A record turnout of members and vendor partners arrived at the 10th in-person FLAG (Flexo Label Advantage Group) Annual Members Meeting in Bloomington, MN, USA. From April 19-21, 2022, nearly 110 attendees from 67 different companies sat in on educational sessions, networked and partook in the site tour at nearby Lofton Label. 

The theme for the event, “Think Forward,” was ever-present during the three days, as the presentations and member meetings addressed many of the topics that are top-of-mind for industry leaders. Supply chain concerns, workforce challenges, and building a strong culture were all discussed throughout the Annual Meeting.

“This event allows our members and vendor partners to work on their business and not in their business, with a real focus on thinking forward,” explained JC McKay, FLAG VP of business development.

“Our theme for this historic meeting was ‘Think Forward’ – an appropriate message for members who have been struggling with supply chain challenges, HR-related issues and manpower shortages over the past two years,” stated John McKay, president and founder.  “Every year, we’re raising the bar of the Annual Meeting in terms of the quality of our keynote speakers, the tour we take of a member’s facility and the time and attention we spend on roundtable discussions, networking with vendor partners and peer group interactions.”

As part of the annual awards dinner at US Bank Stadium, the close-knit FLAG community was also invited to gather on the Minnesota Vikings football field. FLAG distributed 11 awards, with Gold Member accolades going to Amherst Label, Apogee Industries, ATL Corp., Creative Labels of Vermont, Graphics Universal, International Label & Printing, Luminer Converting Group, and Niagara Label.

For 2021, UPM Raflatac was awarded the FLAG Vendor Partner of the Year Award, and Judy Abelman, principal at LPC, was bestowed with the Brad Brown Strategic Partner Award. Meanwhile, Lofton Label received the Member Tour Host Award.

“The tour is an incredibly unique opportunity FLAG has been doing since our inception,” noted JC McKay.

In 2011, the FLAG Annual Meeting featured nine members and four vendor partners. In that time, the association has bolstered its membership. In 2021 alone, FLAG added 18 members. Thus far in 2022, the association has added four members. “There is no downside,” said Dwane Wall, president, Creative Labels of Vermont.

FLAG offers a 90-day grace period for new members, a policy that was successfully instituted at Labelexpo Americas 2016. Since then, 75 new members have joined.

According to JC McKay, 44 members have saved more than $100,000 since joining the association, with seven saving over $500,000.

The educational sessions featured a versatile group of speakers. Following JC McKay’s “State of the Association” address, L&NW editor Greg Hrinya delved into the latest label and package printing trends affecting members and vendors alike. A panel discussion followed, featuring Clemson’s Kern Cox and Dovie Jeffcoat, with Jobot’s Augie Ullmann and Engage PEO’s Cindy Edwards. The panel explored workforce challenges and how to better position converters and suppliers for hiring in today’s climate.

According to Jeffcoat, students are seeking competitive salaries and benefits that take into account a family, health and life balance. Opportunities to learn and grow are also key, as are companies with established sustainability initiatives.

“We want to make this industry known to students much earlier in their lives,” said Cox. “Giving them that information can change their life in a positive way.”

Hiring practices are also critical. Ullmann cited a survey of 3,500 manufacturing managers, which found that only 29% of new hires have all the skills requires for their current roles.

“Firms need a compelling employment value proposition for prospective employees,” said Ullmann. “Stop thinking about hiring as a matter replacing specific employees. Don’t ask who we need now, ask what we need for the future?”

“People are looking for a career path, not just a job,” added Edwards.

Keynote speaker Curt Steinhorst also addressed the workforce challenge facing our industry. In his opening remarks, Steinhorst said, “It’s never been harder to find people to work for you, and it’s never been harder to keep them.”

According to Steinhorst, 47.4 million workers quit their jobs in 2021, with 55% of workers looking for a new job. Most recently, there were 11.3 million job openings in February 2022.

“There are an infinite number of things pulling at your most finite resource,” commented Steinhorst. “Your most precious resource is your attention. $275 billion was spent in 2021 to capture your attention.”

To close out the event on April 21, SPL Consulting’s Brian Van de Water, discussed “The Power of Triple E.” Van de Water emphasized the importance of leadership and culture in a business, saying, “How we lead affects how our teams live.”

Van de Water cited numerous statistics to illustrate the importance of leadership. A Stanford University study stated that work is the number one cause of stress in 74% of the respondents’ lives, and three out of four employees are disengaged at work. Meanwhile, seven out of eight don’t believe their companies care about them.

“Look at all the good going on in your company and recognize that every chance you get to build up your team,” emphasized Van de Water. “Your team is working miracles for you every day. Recognize them for it.”