Since August 04

Greg & Anne-Marie commenced running Rapid Labels in August 2004 and took on the task of creating a world-class label business which staff & shareholders could be proud of.

By December 2004 the business had lifted its base service standards. The emphasis was being as our name suggests, the fastest in the market and an easy supplier to do business with.

Gradually that market positioning, backed up with service excellence, started paying dividends. We continue to get written or verbal compliments most weeks, for being low-fuss professional kiwi suppliers. Wine labels have become a significant and growing part of our business. We've been booking double-digit sales growth now solidly for 4 years. We've got a stable crew and owners who support us with significant re-equipment.

Late 2006 we reconfigured our facility so that all client-facing staff were in one large office right beside (and in view of) the production floor. Greg & Anne-Marie sat at a central table in the main office and ran the business on an hour-by-hour basis. It may not be textbook stuff, but staying close and getting the detail right is everything in labels.

During 2007 we committed Rapid to buying & integrating a suite of world-class manufacturing equipment. With that kit in place, our sales team is working in six specific markets to optimise our business.

Leadership in wine labels, the pinnacle of label printing, has been a considerable focus. In January 2009, we surpassed our objective of 200 Wine Producer clients. It was an ambitious goal we set in 2006, and it's a milestone we're understandably proud of.

One of our long term goals has been $2 million sales in a calendar month - and we are very pleased to say that we achieved that milestone, ahead of our plan - in September 2009.

We have also long been shooting for NZ$20 million annual sales but the business has now gone past that milestone and annual sales for FY10 will be better than NZ$21mill.

We're pleased to say that in October 2009 we went past the 250 Wine Producer milestone - meaning we shoulder quite a responsibility to one of NZ's fastest growing export sectors. We take that seriously.

In 2010, our job was to carry on with the progress made - live up to our Rapid name, and be the supplier our customers want & need us to be. The business is travelling well and we consider ourselves to be very lucky during these uncertain economic times.

Visitors to our Albany facility will see that we have recently taken over the entire facility - previously shared with Wellington Drive & then Lexicon.