July 2010 saw over 40 members of Kesslers International team being awarded with different NVQs and diplomas in Business Improvement Techniques and manufacturing processes.

Chairman Charles Kessler, CEO John Anderson and Founder William Kessler handed out diplomas of all levels to overjoyed employees.

Kesslers International strongly believes that its people have made it so successful and have enabled it to remain market leader in the industry for over 115 years!  This is why both professional and personal development through training courses and apprenticeship schemes have been at the core of the business mindset and represent a crucial cornerstone to the company.

The training courses are given to all Kesslers International employees from the accounts department to manufacturing and operations, design, technical design, marketing and at all managerial levels.
They have enabled to save hundred of thousands pounds and improve processes all round since their first implementation.

Charles Kessler comments: “In an ever changing industry employing a skilled workforce is not always enough however by making sure to constantly invest in training and development, not only gives us the tools to overcome many challenges and stay ahead of our competition but also gives our employees the opportunity to grow with us and makes them confident they are playing a vital role in our success.”

Once again we would like to congratulate all our employees in completing and succeeding in their courses.

In the July 30th issue of Retail Week, Charles Kessler speaks to industry expert and Retail Week’s Store Editor John Ryan about the advent of the digital age and the ascendant it has been taking in the recent years over traditional signage solutions and materials like cardboard.

Charles Kessler explains: “the advent of digital printing meant that retailers are able to respond more rapidly without the inherent cost implications that used to prevent this happening (…) as it adds an extra dimension and act as an additional tools for retailers.”

To access the entire article on Retail Week please click here or to download the PDF version please click here .

For more information on digital brand enhancement and instore display please contact us on 0208 522 3000 or email us at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Only one week after being awarded Two Gold and One Silver Award at the 2010 European Outstanding Merchandising Awards (OMA) in Paris for our design and manufacturing work on Little Greene Colour Centre, Mars Push Feed Tray and Christina Aguilera by Night display; we have also been nominated to an additional 4 Outstanding Merchandising Awarby the not-for-profit trade association POPAI UK & Ireland.

The competition which recognises excellence and innovation in the POS and in-store communication industries counted over 160 displays entered with only 58 being short listed.

Kesslers International could win up to 4 Gold Awards for their work on Diesel Only The Brave (L’Oréal UK), Take One Media/BAA digital unit, Zoggs Family Retail Merchandiser (Zoggs UK) and Mars Push Feed Unit (Mars Chocolate UK).

Results will be announced on the 21st of October in London during the dinner award reception.

After 3 months of much anticipation, the results are finally in!
Kesslers International has been awarded 2 Gold and 1 Silver Award for outstanding merchandising at the 2010 European POPAI awards ceremony.

The results were given last night in Paris, Pavillons de Bercy, where over 500 industry professionals are awarded each year for their creativity and contribution to the International POP industry.

Kesslers International was nominated in March 2010 during the ‘Marketing at Retail’ exhibition, that took place in Porte de Versailles, Paris, for its work and collaboration on Christina Aguilera by Night Freestanding fragrance display (P&G), the refrigerated Push-feed Confectionery unit (Mars Chocolate UK) and the Little Green Colour Centre Counter(The Little Green Paint Company).

The Little Green Colour Centre Unit and the Mars Push/Feed Confectionery unit beat the competition and went on to win Gold, whilst Christina Aguilera beat off tough competition, to go on and win Silver.

These awards once again confirm Kesslers International’s position as the most successful British company for the 5th year running.

The brief was to create a shop-in-shop range of merchandising units to promote the much anticipated brand extension of Topshop’s Make up line. 

The displays encapsulated the fresh innovative spirit of the Topshop brand, through creation of raw minimalist black and white units which tied in with the product range style and packaging. The minimalistic design also helps to exaggerate the colours featured in the quirky spring summer 2010 line. 

The new design received a fantastic response from both the public and the investor. Project results saw an immediate increase in sales figures which far exceeded the forecasted results.

Please click the links below to access George Kessler Presentation:
- The Materials & Processes for Performance Injection Moulding
- Past, Present and Future of Plastics

George Kessler CBE and Group Deputy Chairman of Kesslers International shared his knowledge and views on plastics and their use in the POS/POP industry taking a particular interest into the environmental issues commonly associated with them.

