Kate Bartlett
Niagara Label, located in Akron, NY, is a family run business that has been printing and manufacturing high quality pressure sensitive labels (stickers) since 1985. They boast a full state-of-the-art, in-house art department and offer assistance with graphic design. Niagara Label serves a wide array of industries such as Food & Beverage, Industrial, Chemical, Retail, Health & Beauty with a growing concentration in the Wine, Spirit and Cannabis industries. “We make labels for thousands of satisfied customers all across the country”, says Keith Hatswell. As the General Manager and a partner at Niagara Label, Keith has been with the company for 28 years, since he was in high school.
Niagara Label was founded in 1985 by Mike and Margie Whitmarsh. Mike had experience working for a label manufacturer in Syracuse NY. “His intentions were to purchase the company, however when that didn’t work out, he left the company to form Niagara Label. Chris Whitmarsh (President), Michele Vanderlinden (Vice President) and myself (Vice President) are also partners in the organization. Niagara Label has been growing steadily over the last decade with sales reaching over $16 million in annual revenue. As a mid-sized, label manufacturer, we employ over 60 employees, and are rapidly outgrowing our current 30,000 square foot facility located in Akron NY. Plans are currently in the works for a plant relocation into a new build of 60,000 square feet which will also be located in Akron, NY. We are strongly positioned to service the Northeast, Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions, though we ship all over the country.”
“Our labels are all over the place! Some products you may recognize include Kan Jam, Yancey’s Fancy Cheese, Northern Lights Candles, Spot Coffee, Community Beer Works, as well as Ellicottville’s very own Winery of Ellicottville, Ellicottville Distillery, SteelBound Brewery & Distillery, Ellicottville Brewing Company (Ellicottville Brewing Tap & Bottle Taqueria), Dom’s Butcherblock to name a few. We print for hundreds of wineries and distilleries all across the east coast. A few notable customers are Heaven’s Door Whiskey (Bob Dylan), Blenheim Vineyards (Dave Mathews), Three Chord Bourbon (Neil Giraldo), Blue Chair Bay (Kenny Chesney), and Redneck Riviera (John Rich). That said, we love ALL of our customers and are proud to be part of all of their stories!”
“As a family run business, we understand relationships and what it takes to grow a company from the ground up with all of its trials and challenges. It means we recognize that to build a business you need a strong partner, not just a supplier. For us making labels is just WHAT we do, WHY we do it can be found at the beginning of our mission statement which reads “To nurture the success and growth of our employees, their families and our customers…” It is all about relationships for us, so our mission statement isn’t a bunch of words plastered on our walls, it is something we truly live by and I think our customers feel that.”
The company culture is what makes Niagara Label unique. “When you walk through our plant you are engaged with enthusiastic employees who understand our mission and take immense pride in their work. It is relatively easy for any company to access the best technologies, etc, but it is an exceptional company culture that will set the best companies apart. That’s not something you can buy.”
“Aside from our unparalleled quality, our company Culture is something our entire organization prides itself on. In 2020 we were nominated and won the Buffalo Niagara Business Ethics Award and this is something that we continue to work hard to live up to.
Keith loves working with fantastic clients and building long term relationships with both customers and employees alike. “Watching our customers and employees grow is incredibly satisfying. It’s an honor to be a part of their story. We just love being part of the WNY community. We get a real sense of pride seeing our labels on so many products across the region. We strive to be the company that Customers love, employees revere and competitors’ envy.”
Visit Niagara Label online www.niagaralabel.com Facebook and IG @niagaralabel email keith@niagaralabel.com or call 716-542-3000