Lucrative special range

• Thanks to innovative multi-layer technology, specific stick and usage parameters can be determined separately. • Labels with special properties for individual applications constitute a growth segment. • The distinctive labels in the HERMA Special range in particular enable dealers to generate high margins. Shining the spotlight on the HERMA Special range in 2013: excellence in addressing individual needs, USPs capable of promoting sales, and high-margin potential. HERMA is now utilising innovative multi-layer technology for applying the adhesive. This practice marks out the German label specialist as a global pioneer in the industry. "By applying a specially formulated second layer between the adhesive and the label, we now have a lot of options available with self-adhesive materials that often called for compromises in the past," says HERMA Managing Director Sven Schneller. "We can now very accurately control both the stick and the usage parameters independently." The technology gives rise to new opportunities – including for labels with special characteristics for particular applications. HERMA has every reason to focus on the HERMA Special assortment in 2013. "We have developed a whole raft of interesting new products," explains Thomas Goal, Sales Director Europe. And in the best tradition of the HERMA Special line, they also offer other attributes that trading partners are eager to embrace, including excellence in addressing individual needs, USPs capable of promoting sales, and high-margin potential. The HERMA Special range not only spans an unparalleled abundance of different applications, but is also especially lucrative. "This line generally enables dealers to achieve high margins," insists Thomas Goal. No-name suppliers, he remarks, are poorly positioned to offer products in this specialist field. "Furthermore, consumers are much less sensitive to pricing in this segment than is likely to be the case with multi-purpose labels." Astonishing growth Although the volume of the multi-purpose label market as a whole has remained stable in recent years, specialty products have been posting outstanding growth. Among the products that have been fuelling the trend are highly adhesive, tamper-proof, waterproof and especially hard-wearing labels. The success of HERMA's outdoor film labels serves as a model in this connection: their sales volume more than quadrupled between 2008 and 2012. "More and more users are discovering that they can now make their own outdoor signs and labels on a PC," comments Harald Krauß, Sales Director Overseas. He believes that the new HERMA recycled labels, which carry the Blue Angel eco-certificate, can also harness very significant potential in the HERMA Special category. "Apart from HERMA, who else can offer recycled labels that are as white as the driven snow?" Against this background, 2013 is sure to be the year of the HERMA Special range. Brief profile of HERMA Located in Filderstadt near Stuttgart (Germany), HERMA GmbH is a leading European specialist in self-adhesive technology. In the 2011 fiscal year, the HERMA Group generated sales of around €237.2 million with 830 employees in three divisions – Self-adhesive Materials, Labels and Labelling Machines. The export ratio was around 53 %.