www.associatedlp.com
By Lisa Rouh  

Rusty Ashworth wasn’t a printer, but his keen eye knew a golden ticket when he saw it. On July 1, 1980, he purchased Associated Printers, a 50-year-old, 1,500 square-foot shop with four offset Heidelberg presses and two press operators, and immediately began ensuring his little East Vancouver company lived up to its vast potential to support his beloved family and his cherished entrepreneurial dreams. 

Emerging demand for labels inspired his 1982 investment in his first Mark Andy press, a 3-color central impression 820. Ongoing expansions included mid-web applications and narrow web flexo machines such as a custom Mark Andy press with an integrated inline rotogravure printing unit. Along the way, the company’s evolving product line led to its new name: Associated Labels and Packaging. And as diverse demands grew, so did the company’s ability to serve complex needs throughout Canada and the US, and across industries from retail to food to industrial and beyond.

In 1992, Rusty Ashworth moved the company’s operations to Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada.Today, Associated encompasses four facilities and roughly 100,000 square feet of space, with cutting-edge flexographic and digital capabilities, in-house prepress, and a culture rooted in commitment, curiosity, and care. And the operation has surpassed even Rusty Ashworth’s ambitious goals, becoming the largest premium label and packaging facility in Western Canada and the Pacific Northwest.    

Driving current growth and nurturing the winning environment is Rusty Ashworth’s son, Shaun. The younger Ashworth had helped out at Associated since he was 12, and he officially came on board in 1992. From sweeping floors to running presses to leading the company, he has immersed himself in nearly every department, and his understanding of the entire process helps him support his team and customers. 

Under Shaun Ashworth’s leadership since 2012, Associated has assembled a robust suite of equipment to support both digital and flexographic printing. Digital assets include three HP Indigo presses – a 6900 and 6800 – as well as an HP Indigo 20000, a 30″ press designed for flexible packaging applications. For high-volume flexographic work, Associated operates a 52″, 10-color Windmöller & Hölscher press. 

In the flexible packaging finishing area, the company uses two Nordmeccanica off-line laminators, Stanford slitters and seamer, and Totani pouching machinery. Laser capabilities include a Preco micro-perforation system, a SAI micro laser, additional SAI lasers for macro venting applications, and Deacro slitters. 

Supporting operations include a full in-house testing lab, in-house platemaking using both Esko and DuPont systems, dedicated ink mixing and quality assurance equipment, and an expert art department. This horizontal integration of the entire process supports consistency, better turnaround times, and more control.

In 2021, the East Ontario sales and distribution warehouse opened, serving the produce industry with proprietary reseal film and laser-perf solutions. 

“That’s where our living film technology comes in,” Shaun Ashworth says. “We didn’t invent resealable technology, but we’ve definitely perfected it.”

And driving that all-around excellence is a team of 170 across three shifts, all immersed in the company’s engaging environment. 

“Our biggest differentiator is our culture and our people,” Shaun Ashworth says. “Machines can have all the buttons and knobs and modern technology, but machines don’t care. What makes the difference is the people running them, and their passion to take the extra step to deliver a high-quality product.”

He proudly describes the Associated team as “packaging nerds” obsessed with detail, innovation, and continuous learning. “We live this stuff, and we love what we do,” he says of the staff, which now also includes the third Ashworth generation with his son, Carter. “We have an immense amount of knowledge and experience. We invest in training. We’ve seen what works and what doesn’t work, and we’re not afraid to fail as we strive to take things to the next level. What’s the worst that is going to happen? It doesn’t work, and we learn from it. We put out a lot of fires for our customers, and that’s built our business on helping people.”

Ashworth cares about his team, and it shows. “Every day I walk the floor and talk to as many people as I can,” he says. “You can go through our shop anytime, and everyone’s smiling, everyone’s having a good time. I always tell people if you’re coming to your job and it’s work, then it’s the wrong place for you.”

The company also hosts barbecues and family events, and sponsors local youth sports and school breakfast programs, all to build its internal and external community. 

That commitment to helping people also extends to the entire planet, as Shaun Ashworth keeps sustainability top-of-mind at every step of his operation. 

“I’m not afraid to say, in this industry, we create waste,” he says. “But we’re trying to change that. What we’re doing right now might not fix today’s problem, but maybe in five years, it’s the solution.”

Associated has led the industry in reducing that burden with North America’s first non-GMO, fully compostable, food-safe stand-up pouch and tray and lidding film. It also diverts waste through extensive in-house recycling, water-saving coolers, and local sourcing to cut emissions.

“We’re always innovating,” Shaun says. “Whether that means investing in sustainable packaging, refining production technologies, serving as a beta testing site, developing materials with our clients, or training our team to prepare for the next challenge. I look for ways to roll up my sleeves and help people in this industry that I love, because it makes us all better.”