Labeling specialist for the domestic and European market

Customized solutions, the labeling sector, which is also strategic for fruit and vegetables. Tikedo is an international group specializing in labels, based in Santarcangelo di Romagna (Rimini, Italy). Created by the merger of several companies, led by the historic LGL, it now has five plants in Italy, two in Spain and one in Latvia, with about 300 employees and a turnover of more than 50 million euros.

From left to right: Nicola Zannoni, Vito Giurazza and Marco Aringoli.

"Our focus is on the European market," says Vito Giurazza, CEO, "and some of the countries where we have a strong presence, in addition to Italy, are Spain, Latvia, France, Belgium and Germany, just to name a few. To give you some figures, we produce about 7 billion labels a year, and 25 percent of them are for fruit and vegetables. We are specialized in labeling, based on 45 years of experience. Our goal is a quality product with state-of-the-art materials and technologies."

Inside the plant.

But how is quality defined in a label? "First, a label must be made from the highest quality materials, such as the substrate. Then, in terms of printing, the images must be clear and sharp, consistent over a potentially infinite number of prints. Continuous quality control is very important," Giurazza adds. "In addition, adhesion, or the ability of the label to adhere to and stay on different surfaces, is very important. A label must be made from top-quality materials, such as the substrate.

For example, a label that will be applied to the surface of an avocado must have different characteristics than one that will be applied to a plastic package or in a frozen environment with subzero temperatures."

Tikedo is also known for its ability to respond quickly to requests. "Especially with fruit and vegetables, it can happen that customers ask us for large quantities of labels in a very short time, perhaps because a supermarket has proposed a pop-up promotional campaign. Thanks to the large number of printing machines available, of which we have 40 in Italy alone and more than 70 worldwide, we are able to respond very quickly."

Photovoltaic panels on the ground at the rear of the Santarcangelo (RN) plant.

There is also a strong focus on sustainability and energy efficiency. Thanks to significant recent investments in photovoltaic panels and UV-LED systems for quick drying, the Santarcangelo plant is more than 75 percent energy self-sufficient.

"We are able to meet the needs of the fruit and vegetable world," concludes Giurazza, "with a high degree of timeliness and total customization."