Label Insights

Productivity, hybrid, and helping converters grow in an uncertain market

Duane Pekar, Mark Andy president and CEO, discusses the latest trends in the market, from labor constraints to evolving customer expectations.

March 2, 2026

By: Greg Hrinya

Editor

L&NW recently spoke to Duane Pekar, Mark Andy president and CEO, about the operational realities facing today’s label converters. From productivity and labor constraints to shifting run lengths and evolving customer expectations, Pekar shares what he’s hearing directly from the market. He explains why hybrid systems and single-pass production are playing a larger role in modern pressrooms and how Mark Andy is aligning its technology roadmap to support converter growth in a changing industry.

L&NW: As you look at the market, what’s the dominant challenge converters are facing?

DP: The common denominator is productivity. Converters are being asked to handle more jobs, more versions, and more complex applications, while dealing with labor constraints and the challenge of filling production roles. Lead times for printed packaging continue to compress, and expectations around quality and job-to-job consistency are higher than they have ever been.

What’s changed is not just the pace of work, but the mix. Pressrooms that were once optimized for longer runs are now building strategies around more frequent changeovers, tighter deadlines from customers, and a broader range of substrates and value-add embellishments. The question converters are wrestling with is how to maintain margin and throughput under these conditions in the near and long term.

L&NW: Mark Andy is speaking to converters of all sizes every day. What themes consistently surface?

DP: Talking to converters across market segments, the conversation keeps coming back to efficiency and cost pressure. Everyone is trying to do more with less, and that applies to both labor and capital. Converters are eager to learn from one another and to partner more closely with their equipment suppliers to solve these challenges collaboratively.

Often, our discussions with converters return to the ability to sustain run rates over multiple production runs. Companies are frustrated when press operators won’t consistently run at intended speeds. Often, it comes down to training and confidence in the press versus the fear of running a pile of scrap product. This reality reinforces the need for certified training programs like Mark Andy University where operators can learn from experts and build their confidence through a combination of classroom and hands-on training.

L&NW: Hybrid printing has been discussed for years. Why does it feel especially relevant right now?

DP: Hybrid production has become a practical response to how work is actually flowing through the pressroom. When you combine digital with flexo and inline finishing in a single pass, you eliminate handoffs that slow production and introduce variability. What we’re seeing is that hybrid presses are moving the crossover point where digital becomes economically viable. Jobs that previously would have stayed on a flexo press can now be produced in a single pass with greater efficiency because of the achievable speeds on some hybrid presses. That matters when labor is tight and cost is critical.

L&NW: How does the Mark Andy Digital Series HighSpeed 1200 address those hybrid demands specifically?

DP: The HighSpeed 1200 was developed with true production-level hybrid performance in mind. It’s designed to be a primary production asset, running at high speeds while still delivering the flexibility converters need. Achieving speeds up to 480 fpm, this press significantly shifts the digital-to-flexo crossover point. That allows converters to process larger volumes of existing work digitally, while still taking full advantage of inline embellishing and diecutting. Variable data, high-opacity white, and extended color capabilities are all supported at production speeds.

Equally important is ink optimization via hybrid “combo” printing where large spot colors can be printed with lower cost flexo inks and combined with the full capabilities of digital printing. The DSHD does this exceptionally well because the flexo and digital print share one fully integrated registration system. Further optimization comes from the full-variable speed design which allows each label to be run at its optimal speed. For converters hesitant to move into hybrid printing, the DSHD HighSpeed 1200 is also available in a roll-to-roll format. At 480 feet per minute, these converters can achieve a three-to-one replacement of their existing digital equipment and realize significant productivity gains.

L&NW: Why is single-pass converting such a priority now?

DP: Every off-line step adds time, labor, and inventory. These wastes add cost, working capital, and uncertainty around meeting delivery dates. Single-pass converting simplifies the production chain. You’re printing, embellishing, and finishing in one continuous process. That reduces handling, minimizes waste, and shortens time to shipment. It also reduces the number of operators and in a tight labor market, that operational simplicity is a competitive advantage.

From a management perspective, it creates predictability. You can schedule more confidently, respond faster to customer requests, and keep work moving without bottlenecks.

L&NW: Many converters are debating whether to hold onto older equipment or retire it. How should they be thinking about that decision?

DP: It’s a difficult conversation because older presses are often fully paid for and still producing saleable work. But the real cost is not the asset itself; it’s the efficiency gap.

If a press cannot sustain modern run rates or limits the type of work you can accept, it becomes a drag on the entire operation. In many cases, we see two or three older machines replaced by a single modern platform with higher throughput and consistency levels, and lower waste.

L&NW: Mark Andy’s message is “Your Growth is Our Growth.” How does that show up in practice?

DP: That philosophy guides how we think about product development, service, and long-term partnerships. Our role is not just to sell equipment, but to support each and every customer as their businesses evolve. That means offering platforms that can be upgraded over time, providing strong service and technical support, and backing customers with access to parts, consumables, and expertise through Mark Andy Print Products (MAPP). It also means listening closely to what converters are telling us and responding with solutions that help them stay competitive.

When our customers grow, when they become more productive and profitable, that’s when we succeed as well. It’s a shared trajectory, and that’s how we approach every decision we make.