In our last post, we discussed how small food and beverage manufacturers are improving their operations by taking control of their label production. In this post, we’re talking about how one manufacturer, Kanani Foods, was able to realize a 94 percent savings in its labor cost by taking control of its label production.
Located in Las Vegas, Nevada, Kanani Foods provides grab-and-go meals for area casinos and golf courses. The company knows the value of an attractive label, along with the challenges that can come with a label that does not reflect a company’s brand.
Tim Cruz, the general manager at Kanani Foods, says, “Every time we pitched a new account, the prospect would say, ‘Your product tastes great, but your labels look hideous!’ Back then, we just did what the FDA made us do. We had been so focused on producing the best food that we overlooked the quality of our labels.”
As Kanani Foods looked to update its labels, it considered outsourcing label production. However, the company prints about 20,000 labels for 195 products on a daily basis. The expense, management, and warehousing of that number of labels eliminated that option.
Instead, Kanani Foods produces its labels in-house with a Memjet-powered Afinia L801 printer.
This chart details the results Kanani Foods were able to achieve by producing their own labels.
Tim says, “What’s nice about the Afinia printer is that I can easily set up the print schedule to print all the labels in one batch. We have different products for different customers, and the solution’s variable data capabilities allow us to print all the same-size labels at once.”
Best of all, the labels the company produces now surpass the professional look and regulatory information that the customers of Kanani Foods require.
Tim says, “We have USDA customers who need specific labeling and branding and other customers who require different looks. We wanted a solution that could give us the ability to both achieve compliance and create great brands. The Afinia printer is that solution.”
