Labels play a crucial role in the manufacturing and distribution of every type of product, from air conditioners to cell phones. They provide essential information about the product, including its contents, ingredients, and handling instructions, ensuring that the product is safe and properly used by the end-user. Labels also help in product identification, inventory tracking, and compliance with legal regulations. This makes manufacturing and distribution a high-opportunity target market for distributors. Not only is it massive—$1.7 trillion in 2023—but there is a tremendous variety in the types of products you can sell.
Another benefit of selling into the manufacturing and distribution market is that, as with most types of labels, these products cannot be replaced with digital alternatives. As a result, they continue to be an extremely important part of the distributor’s product mix.
Many of the labels sold into the manufacturing and distribution market are durable goods and industrial labels, which have special manufacturing requirements that make them premium products. Labels products are also high-margin and highly repeatable, making them very profitable for distributors. Once you sell into these accounts, manufacturing and distribution labels repeat month after month, year after year, with new products being added over time.
Manufacturing and distribution is also a key market for high-value RFID labels, which vastly improve the speed and accuracy of product and inventory tracking. High-volume manufacturing and distribution environments, especially those dealing with sensitive or more expensive products, often require levels of identification and tracking not possible with traditional barcode labels. This creates opportunities for distributors to identify operations that have not yet made that transition but that could benefit from it.
For more on the role of RFID labels, see our related blog post, “RFID Tags & Labels: A Fast-Growing 11.9% CAGR Market.”
Key Applications
What are some of the specific applications you can sell into this market?
- Industrial labels
- Durable goods labels
- Warehouse labels
- HazCom labels
- Chemical-resistant labels
- Extreme temperature labels
- Security labels
- RFID Labels
Just to name a few.
Target Markets
Currently, manufacturing is a $7 trillion market in the United States, and it comprises a vast number of vertical markets that distributors can target. Just consider all of the products that are manufactured, from food and apparel to cars, electronics, and home goods. In addition to the manufacturers themselves, distributors can also approach direct distributors and wholesalers.
Although this market dipped slightly during the pandemic, it is expected to rebound strongly going forward. In fact, McKinsey forecasts that, with the right investments, manufacturing (which is already 11% of the U.S. economy) could boost U.S. GDP by more than 15% over the rest of the current decade.
Manufacturing and Distribution Market Size
Source: IBIS World
Key Decision-Makers
Who are the key decision-makers to target?
- General managers
- Owners
- Office managers
- Warehouse managers
- Transportation managers
- Service department managers
Competitive Positioning with Wise
As you target the manufacturing and distribution market, working with Wise puts you in a competitive position to win and maintain these accounts. In a market in which quality and great service are givens, what makes us the perfect partner to meet your label needs?
- Decades of R&D experience in finding the precise combination of materials to meet the exacting requirements of manufacturing and distribution applications.
- Expertise in producing labels that stand up against the most punishing environmental conditions.
- Full range of printing options for the ultimate in production flexibility, whether your clients need short runs or long runs or anything in-between.
- Critical color expertise that allows us to match a customer’s label to its marketing collateral, publications, and more.
- Deep commitment to problem-solving and troubleshooting any application. If we can’t figure it out, no one can!
The manufacturing and distribution markets provide outstanding opportunities for you to sell repeatable, high-margin label work. Contact your RSM or our Anderson, SC plant to find out how Wise can help you stay ahead!
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Download our Manufacturing and Distribution sell sheet to keep these opportunities top of mind!
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