Secura Labels awarded EcoVadis Silver Medal for Sustainability

2024 A little look back at 2024 and into 2025 - Further press investment, as a further Focus Label Machinery Limited Proflex arrived in February, this 4 colour machine, our first fitted with LED curing, will have automated finishing through one of our turret rewinders. Investment continues in 2025 as we are currently installing a new MIS system, which will allow shop floor data collection, improved stock control etc... We also look forward to celebrating some long service awards during the Year. With much achieved in 2024, we are looking forward to a further successful 12 Months!

Cutters / dies, we carry a vast library of cutters, 1,000`s in fact. Most of these are magnetic, thin metal sheets, attached to magnetic bases, which means that many are interchangeable across our machines. We do still use and order "solid" cutters, this can be for a range of reasons, one of our cutter suppliers, Kocher & Beck, offer a view on the Pros and Cons between Flexible and Solid cutters here . Once a cutter / die is made it is not possible to alter, a new one would be needed to change any aspect, corner radius, gap between labels etc..... It should also be noted that cutters made to cut certain materials, say direct thermal paper, may not be able to cut a PP. This is much like your kitchen knives, a butter knife would not be used for slicing bread for instance, like our cutters, cutting angles, even material, could be different. We do always try and order a cutter to cover as wide a range of material as possible, but sometimes this is not possible. Cutter setting is one of the most critical aspects of our production, getting the die "strike" just right can be the difference between a job running well and not. Too heavy a "strike", and we risk cutting through the backing paper, giving you, the user, issues. Not heavy enough and we will have issues with stripping the waste matrix and not be able to run at an acceptable press speed. Cutter care also plays a part here and we expect our operators to maintain a high standard of care. All of our operators, indeed all of our staff, have been through the Kocker & Beck Training Academy where they learned various aspects of cutter setting, care of cutters, alongside seeing how a cutter is made. We are always open to visitors, so if you wanted to find out more about cutters, give us a call and arrange to drop in. Common Questions - "I want to change the gap between the labels, I wont need a new cutter will I?" Once cutter is made, it is not possible to change any aspects, so to change a gap or corner radius would mean a new cutter. "I have just order some labels on semi gloss paper, but you are quoting a new cutter for a PP job of the same size, why? " Much like your kitchen knives, a butter knife would not be used for cutting bread, a cheese knife not used for preparing vegetables. Cutting angles and even material could be different for best cutting a PP compared to a paper. "Can I have any size label, any shape?" Within reason yes, our current smallest cutter is 5mm dia, our largest 312 x 416mm (this the largest we could produce), but you can have any size. As for shapes, we can, or at least the cutter makers can, make quite complex shapes, the biggest factor we need to consider, is can we strip the waste from a very complex shape? "How much time does a new cutter add to my order?" Usually, a new cutter would be with us in around 48 hours, so there should be no major impact on delivery times. "Why can I never get a simple gap of say 3mm, why is it 3.4mm?" Our machines, and so cutters, work based on imperial measurement, 1/8" gearing. This does mean that cutters / print cylinders need to fit into increments of 1/8", which results in the gaps it does. "How heavy are the cutters?" They can be very heavy, 25kg +, but all of our machines are equipped with lifting equipment to lift the cutters in and out.