Hosted by the POPAI UK committee on Tuesday, June 8th and held at the Robert Horne Group head offices in Northampton, the 3 hour seminar aimed at exploring the best use and re-use of different plastic materials & processes to produce POP displays.

Spanning over 30 years experience in the display and manufacturing industries, George Kessler CBE delivered two presentations to an audience made of industry representatives from Bezier, Perspex, The Robert Horne Group, and brands like Pepsi Co. and L’Oréal.  Whilst the first presentation covered all the Materials & Processes for Performance Injection Moulding, the second was an insightful talk on the future trends, influences & sustainability in plastics for the POP industry. The seminar was very well received by all the industry professionals who are increasingly eager to source sustainable material when engaging with their customer by creating new displays.

Kesslers International is consistently working towards using sustainable components during the entire design and manufacturing process.

Kesslers International have manufactured and built a new stand concept for Take One Media at key UK airports. The High Definition {HD} digital displays within the units offer the latest in eyecatching stand display technology. Initially launching at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted, the stands have been placed in a variety of locations across all terminals at each of the three airports to give a spread of inbound and outbound passengers.

The displays are a result of extensive research by Take One at Heathrow and Gatwick which shows over a third of all business and leisure travelers actively seek tourism and travel information in the form of leaflets, maps, guides and destination magazines when passing through airports. West End Shows, travel and entertainment are the most sought after materials collected by these groups. In addition, research released at the end of 2009 by Experian Marketing Services, revealed that consumers are more open than ever before to multimedia messaging, and receptive to HD in particular. The survey showed that almost 30% of consumers view advertising unfavorably, meaning more and more consumers are able to engage and ingnore marketing campaigns with ease, and 55% claim to delay buying something until it is on special offer. The survey concluded that diversity amongst HD-ready consumers meant that advertisers and marketers have to think beyond the ‘one size fits all’ approach to marketing. The new stands are a direct answer to Take One’s own research, and current marketing trends and developments.

The stands have been designed by Priestman Goode, a multi-disciplinary design consultancy specialising in transportation, environments and product design. Priestman Goode were the internal environment team leaders for the development of Heathrow T5. The stands were manufactured and built by Kesslers International and sister company Brand Technology.

Please click here for more information about Take One Media

Kesslers International has been nominated for 3 European POPAI awards for excellence in point-of-purchase design and manufacturing. Our nominations span across three prominent industry categories and include:

Mars Chocolate UK Ltd - Mars Chillier Space Maker
Food stocker category

Little Green - Colour Center
DIY, Home-ware and Gardening category

Procter and Gamble - Christina Aguilera by Night
Floor standing perfumer tester category

Chairman Charles Kessler commented:““We are delighted to be the most successful British company for the 5th year running. This is great recognition of our work in expressing brand values instore.” “

The results will be announced on the 24th of June in Paris during the annual Award Ceremony and will see Kesslers International honoured of a Gold, Silver or Bronze Award. 

Click here to download the press release (pdf reader required)

To watch the video and download the presentation:
- Video - Innovation Seminar
- Presentation - The Changing face of the Beauty Industry : How Far have we come (PDF Reader required)

Having earned a reputation for diverse and dynamic presentation, the 9th Annual Kesslers’ Innovation Seminar took place in our offices on March 9th and attracted guests from a wide variety of industries including beauty, design, fashion, electronics and media!  Participants were abuzz - sharing ideas, brainstorming and networking – all while enjoying a fabulous lunch!

The buyers and marketing managers who packed the audience found the seminar fresh and informative with many wishing “they had been given this information when just starting out!”  Among the guests were our trend-setting designers and directors who continually consider the seminar “an opportunity for inspiration!” This innovative approach to training endows their staff with a unique insight into consumer behaviour.

Drawing on 30 years of experience with the retail, fashion and beauty industries, Hilary Dart, Director of Hilary Dart Associates, provided a fascinating keynote address involving the whirlwind of change she has witnessed during her reign as Head of Calvin Klein Beauty Worldwide and as Head of Beauty at Selfridge’s Department Store.
Of Hilary Dart’s performance Charles Kessler, Chairman of Kesslers International commented, “Hilary Dart’s keynote address at this year’s seminar hit just the right spot, offering vision and information that could apply to every market with special insight into the beauty industry.”

