Pre 1999

The old days

Rapid Labels started in a spare bedroom in Greer Wilcox's Campbells Bay home. It was 1968 and the self-taught Greer set about building what would become an impressive letterpress jobbing labels business. Rapid moved to The Esplanade in 1976, taking over two vacant shops and later expanded into what is now the Just Workout building by the Mobil on Auckland's Forrest Hill. Rapid Labels had grown by the 1990's to have a staff of 30 and based it's success on being quick to quote and deliver, and by keeping sales overheads to a minimum. During its first 30-odd years Rapid Labels carved out a valuable market share in short-run labels, as well as establishing a worthy position in pharmacy labels nationwide. The business was sold to Blue Star Print Group in 1997.

Allmark Industries was based first in Rosebank Road, Avondale, and later in Collard Place, Henderson. The Malone family developed Allmark as a flexo label converter and pivotally - as the agent for Chicago based Zebra Technologies, the world's leading thermal 'barcode' label printers. Allmark from there nurtured a position in the barcoding solutions market including Zebra printers, thermal ribbons and blank thermal labels, along with a full ZASP parts & service offer. It also joined Blue Star Print Group, as part of the acquisition of McCollams in 1996.

In July 1999, Rapid and Allmark joined forces in Armstrong Road, Albany.
Not an easy assignment, mergers are HARD and we were no different.