Our MD, Simon, turns 60 in August, and to mark the occasion, he is on a fundraising effort. He aims to raise funds for the Charity " Children with Cancer ", via the Le Jog Sisters Spin on the Square event, but with other "challenges" throughout 2024. "My five Grandchildren are, luckily, fit and healthy and so I wanted to do something to help those not as fortunate as we are." As many of you will be aware, Simon is no stranger to charity fundraising, his previous "challenges" include - Trekking in Nepal, Trekking to Machu Picchu in Peru, Climbing the High Atlas in Morocco, Cycling across the Sinai Desert and around Europe on the Three Cities Ride, to highlight just a few! Please, if you are able, consider donating to this great cause - https://www.justgiving.com/page/spin-on-the-square-2024 - any amount, large or small, will be gratefully received! Simon`s list of "challenges" 9th March - Loggerheads 10k - Off road trail run - "A tough run, big "climbs", "technical" downhills, but fun, especially the second lap when the route was familiar " 17th March - Fradley 10k Road Race - "My aim was sub 60mins, its four years plus since I ran 10k, so at sub 55mins, just, a success! A busy run with many more people than I had guessed, the sunshine a welcome addition!" 7th April - Cathedral to Castle - 10 mile run - "A much longer distance than I have run for many years, the challenging multi terrain route, not made any easier by storm Kathleen, with the gusting wind making going hard. I didn't know what to expect time wise, but thought 1 hour 45 minutes a good target, with a harder route than I had guessed, my 1 hour 38 minutes felt a good time, finishing 458 out of 1027 runners" 20th April - Dirty Reiver - 130km / 2100mts Climbing - Off road / gravel cycle around Kielder Forest - "Picking up a cough & cold where not part of the Reiver plan, nor was a very frosty start after a night camping, but wow, what an event. Described by some as the UK`s toughest gravel ride, it did not disappoint. Despite the cough, I did manage to finish in 6 hours 57 minutes, so under my 7 hours target, coming home in around 400th place out of some 800 finishers (130k route). Some fast downhill on gravel forest tracks, topping out at 33mph, had the heart racing, as did the 7,000+ ft of climbing..... a great day in the saddle" To get a feel of the event you can watch one of the many YouTube videos Here . 1st May - Spin on the Square May - The Hodge - 100 mile "reliability trial" 25th / 26th May - Headstock 200 - 200km / 4500mts Climbing - 2 Day "bike packing" " adventure " 7th - 8th June - ? 14th June - Brooksie"s Bash - 10 mile trial run 6th October - Dovedale Dash - Trail run + Keep an eye on our "Social Media" for updates on Simon`s progress! (Links in bold)

Further investment as 4th Focus Proflex arrives at Secura Labels. This 4 colour, 13", LED curing equipped printing press joins the other 3 Proflex machines in use. Richard Phillips, Secura`s Production Manager stated "The need for a further press has been driven by an increase in longer running multi colour label work, seeing our existing 6 colour Proflex often over capacity. This new machine will relieve this problem while also allowing us to run our current 4 colour Proflex as a dedicated machine for our fanfolded and sheeted label production" Simon Miller, Secura MD, added "While we looked at other press manufacturers for this latest investment round, our long standing relationship with the Focus management team, technicians and staff, made the final decision an easy one. The press will be a welcome addition and will help ease production bottle necks while adding some welcome capacity" The new press will be predominately running 2 - 4 colour work, with direct finishing through an A B Graphic turret rewind unit. Read what Focus said here

