Label Express

What Label Express does

Label Express Inc. is a privately held custom label manufacturer founded in 1995 by Jim Barber and Kenny Simmons in Verona, Mississippi, after the founders sold their prior venture, Barber Printing. The company produces custom printed labels — including thermal, laser, direct thermal, die-cut, perforated, sheeted, barcode, cosmetic, food, and UL-approved labels — along with complementary products such as thermal transfer ribbons and Zebra printheads. It serves regional manufacturers, product manufacturers (cosmetics and food), shipping and logistics operators, and branding/marketing customers, primarily in the Memphis, Tennessee metropolitan area and the broader Southeast United States.

The company operates from a 43,000 square foot manufacturing facility on twelve acres in Verona, MS, with average production capacity of three million labels per day. Its core technology is flexographic printing with digital platemaking, anchored by the Esko CDI Spark platemaker acquired in June 2025 — the only such equipment in the state — which enables a 7-10 day turnaround time on complex custom jobs. Capabilities include up to eight-color or four-color process printing, custom die-cutting, Pantone color matching, UL-approved stock materials, an in-house BFA-credentialed graphic design team, and certified maintenance services for Datamax, Honeywell, and Intermec printers. Stock blanks and standard labels ship within 24 hours; custom labels typically ship within three to five days.

Label Express generates revenue primarily through one-time purchases of custom and stock labels plus related printing supplies, with quote-based pricing and no public rate disclosure. Its go-to-market is direct, sales-led, and relationship-driven — predominantly via phone, email, the company website's contact form, and Facebook — emphasizing free quotes, fast turnaround, and personalized design assistance. The business remains entirely founder-owned and bootstrapped under Jim Barber, with no institutional investment, parent company, or M&A activity disclosed across its thirty-year history.

Name

Label Express

Legal name

Label Express Inc.

Website

https://labelexpress.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Label Express is a privately held custom label manufacturer in Verona, Mississippi serving regional manufacturers, product makers, shippers, and branding customers across the Memphis and Southeast US markets from a 43,000 sq ft facility producing three million labels daily.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Label Manufacturing

NAICS

Printing (32311), Packaging and Labeling Services (561910)

SIC

Service Industries For The Printing Trade (2790)

akta.pro primary industry

Prepress, Plate-Making & Artwork Services (IMALAKAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Direct-to-Container & Digital Printing (Inkjet/Laser) (IMALAKAF), Labels & Pressure-Sensitive Materials (labelstock, PSA labels, liners) (IMAMAHAE)

Keywords

• Custom label manufacturing
• Thermal labels
• Barcode labels
• Industrial printing supplies
• Flexographic printing

Headquarters

HQ city

Tupelo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Custom Label Printing: Custom printed labels in various shapes, sizes, and materials with up to 8 colors or 4-color process printing
2. Blank Label Sales: Stock blank labels available for immediate shipping, including thermal labels, laser labels, and various standard shapes
3. Printing Supplies: Sale of printing supplies including ribbons (wax, resin, inside/outside wind), printheads, and various label materials
4. Printer Maintenance Services: Certified technician maintenance and repair services for Datamax, Honeywell, and Intermec printers, fixing printheads, ribbon mechanisms, drive systems, motors, and other components

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Label Express manufactures custom-printed labels for industrial and commercial customers across manufacturing, cosmetics, food, and shipping industries. Its product range includes custom labels, thermal labels, laser labels, and barcode labels, complemented by printing supplies (thermal ribbons and printheads) and printer maintenance services. Production is handled in-house using an Esko CDI Spark digital flexographic platemaker, with capacity of approximately 3 million labels per day.

Product overview

Label Express is a custom label manufacturing company offering a comprehensive portfolio of label products and printing services. The core offering consists of custom printed labels in various types (Thermal, Laser, Direct Thermal, Die-Cut, Perforated, Sheeted, Barcode, Cosmetic, Food, 4-Color Process, and UL Approved) along with label materials (Paper Stocks, Polyester, Polypropylene, Vinyl, Thermal Transfer, Direct Thermal, and Specialty Stocks). The company also provides complementary products including Ribbons and Zebra Printheads, as well as maintenance services for Datamax and Honeywell printers. Design services include custom artwork creation, logo design, package designs, brochures, business cards, flyers, and posters using Pantone Color Matching. The company operates from a 43,000 square foot facility and produces approximately three million labels per day with stock blank and printed labels shipping within 24 hours and custom labels typically within 3-5 days.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Custom Labels

Quantifiable outcome

• 3 million labels per day production capacity
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Fortis Solutions Group: Mid-market commercial label converter serving CPG, food and beverage, and industrial customers across multiple U.S. sites. Closely comparable to Label Express as a flexo label printer with custom design and prepress services, just at broader geographic scale.
• Inland Label: U.S. label converter offering pressure-sensitive labels, shrink sleeves, and flexible packaging for food, beverage, and personal care end markets. Comparable custom flexo label capability and customer segmentation as Label Express.
• Label Technology Inc: Family-owned commercial label manufacturer offering flexographic and digital printing across multiple U.S. facilities. Direct peer in ownership profile (founder-led), product mix (custom prime labels), and target customer (regional CPG and industrial).
• Hub Labels: Privately held label converter specializing in flexographic and digital printing for food, beverage, and industrial customers. Direct peer in technology (digital platemaking, flexo presses), product mix (custom prime labels), and customer profile (regional manufacturers).
• Hammer Packaging: Multi-generation, privately held label and packaging printer with extensive flexo and digital capabilities. Closely mirrors Label Express as a long-tenured family-run label converter focused on speed and customer service for regional manufacturers.
• Resource Label Group: Multi-site U.S. label converter providing custom prime labels, shrink sleeves, and flexible packaging. Comparable to Label Express in core flexographic label production and customer base of regional and national brand owners.

Broad incumbents

• CCL Industries: World's largest label converter serving healthcare, consumer products, and industrial markets. Comparable end products (custom prime labels, sleeves) but with global footprint and scale that dwarf regional converters like Label Express.
• Avery Dennison: Global multi-billion-dollar label materials and solutions company dominating pressure-sensitive labelstock and finished labels. Overlaps with Label Express in prime label products but operates at vastly greater scale, broader geography, and integrated materials manufacturing.
• Multi-Color Corporation: Large global label converter (private-equity owned since 2020) producing premium labels for wine, spirits, food, and consumer brands. Comparable flexo label capabilities and end markets, but at national and global scale versus Label Express's regional focus.

Emerging players

• OnlineLabels.com: Digital-first label e-commerce platform offering blank and custom-printed labels via a self-serve configurator. Represents the emerging online procurement model that regional, phone-driven converters like Label Express must defend against for SMB and short-run demand.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/labelexpressms
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/labelexpressinc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Label Express