Eric Sandy – MasterTag

How Sustainability Became MasterTag’s Culture (Not Just a Marketing Message)

January 21, 2026

Walk into MasterTag’s facility, and you’ll notice something that can’t be listed on a spec sheet or highlighted in a product brochure: sustainability isn’t just a department or initiative; it’s embedded in how the company operates daily.

From the closed-loop recycling system that’s been running for two decades, to the LED lighting overhead, to the materials engineer who chose to work in plastics specifically to make a positive impact, MasterTag’s approach to sustainability reflects something deeper than market trends or competitive positioning.

“It all started with Rick Hughes, our former owner,” explained Dylan Ode, MasterTag’s Materials and Manufacturing Process Engineer. “It was obvious on day one that [sustainability] wasn’t just a buzzword or something we talked about. It was the way he lived and operated, and the company adopted that.”

The Foundation: A Leader’s Legacy

Hughes’s influence on MasterTag’s sustainability culture was immediate and pervasive. Unlike companies where environmental initiatives emerge from customer demands or regulatory pressure, MasterTag’s commitment to sustainability came from the top and spread organically through the organization.

“It’s more than just a selling point for us. It really does matter,” Ode said. “All of us have adopted that same vision.”

This cultural foundation proved essential, given the inherent tension in MasterTag’s business model: helping customers grow plants while producing plastic tags.

As Ode acknowledged, “We’re helping customers grow live plants, so [sustainability] has a natural fit. On the flip side, we make plastic tags, and to a lot of people, plastic is the enemy when you’re talking sustainability.”

One Engineer’s Mission: Making Plastics Part of the Solution

Ode’s personal journey took an unexpected route to environmental work. As someone who studied plastics engineering, he recognized an opportunity in what many perceive as the problem.

“When I was going through school, I was going for plastics engineering. And plastics were always talked about with such a negative connotation. But you can’t look anywhere around you without seeing plastic,” he said. “So to me, there was an opportunity to work in an industry that has a negative connotation, but then make the biggest positive impact possible.”

This philosophy — working within an industry to transform it rather than working against it — shapes MasterTag’s material development strategy. Ode’s role has evolved over his 10 years with the company. Now he’s focused explicitly on sustainable materials research and development and ESG reporting.

The Closed-Loop System: Two Decades of Recycling

Long before sustainable materials became a market differentiator, MasterTag established a recycling partnership that diverts hundreds of thousands of pounds of plastic from landfills annually.

“We ensure that all of our internal scrap is sent out. It’s a closed-loop system that takes our scrap and turns it into horticultural containers, pots, and trays,” Ode explained. “We think that that’s a big win for the industry because we’re ensuring that none of the waste we’re generating is going to the landfill. It’s getting a second chance.”

The program predates recent sustainability trends by years. MasterTag has been running this closed-loop system for at least two decades.

The benefit extends beyond one-time recycling: “We know once it goes to the supplier that makes those pots and containers, that it may end up being turned back into a pot and container several times,” he said.

The system also captures aluminum plates used to create printed images on tags. “Those all get recycled,” Ode confirmed. “It’s a built-in piece of our production process. You can’t necessarily get away from it, but you can ensure that you’re doing the right thing with it.”

MasterTag’s approach reflects that sustainability in manufacturing isn’t about eliminating waste; it’s about giving waste a second, third, and fourth life.

Lean Manufacturing: Efficiency by Design

MasterTag’s upcoming facility expansion represents an opportunity to reduce waste through smarter layout and workflow design.

The new facility’s design focuses on creating a direct route from start to finish. “Whether that’s final product or scrap, it’s all going to be on one clear pathway. There isn’t going to be duplicate handling going on like there is currently because of our space limitations,” Ode said.

The facility improvements also include green infrastructure elements such as LED lighting and water-recycling systems, demonstrating a sustainability mindset at every level of design.

“We believe there will be an abundance of opportunities for efficiency improvements with this new facility, efficiencies to our own operations as well as potential improvements to the customer experience,” Ode said.