Nicola Cordingley, Marketing Materials Buyer at Crown Paints remarked, “Colour is at the heart of everything we do, and the latest trends in fashion, textiles and cosmetics are constantly reviewed to bring our consumers the very latest colours for their homes.  Our “Crown Fashion for Walls” collection is a great example of this.  At Crown Paints we recognise the strong link between fashion, cosmetics and our paint collections, and we’re always looking for new ways to inspire our consumers, taking cues from these sectors.”

We hold two Innovation Seminars per year. The next seminar is due to take place in September, 2010.

Kesslers International ‘off-the-shelf’ range was selected by George Hammer to display some of Hammer Holdings leading Hair and Beauty brands at the London Professional Beauty Show, held in the London Excel Centre, over the 7th and 8th of March 2010.

Our sister company, Brand Technology, is an industry leader in design and manufacture of stylish and contemporary ‘off-the-shelf’ merchandising solutions. Brand Technology has worked on various projects with George Hammer and has recently refurbished the Urban Retreat space situated at the top floor of Harrods along with supporting the launch of Mr Mascara. Hammer Holding’s Beauty Alliance group was launched the same day

The flexibility and quality finishing of the ‘off-the-shelf’ display range meant it was specifically selected to compliment and support the stylish image of the brands on display.

With the experts of UK Hair and Beauty Industry present the exhibition proved a huge success. The encouraging feedback and enquiries that came as a result of the show once again reaffirmed Brand Technology as a leading display supplier to the Hair and Beauty industries.

George Hammer said: “We are very fortunate that Brand Technology (part of the Kesslers International Group) has chosen to be our partner in the development of retail fixtures and fittings {for The Beauty Alliance}. It is something that salons and spas are paying more and more attention to. At the Urban Retreat, Harrods, we have seen our retail sales grow tremendously through the right presentation.”

For more information about our ‘off-the-shelf’ range please visit Brand Technology new website www.brandtec.com

Recent events have seen Kesslers International get behind and support the UK’s Post Office retailers and sub post masters. Kesslers International led the way at the recent supplier show demonstrating their understanding and delivery of products developed specifically to the needs of retailers.

Kesslers International Ltd. once again invest in cutting edge technology.
The new £250K HOMAG router features a 6.6metre cutting bed, giving increased flexibility to cut not only standard but also, over sized materials.

Just about any profile/shape can be cut as the cutting tool can run along any curved or straight path. Production ‘downtime’ has been considerably reduced with the removal of tasks associated with changing of the cutter tools and material set up. The head unit of the cutter incorporates various cutting tools and tandem loading means one sheet of material can be loaded on the machine whilst the other is being cut.

Additional new features allowing side boring and cutting will mean increased productivity in production and an ever growing list of in house manufacturing capabilities.

This means our customers can look forward to an increased product offering and improved lead times.

For any further questions please contact one of our sales team.

Kesslers International are delighted to welcome its new Sales and Marketing Director, Andrea Porter-Keel.

This important new role has been designed to oversee and manage an ever growing marketing and sales team, with an increasing client base.

Andrea has a wealth of experience in the POS industry, having joined us from St Ives Plc where she was Group Sales Director of Retail & Brands.

Andrea will be an instrumental member of the Kesslers team and we look forward to working with her along with the exciting influx of new ideas and energy she is bringing with her to Kesslers.

Kesslers International invites Hilary Dart to speak at its 9th Innovation Seminar:

“The Beauty Industry- changing brand, in-store and consumer experiences: How far have we come?”

Kesslers International is delighted that Hilary Dart, whose career has spanned 30 years in the Retail, Fashion and Beauty sectors, will be speaking at our 9th Innovation Seminar on Tuesday 9th March 2010 from 1.30pm at our offices.

Hilary has held a number of senior positions encompassing Buying, Merchandising, general Management and Business and Product Development. Amongst her many and varied roles, she has been Head of Beauty at Selfridges  and President of Calvin Klein Worldwide. Since 2004, she has been running her own business Hilary Dart Associates which advises a number of companies and brands on business strategy, product, retail and brand development. Her client list includes Jaeger, Champneys, World Duty Free, Ben Sherman and Ultimo.

Hilary’s presentation will explore how much the beauty industry has changed over the past two decades and how brands and retailers have really “pushed the envelope” in terms of product innovation, the in-store experience and consumer communication.

Her talk will provide lessons for all brands on how to understand consumer-led retailing principles at the cutting edge. 

Chairman, Charles Kessler, has been named a ‘just in time expert’ by Esprit magazine.

