www.eticlass.com
www.eticlass.com

A few more weeks of drought, and we’ll be able to wade across the river Rhine!” Eti’Class, in Colmar, Eastern France, has not waited for today’s weather conditions to develop its business across the river. With a small staff of 20, the company manages to sell almost as much in Germany as in France. Jean-Luc Rémond, with his daughter Emeline, are joint managers of this family business.

Rémond looks back over the main trends so far this year: “Our order books are full. Although overall volumes are a little lower than in 2021, the number of references has increased significantly. We are tending toward more technical labels – booklets, coupons, variable data. And to service our clientele, we have had to increase our inventories – which in these months of galloping inflation is a reasonable strategy but not without risk.

“And talking of risk, I would say that with the soaring cost of raw materials, energy and salaries, we’re flying on a wing and a prayer. For example, how can we bid for business for 2023? We’re doing it but it’s a high-wire act.”

For its size, Eti’Class has an impressive range of printing and converting equipment, including one 7-color P5 and several other Mark Andy presses, a digital Domino N610i, two semi-rotary presses, and a flat-bed screen unit. Rémond takes up the story: “Yes, with our five presses and as many finishing lines, it’s rare to find a label or packaging that is technically beyond us, whether in flexo, screen or digital. In prepress, web-to-print and variable data management we’re strong both in terms of our equipment and human skills. Our customers expect us to have a strong knowledge of regulations, for example for food and shipping standards, and of course a meticulous precision on printing colors. And as a small business with just 20 employees, we don’t hang around before taking decisions.”

Eti’Class is a certified member of the French Eco-Printing club Imprim’Vert, and it is committed to following their specifications, including the good management of all waste by meticulous sorting to promote recycling. For paper labels the company uses only materials from responsible FSC-certified forest management and bans the use of all toxic products.

Rémond and his team constantly liaise with their materials suppliers in order to keep up-to-date with the latest technological advances, for example the use of straw-based paper.

And for energy conservation, Eti’Class has also invested in energy-efficient LED curing equipment.

Running a label business is no bed of roses these days, if it ever was, but Rémond is conscious of the problems of balancing professional life with that of family and leisure time. “I am very lucky that my daughter and co-manager, who has the same engineering background as I do, is part of the management of Eti’Class. And I have two grandchildren, the second being a brand-new arrival. This should keep the succession in the family, and it also means I can sometimes take a step back from my professional life and leave time for skiing.”