The CCL Industries Effect: Resources and Accountability

MasterTag’s acquisition by CCL Industries and Avery also brought new dimensions to its sustainability work.

“They naturally have a huge focus on sustainability and offer a large network of resources for us to tap into,” Ode noted.

The relationship also introduced formal accountability structures.

MasterTag now participates in annual ESG reporting covering energy consumption, carbon emissions for both incoming and outgoing shipments, and other environmental metrics.

“This is the third year we’ve done [ESG reporting], so we have a decent amount of data in place,” Ode said, which allows MasterTag to track trends and measure improvement over time.

This combination of resources and requirements “aligned with some of the work I was already doing,” according to Ode, making the formal reporting structure a natural extension of his existing priorities.

Education as a Core Responsibility

MasterTag’s sustainability culture extends beyond its own operations to include what Ode identified as one of their biggest responsibilities: educating customers.

“There are a lot of misconceptions about plastic, recycling, and the green buzzwords we hear nowadays,” he explained. “I think one of the biggest benefits we provide for our customers is from an educational standpoint.”

Through education, MasterTag helps growers navigate sustainability decisions that might feel overwhelming: “By partnering with us on sustainable materials, you can feel comfortable that you’re in good hands with the leader in the industry in providing sustainable solutions,” Ode expressed.

This even extends to helping growers communicate sustainability to their own customers. MasterTag often tailors its artwork to highlight that a tag is made from recycled plastic, helping get that message to the end consumer.

This support helps growers tell their sustainability story without getting lost in the common confusion between “biodegradable versus compostable” or “recyclable versus recycled content.”

The Guard Rails of Greenwashing

Perhaps the most telling aspect of MasterTag’s sustainability culture is its cautious approach to claims and its willingness to acknowledge complexity rather than oversimplify.

“We’re always looking at what’s out there,” Ode said. But this search comes with rigorous vetting: “Staying accurate and making sure we’re not falling victim to greenwashing: it’s always verify, research. Because there are options out there, but you definitely have to sift through what’s real and what isn’t.”

This carefulness reflects the company’s understanding that credibility in sustainability requires honesty about limitations and trade-offs.

“What works for one customer might not work for somebody else. And then, as you start digging deeper, [sustainability is often] region specific,” Ode noted, acknowledging “there’s not a silver bullet.”

The company also maintains realistic boundaries around what it can promise: “While we always want to sell more tags, we’re still going to do the right thing,” he said.

Looking Ahead: Building on the Foundation

MasterTag’s sustainable materials portfolio continues to evolve. “We have some things in the pipe that we’re excited about,” Ode confirmed, though specifics remain under wraps.

The company is also looking to make changes to some of its stock products, suggesting that sustainability will increasingly become the default rather than an option.

Green Culture in Action

When growers call MasterTag with questions or concerns about sustainable options, they’ll encounter its open culture directly. Ode’s message to skeptical growers reflects the company’s approach: “Pick up the phone, let’s talk. We can provide data, prototypes. I think we’ve shown with the options that we have out in the market right now that there have been no drawbacks.”

This willingness to engage in dialogue, provide transparent information, and address concerns demonstrates that for MasterTag, sustainability is truly cultural rather than transactional.

The irony isn’t lost on them: they make plastic tags for an industry growing live plants. But acknowledging that tension while working thoughtfully to minimize impact is what separates genuine sustainability culture from marketing spin.

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The Complete Guide to MasterTag’s Sustainable Tag Portfolio: Evo, Repro, Fibro, and Verso Explained

January 9, 2026

Sustainable tags are everywhere, but which ones actually hold up in the greenhouse?

For growers navigating retail sustainability mandates or simply looking to reduce their environmental footprint, the question isn’t whether to offer sustainable tags; it’s which option makes the most sense for your operation.

In fact, a recent survey conducted by the Home Garden Panel, a consumer research group MasterTag subscribes to, found that 78% of shoppers want to see more sustainable container options at their local garden center.