The article featured in the November 2009 issue provides an overview of the Kesslers group, honing in on Charles’s expertise, specifically in the beauty industry and his understanding of beauty brands.

The article highlights Kesslers willingness to change and adapt with the times. Charles explains the importance of a marketing mix lineup when the packaging, PR and retail display come together, increasing brand power and therefore its profitability.

The article also focuses on the long term success of Kesslers and particularly the desire and ability to build on strong and long-term relationships with all their customers. All of which ensures Kesslers International has become “An important part of brand communication”.

Please click here to view the full article

Kesslers has come top of the 2010 POP price league table in Marketing Week’s yearly independent survey (previously conducted by In-Store magazine). The survey assesses the leading POP companies in the UK.

The data was collected in November 2009 from Marketing Week and marketingweek.co.uk readers with voters including marketing managers, merchandisers and Point of Sale decision makers.

Kesslers is proud to be the only company to consecutively make and top the marketing week POP league tables for 5 years running.

Please click here to view full article

Kesslers International has a well established Apprenticeship programme which has been running for almost twenty years and is driven by the Board of Directors.

Facing an ageing workforce, the company decided to implement a programme of training 4-5 young apprentices a year to increase the number of young, qualified people coming into the business. Many of the apprentices have risen to supervisory roles once their training was complete and they form a critical part of the company’s succession strategy.

Group Deputy Chairman, George Kessler, said: “Apprentices play a crucial role in increasing the competitiveness of the company. The commercial benefit of the programme is that we are able to do things that our competitors are unable to do. An example of this is when we started processing wood on metal punches, giving a processing time saving of 650 per cent. The Apprenticeship training has also updated our existing skills base. With the threat from international competition, it is more challenging than ever to remain competitive. The savings we have achieved are essential to our future prosperity and survival.”

Angela Moore, Chief Executive of Inner London Training said: “Even in these difficult times of recession Kesslers have remained committed to employing and developing apprentices, as well as training other staff. The apprentices that train with Kesslers achieve not only their elements of their Apprenticeship but they grow with the organisation and gain the skills to be responsible adults. I believe that Kesslers deserve to win this award for their long-term continued belief in Apprenticeships and for the commitment they have shown over the past 10 years.”

On Tuesday, September 15th , 2009, Kesslers International hosted its 8th annual Innovation seminar headlined by leading UK designer, Tim Gosling.

Tim Gosling presented us with his impressive portfolio of luxury bespoke furniture and interior commissions includes the Savoy and Goring Hotels in London, the headquarters of British Petroleum, and several important public and private commissions all of which have earned high praise.

The seminar was a huge success with all guests able to take something valuable away.

Kesslers invests heavily in industry leading Codema diamond polishing technology and the Trumpf metal working machine.

Diamond polisher
Kesslers’ ‘Codema’ diamond polishing technology creates mirror perfect polishing and bevelled edges to acrylics.

The introduction of this innovative motor controlled technology allows Kesslers to uniquely polish acrylics up to 150mm with pin point accuracy in a fraction of the time that similar polishing units take.

Trumpf metal working machine
Kesslers have been using CNC (Computer Numerically Controlled) turret presses for over 30 years. Their first purchase was a second hand state of the art US designed and made machine using paper tape to input the program (a leading edge technology then). They have continued to take advantage of the innovations and developments in sheet metal technology. They moved over to leading edge Japanese technology some 25 years ago and were early implementers of networking machines electronically and linking off line programming with their CAD systems. External evaluation by the University of Warwick put them in the top five per cent of UK companies and the top ten per cent of International companies using this technology.

Over the last decade Trumpf, a German company has won a significant technological advantage over the Japanese with their top of the range machines.

Kesslers are currently working closely with a selection of world leading design agencies on a ‘top secret’ project due to be in the public arena early 2010.

Kesslers awards for European excellence include the following:

-Award for best freestanding display unit for a fragrance company
L’Oreal, Viktor & Rolf’s merchandising and demonstration modular unit.
-Award for best display for service industry
Barclays Bank, wall and floor leaflet system.
-Award for best ‘off the shelf’ material system
System Omnia, In-Queue Merchandising range.

“Kesslers won the most of any non French company and this is the best result for any British company. This is the fourth year running that Kesslers has won POPAI Awards.”

Charles Kessler (Chairman)

click here to download news pdf