40 Years of Tackling the Challenges of Packinghouse Fruit Labeling!
By Duncan Jones, Senior Marketing Manager
It's been 40 years since Sinclair opened its doors in 1982. Today we are still leading and innovating the next generation of fruit and vegetable labeling solutions.
We have been lucky to have the support from our customers and the dedication of our Teams, Sinclair Agents and suppliers every step of the way. It has truly been a team effort forging enduring customer partnerships (some of which have lasted more than 25 years!) through the continuous improvement of our products and services.
Sinclair’s success is built on a unique understanding of how a packinghouse can be an unforgiving environment with any number and combination of variables – skin type, humidity, condensation, water flumes, temperature and packing line configuration. These variables mean each packinghouse requires a degree of customization to achieve high labeling performance. This is achieved from the foundation of 40 years of knowhow and experience which is why Sinclair is 40 years young and still delivering high-quality labels and labeling systems.
A Global Network of Continuous Improvement & Innovation
From the early years of networking and exhibiting at tradeshows - PMA in 1982, MacFrut in 1987, Fruit Logistica in 1997 - to the present day, our network of expertise and lasting partnerships allows Sinclair to continue to pioneer fresh produce labeling solutions.
At the core of Sinclair’s success is its people. The Sinclair teams have evolved over time but the ever-present focus on forging lasting working partnerships, with customers and industry leaders, allows proactive evolution of our products and services to meet the changing needs of the industry.
Sharply in focus currently is the development of high-performance compostable label solutions, but Sinclair has a long track record of delivering high-quality label innovations such as Sinclair TabLift® and Sinclair Peel & Reveal®. Labeling systems, such as Sinclair Print on Demand® and Vision Recognition System (VRS) Technology, are part of a continually developing program to maintain Sinclair as the forerunner for innovation and solutions tailored to customer needs.
Present day - Sustainability at the Core
In 2021 we launched the industry’s first home compostable fruit label with a certified finished label construction. It is independently ‘OK compost HOME’ certified by TÜV AUSTRIA (OKH-S0728) and achieved a nomination for the prestigious Fruit Logistica Innovation Award 2022. Development of our sustainable label range continues. Our focus is to ensure our customers have sustainable fruit labels that continue to add value to their marketing programs as well as meet retailer and consumer functionality requirements.
It’s not just our products that are becoming more sustainable. We are working hard to make every area of our business ever more sustainable. At our Norwich site, we have cut our waste to landfill by 86% with 91% of site waste now recycled. We are saving over 1 ton of plastic per year by reducing plastic packaging (we require some for food-safety compliance). Other initiatives include replacing PE carton packing tape with recyclable paper tape and eliminating wood pallets by using recyclable cardboard pallets.
40 years may have passed but our current success in improving the environmental performance of our business and products, as well as our continual improvement of products and services, means we’re looking forward to leading the labeling market during the next 40 years!