What Reliable Label does

Reliable Label is a privately held, family-owned custom label printer founded in 1974 by Reed Callahan in Downers Grove, Illinois, and now run by the founder's son for approximately the last 30 years. The company operates from a single 25,000 sq ft facility and produces custom pressure-sensitive labels across 18 product categories including food labels, health & beauty labels, chemical and safety labels, wine/beer/spirits labels, dairy and water labels, foil labels, barcode labels, thermal transfer labels, coupons/IRC labels, piggyback labels, roll wrap labels, durable labels, green/recycled labels, aerosol can labels, promotional labels, blank/generic labels, household goods labels, and supermarket labels.

The production stack centers on UV-flexo printing with on-press registration that magnifies each label for cylinder-level registration precision, supplemented by digital printing, hot stamping, embossing, repositionable adhesive, and color tinting using water-based and UV inks. Prepress (computer-generated graphics, multi-color film separations, color proofs, plate-making) and a full art department producing mockups and prototypes are handled in-house, while rotary die manufacturing is outsourced. The company maintains a library of over 1,000 specially tooled solid steel rotary dies to support diverse label shapes and short to high-volume runs, and uses a custom-written, copyrighted estimating program to generate quotes in minutes.

The business model is project-based, quote-driven, one-time transaction revenue with no subscription or recurring component. Pricing is set per project based on label shape, color, press stock, finish, and quantity, with quotes delivered by phone, email, or fax. Go-to-market is sales-led: customers engage via the toll-free number (1.800.323.7265), email ([email protected]), or an online Print Request Form. The company serves a mix of small startups and Fortune 500 enterprises primarily across Food & Beverage, Health & Beauty, and Chemical verticals, plus Household Goods and Supermarket segments, with a domestic U.S. operating geography anchored in Illinois and the Chicagoland area.

Name

Reliable Label

Legal name

Reliable Label

Website

https://reliablelabel.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Reliable Label is a family-owned custom label printer in Downers Grove, IL, founded in 1974, producing UV-flexo and digitally printed pressure-sensitive labels across 18 categories for startups through Fortune 500 companies in food & beverage, health & beauty, and chemical sectors via a quote-based, project-driven sales model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Custom Label Printing

NAICS

Printing and Related Support Activities (3231), Packaging and Labeling Services (56191)

akta.pro primary industry

Wraparound Roll-Fed Labels (IMALAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Security, Tamper-Evident & Track-and-Trace Printing (IMALAKAJ), Labeling, Coding & Serialization for Beverage Packaging (AFAFAJAL)

Keywords

• Custom label printing
• Pressure-sensitive labels
• Flexographic printing
• Product label manufacturing
• Specialty label printing

Headquarters

HQ city

Downers Grove

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Custom Label Printing: Reliable Label generates revenue through custom label printing services on a per-order basis. Customers submit quotes specifying label requirements (shape, colors, press stock, finish, quantity), and receive custom pricing. This is a one-time transaction model with no recurring subscription component. The company handles projects from design assistance through final printing, with pricing quoted based on specific project parameters.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Reliable Label manufactures custom-printed labels across 18 product categories for businesses in Food & Beverage, Health & Beauty, Chemical, Household Goods, and Supermarket sectors. The company produces everything from pressure-sensitive, roll wrap, foil, thermal transfer, barcode, and durable labels to chemical & safety labels, wine/beer/spirits labels, and green/recycled labels, handling design assistance, prepress, and printing in-house using U.V.-flexo and digital technology. Orders are scoped via a proprietary estimating program and fulfilled as one-time custom printing projects delivered nationwide from its 25,000 sq ft Downers Grove facility.