MasterTag’s sustainable portfolio includes four distinct substrate options, each engineered for different applications, performance requirements, and sustainability goals.

Here’s what growers need to know about Evo, Repro, Fibro, and Verso, including pricing, performance, and when each option works best.

Understanding the Portfolio: Four Solutions for Different Needs

MasterTag currently offers two recycled-content plastic options and two fiber-based alternatives.

“The way we approach testing these alternative substrates is, as best as we can, we’re going to try to make sure that there is no impact to performance,” explained Dylan Ode, MasterTag’s Materials and Manufacturing Process Engineer.

“The general perception is that when you use something that says ‘recycled’ on it, it’s not as good. We wanted to ensure that when we went through our testing process and development, the goal was for there to be no sacrifice on the end product’s performance,” he said.

Evo: The Post-Consumer Pioneer

Composition: 30% recycled milk jugs, 70% virgin plastic

Timeline: Launched 2018-2019

Best for: Growers seeking recycled content with familiar plastic performance

Evo was MasterTag’s first sustainable offering, and it carries a meaningful message: it contains post-consumer waste rather than just the manufacturer’s recycled material.

Using milk jugs as the source of recycled content gives growers a simple, relatable story to share with eco-conscious shoppers. The 30% recycled content delivers sustainability messaging while keeping pricing competitive.

Repro: The 100% Recycled Standout

Composition: 100% recycled plastic with guaranteed minimum 25% post-consumer waste

Timeline: Formally approved 2021-2022, marketed 2023-2024

Best for: Growers selling to retailers with recycled content mandates; operations seeking maximum recycled content without performance sacrifice

Of all MasterTag’s sustainable options, Repro is “the one that I’m most proud of,” Ode said. At 100% recycled content, with a guaranteed minimum of 25% post-consumer waste, it addresses a critical market need.

“A lot of big brands have put out mandates that you must have ‘X’ amount of recycled content in any plastic components,” Ode explained. “And for customers that are selling to these places, if you didn’t have an option in place, that can be kind of scary.”

Beyond meeting mandates, Repro offers a compelling sustainability story: “You’re using a product that’s already avoided the landfill. At the end of the day, the more times you can use a piece of plastic, the better, right? It’s already been made. The more you can avoid waste is the best case scenario.”

The Brand Integrity Factor

One common concern with recycled materials is whether they’ll compromise brand appearance. MasterTag has seen the opposite with Repro.

“The feedback I received from a large customer using it today is that there were no negative impacts to their branding or performance,” Ode reported.

In fact, recent customer feedback revealed that they couldn’t even tell it was recycled. For growers working with larger brands where brand integrity is critical, consistency matters.

Fibro: The Thin-Gauge Fiber Option

Composition: 90% virgin paper, 10% post-consumer waste

Timeline: Launched 2024

Best for: Hang tags and applications not in direct soil contact; growers wanting to avoid plastic entirely

Fibro provides a fiber-based alternative for tags that traditionally used thin-gauge plastic. The 10% post-consumer waste comes from “general paper products, or household and office paper waste,” Ode said.

Verso: The Heavy-Duty Paper Alternative

Composition: Thicker, more durable fiber-based material

Timeline: Launched 2024

Best for: Applications requiring more durability than Fibro; growers committed to completely avoiding plastic

Verso offers greater thickness and durability than Fibro, “which gives us a little bit more flexibility in what we can do with it,” Ode explained. MasterTag hopes to utilize Verso in even more applications in the future.

Both fiber options are designed for customers looking to avoid plastic altogether.

However, there’s a reality check: “Most people understand that paper isn’t going to perform like plastic. And if you engineer paper to perform like a plastic, it’s likely no longer recyclable and potentially less environmentally friendly than the plastic is at that point.”

The key is matching the material to the application. For hang tags and short-term use where soil contact isn’t a factor, Fibro and Verso deliver on their promise: a genuine plastic alternative without over-engineering or false performance claims.

