To support further growth in the UK digital labelling market in 2013 Mercian Labels has launched new websites on digital labelling and hiring label industry professionals.

Focusing on the short run UK SME sector, the company has completely replaced the website www.selfadhesivelabels.com for the sixth time since it was originally launched in 2001. 

The latest version focuses on the wide variety of end users for the company’s Xeikon digital labelling offer. Managing director, Dr Adrian Steele said, ‘The online marketing space in UK B2B labelling has really heated up in the past 18 months and we felt the site needed yet another major overhaul to keep at the forefront of the market in terms of style, features and information for new and existing customers. Our long established label industry blog has also received a facelift in the process.’ 

A second website has also been launched, one which will be used for hiring talent for the company’s growing business. The site has an online registration system and invites label and packaging industry professionals interested in working for the group to register their private contact details so they are informed about vacancies that are specific to their skill set before they are publicly advertised. 

Mr Steele commented, ‘Hiring the right talent is a challenge for any business, but as we continue to grow we have taken a strategic decision to grow our own, confidential database of professionals who may be interested in a role within the group by giving it a public facing front end on our corporate website. Historically we very rarely hire from within the industry, preferring to train people with great potential demonstrated from performance in other industries into the labels and packaging industry. However, sometimes specialist roles do benefit from knowledge gained elsewhere within the industry.’

 He went on to add, ‘A recent recruitment process for an entry level role advertised online for four days brought 161 applications, so we then decided to try another way for the best candidates and us to find each other. In future, when we can find suitable candidates who have previously registered their interest with us we will interview only from this shortlist. Only if this fails to identify the right candidate will we advertise externally.’