🔒West Hartford packaging/printing technologies distributor Matik finds growing niche

Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the U.S. in mid-March, many sectors of the U.S. economy have been severely impacted.

Certain goods, however, such as food, online alcohol sales, and personal hygiene products have had tremendous growth. The hand-sanitizer market alone is expected to skyrocket from an annual growth of 5% to near 46% increase this year, according to projections by Fortune Business Insights.

That’s been a downstream boom for the supply chain companies nationwide that manufacture labels and packaging for these sectors. It has also provided a growth opportunity for Steve Leibin, president of Matik, a West Hartford-based distributor of European-made printing and packaging machines for the U.S, Canada and Mexico.

Matik, with annual revenue in the $10-million range and products that run from $300,000 to $2 million in price, caters to a diverse number of industries, including the securities, signage acrylics and technical textile markets, but is primarily focused on the packaging and labeling markets, which have grown increasingly complex as packaging sizes and shapes have evolved.

That’s driven innovation in printing and packaging technologies — two staple industries in Europe — that have enabled Leibin and his team of 16 employees to offer machinery with greater efficiencies and the ability to embellish printing to label printers serving markets where those capabilities are increasingly in-demand.

He points to the variety of product offerings, packaging sizes and production runs as reasons decorative labeling and packaging is growing, including corrugated, flexibles and direct-to-shape production. He notes, for instance, that blue chip brands like Coca-Cola have expanded beyond core product offerings, to supply a wide variety of flavors that require different labels and production quantities.

“We’re also seeing more [brands offering] seasonal packaging, like Christmas or Fourth of July promotion,” Leibin said, “creating a need for more customized packaging and labeling.”

That market demand is creating a need for label and packaging companies to use more multi-functional machines. Leibin points, as an example, to a new product line his company recently announced in partnership with Italy-headquartered Lombardi Converting Machinery, which combines a variety of print technologies and finishing capabilities into one machine.

Hot market

A Lombardi product was recently purchased by Fortis Solutions Group, a national packaging and digital labeling company with an Ellington location that predominantly serves major national food brands.

Ken Pizzuco, Fortis’ chief supply chain officer, estimates its latest purchase from Matik will create a 30% increase in production efficiency, to drive bottom line growth.

“This new machine includes flexo printing, die cutting and a high-level of labeling embellishment,” Pizzuco said. “Previously, those functions would have to go through three or four pieces of equipment but can now be done with one machine.”

He also notes that Matik’s newest product provides a wide variety of finishes — from varnishes to colored foils to textured logos that are in high-demand in growth industries like craft beer brewing and wineries where Fortis is looking to expand its footprint.

Pizzuco says that eye-catching and unique labels in the highly competitive wine and spirits industry are an important way to draw attention and brand-awareness from end-consumers.

And it’s the label makers that Matik is trying to woo. The company is actually looking to open a Connecticut-based testing facility in the near future to showcase its product line and become more visible in the marketplace.

“Our growth is going to come from getting more [printers] to interact with our machinery and understand our [products’] capabilities,” Leibin said.

That project may be on hold until a coronavirus vaccine is developed. And when that happens, it will need to be packaged and labeled.