Anjou Etiquettes

Because the Xeikon CX3 is designed to efficiently produce short runs with tight delivery times while meeting complex design and layout demands, it perfectly complements the existing printing equipment at Anjou Etiquettes, including offset and letterpress presses. “By having an alternative to offset and letterpress, we will be able to respond quickly and at very competitive prices to requests for short label printing runs and multiple versions. These are key markets which we were no longer servicing due to constraints in our production platform, and now they will be important elements of our offering,” explains Maurice Darré, Chairman of Anjou Etiquettes.

Since it was founded in 1978, Anjou Etiquettes has built up unique expertise in the label manufacturing supply chain; from graphic design to printing, and from processing to logistics. The company produces labels on rolls, sheets or non-stick labels for a wide variety of industries, ranging from agribusiness to phytosanitary, cosmetics, wine, and more. The vertical integration of all production functions allows it to control production quality and timelines at every stage of the process.

When the business decided to invest in digital printing, its primary concern was print quality. “We asked four suppliers to print out some files we provided so we could compare their print quality. The Xeikon CX3 digital label press performed best, as its printing registration is unequalled. It was also the best choice from a financial perspective,” Darré says. 

Located in the heart of the Loire Valley, the reputation of Anjou Etiquettes largely rests on its ability to manufacture high quality labels for the wine industry. The Xeikon CX3 dry toner technology is ideally suited for meeting the demands of customers who use structured paper labels printed with hot- or cold-stamped gold foil and raised text.

Since adding digital printing to its Montreuil-Bellay site, Anjou Etiquettes has cut its production times significantly. “For us, customer satisfaction is of primary importance; and that means ensuring fast response times. Our customers constantly tell us how much they appreciate our capabilities, especially when we manage to carry out an urgent order within 24 hours.” Darré says. “That’s the kind of service level our new Xeikon CX3 enables us to provide.”

Against the background of a growing national label market, which is driven by an increase in the number and types of products along with more stringent regulatory requirements, Anjou Etiquettes is aiming to increase its turnover through this investment, in particular by attracting new customers it was unable to serve before.

“We estimate that digital printing will soon account for between 15% and 20% of our global business,” Darré concludes. “We have already received a number of orders for short printing runs in the cosmetics and confectionery industries. We are now also able to service the market for unique labels used for traceability and in the fight against counterfeiting. These capabilities add significantly to our competitive advantage, and we have our Xeikon CX3 to thank!”
 

About Xeikon

Xeikon, a division of Flint Group, is a long-standing leader and innovator in digital printing technology. Grounded in the principles of quality, flexibility and sustainability, Xeikon designs, develops and delivers web-fed digital colour presses for label and packaging applications, document printing, and commercial printing. These presses utilise different imaging technologies, open workflow software and application-specific consumables. 
    
As an OEM supplier, Xeikon also designs and produces plate makers for newspaper printing applications. In addition, Xeikon manufactures basysPrint computer-to-conventional plate (CtCP) solutions for the commercial offset printing market. For the flexographic market, Xeikon offers digital platemaking systems under the ThermoFlexX brand name. ThermoFlexX systems provide high-resolution plate exposure combined with unique plate handling, flexibility and unmatched productivity 

In 2015, Xeikon joined Flint Group to create a new “Digital Printing Solutions” division for the leading global print consumables and solution provider to the packaging and print media industries. Flint Group develops and manufactures an extensive portfolio of printing consumables. These include a vast range of conventional and energy-curable inks and coatings, pressroom chemicals, printing plates and equipment, printing blankets and sleeves, and pigments and additives for use in inks and other colorant applications. Headquartered in Luxembourg, Flint Group employs some 7900 people. On a worldwide basis, the company is the number one or number two supplier in every major market segment it serves.

For more information about Xeikon, visit www.xeikon.com and for Flint Group, visit www.flintgrp.com or contact:

Xeikon
Corporate Communications Manager
Danny Mertens
Brieversstraat 70 - 4529 GZ Eede, The Netherlands
T: +32 (0)3 443 13 11 – M: +32 (0)494 50 00 57
Danny.Mertens@xeikon.com – www.xeikon.com

PR agency Xeikon
duomedia 
Dorien Cooreman
Barastraat 175 - 1070 Brussels - Belgium 
T: +32 (0)2 560 21 50 – Cell. +32 (0)478 98 60 58
Dorien.C@duomedia.com – www.duomedia.com