 1, 2021, Zink transitioned the company over to his daughter, Margaret, who had been working at Roll Flex for more than a decade, and her husband, Joe Boyle. Their son, Michael, serves as president and represents the third generation of family ownership. 

As part of the transition, the Boyles made significant investments into the business, modernizing the equipment and software. This laid the foundation for current-day Roll Flex Label Company.

“I never planned on running the business, as I had worked in the fashion industry,” recalls Margaret. “But this has been the greatest thing. I must say for me, having a women-owned business has been great. There are not a lot of us in this industry, so that has really made us special – and we stand out with that. That’s really important to some of the larger companies we deal with, and we’ve gotten some really good business by being women-owned. It obviously helps that we have excellent customer service and great products, too.”

While the timing of the ownership transition was far from ideal – Margaret took the reins during the pandemic and ensuing supply chain shortages – she followed in her father’s footsteps by experiencing instant success. Not long after taking over, the Boyles nearly doubled Roll Flex Label’s business.

The timing proved opportunistic for Joe and Michael, as well. A 40-year veteran on Wall Street, Joe sought a new opportunity during the early days of the pandemic. Looking to eschew long days on a computer, he utilized his business acumen and went to work learning the label industry. Joe now operates in multiple roles, including running the company’s successful digital label printing department. Meanwhile, Michael returned not long after graduating from the University of Miami (FL), and he has seamlessly stepped into the role of president.

“We had started to talk about succession with my father, because it didn’t make sense to let a profitable, good business go and just sell it,” explains Margaret. “So we started having conversations about taking over. I was afraid at the time, but it’s been incredible. It’s been a lot of blood, sweat, and tears, and Joe worked tirelessly to learn the equipment – and he’s doing an amazing job. He really has a great acumen for learning new things.”

Today, ownership is driving success with nine employees in a 7,500-square-foot space in Hackensack in Northen New Jersey. Roll Flex specializes in labels for the tobacco, food and beverage, durables, and general consumer products industries. 

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Digital Growth

Upon taking over Roll Flex Label Company in 2021, the Boyles made the calculated decision to make significant investments in new technology. The company had been relying on a workhorse Mark Andy 2100 flexo press, which still produces great work to this day. However, the leadership team realized the future success of the company lied in digital label printing.

“We had to learn the digital business, because that was new for all of us,” remarks Margaret. “It’s totally different from flexo. You learn that stock that works well with flexo printing doesn’t necessarily work well with digital printing, so we had to learn everything – but we really learned it.”

Margaret and Michael took a deep dive into digital press technology, exploring the pros and cons of all the major press manufacturers. After a meeting with Steve Lynn, the Boyles decided to go with a Durst Tau RSC-E digital inkjet press. The decision has paid significant dividends, and Roll Flex Label saw almost immediate returns on their investment.

“Steve’s amazing, and he was awesome to work with,” recalls Margaret. “When we got in touch with him, he visited within a few days to meet us. And at that time, Durst digital printing technology was a lot newer than others. We didn’t want to buy a press thinking something better was going to come out. Steve really explained the value of going with a press that prints at 1200 dpi, too, and Durst was the only one at that time that was doing that. That struck a chord with us, and he was fantastic.

“Durst – what an amazing company that is,” adds Margaret. “This has been a great partnership. With the new technology, we doubled our business almost immediately. And if there’s ever something wrong, they’re available. You call them and they can fix it remotely or they send someone. If they do need to come here, they’re here within 24 hours.”

According to Michael, the Durst workflow proved to be most beneficial. Plus, the press has opened Roll Flex Label up to new jobs that would not have been practical to run flexographically.

“The Durst RSC-E has opened us up to more SKUs and smaller runs,” adds Margaret. “We recently did a job for a car manufacturer that had orders shipping to 277 different dealerships. We couldn’t do that with flexo, but we can do it with Durst.”

For finishing technology, Roll Flex Label invested in two units from Grafotronic to complement the Durst RSC-E. 

“Our suppliers have been great with training our people, as well,” notes Michael. “We have really relied on both Durst and Grafotronic machines to keep our production facility as modernized as possible. Both companies have been integral to our growth trajectory and have done a phenomenal job keeping our employees well-trained on their machines.”

Roll Flex Label has received strong support from numerous other suppliers. In addition to their equipment, Roll Flex has enjoyed partnerships with Fedrigoni and QSPAC for materials. Meanwhile, Label Traxx (now Amtech Software) has been supportive on the software side.

Pride in Independence

For Bill Zink, selling to private equity was never an option. The family atmosphere and freedom that come with remaining independent were key drivers in keeping the company with the second and third generation.

“We really value our relationships with customers, suppliers, and employees,” remarks Margaret. “That independence allows us to remain flexible, and we can make decisions quickly and continue investing in both technology and people in ways that directly benefit our customers. At the end of the day, we want customers to view Roll Flex not simply as a label supplier, but as a long-term partner that helps them solve problems, improve efficiencies, and bring their products to market successfully.

“Our clients loved my dad, and he couldn’t do enough for his clients,” she continues. “And we do the same, where we bend over backwards for them. Our business has grown all through word of mouth, and we have a really good reputation – and we’re proud of that. We get people who call us, sometimes huge companies will call us, and it’s all through word of mouth.”

“We can be more accommodating for our customers,” adds Michael. “Sometimes they’ll need something in a day or two, and that works just fine for us.”

The emphasis on customer service and company culture has remained. “My grandfather was always really proud of the company and loved his employees,” says Michael. 

As an independent label converter, Roll Flex Label has seen the benefits associated with being FLAG (Flexo Label Advantage Group) members. In addition to cost savings, the company has enjoyed the networking and education that come along with the buying group.

“FLAG has been so great because people are open and willing to share information and best practices,” says Margaret. “There are cost savings on everyday materials and networking with other converters, too. Members are really good about sharing advice on equipment and materials. I’ve said to Michael, if we ever need help with something or with a specific job, the other members are there for us. And there’s a potential for new business, as well. It’s a great support system.”

Roll Flex Label experienced that support when investing in Durst. TLF Graphics’ Bob McJury, a fellow FLAG member, opened up his facility to Roll Flex Label when the latter was getting into digital. 

“Steve Lynn connected us with Bob, and he has been phenomenal with us,” comments Margaret. “We’ve visited TLF Graphics quite a few times. Bob has been a wealth of information for us, and he’s been so kind. He’s helped us out with so many things, including buying new equipment. We’ve just been really lucky because people have been so helpful on our journey, and we’re so appreciative of that.”

Future plans

In the future, Roll Flex Label has no plans of slowing down. The company will further explore new technology to continue capitalizing on its growth surge. Plus, Margaret and Joe have Michael waiting in the wings as the third-generation owner to take over the company.

“It’s been great to work around family and take on more responsibility at a company that I have a strong attachment to,” states Michael. “I never really anticipated it when I was younger, but once the opportunity came up I knew it was something that I wanted to do.”

As Roll Flex Label keeps growing, leadership will also explore expansion – both in terms of space and press technology. The growth has come alongside an ever-growing passion for the business, too.

“The really cool thing about this industry is that every product, at some point in its lifecycle, will have packaging or a label – either a shipping label and a cardboard box, or a pouch, or folding carton,” states Michael. “And we work with people who really need our products, and they’re appreciative that we’re willing to work with them as best as we can, and they feel that.”

“What we do is fulfilling,” adds Margaret. “It’s not easy and it’s challenging, and every day is different, which is what we like about it. And we will continue building on what has made us successful since 1983 – high-quality labels, fast turnaround times, and exceptional customer service.”