The manufacturing supply chain continues to be a hot-button issue for our industry. The difficulties over the past three years have been numerous. Most recently, another labor stoppage in Finland gave many label and package printing professionals flashbacks to 2022.

However, the current state of the supply chain is far different. In order to better understand global issues at play, L&NW sat down with Tim Kirchen, SVP Americas, UPM Raflatac, to explore these issues and more. Many converters have overbought to ensure they are not faced with material shortages. UPM was at the heart of the Finnish Paperworkers’ Union strike last year certainly had an impact on the North American paper supply. According to Kirchen, the international supply chain will continue to play a major role in converters’ future success.

“Structurally, the North American market has been undersupplied by domestic suppliers,” explains Kirchen. “This, unfortunately, has not changed, and in recent months, we’ve seen additional removal of domestic paper liner capacity. This will put even more stress on domestic supply, particularly liner. As a result, North America will need to increasingly rely on imported paper and filmic raw materials to meet the growing demand for PSL products.

“On the positive side, at UPM Raflatac we have secured sufficient raw materials with our strategic suppliers to fulfill the demand we see in the market,” he adds. “While it may feel temporarily like there is an oversupply of PSL raw material in the market to channel de-stocking we see in the industry, the structural equation of demand and supply has not changed.”

Meanwhile, TLMI enjoyed a record attendance at its annual Converter Meeting, as nearly 200 industry members convened in St. Petersburg, FL, USA, from March 12-14, 2023. The event featured presentations from some of the industry’s most prominent thought leaders, roundtable discussions, and networking.

Plus, TLMI shared the results of its Management Ratio Study, which provides members with valuable insight on operating practices and financial performance metrics in the label and package printing space. The Ratio Study is touted as one of the key benefits of TLMI membership.

During the event, attendees received valuable information on all the hot trending issues in our industry, from workforce challenges and the supply chain to sustainability initiatives. Corey Reardon, CEO and president of AWA Alexander Watson Associates, and Alan Beaulieu, CEO and president of ITR Economics, delivered up-to-the-minute data that will shape the future direction of labels and packaging.

The converter panel provided a positive outlook for the industry, as John Wynne, Fortis Group CEO, Tara Halpin, owner and CEO, Steinhauser, and Charlie MacLean, president, ASL Print FX, detailed their latest experiences with the many challenges facing the industry today.

“Business has been good for us, and we’re very much in growth mode,” said MacLean. “It’s because of our team that we’re in the good position that we’re in today. We’re excited about the future.”

Here are the highest-trafficked news items for the week ending on March 17:

1. UPM Raflatac addresses supply chain, labor stoppages
2. TLMI explores state of the industry at Converter Meeting
3. Superior Packaging and Finishing adds Landa S10P
4. SheetLabels.com adds Durst Tau RSC E to new Texas facility
5. Fedrigoni names Kevin Cooper commercial team leader