As 2022 winds down and a new year approaches, I find myself reflecting upon the challenges and successes impacting label suppliers and converters. From a technological standpoint, it seems there’s nothing the industry can’t do. Sustainability, automation, digital printing, LED curing and numerous other technologies continue to make an indelible impact. There should be no slowing down, either.

While the technology has ramped up, one problem remains: who are we finding to perform these tasks? Much like the old adage of a tree falling in the woods, if a cutting-edge flexo press does not have an operator to run it, where does that leave us? The workforce challenge was problematic prior to the pandemic. Now, it has reached near crisis levels.

According to Claudia St. John, president, Affinity HR Group, “Eight million people are missing from the workforce since Covid, which is roughly 6% of the entire manufacturing workforce. Between 4 million and 4.2 million people are quitting their jobs every month, with 65% leaving the industry altogether. They’re not just quitting to go to your competitor for better pay, they’re leaving to do something different entirely.”

This is not a problem that will disappear by burying one’s head in the sand. Luckily, our industry is not one to sit idly by. While discussing the value of association membership with this month’s featured converter (page 42), it became apparent that industry involvement will be critical in solving many of the challenges coming down the road. TLMI has assembled a Label Leaders of Tomorrow organization to help promote the industry to the next-generation workforce. Meanwhile, FLAG offers numerous services, from roundtables to contingency planning, to help label companies address their biggest challenges.

There are many benefits to association membership. As networks grow, many companies will offer a helping hand to their colleagues in an effort to complete jobs and get work out the door. Even if membership just includes a discussion about best practices – from hiring to new technology – peers offer invaluable insight.

“We didn’t know anybody in the industry before we joined TLMI,” says International Label’s Tony Dardano. “We did our own thing and didn’t really know many other printers at all. Now we have a network across the whole United States.”

As we look toward the future, sitting on the sidelines may no longer be an option, as the stakes are high. My recommendation: bring more of your team to these events, from the TLMI and FLAG Annual Meetings to FTA Forum & INFOFLEX. Expose more people to the benefits and possibilities within this industry, and encourage involvement. One experience could help foster a future label leader.


Greg Hrinya, Editor
[email protected]