McDonald’s accreditation boosts MAXStick labels kudos
The accreditation, carried out by SGS North America included employee interviews, inspection of the facilities and a review of company initiatives and policies at MAX International Converters, in Pennsylvania, US, which owns MAXStick Products.
'Real kudos'
Michael Vigunas, president, MAXStick Products, told FoodProductionDaily.com it works as a supplier to McDonald’s and the audit proves the company is living up to the fast food giant’s expectations.
“The McDonald’s name carries some weight to it and if you are socially compliant with their requirements it is something you can state to other companies,” he said.
“The accreditation carries real kudos and is helpful in showing how well we work as a company, which is attractive to potential customers.”
Vigunas said the company will make an announcement in the next two months after scooping a Print and Apply contract with a food packaging firm in the south of France.
“We are very excited about the deal to develop a Print and Apply label and we will be showcasing the product at Pack Expo, in Chicago in November,” he added.
McDonald’s conducts an audit with its suppliers via a third party to make sure a company is socially responsible and meets its code of conduct.
Child labor
Areas of review included Applicable Law and Standards, Child Labor, Compensation and Benefit, Environment, Forced Labor, General Information, Harassment and Abuse, Health and Safety, Management System, Non-Discrimination, Sourcing Practices and Working Hours.
“Once you work with McDonald’s there are certain regulations from a cultural and social standpoint that you are in compliance with,” said Vigunas.
“We were informed of the audit in September 2013 and it takes a few days to complete. McDonald’s has a great reputation to uphold so it doesn’t want to work with a supplier that will generate bad press.
“It wants to make sure all its companies are compliant with its global standards and is not doing anything wrong. We are proud to have them as a customer.”
The company received a “No Findings Noted” designation on the audit. The “No Findings Noted” designation, the highest rating available, reaffirms MAXStick Products commitment to its customers, suppliers and employees.
“What’s next is trying to build our reputation as a company, we are environmentally conscious and we feel the same responsibility as a company,” said Vigunas.
Tamper proof labels
“Right now, the USP (Unique Selling Point) of our product is that it is re-stickable, you can apply it as many times as you like to a surface and peel it off without leaving glue residue or damage to the product surface.
“The bad thing is, having a label that is tamper evident and we are working on a project that makes it obvious when a label has been tampered with and resealed. It is currently in the development stage and no-one else has something like this in the industry.”
The liner-free thermal labels are produced by Max International Converters under a licensing agreement with MAXStick Products.
MAXStick Products liner-free, repositionable adhesive, direct thermal labels are available in six varieties; MAXStick Premium, MAXStick2GO, MAXStick Colors, MAXStick Plus, MAXStick X2 and MAXStick X2 Colors.
