In April 2024, Avonclyde's Bespoke labels hit 10,000 orders! A massive milestone for us and a complete reflection of the dedication, commitment, and resilience to everyone who is part of our business.
to help celebrate this amazing achievement, in this week's blog we are going down memory lane and telling the story of Avonclyde'S bespoke labels; a successful and expanding business made over the past 30 years.
history of avonclyde's bespoke labels
Establishment of Avonclyde Systems (1991)
With a 10-year background in the labelling industry, Fraser Findlay decided to build his own company, calling it Avonclyde Systems. he started by Selling his custom-made labelling software and machines direct to companies in the industrial sector. At that time fraser did not do any label production himself, this was out-sourced through his trade contracts.
Inspiration for the Name Avonclyde (1991)
Fraser at the time, operated from home in Chippenham, England, however, he was born and bred just outside of Glasgow. Therefore, when deciding on a name for his business, he drew on inspiration from the river Avon in Chippenham and the river Clyde in Glasgow, connecting his current life with his roots. Also beneficial to have a name starting with “A” to appear at the front of the Yellow Pages at that time!
Investment in First Labelling Machine (1995)
With the significant growth and business success of Avonclyde Systems and his move back to Glasgow, Fraser invested in his first labelling machine, a fully refurbished Markem LP93 for a humble £5000.00. This allowed Fraser to bring all label printing in-house.
Moving to Industrial Unit in Cumbernauld (1995)
To meet increasing demand, and to house new machinery, Avonclyde expanded and moved to an industrial unit in Cumbernauld, just outside of Glasgow. This allowed the purchase of further machinery, including a Rotary Edale Press to increase the speed of output.
Relocation to Bigger Industrial Unit in Kirkintilloch, Glasgow (1999)
With the continued growth of Avonclyde Systems, the business was uprooted and moved to a much bigger facility a few miles down the road in Kirkintilloch. This allowed further machinery to be purchased and additional staff members were employed.
Transition to Avonclyde Ltd (2003)
With the requirement for custom labels well overtaking the requirement for labelling systems and machinery, Fraser made the strategic decision to cease the offering of systems, to focus solely on label production for the industrial sector. As such, the company name was changed to Avonclyde Ltd as it is today.
Introduction of Bespoke Labels (2020)
Having successfully conquered the industrial side of labelling, in the changing world that was 2020, Avonclyde established an off-shoot business called Bespoke Labels, which was (and still is) managed by Fraser's daughter, Nicola, which expanded the business into commercial labelling.
Establishing Bespoke Labels (2020)
To solidify their ability to produce high-quality, show-stopping commercial labels, further investment was made into machinery, materials, printing techniques and personnel training. This included the purchase of Digital Printers and a cutting-edge Plotter Machine, with the ability to print HIGH QUALITY colour and cut any shape or size of label.
Premises Expansion (2022)
With the increase in customer orders from the commercial Bespoke Labels, Avonclyde expanded their current workspace with the addition of a mezzanine area, almost doubling the floor space to allow the new machinery to be installed and further staff to be employed.
Further Investment in Machinery (2023)
Early 2023, Avonclyde continued investment in machinery and purchased their largest machine to date, a Newfoil 3500 Hot Foil Press. This opened up more printing options in their commercial labelling as well as industrial sectors. This investment was just over £140,000 - a long way from Avonclyde’s first machine at £5000!
Looking Forward to 2024
Avonclyde's Bespoke Labels plans to continue its impressive growth trajectory, maintaining a commitment to FIRST CLASS SERVICE, PRODUCING high-quality labels that adhere to their customer's specific needs for both industrial and commercial sectors. Avonclyde is almost outgrowing its current premise so a further expansion looks also like it is on the horizon!
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