Repacorp
Offering End-to-End Custom Labeling and Packaging Solutions

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is one of the most prominent auto-identification and data capture technologies used in today’s technology-driven business landscape. The integration of RFID has risen across various industry sectors owing to its increased applications in tagging, tracking, baggage tracking, packaging, security applications, monitoring consumer products, inventories, and many more. Contrary to using off-the-shelf RFID tags, many of these applications require customized RFID technology. Custom RFID tags can be an advantage, especially for applications that require tags in large numbers. However, suppliers fail to hit the mark when customers come with a set of specific needs of RFID deployments. In this regard, Repacorp, a leading supplier of RFID labels, brings to the table high-end custom flexo and digital labels.

Rick Heinl CEO, and Rochelle Heinl, VP of Repacorp, share their valuable insights about the company and its high-end custom flexo and digital labels. Founded in 1974, Repacorp offers capabilities such as cold foil, patterned adhesives, sequential numbering, barcoding, and finishing on various core sizes.

Could you provide a brief overview of your company?

Repacorp manufactures custom, RFID, digital labels, and shrink sleeves. We can print 12 colors on a wide range of materials. Additionally, we provide solutions, patterned adhesives, sequential numbering, barcoding, and finishing on various core sizes. We have one of the complete offerings of products, services, and solutions in the label industry. From our huge selection of stock label materials to our reputation for innovative custom solutions, Repacorp is dedicated to providing quality products and a positive customer service experience on every order. We help our customers with every aspect of their label applications and work with them as a silent partner in developing RFID solutions.

Our advertising specialty printing includes wide format digital printing with two-sided graphics and multiple images layering to build textured graphics. For quicker and less costly shipping, Repacorp has three full-service manufacturing facilities located in Ohio, Wisconsin, and Arizona.

What are some of the challenges your potential customers face, and how does Repacorp address those?

Many customers approach us with an existing product and demand an upgrade to RFID. Be it retail or non-retail market; customers ask us to integrate RFID into their existing labels without altering the designing. We have the flexibility to embed RFID technology into a variety of different materials such as Retro-reflective, magnetic, vinyl, polyester, films, Tyvek, and more. This is one of our key competencies, as many of our competitors have to convert the labels and redesign it. Also, our technology ensures that customers need not invest time or effort in the redesigning process.

Another aspect is the customization. Oftentimes, customers opt for seamless customization. To that end, we offer standard as well as custom solutions for a wide range of RFID applications and in a variety of sizes, materials, and with a wide range of inlays. Our flexographic presses offer up to 12 colors using spot colors, 4-color process, and 6-color Hexachrome capabilities with 200 line screen and direct-to-plate technologies that rival offset printing at a low price. We also use special UV inks, varnishes, and adhesives for different applications.

What are the different customizations that you offer?

We offer customized labels for various requirements. Our configurations include custom sizes, materials, UV inks, varnishes, and adhesives. In addition to that, our offerings include various configurations such as rolls, sheets, pin feed, and fanfold. Repacorp employs diverse materials, including retro-reflective, magnetic, vinyl, polyester, films, Tyvek, and more. As mentioned, our flexographic presses can print up to 12 colors in one pass and up to 20 inches wide. We also have unique solutions for harsh environments, asset control, and warehouse management.

Quality check is another aspect that differentiates us. Repacorp can check barcodes to make sure it meets the mandatory quality parameters. We have developed a press that encodes the printer chip and prints the encoded value on the face.

What is the methodology that your company adopts while serving your customers?

Most of our non-retail customers come with a specific requirement and demand for a particular solution. In that case, we listen to their business requirements and help them adopt RFID into their existing labels. While designing RFID labels, it is important to understand details such as read-distance, materials used for tagging, and inlays, as it helps us meet our customer’s unique requirements. After figuring out all these technical aspects, we go on to the printing process.

For our customers in the retail sector, there are certain specifications that are already in use. Depending on what they are tagging, the inlays can be used from different suppliers.

Can you cite a customer success story?

One of our customers who were using three types of labels approached us for unifying the information contained in the labels. They were using two non RFID labels and one RFID label for the cartons before shipping it out of the facility. This affected the efficiency significantly as the packaging process needed the involvement of more employees and consumed additional time. After understanding the flaws in the client’s process, we designed a longer label that combined all the information into one label. Our design helped them save time, as they don’t have to paste labels that are located at three different parts of the warehouse.

What does the future hold for your company?

RFID tags are finding applications in new niche sectors such as healthcare, attendee tracking, race timing, and IT asset tracking, to name some. Recently we have designed RFID wristbands for the healthcare sector. In addition to that, many retailers are beginning to understand how RFID can directly benefit the business’s bottom line. In the days to come, we will be focusing more on such niche requirements that utilize the practicality of RFID technology.