AJS Labels Awards

1. Packaging News UK Packaging Award SME of the Year 2012 - Highly Commended

Following on from the success in this category last year, AJS Labels were runners up and highly commended by the judges.

 ‘Last year’s winners were in impressive form again with a 44% growth in pre-tax profits. At a time of a recession and a contracting market, AJS Labels hit record sales with an increase of 15%. The company even made an appearance on the BBC’s Apprentice show and judges were impressed by how the firm demonstrated real impact through innovative solutions.’

Back to top

2. PrintWeek Label Printer of the Year Award 2012

Following on from last year’s success in this category, AJS Labels won PrintWeek Label Printer of the Year for the second year running.

The judges were most impressed with The Body Shop Nutriganics label and felt this label really set AJS “apart from the crowd.” “This was an outstanding label as the fine print and vignettes worked very well with a complex and tiny label.” 

Also scoring highly for AJS were The Body Shop Dream Unlimited Body Lotion, Unilever VO5 Miracle Concentrate and Asda Revive Shower Gel labels.

Back to top

3. PrintWeek Customer Service Team of the Year 2012- Highly Commended

AJS was runner-up in this much sought after award and “only just failed to match its 2010 triumph in this category.” The company was highly commended by the judges for the contribution of its customer service team to the company’s success.

“AJS only employs one external sales executive, but its focus on tip-top customer service helped turnover to grow by 15%.”

Back to top

4. PrintWeek SME of the Year Award 2012- Finalist

AJS Labels was a finalist in this most prestigious category for the second year running “against some very tough competition.”

Back to top

5. Packaging News UK Packaging Award SME of the Year 2011

Highly commeneded in this category last year, AJS Labels were crowned UK Packaging Awards SME of the Year 2011. The judges described the company's turnaround under private ownership as "astonishing" at the height of a credit crunch.

They highlighted the fact that while turover grew by half, pre-tax profits more than trebled in the year under review. At the time of takeover the company was losing hundreds of thousands every year, yet within a year it was back in the black. Alongside charity work in India, a key development of the year was a new website that has allowed the company to communicate with potential clients through social media. 

Back to top

6. PrintWeek Label Printer of the Year Award 2011

AJS Labels won the much coveted PrintWeek Label Printer of the Year 2011 Award. This is the second time that the company has been successful in this very demanding category.

The judge's comments talk about "stand-out pieces", "exceptional quality" and "intricate designs"! They were particulary impressed by The Body Shop Love label which featured 14 colours and required two precise passes through the printing press.

Other labels that caught the judge's eyes were a Linco Care Cabana Sun Lotion piece and a label for Dulux Moda paint that was printed using UV Flexo technology but which had to match the standard set by offset litho.

Back to top

7. BPIF Excellence Awards 2011- Company of the Year

AJS Labels won Company of the Year at the BPIF 2011 Excellence Awards, revamped this year to reward and showcase the most innovative and creative companies across the print media spectrum.
The judges were impressed with AJS’ "simple back to basics approach that delivered a service focussed on continual improvement".

Congratulating AJS on its winning streak, BPIF (British Printing Industries Federation) CEO Kathy Woodward, described the company as "the cream of the industry".

"It is a great honour to have won this award", says MD Andrew Scrimgeour. "The BPIF is one of the UK's leading trade associations, supporting the print and packaging industries which form part of the UK’s largest manufacturing sector, so we are thrilled to have all the hard work and dedication of everyone at the company acknowledged in this way."

Back to top

8. PrintWeek Customer Service Team of the Year Award 2010

AJS beat six other strong nominees to take this prestigious title, in what the organisers' described as 'the most widely-entered and hardest-fought category in the Awards'.

"AJS' entry perfectly illustrated the win-win approach of providing top-notch customer service," said the judges, who were overwhelmingly impressed by both the company's quantitative data, in the form of customer satisfaction surveys, and the qualitative comments, in the form of glowing customer testimonials.

