Over the past year Mercian Labels has also grown its trade digital labelling business, built upon its reputation for honesty, quality and service says managing director Adrian Steele.

Where are you based?

We manufacture at two sites, our HQ in Cannock, Staffordshire and a, currently expanding, factory in Derby

How many staff do you have?

There are about 35 superstars on the books, with more planned for 2014

What does your firm do? 

High-volume variable barcode labels, short-run ‘top-drawer’ digital labelling and tamper-evident labels and tapes under our Label Lock brand. We also make a product called Gammatex that indicates exposure to radiation

What’s your typical customer?

Far too varied to say; we’ve sold direct to over 9,000 firms in recent years

Which regions do you serve?

Increasing global, but the majority is still in the UK

Who are your clients?

For some of our tamper-evident products I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you

What’s your USP?

Each market has its own

What equipment do you run?

Xeikon 3300 digital press and various bespoke machines for tamper-evidence coatings and barcode labelling

What’s been your proudest achievement in the past few years?

Winning both the IPIA Trade Printer of the Year and the Digital Label Printer of the Year in 2013 – shame we were only made it as a PrintWeek Awards finalist last year but there’s always next time!

Where do you see your business in five years’ time?

Bigger, probably with at least one other site and with lots of new products launched

What’s your team’s favourite biscuit?

No idea. Eating is a sign of weakness...