Multi-Color Corporation, otherwise known as MCC, is one of the largest label companies in the world, with a presence in numerous sectors including wine and spirits, food and dairy, beverage, beauty, healthcare, and specialist. David McCafferty, General Manager for Scotland, gave Hannah Barnett some insight into how the global label solution provider operates so smoothly.
With over 13,000 dedicated employees, running over 100 label producing operations in more than 26 countries, MCC makes a significant mark in its industry.
“We are the largest label producer globally,” said General Manager for Scotland, David McCafferty. “There are bigger companies, but they have different divisions in packaging, whereas we only manufacture labels. There's not much a consumer would purchase in the way of global brands that we don't supply labels for.”
The history
MCC certainly has the mileage to back up its global dominance. The company was established in 1916 and has grown, through various acquisitions, to service primary market segments in the North American, Latin American, EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) and Asia Pacific regions.
“Certainly, in the UK and Ireland, we are the biggest label producer, with a full capability of all print technologies.,” said Mr McCafferty. “And we are vertically integrated, which is pretty unique in the label industry. So, we manufacture our own material.”
The company is now approaching the UK and Ireland market as a single entity, rather than operating as separate divisions. “There is a lot going on in these regions,” said Mr McCafferty. “In Scotland, the company is primarily focused on the wine and spirits sector, although we do plan to expand into other sectors with demand for complex label solutions.”
MCC also operates a site in England, two in Wales and two Ireland where it largely produces labels for the wine, beverage and pharmaceutical market, as well as
some specialist work in Cardiff for the oil and petrochemical industry.
“We are a global company,” emphasised Mr McCafferty. “So we are very focused on global brands. That said, we have the capability and autonomy to look after the smaller local companies too. That’s one of the challenges for sales. We don’t want to be so big that we scare the local customers, but we have the equipment that will allow us to produce one label or 100 million labels.”
A local partnership
One of MCC’s notable local projects is with The Lakes Distillery, a relative newcomer in its market. For its logo the distillery selected a quatrefoil, an ancient symbol chosen to reflect the values of the brand.
“We got involved with Lakes quite early on in the design process,” said Mr McCafferty. “We wanted to work with this company ever since it began, because its own branding and designs are fantastic; though some of the labels were pretty challenging to create.”
With MCC’s assistance, a design was developed featuring an intricate embossed effect with the highly embellished quatrefoil shape as a foundation. Printed digitally on an uncoated stock, a detailed copper foil was selected to reflect the handmade copper stills used at the distillery. An overlapping quatrefoil pattern was used to create an intricate ‘spirograph’ effect with
a multi-tiered emboss, matt and tactile screen gloss varnish and foiling, in keeping with the bottle design.
Mr McCafferty outlined why a company like The Lakes Distillery experiences the best of both worlds working with MCC: that is, the security and capability of a large company, combined with a personal touch.
“We try to approach the customers as a team – it’s not just someone in sales,” he said. “So, behind each of the account managers, we have someone dedicated in customer service, someone dedicated to label engineering. And we also have a technical manager who will guide them through the process, set up the artwork, select
the best material and so on. I think that’s helped us build really good relationships.”
As a result of the company’s work with The Lakes Distillery, in September 2022
MCC invested £2.5 million into a new press for its Scottish site. And as Mr McCafferty explained, “the wider MCC group is happy to back investments aligned to customer and market requirements.”
The global label market is vast and remains fragmented. So, even as a major global player, there is substantial opportunity for growth, both organically and via acquisition. From an investor's standpoint, this is also an attractive proposition. The label is the last interface with the consumer, as well as the carrier of mandatory information, and therefore essential whereas other packaging, particularly secondary packaging, is often devalued or removed during a downturn or cost cutting.
A sustainable label
As such a vast global company, it is no surprise MCC is conscious of its environmental footprint. The company now
employs a Global Sustainability Director and is building a team dedicated to green concerns to work across the many regions it operates in.
MCC is committed to sustainable development that helps build a brighter future. “All of our daily processes to provide our customers with premium label solutions, and include integration of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors,” Mr McCafferty said.
MCC’s Research & Development team are constantly searching for innovations that meet today’s sustainability needs, according to Mr McCafferty: “We continue to innovate, to develop sustainable solutions across all packaging categories.” MCC already offers a wide range of ‘sustainable label solutions’.
At the same time, MCC works with a number of external bodies to improve its sustainability. These include: The Ellen MacArthur Foundation, which supports the transition to a circular economy, Sedex, to ensure a sustainable supply chain and Holy
Grail Project, focusing on digital watermark technologies.
MCC also joined the Business Ambition for 1.5C campaign led by the Science Based Targets initiative.
“Our long-term target is to reach net zero carbon emissions across the value chain by 2050,” explained Mr McCafferty.
The company is also expanding the use of LED lighting and solar panels for renewable energy, reducing water usage and improving recycling capabilities wherever possible. However, Mr McCafferty was keen to point out that it is vitally important for the company to remain aware of what sustainability really means.
“I think the biggest challenge, not just for us or our competition but also our customers, is understanding how sustainable things really are,” he explained. “For example, with a paper label, there’s lots
of material available made from recycled content. But the energy to manufacture it is far higher than standard material. So we need an understanding of the full lifecycle analysis of a product. And to ask: is it really sustainable?”
MCC is making all the right moves and looks set to continue growing steadily. Mr McCafferty was confident about the company’s potential and playing a part in its progress.
“We want to be number one in our industry,” he concluded. “And we want to be the employer of choice and to continue to grow. It is a challenging industry and an exciting company; one that likes to promote from within. I have been here 12 years and I’ve found that as the company grows, so do the opportunities.” n
