Take-A-Label

What Take-A-Label does

Take-A-Label, Inc. is a Michigan-based, family-owned manufacturer of industrial label dispensing, application, and rewinding equipment, founded in 1974 and currently led by owners Lee and Kim Sytsma. The company designs and builds a hardware-only product portfolio organized across manual and electric label dispensers (TAL-5M through TAL-750HD, priced $64 to $1,255), round-product, tamp, and wipe-on label applicators (TAL-1100MR through TAL-3100W, priced $695 to $7,498), label rewinders (TAL-100HD through TAL-610R, $195 to $1,130), handheld applicators (APN-30 through APN-100, $110 to $130), and integrated inkjet print-and-apply variants for batch coding and expiration dating. Technical differentiators include electronic photo-eye label detection replacing mechanical trip wires, pneumatic-cylinder rotary label application, continuous-duty wipe-on applicators operating up to 500 inches per minute, heavy-duty unwind systems for hard-to-dispense labels, and stainless steel construction variants for harsh chemical and cleanroom environments.

The company sells exclusively through a network of authorized distributors in North America, directing inbound demand to a "Find a Distributor" page rather than operating direct sales. Marketing and customer support are delivered through the company website's full product catalog, an extensive YouTube technical video library covering every product line, periodic newsletter communications, and downloadable operation manuals and outline drawings. Customers are primarily industrial manufacturers and producers of bottled or containerized consumer goods who require reliable, easy-to-use labeling equipment with multi-year operational lifespans and accuracy tolerances of approximately ±1/16 inch. Pricing is entirely transactional one-time hardware purchases with no subscription, software, or recurring revenue component. No headcount, revenue, funding, or M&A activity is disclosed.

Name

Take-A-Label

Legal name

TAKE-A-LABEL, Inc.

Website

https://take-a-label.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Take-A-Label, Inc. is a Michigan-based, family-owned manufacturer of industrial label dispensers, applicators, and rewinders, selling through authorized distributors to manufacturing and consumer goods producers across North America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Nunica

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Label Dispensers: Manual and electric label dispensers sold as one-time purchases. Models range from basic manual dispensers (TAL-5M at $64) to heavy-duty electric dispensers (TAL-750HD at $910) with various configurations including trip wire, photo eye, and stainless steel options.
2. Label Applicators: Tamp, wipe-on, and round product label applicators sold as equipment. Range from manual (TAL-1100MR at $695) to high-end automatic systems (TAL-3100C at $7,498). Includes integration with printing options.
3. Label Rewinders: Label unwinds and rewinders for printed label processing. Products include TAL-100HD ($195), TAL-400R ($565), and TAL-610R ($1,130).
4. Hand Held Applicators: Manual hand-held label applicators including APN-30 ($110), APN-60 ($120), and APN-100 ($130) for applying labels to various surfaces.
5. Printing Options & Attachments: Inkjet printers and coders integrated with label applicators. Optional attachments and accessories for core product lines including clear label photo cells, wide label kits, and high-speed motors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Take-A-Label, Inc. manufactures a complete line of industrial label dispensers, label applicators, and label rewinders made in Michigan. The product range spans manual and electric dispensers, round-product and tamp applicators, wipe-on applicators, rewinders, and hand-held applicators, with optional inkjet printing integration for variable data. Equipment is sold as one-time hardware purchases through an authorized distributor network serving industrial manufacturers and consumer goods producers.

