How Bay Tech Mitigates the Impact of the Label Shortage

One of the reasons for the current label shortage is a recent strike in Finland. The paperworkers’ union strike began on January 1 and lasted almost four months. The strike started when UPM sought to do separate deals for each of its businesses, and the Union was pushing to preserve a unified agreement for all corporate units.

UPM is a global supplier of label materials, so the strike further disrupted an already strained supply chain. The strike has made it challenging to procure many liners and facestocks, specifically semi-gloss, glassine, SCK, and CCK papers. While the end of the strike may bring relief, it could be some time before we see supply consistently flowing again.

How Bay Tech Label Is Mitigating Delays

At Bay Tech Label, we are committed to delivering the best service possible to our customers. Like other label manufacturers, we have felt the impact as all of our suppliers were affected by the strike. However, we have close relationships with our large base of suppliers (close to 20), which we can reach out to see if a specific material is available when there is a need.

If we cannot locate a source, our label experts are knowledgeable in various substrates and can usually find an alternative that is suitable for the end-user’s environment. There are times the material change not only results in comparable or better performance but may also cost less.

Are you struggling to get your labels printed? Contact us today to learn how we can help.