"From director to despatch, concept to delivery, we aim to provide our customers with the best service they will ever experience from any supplier of any product or service," says AJS' managing director, Andrew Scrimgeour.

Back to top

9. Packaging News UK Packaging Award for SME of the Year 2010 – Highly Commended

AJS was runner-up in this brand new award for 2010. Highly commended by the judges for turning a loss into a profit, AJS’ owners, Andrew and Jayne Scrimgeour, were congratulated ‘for the way the firm has sought to reconnect with customers and engage staff through one-on-one consultations to make them feel they have a stake in the business.’

The judges felt a key factor in the AJS success story is the in-plant model of a standalone label manufacturing unit on the site of our biggest customer.

Back to top

10. Arun Business Partnership Business of the Year Award 2010

This was the first time AJS Labels entered these local awards, celebrating business excellence in the Arun district of West Sussex and we walked away with the top prize. The judges overwhelmingly voted for AJS after learning of the company's turnaround under the leadership of Andrew and Jayne Scrimgeour.

Back to top

11. Arun Business Partnership Business Person of the Year Award 2010

Continuing our winning streak at these Sussex business awards, our directors Andrew and Jayne Scrimgeour were awarded this prize jointly in recognition of the back-to-basics approach they have both championed to achieve their turnaround strategy for AJS Labels. Their winning strategy was to reconnect with customers and engage all the staff in delivering a service that genuinely delights its customers – a strategy that has certainly paid off.

Back to top

12. Arun Business Partnership Training & Development Award 2010

Our third trophy at the ABP Awards, this award acknowledged that our significant investment in training and development means AJS Labels offers a truly excellent package for all customers. From director to despatch, all staff are fully trained in their roles to ensure legal compliance, build expert knowledge and skills and help every employee to reach their full potential.

Back to top

13. EFTA (European Flexographic Technical Association) Silver Award 2010 - Plastics Label Process (Wilkos Timbercare label)

This was the second award AJS received for the label it produced for Wilkinson’s Timbercare range – the first being the FlexoTech Label & Tag Printer of the Year 2009. Although a relatively straightforward four colour process job, it scored highly with the judges for being an example of high print quality, well-executed.

Back to top

14. Packaging News UK Packaging Award for Label of the Year 2010 – Finalist

Shortlisted for this prestigious award, the label for Body Shop International’s new Love range of products was designed to have maximum impact in-store with a dynamic combination of a 10-colour base label, three varnishes and silicone, and a three colour peel and read back label with varnish and silicone.

Colour matching the self-adhesive label to the litho printed box was a challenge, as was creating  touchable quality to the label by laying down various amounts of varnish on selected hearts in the design. 

The finished labels are so eye-catching and dramatic that they have become firm favourites with many of AJS’ employees.

Back to top

15. FlexoTech (industry publication) Label & Tag Printer of the Year 2009

The first accolade AJS Labels was to receive for the label it produced for Wilkinson’s Timbercare range, the FlexoTech Label & Tag Printer of the Year Award goes to the company deemed to demonstrate high level expertise in the field of label printing. These international awards for innovation recognise excellence in the printing and finishing process of flexography across Europe. 

The Timbercare label was noted for its huge repeat length ‘with well-registered print.’ AJS was congratulated for “a challenging job turned around in three days with 3D effect included.” 

This label went on to take the EFTA (European Flexographic Technical Association) Silver Award 2010 - Plastics Label Process.

Back to top

16. EFTA (European Flexographic Technical Association) Gold Award 2008 - Technical Innovations (Dulux label)

Continuing our run of success with the Dulux Rich Matt five-litre paint container label for Dulux, AJS had a golden night at the annual EFTA Awards scooping the Gold Award for Technical Innovations and Plastic Label Process. The label’s composition was highly challenging and its success was proof of the technical expertise that resides within the AJS team.

