You only have one chance to make a good first impression. And that's even more true if your company processes and markets premium refrigerated and frozen pastas, pestos, tapenades, cheeses, dips and salsas.

That's why Monterey Gourmet Foods, Salinas, Calif., selected Creative Labels Inc., Gilroy, Calif., as Monterey's packaging partner.

Monterey has seven premium brands under its umbrella: Monterey Pasta Company, Monterey Gourmet Foods, Cibo Naturals, Emerald Valley Organics, Sonoma Foods and Isabella's Kitchen. Although there are several name and identities, those brands are connected by a corporate commitment to strong packaging.

Heidi Moore is a senior buyer with Monterey Gourmet. She says the California company takes pride in its area heritage and even chooses a look  reminiscent of an old Monterey, days of author John Steinbeck during the historic days of canneries.

Moore says she also appreciates working with Creative Labels because of the consistent print quality, the quick turnaround and the close working relationship the two companies have developed.

“I would love to clone them,” she says.

Consistency in the product labels is very crucial for manufacturers because even the slightest variance can be quite noticeable on the store shelves.

Moore adds that a bonus of working with Creative Labels is they are local.

“Our service is very fast, because they just drive our order directly to us,” says Moore.

Founded in 1980, Creative Labels specializes in one-color to full-color high quality printing of pressure-sensitive labels, tags and coupons for a variety of industries.  A HarvestMark certified company, Creative Labels is equipped to handle the most technical and advanced label applications required and can produce a wide variety of custom printed products with variable data. -- Creative Labels Inc.

(866) 552-2357 / www.creativelabels.com.