Product overview

Reliable Label is a label printing company offering a comprehensive portfolio of 18 distinct label product categories. The company's core offering centers on custom-printed pressure-sensitive labels, roll wrap labels, and specialty labels. Products span industry-specific solutions including Food Labels, Health & Beauty Labels, Chemical & Safety Labels, and beverage labels (Wine, Beer, & Spirits). Additional offerings include functional labels (Barcode, Thermal Transfer, Blank & Generic), marketing/promotional labels (Coupons & IRC, Promotional, Piggyback), eco-friendly options (Green/Recycled), and premium finishes (Foil, Durable labels). The company also provides design assistance, computer graphics, prepress services, and plate-making in-house, with rotary die manufacturing outsourced to specialized die makers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Aerosol Can Labels Pressure-sensitive labels for aerosol cans that cover the entire cylindrical surface with front and back printing, using materials like plastic and vinyl that withstand temperature variations.
• Barcode Labels Labels with embedded barcodes for product tracking, inventory management, and data collection, suitable for clothing tags, grocery shelf labels, and hospital/event wristbands.
• Blank & Generic Labels Versatile blank labels available on rolls, sheets, or fan-folded formats for various commercial and industrial applications including bottles, cans, packaging, medical supplies, and directional signage.
• Roll Wrap Labels High-quality wraparound labels designed to smoothly curve around bottles, jars, cans, and other containers in cylinder, spherical, and rectangular shapes without wrinkles.
• Promotional Labels Cost-effective promotional stickers and labels for marketing campaigns, conventions, and temporary product campaigns, available on paper or film with optional removable adhesive.
• Piggyback Labels Peel-off stickers designed for direct mail marketing campaigns that can be easily removed and applied elsewhere, used for coupons, contest entries, and promotional offers.
• Chemical & Safety Labels High-quality chemical and safety labels that meet national and international regulations, featuring customized materials, inks, graphics, and adhesives for warning labels, storage labels, and product identification.
• Coupons & IRC Labels Instant Redeemable Coupon labels (IRCs) for discount offers, rebates, QR codes, and sweepstakes promotions, produced in up to 8 colors with clear liner technology.
• Dairy & Water Labels Specially formatted moisture-resistant labels for dairy, juice, and water products designed to prevent label slippage on wet containers and minimize scuff marks during shipping.
• Durable Labels Long-lasting labels designed to withstand harsh environments, weather conditions, temperature extremes, friction, abrasion, and chemical exposure for indoor and outdoor applications.
• Foil Labels Elegant metallic labels using paper-backed aluminum, Mylar, or metalized polypropylene materials available in shiny, dull, brushed gold, or brushed silver with hot stamp, embossing, and cold foil capabilities.
• Food Labels Custom food product labels available in paper or film with various color options, die shapes, and techniques for creating nutrition labels, UPCs, ingredient labels, and front labels.
• Green / Recycled Labels Environmentally friendly labels made from post-consumer waste, bamboo, cotton, sugar cane, and polylactic acid (PLA) materials that are recyclable and produce fewer greenhouse gasses.
• Health & Beauty Labels Specialized labels for health, beauty, and personal care products featuring foil enhancements, transparencies, specialized inks, rotary dies, embossing, hot stamping, and digital printing options.
• Household Goods Labels Quality household product labels printed on paper, foil, and film using UV-flexo technology for crisp, durable graphics with various die shapes and short-run capabilities.
• Supermarket Labels Custom labels for supermarket products including bakery goods, deli meats, produce, and freshly baked items with identification, promotional, and pricing label options.
• Thermal Transfer Labels Cost-effective thermal labels and ribbons for in-store labeling of grocery products like meat, bakery items, and produce, allowing variable information printing with eye-catching graphics.
• Wine, Beer, & Spirits Labels Premium beverage labels printed on 200-line screens with on-press registration for sharp, crisp output, featuring hundreds of rotary dies and various printing machines for one-piece to high-end multi-piece designs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Quality labels delivered on time, every time
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• CCL Industries (CCL Label): CCL is one of the world's largest specialty label converters serving consumer products, healthcare, and chemical customers. It overlaps directly with Reliable Label's custom pressure-sensitive label printing across the same end verticals but at vastly greater scale and geographic reach.
• Avery Dennison: Avery Dennison is a global leader in pressure-sensitive label materials, RFID, and specialty labels. Its Label and Packaging Materials segment produces labels serving F&B, Health & Beauty, and Chemical end markets—the same verticals Reliable Label serves—making it the broadest incumbent comparator.
• RR Donnelley (RRD): RRD is a large diversified commercial printer with a substantial labels and packaging business. It competes in custom label production as part of a broader commercial print and packaging portfolio, serving Fortune 500 brand owners like Reliable Label's enterprise customers.
• Cenveo: Cenveo operates a packaging segment that includes custom label production alongside broader print and packaging services. It overlaps with Reliable Label in custom labels for consumer and industrial customers but operates at materially larger scale.

Direct peers

• Multi-Color Corporation: Multi-Color (now part of Platinum Equity's portfolio operating as MCC) is one of the largest label converters globally, focused on premium decorative labels for wine, spirits, beverages, food, and personal care—the same premium-use-case categories Reliable Label's wine/spirit, health/beauty, and food segments target.
• Fortis Solutions Group: Fortis is a US-focused custom label converter specializing in prime labels for food, beverage, personal care, and specialty industrial customers. It directly parallels Reliable Label's project-based, multi-vertical custom label printing model with comparable scale.
• Resource Label Group: Resource Label is a custom label converter serving food, beverage, personal care, and industrial customers from multiple US production sites. It mirrors Reliable Label's pressure-sensitive label focus and multi-vertical go-to-market approach.
• Label Technology Inc. Label Technology is a US-based custom pressure-sensitive label converter serving food, beverage, personal care, and industrial customers with flexographic and digital printing—a near-direct functional and structural analog to Reliable Label.
• Inland Label: Inland Label is a specialty custom label printer focused on premium beverage, food, and personal care labels. Its small-batch, premium-finish focus closely parallels Reliable Label's wine/beer/spirits and health & beauty work.
• Smyth Companies: Smyth Companies is a custom label converter serving food, beverage, personal care, household products, and chemical customers—the same vertical mix as Reliable Label—with comparable in-house prepress and finishing capabilities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/reliablelabel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/reliable-label

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Reliable Label