Hortipak
Hortipak is the horticultural printing division of UK-based Kalas Packaging, producing recyclable plant labels, packaging, and point-of-sale materials on the first HP Indigo 30000 press in the UK for growers, nurseries, and major UK retailers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1952
- HeadquartersYorkshire, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Hortipak does
Hortipak is the horticultural printing division of UK-based Kalas Packaging, operating from Boston, Lincolnshire, and producing recyclable printed plant labels, packaging, and point-of-sale materials for the horticulture industry. The company manufactures core products including ColourSticks (custom pot labels in sizes from 9cm to 25-litre containers), ColourTags (labels for trees and shrubs with weather-resistant attachment), CarryHandles (tray handles), and point-of-sale items such as BedLabels and TrolleyToppers, printed primarily on tough, recyclable polypropylene with Blue Wool Scale 7 lightfast inks. Production runs on the first HP Indigo 30000 digital press installed in the UK, supplemented by the UK's only fully-automated stripping facilities, an in-house CAD-equipped design studio with an extensive plant image library, and automated artwork databases that streamline new designs and reprints.
The company serves two primary customer segments: UK horticultural growers and nurseries requiring custom labels and marketing materials with fast turnaround on modest initial volumes, and major UK retailers for whom Hortipak holds exclusivity-of-supply arrangements covering private-label plant labeling and in-store point-of-sale. Hortipak generates revenue through one-time product sales with volume-based, quote-based pricing tailored to custom specifications, run lengths, and materials. Its go-to-market is sales-led, relying on long-standing direct relationships rather than digital marketing channels, and distribution is handled via its own delivery fleet supplemented by specialized couriers across the UK and Republic of Ireland.
The Hortipak sub-brand was refreshed in June 2022 with a new logo, and the division operates a dedicated customer portal. Founded as part of Kalas Packaging in 1952, Hortipak operates with 11-50 employees and competes in a niche horticultural printing segment where its combination of first-in-UK digital press technology, fully-automated finishing, and established retailer exclusivities form the basis of its competitive position.
Hortipak firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Hortipak
- Legal name
- Kalas Packaging
- Website
- https://hortipak.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1952
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Hortipak is the horticultural printing division of UK-based Kalas Packaging, producing recyclable plant labels, packaging, and point-of-sale materials on the first HP Indigo 30000 press in the UK for growers, nurseries, and major UK retailers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Hortipak industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Horticultural Labels & Packaging
- NAICS
- Packaging and Labeling Services (561910), Packaging and Labeling Services (56191)
- SIC
- Papers & Allied Products (2600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Pressure-Sensitive Labels (PSL) (IMALAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Labels & Pressure-Sensitive Materials (labelstock, PSA labels, liners) (IMAMAHAE)
Keywords
Where Hortipak is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Yorkshire
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Hortipak business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Horticultural Product Manufacturing: Manufactures and sells horticultural labels, ColourSticks, ColourTags, CarryHandles, and point-of-sale materials to growers, nurseries, and retailers. Products are printed on tough polypropylene and other high-performance materials. Revenue is generated through one-time product sales with volume-based pricing, catering to both small initial runs and large-scale production.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Hortipak product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Hortipak produces custom-printed plant labels, packaging components, and point-of-sale merchandising materials for the horticultural industry. Its offerings include stick-in labels (ColourSticks), tag labels (ColourTags), carry handles (CarryHandles), bed labels (BedLabels), and trolley toppers (TrolleyToppers), manufactured primarily on the HP Indigo 30000 digital press with associated design, origination, automated stripping, and finishing services. Customers are UK and Republic of Ireland growers, nurseries, and major retailers.
Product overview
Hortipak (operating as Kalas Horticulture) offers a comprehensive portfolio of horticultural packaging and point-of-sale products printed primarily on recyclable polypropylene. The core product range includes ColourSticks (custom plant marketing labels), ColourTags (for trees and shrubs), and CarryHandles (for plant trays), complemented by point-of-sale items such as BedLabels and TrolleyToppers. The company provides design and origination services, supported by in-house CAD designers, extensive image libraries covering major plant groups, and the UK's only fully-automated stripping facilities. Production utilizes HP Indigo 30000 digital press technology for flexible personalization and customization, with distribution covering the UK and Republic of Ireland.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Hortipak: Brand name for Kalas Horticulture's horticulture print solutions, appearing on logos and portal access.
