by admin | Aug 22, 2018 | Environmental Green
Rose City Label Sustainability
Rose City Label Sustainability is a key part of our company culture. Everything we do has an eye toward sustainability and reducing our environmental impact. You can feel good partnering with a company that takes positive steps each day to make a smaller impact on our earth. Where you buy your labels is a reflection of YOUR sustainability focus, so please consider the environmental impact of your vendor selection along with price, quality and delivery time. Rose City Label Sustainability isn’t a program or a fad – it has been a core element of our philosophy from the beginning. These are just a few examples of how we are living out these values.
100% Wind Power!
100% wind sources power all our equipment. We had the option to purchase a fraction of our power, but like most things related to Rose City Label Sustainability, we went all in! Having 100% wind power is a visible statement to our employees and customers that we are all in – the earth matters to us. Read more by clicking here.
Water Wash Printing Plates
We were pioneers in this new printing plate technology. We etch our printing plates with soap and water. No more solvents in the process! The machine uses a very light detergent that increases the pH of the warm water slightly, but it is odor and chemical free. Plates are made faster and the print resolution is higher. It has been a great upgrade for us. Read more by clicking here.
Employee Projects to Reuse Pallets
Each quarter, we meet with our entire team to review our progress on our sustainability scorecard. We celebrate individual employee accomplishments like bicycle commuting, recycling at home, and reusing our excess pallets. In this post, we highlight a staff member that used old pallets to make garden planter boxes. Read more by clicking here.
Recycle Pallet Wrap with Local Grocery Store
Our label stock comes in on large pallets – plastic wrap protects the material on each delivery. This plastic is not recyclable using conventional methods like plastic, metal or glass. Since the composition of this plastic is similar to plastic grocery bags, we reached out to our local grocery store. Fred Meyer was happy to partner with us. We delivery bags of clear plastic film each week to be included with their plastic recycling program. This is diverting tons (literally) of plastic from the landfill! Read more by clicking here.
Summary – A Way of Life and Business
This is only part ONE! Hopefully this commitment is as important to you and your company as it is to us. If you have questions, please contact us. We are happy to help our customers and friends on their green journey. Rose City Label Sustainability matters. We work hard to make our company better in many ways. Balancing people, profit and planet – that is how we roll!
by admin | Jul 27, 2018 | Beer Wine Spirits, Customers/Examples
Can Labels Pop!
Bright colors catch consumer eyes. You only have a few seconds to grab them and entice them into picking up your product. Can labels pop off the shelf. Printed cans have their place at times. Look at the vibrant color you get with a label! Once the consumer locks onto your can, it’s up to the beer (or other product) to sell them the second time. The first time is very dependent on your packaging. Can labels pop and they help new consumers try your product.
Simplify your Life (and Inventory)
How great would it be if you only had to inventory ONE can? If you didn’t have to tie up cash and warehouse space for 200,000 EACH of 5 different SKUs, your life would be much simpler. Can labels pop, but that is only one of the advantages. Having a more responsive, nimble inventory management can allow you to focus on making more great beer!
The Shelf Image is Dramatic
Check out this previous post to see the vibrant colors – click here
There is a VALUE to the cost
Yes, premium can labels from 7c up to 25c or more for low volume specialty labels. This is significant, but what is the value that comes with this cost? What is the additional shelf impact, the lifetime value of customers that find you for the first time? There is tremendous value in a simplified inventory system, right? What is the value of giving your brewer the flexibility to try new, exciting recipes? The actual financial cost is easy to measure, but the value gained from this packaging upgrade is difficult to quantify – but it is real.
Call us Today
We delivered these can labels in less than a week when a good customer was in a jam. Going with can labels adds flexibility and speed to your production. We have the material and the technology to help you with 12oz, 16oz, and crowler can labels. Call us today!
by admin | Jul 23, 2018 | Environmental Green
Rose City Label Sustainability
Rose City Label Sustainability is a key part of our company culture. Everything we do has an eye toward sustainability and reducing our environmental impact. You can feel good partnering with a company that takes positive steps each day to make a smaller impact on our earth. Where you buy your labels is a reflection of YOUR sustainability focus, so please consider the environmental impact of your vendor selection along with price, quality and delivery time. Rose City Label Sustainability isn’t a program or a fad – it has been a core element of our philosophy from the beginning. These are just a few examples of how we are living out these values.
100% Wind Power!
100% wind sources power all our equipment. We had the option to purchase a fraction of our power, but like most things related to Rose City Label Sustainability, we went all in! Having 100% wind power is a visible statement to our employees and customers that we are all in – the earth matters to us. Read more by clicking here.
Water Wash Printing Plates
We were pioneers in this new printing plate technology. We etch our printing plates with soap and water. No more solvents in the process! The machine uses a very light detergent that increases the pH of the warm water slightly, but it is odor and chemical free. Plates are made faster and the print resolution is higher. It has been a great upgrade for us. Read more by clicking here.
Employee Projects to Reuse Pallets
Each quarter, we meet with our entire team to review our progress on our sustainability scorecard. We celebrate individual employee accomplishments like bicycle commuting, recycling at home, and reusing our excess pallets. In this post, we highlight a staff member that used old pallets to make garden planter boxes. Read more by clicking here.
