The Mercian Labels Group Blog – Security Labels International, Mercian Labels and AC Labels

getting ready for the off!

Cpt Ed Pawsey of the 2nd Battalion, the Yorkshire Regiment recently contacted us in their bid to raise money for Help for Heroes , the charity that helps to support wounded UK service men and women.  Ed and his colleagues are doing the Help for Heroes European Rally and have had some good local publicity.  This is what they say on their website

Team Green Howard has secured a place on the Help for Heroes European Rally 2010.  This rally as you may have read consists of a monster 1650 mile drive starting on Salisbury Plain crossing Normandy and ending at Hitler’s ‘Eagles Nest’ in Berchtesgaden, Austria whilst traversing 6 countries.  This rally follows the route of the well known TV series ‘Band of Brothers’ and is part road/off road competition whilst visiting specific historical locations.  All in order to raise funds for the Help for Heroes charity.

The Team consists of Ed Pawsey, Will Pawsey and James Kelly.  Both Ed and James are Captains in the Army.  Ed’s in the 2nd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment (the Green Howards).  James is a Captain in the Royal Engineers and is a Bomb Disposal Officer.  Will is a student studying Criminology at Nottingham University and is set to join the Poice Force.  All three of us have close links to friends who have been injured or killed in Afghanistan and make this trip and raise funds in memory of them. Help for Heroes is at the front of our mind for obvious reasons and without this charity and your generous donations our many injured service men and women would not have the lengthy process of rehabilitation your fundraising has begun to provide.  Without this rehabilitation it would be near impossible to give these Heroes the ability to rebuild their lives and face a positive future.

Please give what you can as every little helps.  ALL money raised goes to the charity and not funding the event or team.  It may take 5 minutes to register but 5 minutes now is a future better for all.

Ed is asking for any donations on his Just Giving website, so please contribute anything you can to this very worth cause.

new AC Labels signage goes up!

The new AC Labels factory is now firmly in its stride, serving many customers with barcode labels, and today up went the first signage !

GAMMATEX gamma sterilisation indicator-labels

PRESS RELEASE

27 April 2010

Derby, UK

DETEX manufacturer moves forward following collapse of their largest customer

AC Labels, who have previously manufactured DETEX labels for the verification of gamma radiation sterilisation, have announced the launch of the GAMMATEX™ brand following the collapse of their largest customer for that range, Sessions of York.

Dr Adrian Steele, Managing Director of AC Labels said ‘It was with great sadness that we have witnessed the Administration of Sessions of York last week who supplied many satisfied customers with DETEX labels over the years. DETEX labels were commonly used in the medical and pharmaceuticals industries as verification that products had been subjected to the necessary dosage of radiation to ensure full sterilisation. Without Sessions of York to act as a route to market for us, we have been approached by their previous customers with requests to manufacture a radiation sensitive product directly. This we will happily do under the name of GAMMATEX™, with a price guarantee that will be a pleasant surprise to former customers. We already have new products in the pipeline, and will be working with current users to bring new innovations in gamma sterilisation indicating labels to the marketplace.”

A C Labels is a subsdiary of the Mercian Labels Group of Staffordshire, UK which has a portfolio of specialist labelling products including LabelLock ®™ security seals and Microembossed Labels™.

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AC Labels in Derby are recruiting for a General Manager

Following the request acquisition of AC Labels in Derby by the Mercian Labels Group on 31 March 2010, we have created a new role for a General Manager of the AC Labels operation in Derby. This new role is an exciting opportunity for a talented manager with business development skills to take day to day control of a small (10 person) niche manufacturing business who are market leaders in high volume barcode labelling with a well established customer base. This is a full-time, salaried management position that reports to the Board of the holding company, the Mercian Labels Group. You will ideally (but not necessarily) have a print background and will have the energy, self motivation and enthusiasm to take “ownership” of a new operation and guide it to long term commercial success through a “hands on” management approach. Senior level support and coaching into the role will be provided by the Directors who are very keen to secure the right individual for this exciting opportunity. Salary is negotiable and the position is available for an immediate start.

Full details are on our website with informal discussions to the Managing Director Dr Adrian Steele (adrian.steele@mercianlabels.com) on 01543 431 072

NO AGENCIES – see webpage for details.

The first job coming off the press at the new AC Labels operation in Derby

I love it when a plan comes together! (No, this is not a message from Hannibal of the A-Team!)

Pictured above are the new Top Team at AC Labels in Derby, a new subsidiary of the Mercian Labels Group with the first high quality variable barcode labels from a new factory, setup and running to produce high quality stock in just 13 days from the deal being closed. From left to right are Karen, Marge, Lee, Jason, David, Marcin, Adrian, Adam, Tim and Thomasz.

It has been a colossal effort from everybody involved, and to have the operation up and running this quickly is just fantastic, and I know has been greatly appreciated by our clients.  More business is already secured, so please keep it coming!

AC Labels specialise in medium to long run variable barcode labels and variable number labels, and are market leaders in this labelling niche with pricing that beats any thermal, xeikon or HP printed variable barcode label pricing “hand down”.  The added twist is that AC Labels can do 100% barcode verification on every label printed, delivering unparalleled quality standards (even Mercian Labels cannt do that!).

100% verified variable barcode labels off to an offshore blue chip client

And away it goes!

Well done to everybody involved in the new team, and as MD , I send my thanks and congratulations to you all!

PRESS RELEASE

2 April 2010

Cannock, Staffordshire, UK

A C Labels bought by the Mercian Labels Group

Barcode labelling specialists A C Labels have been acquired by the Mercian Labels Group in an assets and goodwill deal, securing the long term supply of variable data barcode labels and the highly regarded A C Labels brand.

“A C Labels has a fantastic reputation in the marketplace as a market leader in complex variable information labelling.” said Dr Adrian Steele, Managing Director of Mercian Labels, adding “We are establishing a new operation in Derby specifically to serve this demand, and are delighted with both the support shown from the client base for the acquisition, and also the opportunity to acquire the brand of A C Labels. This new subsidiary of the Mercian Labels Group complements our other speciality companies in manufacturing tamper evident security labels, Label Lock security seals and short run digital, hotfoil and flexographic labelling.”

The new company will continue to manufacture complex constructions of self adhesive labels inlcuding variable data and barcodes, serving the medical, pharma and logistics marketplaces, and is now involved in ensuring a seamless transition for existing customers of AC Labels and to secure and expand the prospects of the business in Derby.

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