While not directly relating to labels or ourselves, we noted two articles recently, appearing within minutes of each other and seemly without reference to / or in relation to each other. The two posts make for interesting reading when we try to consider the most sustainable materials, both in the packaging market and beyond. We do not make comment one way or the other, but remind you that we do have options in both paper and synthetic that, to a greater or lesser degree, are more sustainable than standard products. We do all agree here though, the author of "Post One", obviously assumes that all consumers will recycle correctly. (?) (Both posts appeared on Linkedin on or around Tuesday 30th January 2024) Post One - "More smoke, mirrors, and anti-plastic Bull💩 that will actually create more damage to the planet! Honestly, I find the story around this to be shocking and frankly deceitful. I do not have the “before” and “after” to hand (and I’m not about to waste time driving around the country trying to find them). But a quick “ask the expert” has told me that working on a basis of x2 is a very reasonable (low) assumption. So let’s first look at their sentence: “ Sainsbury’s is repackaging its own-brand mushrooms in cardboard punnets, which is set to remove enough plastics from its operations to match the weight of 43 full double-decker buses in London .”(aka 227 tonnes). Let me re-write it: “ Sainsbury’s is repackaging its own-brand mushrooms in cardboard punnets, which is set to ADD enough CARDBOARD TO its operations to THE TUNE OF CIRCA 454 TONNES (227 x 2). ” And this is being applauded? 🤯 The use of phrases like: “ The move is thought to save over 775 tons of plastic ” – makes readers and consumers assume this is a good thing; “ Making a collective effort with suppliers to increasing recycled content and recyclability for all customers has helped achieve our biggest ever plastics removal so far ” – here’s a thought, use the greenest material (plastic) but with a higher recycled content, and then educate your customers better. So let’s also take a quick look at the transport only element of the carbon footprint of the considerably heavier new punnets. • From manufacturer to mushroom farm(s) • From farms to Sainsbury Regional Distribution Dept • From RDC`s to stores • From stores to customers’ homes • From customers recycling bins (let’s assume that the coating on the cardboard hasn’t actually rendered the material un-recyclable, (whilst remembering that the plastic is without question 100% recyclable) to the recycling plant. I won’t even get into the complexities of the power used for either and the amount of times each can be recycled (pro tip: plastics win both times) And let’s not forget that the punnet is still wrapped in …. You’ve guessed it …. Plastic! Because we all know that without plastic mushroom wastage would go through the roof!" Post Two - "Plant-based food manufacturer Upfield has announced the "world's first" plastic-free recyclable tub for its plant butters and spreads," reports Phoebe Fraser. In the last couple of years, we've seen an uptick in sustainable packaging, but I think we'll see even more businesses embracing it this year. Packaging like this can greatly reduce plastic waste. In fact, with these plastic-free tubs, "Upfield aims to replace up to two billion plastic tubs by 2030, saving over 25,000 tons of plastic waste per year." Imagine how much plastic waste we could reduce with innovations like"

We do like Halloween here at Secura Labels, so much, that over the next week we will be adding some Halloween themed labels to random boxes, keep an eye out and see if your one of the lucky ones! We are also asking for your help to pick the best pumpkin, in our staff pumpkin carving competition, vote for your favorite here - Thank you

We are pleased to announce we have placed an order for an additional machine. The press will be a further Focus Proflex 13", 4 Colour with LED UV Curing. With capacity becoming an issue on our existing 6 Colour Proflex, an option to relive some of the pressure was needed. Production Manager Richard had looked at other supplier options and the used machine market, but stated - "taking into account the continued support and customer service offered by Focus, the fact that much of our existing tooling, dies bodies, anilox, print cylinders etc.... will be common across 4 machines, along with some consideration that operators will be familiar with the machine, the decision in the end was an easy one for us. The new 4 colour machine will allow us to move some work from the 6 colour machine. These are labels which benefit from being printed with UV inks, but can be 2, 3, 4 colour, having a further "full UV" machine will help us regain some capacity and allow more flexibility." Richard was able to confirm the order with Antony from Focus on our visit to Label Expo Europe . Being the last to be held in Brussels, it was somewhat "full circle" for Simon as he remembered his first Label Expo experience some 28 Years ago. " On my first Label Expo visit, I was tasked with researching the options for a new rewinder. It would be fair to say even before catching the flight, A B Graphics were our preferred option, and it was the case that after wondering the halls, I came away certain that our initial thoughts where correct and shortly afterwards the order for our first brand new machine was placed with them. I have only missed a couple of Label Expos since my first visit and not having the biannual trip to Brussels in the diary will seem strange, but I am sure Barcelona will be a suitable replacement! Much has changed over the years, but it has always been an opportunity to catch up with so many people from the label world. I am also sure that someone will be working on finding a suitable replacement for the (UK) label worlds favourite meeting place, the Irish Bar!."

We are pleased to be supporting Mercia Juniors Football Clubs U7`s Saints side as the embark on their first league campaign. The team and coaches, George and Jonathan, have worked hard over the summer, runners up an a Cannock tournament and top of the table at a "friendly" tournament in Derby. The hard work starts in September though, when the league starts. We wish the Team and Coaches the best of luck! We will keep you updated via our Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=securalabels&set=a.774635914671399 https://www.merciajfc.co.uk/teams/271218