Product overview

TAKE-A-LABEL, Inc. manufactures a comprehensive portfolio of label dispensing, applying, and rewinding equipment for industrial labeling applications. The product line is organized into four main categories: Manual Label Dispensers (TAL-5M, TAL-10M, TAL-40M, TAL-250M, TAL-450M), Electric Label Dispensers (TAL-250, TAL-450, TAL-750HD) with optional stainless steel constructions and Inkjet printing integration, Label Rewinders (TAL-100HD, TAL-400R, TAL-610R) for processing printed labels, and Label Applicators split into Round Product Applicators (TAL-1100MR, TAL-2100ER, TAL-3100R), Tamp Applicators (TAL-3100T, TAL-3100C), and Wipe-On Applicators (TAL-3100W). Many applicators and dispensers are available with integrated Inkjet printing options for variable data such as batch codes and expiration dates. The company also offers Hand Held Applicators (APN-30, APN-60, APN-100) for manual labeling. This is a hardware-only product portfolio with no software, API, or AI capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Manual Label Dispensers (TAL-5M, TAL-10M, TAL-40M, TAL-250M, TAL-450M) Entry-level manual label dispensers for basic labeling needs; tabletop or wall-mounted steel and aluminum construction; web capacities from 5 to 20 inches; suited for low-volume operations.
• Electric Label Dispensers (TAL-250, TAL-450, TAL-750HD) Automatic electric label dispensers with web capacities up to 7.5 inches (9-inch option on TAL-750HD); available in trip wire, photo eye, and stainless steel configurations; 12-inch diameter roll capacity; suited for production-line label dispensing.
• Label Rewinders (TAL-100HD, TAL-400R, TAL-610R) Equipment for unwinding and rewinding printed label rolls, including speed-matching rewinders designed as workhorses for thermal printers; optional dancer arm for automatic speed control on the TAL-610R.
• Round Product Label Applicators (TAL-1100MR, TAL-2100ER, TAL-3100R) Applicators for round bottles, jars, and containers; range from manual hand-cranked models to pneumatic systems that rotate the bottle during label application for bubble-free placement; supports tapered bottle carriages.
• Tamp Label Applicators (TAL-3100T, TAL-3100C) Applicators for flat and semi-flat products such as boxes and bags; bench-top and continuous-feed variants; accuracy of +/- 1/16 inch or better; TAL-3100C designed for integration into robotic work cells or indexing conveyors.
• Wipe-On Label Applicator (TAL-3100W) Continuous-duty wipe-on applicator that applies labels to products passing on a conveyor at speeds up to 500 IPM; can be rotated on side or upside down for varied production environments.
• Hand Held Applicators (APN-30, APN-60, APN-100) Portable hand-held label applicators for manually applying labels to almost any surface; web widths from 1 13/16 inches to 3 15/16 inches; suited for small-batch or on-the-go labeling.
• Inkjet-Integrated Label Equipment (TAL-450CS-IJ, TAL-750CS-IJ, TAL-2100ER-IJ, TAL-3100T-IJ, TAL-3100R-IJ) Versions of core dispensers and applicators with integrated inkjet printers for adding batch codes, expiration dates, and variable information to labels during application; available in stainless steel options.

Quantifiable outcome

• Label placement accuracy of +/- 1/16 inch or better on TAL-3100T
• +3 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Label-Aire: Label-Aire manufactures pressure-sensitive labeling equipment including label applicators, dispensers, and rewinders, competing head-to-head with Take-A-Label across manual, electric, and automatic configurations for industrial and bottling customers.
• CVC Labeling Systems: CVC Labeling Systems produces wraparound, front-and-back, and top label applicators for pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetics industries — directly comparable to Take-A-Label's round product and tamp applicator lines.
• Quadrel Labeling Systems: Quadrel designs and builds pressure-sensitive labeling machinery for cylindrical, conical, and rectangular containers, directly overlapping with Take-A-Label's TAL-3100R and TAL-3100T applicator offerings.
• Accraply (Barry-Wehmiller): Accraply manufactures automatic label applicators, label dispensers, and rewinders for global CPG manufacturers; a direct competitor in high-speed wipe-on and tamp applicator segments served by Take-A-Label.
• Herma (HERMA GmbH): HERMA is a German manufacturer of self-adhesive labeling machines and label applicators for industrial production lines, comparable to Take-A-Label in core product category but with a much larger European and global footprint.
• CTM Labeling Systems: CTM manufactures automatic and semi-automatic labeling systems for bottles, cartons, and containers across food, beverage, and pharmaceutical industries, comparable to Take-A-Label's applicator portfolio.

Broad incumbents

• Krones AG: Krones is a global leader in beverage packaging and bottling machinery with a labeling equipment division that overlaps Take-A-Label's round product applicators, but operates at much larger scale and scope across complete production lines.
• ProMach: ProMach is a broad packaging machinery conglomerate whose labeling brands (including Accraply and P.E. Labellers) compete with Take-A-Label in the same end markets while also offering integrated end-of-line solutions.
• Sidel (Tetra Laval): Sidel is a global packaging solutions provider specializing in beverage and liquid packaging equipment including labeling systems, competing for the same end customers as Take-A-Label but as part of a much broader portfolio.

Emerging players

• CTI (Converting Technical Industries): CTI produces specialty and custom labeling machinery for niche industrial applications, a smaller and more specialized competitor than Take-A-Label that competes in custom-engineered labeling solutions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/take-a-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 Take-A-Label