Performance Expectations: Setting Realistic Standards

For plastic-based Evo and Repro, MasterTag’s testing process ensures performance is identical to that of a standard polypropylene or polystyrene.

For the fiber-based options, expectations are different: “When you look at the fiber, obviously, there’s a different expectation of what a paper is going to do versus a plastic. But for customers looking for that, there’s a general understanding that this isn’t going to be what they had before,” Ode said.

MasterTag’s philosophy centers on transparency; customers should understand exactly what they’re getting: “We spend a lot of time on the development side. Some might even say we overkill it. But at the end of the day, we understand the expectations of our products,” he added.

The Pricing Reality: Understanding the Premium

One of the most common misconceptions growers encounter is that recycled materials cost less than virgin materials. The reality is more complex.

“There’s a common misconception that if something has recycled content, it’s going to be cheaper,” Ode explained. “Occasionally that may be the case, but most often what you find is that [recycled product is] going to come at a slight premium because of all of the processes that go into recapturing it.”

Each step in the recycling chain adds cost: “There’s the collection process, the cleaning, the sortation, the repelletizing, and then the reproduction of that into a new material. And unfortunately, you can’t get around some of that.”

Approximate Premium Ranges:

Repro: 5-10% premium (MasterTag’s most competitive sustainable option)
Other options: Can reach 20% premium depending on specification

However, it’s important to note that pricing is volume-dependent.

“As you scale up, the premium comes down. That burden on the price side, when you’re doing smaller runs here and there, that’s a little harder to overcome,” Ode acknowledged.

Market dynamics also play a role: “From a broad standpoint, the more the market starts to adopt some of these sustainable substrates, that will only help prices come down,” he added.

The Infrastructure Challenge

Behind the pricing lies a systemic issue affecting the entire sustainable materials market: the U.S. recycling infrastructure simply isn’t there yet.

“At the end of the day, that’s the biggest driver,” Dylan noted. The limited framework creates a double burden: “the processing it takes to capture and recreate [materials] and the fact that supply is limited because infrastructure is so limited.”

Compare that to Europe, where the situation looks dramatically different.

“Europe is light-years ahead of us in terms of its recycling infrastructure. That’s why you see so many mandates in Europe. It’s part of their culture because it’s so ingrained, but they’re also able to have the mandates they have from a government level because the infrastructure is there,” Ode said.

What does this mean for U.S. growers? “Until that infrastructure gets to where it needs to be, it requires some creative problem-solving on our end,” he said.

Still, MasterTag is optimistic. “With some of the developments that we have in the pipeline and more adoption, we do see that becoming less of a problem,” he added.

Completing the Sustainable System: Wood Risers

For growers choosing fiber-based tags, MasterTag offers complementary wood risers. It’s a small detail that matters: pairing a paper hang tag with a plastic riser defeats the purpose.

Wood risers complete the sustainable system, ensuring growers committed to avoiding plastic can do so throughout their entire tagging solution.

Selecting the Right Option for Your Operation

Choosing among MasterTag’s sustainable portfolio depends on several factors:

Choose Repro if:

You’re selling to retailers with recycled content mandates
You want maximum recycled content without compromising performance
Brand appearance consistency is critical
You need the most cost-competitive sustainable plastic option

Choose Evo if:

You want recycled content with a clear consumer story (milk jugs)
You value the unique appearance of reclaimed HDPE
You need a short run length

Choose Fibro if:

You’re using hang tags or non-soil-contact applications
You want to avoid plastic completely
You’re willing to accept paper performance characteristics

Choose Verso if:

You need more durability than Fibro provides
You’re committed to fiber-based solutions
You’re exploring expanding fiber use beyond traditional hang tag applications

What About Skeptical Growers?

For growers still hesitant about switching to sustainable options, Ode invites them to give him a call: “Pick up the phone, let’s talk. We are always willing to engage with customers directly to learn more about their specific sustainability initiatives and answer any questions they may have.”

