Vertex sets up greenfield plant in Balsar to get first-mover advantage in labels

Established in 2001, Vertex focuses on platemaking. The company produces 1,600 plates per day for 100+ print companies in Rajkot. The company’s digital print arm, Print City, is equipped with a Konica Minolta. During (and after) the pandemic, digital printing in Rajkot has seen a 300% rise, against a 90% decline in commercial offset print. As a result, many players in the segment have bolstered their packaging business.

That’s how Vertex diversified into flexo printing, establishing Vimal Flexoprint and a greenfield label plant in Balsar, Rajkot. It became the first in the city to set up a label printing plant. Next-gen, Dhaval and Prit manage the label business.

The Kamanis’ decision to venture into label-making was driven by a desire to diversify and tap new opportunities in the printing industry. “We researched for six to seven months. We started by learning about the machines, both locally and internationally manufactured ones. Our offset customers notified us that the roll form is good,” says Dhaval.

Rajkot boasts gravure and CI flexo plants, and so, investing in a narrow-web made sense. “We do what no one has done before. Even in terms of plate-making, we bought Asia’s first very large format (VLF) plate-making machine in 2016. We have two VLFs among  our CTCP machines, and one of which is Fuji. The first machine we purchased was to cater to Morbi’s requirements,” says Kamani.

Vimal Flexoprint ordered the Nilpeter FB 430 flexo press in June 2022. It was delivered in November 2022 and installed within 15 days. When asked about the challenges in the label-making domain without prior experience, Dhaval and Prit Kamani emphasised the technical research to grasp the intricacies of label-making machinery and processes. “It took five months for the machine to arrive. In the meantime, we had begun looking for customers,” said Dhaval.

In terms of growth, Vertex has been expanding its label-making operations, catering to customers in Ahmedabad, Vadodara, and Mumbai. The company’s commitment to quality and reliability is evident in its approach to maintenance, with regular training sessions ensuring seamless operations and minimal downtime. “This approach led to the integration of our label-making business into Vertex’s portfolio,” informs Prit.

Vimal’s investment in the Nilpeter FB 430 narrow-web machine marked a milestone in the company’s journey. The decision to opt for Nilpeter was driven by the brand’s reputation for responsive service and high-quality production. The Kamani brothers highlighted the machine’s production capabilities, automatic registration features, and stability as key factors. “We run the press at 120-metres per minute. It has automatic registration, which saves time while changing jobs. It is a stable machine,” said Prit.

The company has invested in a Luster inspection machine for pharmaceutical jobs, fitted on the Ryuun slitter rewinder from Flexo Image Graphics.

Today, Vimal Flexoprint produces four to five jobs per day, if they are short-run jobs. “If the runs are three-lakh labels, then we complete two jobs in one day. If there are fewer labels, then four to five jobs per day. Even in those jobs, if multiple processes like foiling or drip-off are involved, then the speed is a tad low,” explained Dhaval.

Vimal has 35 clients in its portfolio, one of which is a European airline. The company produces labels using PPE with gumming and chromo paper supplied by Avery Dennison and a local player. The company deploys inks from Siegwerk, Hubergroup, and Sakata Inx, though Siegwerk is the preferred choice. The company sends a light-standard-dark (LSD) sample to its customers for approval. “After examining the LSD, the company approves the job with a stamp and signature.”

Dhaval and Prit provide an interesting insight into the business. “The role of labels has altered. Today, end-users and regulators are studying the label much-more carefully. And so, the label community will need to innovate, and that’s what we are trying to do, daily,” signs off Prit.