Elmaro Vineyard Finds One Resource for Labels, Marketing Needs

Client Profile
At Elmaro Vineyard—founded upon an interest in growing
grapes, love of wine and of course, family—the focus is on
producing the best wines possible while providing an
unmatched setting in which to enjoy them. This Wisconsin
vineyard was homesteaded in the 1850s, around the same
time the white pine that appears on each of their wine labels
was planted.

Challenge
Since the founding of Elmaro Vineyard in 2006, growth has
been steady, resulting from retail sales efforts to 35 accounts.
Early this year, the owners turned their attention to on-site
sales with the grand opening of their tasting room and retail
store located on their charming Wisconsin winery property.

Their wine labels, viewed as a significant opportunity to
market their image, were being purchased from a New York company that had been suggested by an equipment supplier. Concern was expressed with the durability of the labels. They scratched easily, marring the visual impact of their wine’s presentation.

Solution
The Curtis 1000 Business Solutions Consultant  explained how he could not only address their label issue, but also help them market their winery to their expanding group of customers.  Conferencing with the Curtis 1000 Label Division to discuss options, he offered a scratch-resistant overall matte varnish to add to the label’s durability. We also highlighted the label’s white pine tree by adding a spot gloss varnish to add dimension and enhance shelf appeal.  On-site testing was completed to confirm compatibility with Elmaro’s labeling equipment.

Results
Elmaro Vineyards is firmly in expansion mode as their
sales continue to grow.  They are busy scheduling events
that include chef-prepared food and wine gatherings,
local artist meet-and-greet events, and traditional tastings.
They are also experiencing the benefits of local support
from Curtis 1000, a full service marketing company that is
well equipped to partner with Elmaro in the careful
selection of items for their retail store such as logoed wine
bags, wine glasses, clothing and more.  Future collaboration
will include discussions around the design and production
of additional marketing tools such as direct mail, brochures
and posters.

Client Feedback
Lynita Docken, Elmaro Vineyard, summed up her
customer experience this way: “Curtis 1000 has gone
above and beyond to improve the roll-type wine labels for use in our mobile bottling line. Throughout the process of improving the labels my Sales Consultant was thoughtful, conscientious and kept a positive ‘can do’ attitude!”

Hassle-free change to a new label partner

Bringing Resources and Expertise to a New Client

Client:

Our client is a pizza company, distributing food products to several states in the U.S.

Challenge:

They were looking for a hassle-free change to a new label partner—a label manufacturer with an in-house graphics department that would assure a smooth transition of custom label production from their previous supplier.

Solution:

Our goal was not to merely duplicate the specifications provided by the previous vendor, but to add value and savings wherever possible. During the course of the calls, we recommended a change to a cost-effective label stock that was FDA-approved for indirect food contact. It would go from being applied to a warm product to the freezer and perform beautifully. Additionally, we assisted with the client’s art files and made suggestions regarding USDA label requirements that assured that each label had the correct verbiage.

We had the added benefit of a testimonial from the president of another significant Curtis 1000 Food & Beverage label customer who called this client’s president, spoke highly of us as a label supplier, and provided a personal reference for our sales consultant’s ability to manage his label business.

Results:

The transfer of label production from the previous supplier to Curtis 1000 was an easy and pain-free process for our client.

www.curtis1000.com

Can your wine label pass the five-second test?

Although it may take years to produce, studies show the average shopper selects wine in just five seconds, and often from a distance of three to six feet!

Does your wine stand out on the shelf and ultimately make its way into the shopping cart?

Whether your label elegantly conveys a carefully hand-crafted vintage featuring lush colors, mood-setting graphics or a graceful foil embellishment, or an edgy wine with clever images and a name that makes you think twice, Curtis 1000 can help you get your wine off the shelf and into the cart, giving new meaning to the “five-second rule.”

Our state-of-the-art technologies give you the flexibility to easily feature seasonal, special occasion or holiday labels with a consistency in color and quality that is unmatched in the industry. You craft wine. Let us craft the label that will get your bottle off the shelf and into the cart in five seconds or less!