Employing UV-flexo technology, the label was produced using 30-micron silver metallised PP to provide the sheen and foil detail, initially printing a Sericol Supernova White on the illustrated area. This opaque white ink helped to cover the silver and avoid a murky appearance. It also provided a smooth base for the three-colour image, which contained some fine halftones.

Our reprographic team worked closely with the printer to produce the artwork for a clear image and perfect vignettes. They created random dot patterns using Maxtone and Hyperflex screening, and computer-to-plate equipment to produce plates with a superior 1% dot. Care needed to be taken with the tight registration around the silver border. Cyan, followed by dark blue, was printed directly on to the foil to give a metallic blue wash that reflected light.

And proving the skill of our print team, the printer on this label included an extra white plate to add another vignette to make it perfect and remove any hard edges. The label was completed with a 20-micron over-laminate to give a strong, easy-to-apply product.

Back to top

17. EFTA (European Flexographic Technical Association) Gold Award 2008 - Plastic Label Process (Dulux label)

Continuing our run of success with the Dulux Rich Matt five-litre paint container label for Dulux, AJS had a golden night at the annual EFTA Awards scooping the Gold Award for Plastic Label Process and Technical Innovations. The label’s composition was highly challenging and its success was proof of the technical expertise that resides within the AJS team.

Employing UV-flexo technology, the label was produced using 30-micron silver metallised PP to provide the sheen and foil detail, initially printing a Sericol Supernova White on the illustrated area. This opaque white ink helped to cover the silver and avoid a murky appearance. It also provided a smooth base for the three-colour image, which contained some fine halftones.

Our reprographic team worked closely with the printer to produce the artwork for a clear image and perfect vignettes. They created random dot patterns using Maxtone and Hyperflex screening, and computer-to-plate equipment to produce plates with a superior 1% dot. Care needed to be taken with the tight registration around the silver border. Cyan, followed by dark blue, was printed directly on to the foil to give a metallic blue wash that reflected light.

And proving the skill of our print team, the printer on this label included an extra white plate to add another vignette to make it perfect and remove any hard edges. The label was completed with a 20-micron over-laminate to give a strong, easy-to-apply product.

Back to top

18. PrintWeek (industry publication) Label Printer of The Year 2007

Having notched up a commendation in 2005 and been shortlisted in 2006, AJS Labels (then AGI Labels) took top honours in the PrintWeek Awards label category in 2007 with a label produced for ICI’s Dulux paint range. The judges were impressed by AJS’ consistently high-quality work and our willingness to bend over backwards for our clients.

The Dulux label achieved maximum standout value using UV-flexo technology; 30-micron silver metallised PP to provide the sheen and foil detail, initially printing a Sericol Supernova White on the illustrated area.

Also a standout for the judges was the Bavaria non-alcoholic beer label, which was produced at just eight days’ notice, prior to the product’s relaunch. The label was printed on clear-on-clear PP using a Gallus RCS combination press. Silver cold foil was then applied before the whole label was over-laminated for a durable finish.

Back to top

19. Packaging News UK Packaging Award Label Printer of the Year 2007

This was to be the first award for our high-quality label for the Dulux Rich Matt five-litre paint container. AJS’ reprographic team was commended for ‘working closely with the printer to produce the artwork for a clear image and perfect vignettes’.

The judges particularly noted our dedication to achieving perfection: “Care needed to be taken with the tight registration around the silver border. Cyan, followed by dark blue, was printed directly on to the foil to give a metallic blue wash that reflected light. Because the vignette was not yet perfect, the printer included an extra white plate to add another vignette and remove any hard edges.”

Back to top

20. FlexoTech Combination Printer of the Year (2006)

This award celebrates excellence in combination printing using flexo plus two or more additional printing or decorating processes. AJS was awarded the trophy for the Simply Regeneration Facial Wash 150ml label, which the judges said “appears almost three dimensional” due to the vignettes which were “well and smoothly printed”. The label was also chosen for its ‘extremely fine screen ruling’ and the judges concluded that it was a job so well done that ‘the printer should ask for a bonus.’

Back to top