A self-made single mother who started from the bottom

 

She overcame all odds and built a successful label printing business in Paarl from the ground up. The owner of Vineyard Labels shares her inspiring story.

Determined to leave her failed marriage behind and start anew elsewhere, Ezelle Cussons, 37, loaded her two toddlers and a suitcase full of belongings into her car and drove as far away from Benoni as possible.

She ended up in Paarl – very unfamiliar territory compared to the East Rand in Gauteng – with nowhere to live and no job prospects to support her two daughters. As a single mum, the pressure to keep the money coming in, no matter what, was intense. “It was a dark period in my life, but I kept thinking: ‘It can only get better from here. The worst is over.’ I guess I’ve always been positively connected in that way,” she comments.

With the help of her brother, who lived in the United States, Ezelle found accommodation and began working odd jobs and part-time jobs to make ends meet. She knew she had to do whatever it took to build a new life for her and her two daughters. She applied for a job at Varuna Marketing in Paarl, where she met owner and local entrepreneur Gavin Wolhuter. “I remember the printing business above our building closed down and the owners disappeared overseas, leaving everything behind. Gavin took a leap of faith, bought the equipment at auction, and started a new printing business. Ezelle invested her last bit of savings and joined Gavin as co-owners of Vineyard Labels in a 50/50 ownership split. They also retained several employees who today are “important members of the company,” Ezelle explains.

With no experience or knowledge of the label printing industry, Ezelle and Gavin took a huge gamble and fired up an old Nilpeter flexographic press to jumpstart their foray into the label printing game. Ezelle describes her business partner as her “rock” and “safety net.”

“We were thrown in at the deep end and had to quickly learn how to operate the press and other label printing equipment after our first machine operator decided to jump ship. A lot of what we did at the time was done by trial and error, but we learned it quickly,” she explains. Ezelle, Gavin, and several crew members spent many late nights learning to operate and understand every intricate and technical detail of the printing machinery. “Today, I can confidently say that I know my way around a slitter rewinder,” she quips.

The equipment was only part of the equation. Ezelle and her team had to learn to run a business, too. “From going out to source new business, following up with potential clients, and quoting and invoicing clients, we had to do it all ourselves. My daughters grew up watching Yeo working in that factory building.

With a little dedication, perseverance and a roll-up-your-sleeves attitude, it wasn't long before Ezelle and Gavin were finding their feet and building Vineyard Labels into a full-fledged label printing business. "We're a close-knit family and everyone does whatever it takes to get the job done. We're a small team but everyone is skilled, talented and knows what's expected of them. Competing with large label printing multinationals such as MCC Label and Lebone Paarl Labels didn't intimidate Ezelle in the least. "We pride ourselves on not being a corporate company. We offer a personal touch that these companies can't match and we're able to take on jobs that the big companies simply don't want or have the capacity to handle.

With the business up and running, Ezelle approached leading printing technology supplier ROTOCON for a new press and in 2019 purchased an ECOLINE RFP 340 – a machine designed to increase printing efficiency. “It’s not the cheapest press, but the quality of the finished product is amazing and the level of after-sales service we receive from Pascal Aengenvoort and his team at ROTOCON makes it all worthwhile.” Later, they also purchased the RSH (ROTOCON Horizontal Slitter) 340 slitter inspection and rewinding system.

What Ezelle really appreciates about the Aengenvoorts is their willingness to get their hands dirty, working closely with the machine operators to truly understand the needs of the operators and the print shop.

Utilizing the services of its talented in-house designer Charl van der Merwe, Vineyard Labels convinces companies such as Van Loveren, Vergelegen, De Wet Cellar, UniWines and Asara with its innovative designs and quality craftsmanship.

With the emergence of local cheesemaker Zandam Cheese in Durbanville, Vineyard Labels is looking to expand its portfolio beyond wine.

“We are definitely seeing a trend towards shorter label runs but with a greater focus on premium finishes and intricate embellishments,” she comments.

Vineyard Labels, located in Dal Josafat, Paarl, has the capacity to produce 2.5 to 3 million labels per month. Since 2021, the company has experienced phenomenal growth – producing around 240,000 labels per month – and as of 2023, they are now producing an average of 750,000 labels per month.

According to Ezelle, the support and assistance ROTOCON provides to Vineyard Labels has been immeasurable. “This is more than just a supplier-client relationship,” she enthuses. “This is a true partnership. Not only does the team provide products of the highest manufacturing quality and specifications, but they also have the technical know-how and qualified technicians to make anything happen. They really go the extra mile to help us,” says Ezelle. She believes that ROTOCON’s technology has enabled Vineyard Labels to expand its market offerings and meet the changing needs of its customers with greater adaptability and responsiveness.

“Looking back and looking at my two teenage daughters today, I’m happy with how things turned out. It took a lot of hard work, but through it all, I’ve taught my kids a valuable lesson: Don’t rely on others to create your own success. Stay independent and be willing to make the necessary sacrifices to get what you want in life,” Ezelle concluded. With this can-do attitude, Ezelle and Vineyard Labels can only go from strength to strength.

Header Featured Image:

ROTOCON Sales Director Pascal Aengenvoort, Vineyard Labels co-owner Ezelle Cussons and ROTOCON Group CEO Michael Aengenvoort at the ROTOCON WineLand 30 Under 30 Awards.

The PDF of the article Published inWineLand Magazine

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