Recycle Pallet Wrap with Local Grocery Store
Our label stock comes in on large pallets – plastic wrap protects the material on each delivery. This plastic is not recyclable using conventional methods like plastic, metal or glass. Since the composition of this plastic is similar to plastic grocery bags, we reached out to our local grocery store. Fred Meyer was happy to partner with us. We delivery bags of clear plastic film each week to be included with their plastic recycling program. This is diverting tons (literally) of plastic from the landfill! Read more by clicking here.
Summary – A Way of Life and Business
This is only part ONE! Hopefully this commitment is as important to you and your company as it is to us. If you have questions, please contact us. We are happy to help our customers and friends on their green journey. Rose City Label Sustainability matters. We work hard to make our company better in many ways. Balancing people, profit and planet – that is how we roll!
by admin | May 31, 2018 | Company News
Label History
This metal ruler that I use every day to measure labels is likely over 50 years old. The markings were discontinued as early as the 1940s so this ruler has seen a few labels over the years and it still works every day – just like Rose City Label. We have 90 years of label history behind our team that gives us the tools, knowledge, and experience to help with any custom label printing project.
Phone Numbers
There were 5.5 million phones in America by 1910, according to this website. At first Americans adopted the LLL-NNNN format (three letters, four numerals). After becoming aware that it was running out of words beginning with the needed three letters, New York introduced the LLN-NNNN format in 1930. All the other cities following suit in 1947–48. As the communication world grew, the all numeric (7 digit) phone number system became standard. In 2010 the state of Oregon mandated 10 digit dialing – including the prefix with the number. Clearly, this ruler has seen some changes in the label industry all these years. Our number, PR5-1509, indicated a particular exchange (PR), where the call was routed. This was one of many switch buildings located around the city of Portland. You could tell the neighborhood of a business or home, not just the state, by their phone number.
Address and Zip Codes
Like the phone number and area code, the 5 digit zip code also came to Oregon in the past 50 years. Prior to adoption of the Zip code, areas were identified with a number after the city – like the example on the ruler. Portland 66, Oregon designated a particular section of the city. We couldn’t find precise dates when the 5 digit zip code became common, but it was many, many years ago.
We Have Perspective
Because of this long label history, we have a knowledge base that is unmatched by any other label vendor in our area. Being in the business so long also gives us a long term view of our customers and their success. We aren’t just in this game to win the day or the month – we want long term, permanent partnerships. Nothing lasts forever, but we have a longer term perspective than most local businesses.
Modern Technology, Too
All this history doesn’t keep us locked in the 1960s. Digital printing is growing fast and we continue to invest in the latest automation, systems, and equipment to run our business efficiently in 2018. We get orders by email, phone, text message, or any other way you want to communicate. Experienced doesn’t mean backward. We have a solid foundation but we aren’t resting on it – we are always moving forward.
We Can Help – Call us Today
With a long company history, many 20+ year employees, and a focus on quality, we really do have what it takes to meet your label needs. Call us today – we are always happy to provide free, friendly consultations. If you don’t call today, that’s OK, we will be here in the future to help as your business grows.
by admin | May 23, 2018 | Business Tips, Company News
Label Experts
Our main focus is serving our customers by being label experts. Competitive price is critical and fast deliveries are a basic expectation we have to meet on a daily basis. More than being the fastest or the cheapest, we are the smartest label experts in the business. With deep experience and knowledge, we can offer the right solution the first time. Sometimes, that means we don’t tell people what they want to hear – everyone wants a cheaper, faster solution – but we tell them the truth and we stand behind our work.
We Have the Experience
With two employees over 30 years at Rose City Label and many others with more than 20 years in the business, we really do have the most experienced crew in the business. We are proud of the company culture we have built that encourages people to stay with us for their entire career. Retired team members stay in touch and often come to our Christmas party to stay connected with the RCL family. This deep experience is priceless and it is part of our success.
Rigid Flexibility
Over the years, we have developed systems and processes that work. We stick to these because they have proven successful with over 3,000 print orders every year. These are proven methods and techniques – like not ordering tooling until proofs are signed, or not entering orders without artwork and quantities – that allow us to serve the most customers successfully. We aren’t opposed to learning and changing, but we are also comfortable telling the truth even if it is unpopular. The people that are the most successful trust us and partner with us to make their job successful.
Not Everyone is a Fit
Because we have these established norms – because we are label experts – this can be difficult for some people. Nobody is asked to follow blindly or give up any level of control in their project, but we work best with customers that treat us as a valued, trusted partner rather than just a vendor to bid on a job. When people have detailed specifications and they go out for 3 bids, we certainly win our share of those bids, but those customers aren’t getting the best we have to offer. The people who come to us with a problem that needs solving – these are the people that give us the raving reviews. They are getting the best we have to offer. Unfortunately, however, not everyone is a fit. We have a process and a target client and not everyone fits that profile.
Willing to Learn (and Change)
All this expertise doesn’t prevent us from learning and growing as an organization. Digital printing is almost 50% of our business today and it didn’t even exist 4 years ago. We have had a massive learning curve as we have adapted with new technology, materials, and customer demands. We have also changed the way we use technology to stay connect with our customers – we are always learning, growing, and adapting to stay competitive. Don’t be afraid to ask us for something new or different – most of our best ideas come from our customers.
Thank You – You Made Us Label Experts
Thank you to the customers that trust us each day. We wouldn’t have a thriving business or be able to develop very skilled people without the trust of our customers. THANK YOU – we appreciate every order we get and we value all our customers – large and small, new and old. Call us today to see if we can help you with your next label project.