Call to speak with our Label Manager at 1.800.876.7935 ext. 4129 or request our white paper here.

The Right Label Partner Can Reduce Print and Process Management Costs

Client:

This client is a large producer of polymers and high-performance plastics. As we worked with the Purchasing
Manager on a label application,
he did choose another vendor.
He was impressed, however,
that we had not simply
provided a price on
duplicating the current label.
We had suggested a new
label structure that would
work as well but at a lower
price point.

 Challenge:

Several months later, the
Superintendent of Material
Handling at the client’s
warehouse location was experiencing poor performance of his drum labels and asked if the Purchasing Manager knew of any label suppliers who could come in, analyze the situation and provide solutions that would fix the problems. Curtis 1000 was the name that came to mind.

We discovered that the current vendor was often late on shipments. In order not to be caught short, the Superintendent had to shut down his operation and perform a physical drum label inventory—only to find he needed a rush order. The Curtis 1000 team left the meeting with a comprehensive list of issues.

 Solution:

Our solution called for the labels to be run in increments of three-month supplies to be shipped and billed as needed. The issue of inventory would be resolved by implementing a bi-monthly schedule of visits where Curtis 1000 would take the responsibility of handling the physical inventory; there would be no more “stock outs.” We presented samples from related industries that illustrated the quality that could be expected. As a test run, Curtis 1000 would produce a one-month supply of the first label that was needed, let the client run it through their process, and scrutinize for problems. Then, if the client was satisfied, Curtis 1000 would produce, ship and invoice the balance of the run.

 Results:

Curtis 1000 earned this custom drum label business by delivering a customer-focused business solution that saved the client time and money. The labels run without issue through the client’s equipment, greatly improving downtime, while the inventory ordering system keeps just the right amount of stock on the floor, eliminating expensive rush orders.

www.curtis1000.com

Garvin Heights Vineyards Works with Curtis 1000 to Solve Problems, Promote Growth with Labels

Challenge

Garvin Heights Vineyards is a
picturesque winery nestled in the
scenic Upper Mississippi River Valley
in Winona, Minnesota. Since opening their doors in 2006, the owners of Garvin Heights have
carefully crafted their wine while working to establish their brand in the marketplace.
As sales increased for this growing winery, the process of printing their wine labels in-house
had become a challenge. Moisture from chilled wine bottles caused the ink on their labels to smear.
Further, as Garvin Heights explored expanding their line to retail environments, they wanted to
use their wine’s labels to establish competitive shelf appeal.

Solutions

After carefully examining the current wine labels and labeling
process, the experts at Curtis 1000’s Label
Division offered a durable coating that would
protect the labels and make them moisture-
resistant. The owners chose a gloss
lamination, which not only provided an
excellent moisture barrier but also added
an appealing gloss finish to the label, an
upgrade from the flat label finish currently
employed. With the welcome  expansion of
Garvin Heights wines to restaurants
and liquor stores where their wine would
compete with other wines for consumer
attention, enhanced shelf appeal was
important. Understanding the need to stand
out in their new marketplace, foil
embellishments were suggested to highlight
portions of the current labels. The image of the winery itself in gold foil with an additional foil element to their winery name on each label would draw the consumer’s eye to the Garvin Heights wine when displayed in stores and restaurants.

Results

As Garvin Heights Vineyards expands their vision to retail environments, their upgraded labels are
serving them well. Their hand-crafted wines are now in six stores and two restaurants.

Client Feedback

When the owners of Garvin Heights Vineyards were asked why they chose to partner with Curtis 1000,
they replied: “We choose to work with Curtis 1000 because of the local representative, who partnered
with us through the process of developing our first new label design and then using the created template
to enhance all our labels. We needed a more professional looking label for the retail market; our goal
was to keep our current design but to refresh the look. It was also key that the resulting labels would run
smoothly through our automated bottling process and attract customers.”

www.curtis1000.com