One of France’s leading independent label converters has installed its first Mark Andy press at its production facility in Lyon, and it’s one of the American manufacturer’s Digital Series HD flexo/inkjet hybrid lines. After-sales support for Stic Image is now handled by Mach Global, Mark Andy’s Authorized Distributor in France.

Established in 1994, Stic Image has spent more than 30 years building a reputation for high-quality labels with customer service to match.  In 2015 the company was acquired by Cyrille Roze, who now leads the enterprise as President and Managing Director.  He explains the company’s corporate culture as 100% customer-oriented saying: “We are a multi-specialist player in all sectors of the label market with a comprehensive range of technology to fulfil all requirements.”

When he took over in 2015 the company was using three letterpress machines, a flexo line and a digital toner press. Staff numbers stood at 36 and sales turnover at Euro 5.2m. Eleven years on sees Stic Image without letterpress machines, and with more flexo and digital toner capacity, so the choice of a digital hybrid was unusual, especially as it came from a manufacturer new to the company. But the flexibility of the Mark Andy platform was a key attraction, giving Roze a press that can operate as a hybrid, a pure digital press or a pure flexo line. 

“The French label market is polarizing – consolidation at the top where volume reigns supreme, and the disappearance of the very small label shops that can no longer afford new technology to stay competitive.  The middle ground is where I see niche opportunities that suit our style and production capability,”  he added.

Key to the company’s success are the strong partnerships it has established across various industries.  This has allowed Stic Image to adopt an holistic and innovative approach to solving clients’ problems with a free two-way exchange of ideas that is based on trust.

It was into this environment that Mark Andy installed one of its Digital Series HD hybrid presses.  Essentially an UV/inkjet engine mounted on one of Mark Andy’s well-proven Performance Series flexo platforms, the DSHD in Lyon has five digital colors (CMYK+W) with five flexo print stations arranged before and after the digital engine to allow spot color printing, varnishing, cold-foil application or lamination. 

The DSHD has a 430mm web width and a production speed of 73m/min, which is more than double that of Stic Image’s toner-based presses.  Fitted with turn bars, a Gizmo (web translator) and a die-cutting unit, the DSHD offers single pass production of finished labels, and according to Roze has significantly increased his digital print and finishing capability.  “This is a real bonus, as 60% of our human resources is engaged in offline finishing, making the Mark Andy a far more productive tool, and has allowed us to move jobs from our flexo presses as their run lengths have become too short to be commercially viable,”  he added.

A high proportion of work at Stic Image is five-colors, so by specifying five on the inkjet engine and five flexo units The Mark Andy has freed up flexo capacity and fulfilled a dual purpose in terms of handling existing jobs and attracting new work.

Although he admits to having initial concerns about the working life of the inkjet heads and Mark Andy’s ability to support the press in France, both concerns were laid to rest early on, and he describes the press as ‘fully stabilized’ and is complimentary about the speed and efficiency of the after sales support provided by Mark Andy Europe.  This has been especially important for the type of jobs undertaken, where accuracy and guaranteed delivery times are non-negotiable.  

Labels for agri-food, pharmaceuticals, and beverages make up around 85% of the company’s work, and while this gives the business a broad footprint, each sector has its own specific requirements for which the Mark Andy press is well-suited.  More than half of Stic Image’s output is printed digitally, and the Mark Andy already handles 20% of the total output on a single-shift basis, which supports Roze’s comment about its high productivity.

The company prides itself on its quality output and ‘green credentials’.  In 2022 it transitioned to low-migration inks and has subsequently received PEFC FSC Label Certification, and in 2023 completed an Eco-Responsible Commitment with Carbon Footprint Assessment.  It is also a multi-award winner with UNFEA, from which it received Qual’étic certification in 2017.

Turnover this year will approach Euro 7m, the majority of which is for French customers with little exported, and Roze has his eyes set on attracting more business from the wine producers in the region. He is also encouraged by the fact that Mark Andy is now represented exclusively in France by Mach Global, led by its owner Stéphane Rateau.“The new Mark Andy set-up in France with Stéphane Rateau has given us confidence that our investment in the company’s technology will be well supported by a reliable team, and I am keen to make use of the DSHD hybrid’s full capability to grow our business,” he concluded.