Ultimately, MasterTag wants to help growers achieve their goals: “We understand that offering a customer a more sustainable material doesn’t do anything for them if they can’t sell their plants. So at the end of the day, we’re here to ensure that our customers can sell more plants,” Ode said.

With options ranging from 30% to 100% recycled content, and from thin-gauge fiber to durable plastic alternatives, MasterTag’s portfolio provides entry points for growers at different stages of their sustainability journey.

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What’s New: Recent and Upcoming Improvements to MasterTag’s Online Ordering System

January 5, 2026

Ever wish you could see all your invoices in one place instead of digging through emails? Or track exactly where your custom tag project stands in production? MasterTag just made both possible.

The company rolled out two major updates to its online ordering platform last month, both driven by grower requests.

“We built this tool in collaboration with our customers,” said Korey Minnebo, Senior Manager of Customer Service & Success at MasterTag. “We could have come to the table with everything that MasterTag thought was what our customers needed, and we wouldn’t have hit the mark.”

Since the platform launched in 2020, that collaborative approach has driven steady improvements. Here’s what’s new, what’s coming, and how MasterTag uses customer input to shape the ordering experience.

The One-Question Survey That Drives Improvement

At the heart of MasterTag’s development process is a simple feedback mechanism: after placing an order or proofing items in the online environment, customers see a brief pop-up asking them to rate their experience on a scale of 1 to 10.

“We ask one simple question: ‘How is our service for you?'” Minnebo said. “They can answer anonymously, or they can leave their information so we can contact them at a later time.”

The MasterTag team watches these responses closely for trends, concerns, and new feature ideas. The survey also creates opportunities for one-on-one connections with customers who may not realize certain capabilities already exist.

“It allows customer service to connect with those customers,” Minnebo said. “To say, ‘If you have a few minutes, I can actually show you that that’s something we have available.'”

Beyond the survey, MasterTag’s customer service team is always speaking with growers using the platform.

“We are constantly asking, ‘How was your experience? Is there anything we could do better? Hey, we just delivered a new feature. Have you given it a try? Did it meet your needs?'” Minnebo said.

This ongoing engagement ensures that even when a new feature hits 90% of customer needs, MasterTag can quickly identify and address the remaining 10%.

Major Updates: “My Documents” and “My Projects”

MasterTag rolled out two significant new features approximately one month ago: “My Documents” and “My Projects.” Both aim to give growers a single-source location for tracking all their activity with MasterTag.

My Documents: A Repository for Invoices and Reference Materials

The “My Documents” section provides a centralized hub for important order documentation.

The most impactful addition is invoice access.

“When a customer places an order, once we’ve shipped the order, we invoice the order,” Minnebo explained. “Prior to this, they would get an email with the invoice attached to it. Now they’ll actually be able to come in here and look at all of their invoices.”

Instead of searching through email for past invoices, growers can now access their complete billing history in one place.

A “Quotes” section is in development and will work similarly.

“This feature is coming soon,” Minnebo said. “When a customer requests a custom quote — for something very specific — we’ll be able to load that quote directly into the system instead of sending it via email.”

The third component is “Reference Documents,” which houses program information, scheduled run details, sell sheets, and other informational materials MasterTag shares with customers.

“This gives our customer service team an area to load all of that information for a customer,” Minnebo explained. “So again, they’re not sifting through email blasts or things we’ve sent them, but they have one area to go to to find all of that information.”

My Projects: Visibility Into Custom Work

For the first time, growers can now see exactly where their custom projects stand in MasterTag’s workflow.

“Previous to this, they would have had no visibility to any of the open projects we had for them,” Minnebo said.

The “My Projects” section includes two main areas:

Service Requests cover custom activities like creative design work, new shape development, and custom quoting. When customers click into an open project, they see a visual timeline showing where the project stands.

“It’s essentially going to tell them where this [project] lives in the process,” Minnebo explained. As it moves through different stages, the customer will see checkmarks next to completed phases. “And it would give them an idea of, ‘Okay, there are nine steps here. I’m on step five. I see my due date is this.'”

