Label Concepts Obtains "Accounting Power"

"One of the great things about MEPOL is that a small business owner who doesn't have the resources for information technology or to properly manage his books can get access to people through MEPOL who can provide solutions. MEPOL helped us look at all of the available options and helped us figure out what to do. MEPOL gave us access to resources that helped us get to the next level."
– Jack Baudin, Owner, Label Concepts, LLC

Company Profile: Label Concepts, LLC is a small commercial printing company located in Parks, Louisiana. They employ nine people and were founded in 1997 by owner Jack Baudin. The products they produce include labels, tags, and custom printing jobs. They are a private company with a local and national customer base.

Situation: Label Concepts was experiencing what owner Jack Baudin calls a "lack of accounting power." The company did not have an accounting program that coordinated with their manufacturing system. They were having a hard time managing their orders through the software they had been using and decided they needed to implement manufacturing accounting software to improve. The company's computer networking structure was also not working and needed improvement.

Solution: With help from the Manufacturing Extension Partnership of Louisiana (MEPOL), Label Concepts received a grant from the Louisiana Department of Economic Development to obtain assistance with their accounting system. MEPOL brought in third-party consultant Ed Dauphin, owner of Solutions for Business, to provide solutions for the company's accounting problems. Ed went over the accounting books at Label Concepts and helped implement DBA, accounting software that coordinated with their manufacturing system. He also helped the company get their books into shape, adjusted depreciation schedules, and located assets the company didn't realize they had. Bart Adams with Gary Olson & Associates is working with Ed to configure and implement the DBA product for Label Concepts.

MEPOL Project Director Lenn Chiasson and Network Analyst Paul Melancon helped the company transfer its networking structure from a peer-to-peer network to a dedicated server with a firewall. This new system allowed Label Concepts to expand their capability by installing new image setting equipment that will allow them to take on business that would previously have been outsourced. The new system offers wireless access and allows Label Concepts employees to share files properly and get their work done more efficiently.

Results: Since MEPOL began working with Label Concepts a year ago, the company has grown from a 3,200 square-foot facility with a six-color press to a 5,600 square-foot facility with an additional complete pre-press department that has helped the company become more self-sufficient and profitable. They have also increased the number of employees by 15-20 percent.