Products and services
- ColourSticks Custom-printed stick-in plant labels used by growers, nurseries, and retailers to identify, brand, and merchandise potted plants.
- ColourTags Custom-printed tag labels for hanging on plants and horticultural products, supporting branding and pricing communication at retail.
- CarryHandles Branded carry handles for plant pots and trays, designed to support consumer carry-home of multi-plant purchases and in-store merchandising.
- BedLabels Printed bed labels used in plant retail displays to identify plant varieties within bench or bed merchandising areas.
- TrolleyToppers Printed trolley-topper signage used by retailers to brand and merchandise plants on shopping trolleys or gondolas.
- Design and Origination In-house design, artwork, and pre-press origination services supporting custom label, packaging, and point-of-sale projects for growers, nurseries, and retailers.
- Automated Stripping and Finishing Automated post-press stripping and finishing services for digitally printed horticultural labels, packaging, and point-of-sale materials.
Companies that use Hortipak
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Hortipak technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Hortipak partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Hortipak competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Denny Bros: UK-based manufacturer of multi-layer and specialty labels under the Fix-a-Form brand. Directly comparable as a domestic specialty label producer serving brand owners with custom, high-customization label formats similar to Hortipak's approach.
- Premier Labels Ltd: UK-based label manufacturer producing custom printed labels across multiple end-markets including horticulture-adjacent categories. Comparable as a similarly-sized UK specialty label printer competing for similar customer profiles.
Broad incumbents
- Resource Label Group: North American label manufacturer producing custom pressure-sensitive labels, shrink sleeves, and flexible packaging. Comparable as a broader incumbent in custom label production with similar digital printing capabilities for personalized short runs.
- Multi-Color Corporation: Global label solutions provider serving consumer products including health, beauty, food, and horticulture-adjacent categories. Comparable as a much larger incumbent offering similar pressure-sensitive and specialty label capabilities with broader geographic reach.
- CCL Industries: World's largest specialty label company, producing labels for consumer and industrial markets globally. Comparable as a broad incumbent with overlapping capabilities in custom, sustainable, and digitally-printed labels at much greater scale.
- Smurfit Kappa: Global packaging giant producing paper-based packaging including consumer-facing labels and point-of-sale materials. Comparable as a large incumbent with sustainable packaging credentials and broad retail relationships similar to Hortipak's customer base.
- WS Packaging Group: Label and packaging solutions provider serving consumer brands across multiple verticals. Comparable as a broad incumbent in custom label printing with capabilities spanning prime labels, shrink sleeves, and packaging formats similar to Hortipak's offerings.
- Coveris Holdings: European packaging manufacturer producing flexible packaging, labels, and printed materials across multiple categories. Comparable as a broad European packaging incumbent with overlapping label and packaging printing capabilities.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Hortipak social profiles
Digital presenceHortipak financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Hortipak leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Hortipak funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Hortipak M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Hortipak
What does Hortipak do?
Hortipak produces custom-printed plant labels, packaging components, and point-of-sale merchandising materials for the horticultural industry. Its offerings include stick-in labels (ColourSticks), tag labels (ColourTags), carry handles (CarryHandles), bed labels (BedLabels), and trolley toppers (TrolleyToppers), manufactured primarily on the HP Indigo 30000 digital press with associated design, origination, automated stripping, and finishing services. Customers are UK and Republic of Ireland growers, nurseries, and major retailers.
Is Hortipak a public or private company?
Hortipak is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Hortipak founded?
Hortipak was founded in 1952. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Hortipak based?
Hortipak is headquartered in Yorkshire, United States, in the North America region.
How does Hortipak make money?
One revenue line is on record: horticultural Product Manufacturing.
Who are Hortipak's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Denny Bros and Premier Labels Ltd. Broad incumbents are Resource Label Group, Multi-Color Corporation, CCL Industries, Smurfit Kappa, WS Packaging Group and Coveris Holdings.
Does Hortipak have an API?
No public API is recorded for Hortipak.
What industry is Hortipak in?
Hortipak's product category is Horticultural Labels & Packaging. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMALAKAA, Pressure-Sensitive Labels (PSL), with a secondary code of IMAMAHAE, Labels & Pressure-Sensitive Materials (labelstock, PSA labels, liners). Its NAICS code is 561910 and its SIC code is 2600.