Item Builds track new varieties being created for a customer’s account — for example, 50 new tomato varieties being prepared.

“They would be able to see the list of those here and when they’re due to be completed,” Minnebo said. “We’re giving them timeline information that they wouldn’t have had here before. We’re setting expectations on when they’re going to hear from us next, [and] when some of those projects are completed.”

The next phase of “My Projects” will connect completed work to “My Documents.”

“Once that project output is completed, you will see it in your ‘My Documents’ area,” Minnebo explained. “So once your quote was completed, you could see the timeline here, [in ‘Item Builds’]. And now you could see the quote output in my ‘My Documents.'”

Coming Soon: Favorites and Enhanced Sorting

Two highly requested features are in active development.

My Favorites

MasterTag is building a “My Favorites” capability to help with reordering and long-term planning.

“When you’re shopping, if you find something that you want to be able to go back to, but you’re not ready to add it to your shopping cart, we would give them a ‘My Favorites’ option,” Minnebo said.

This feature will also help growers maintain a shorter list of frequently ordered items instead of searching through the entire catalog each time.

“That would also help with reorders,” Minnebo noted. “Or [if] they know they’re going to want to order it again in the future, to help maintain a shorter list of items that they’re interested in.”

Shopping Cart Sorting

Currently in development, this enhancement will allow customers to sort their shopping cart contents, similar to the filtering options available during the browsing phase.

“When they’re in that shopping cart environment, to still give them the ability, like they have when they’re shopping, to sort it by variety or sort it by shape, things like that,” Minnebo said.

Past Improvements That Made a Difference

Several customer-driven enhancements have already become integral to how growers use the platform.

“Order Via Upload”

Perhaps the most impactful feature addition, launched around 2021, was the “Order Via Upload” capability. This allows growers to upload spreadsheets directly instead of manually entering line items, especially valuable for operations that already work in spreadsheets or extract data from their own systems.

“This came along from customers who would come to us and say, ‘Well, typically I would have just emailed this spreadsheet to you. How can I still do that?'” Minnebo recalled.

The feature serves two customer groups: those who maintain their orders in spreadsheets and collaborate with teams before submitting, and those who extract order data from their own POS or database systems.

“Prior to the ‘Order Via Upload’ option, they would have to take that spreadsheet and find all of those items,” Minnebo said. “We’re giving them a shortcut.”

Simplified Account Creation

Around 2022, MasterTag streamlined the new customer onboarding process, reducing the amount of information required upfront and adding automation to prevent duplicate accounts.

“It’s changed over the years from the customer’s experience. The amount of information we ask them to provide before they can start ordering with us has lessened,” Minnebo said.

Ongoing Small Refinements

Beyond major features, MasterTag continuously tweaks smaller elements based on user experience. “Sometimes there are little tweaks here or there regarding how they add items to a cart, things like that,” Minnebo noted.

Even when a feature launches successfully, customer feedback can reveal opportunities for refinement.

“There are definitely tweaks that we’ve made along the way where maybe we output a feature that hit 90% of the need, but it didn’t find all customers,” Minnebo said. “[Then it’s], ‘Okay, what can we do next then to hit some of those other customers?'”

Managing Custom Inventory with “My Tags”

Separate from the stock catalog, MasterTag maintains a “My Tags” section for each customer’s custom items.

“If I’m doing custom business with MasterTag, that’s where my items are going to land because they’re custom to me,” Minnebo explained. “If they’re doing custom activity with MasterTag and it’s only for them to order, that’s what ‘My Tags’ is for them.”

This section helps growers evaluate their custom catalog season to season.

“It’s giving them visibility to their custom offering with us so they can tweak, enhance, and make changes as they need,” Minnebo said. They can identify varieties they’re no longer ordering, items that need to be added, or products that should be refreshed.

“That ‘My Tags’ area definitely helps them as far as their item inventory, what they’re ordering from us, and how to maintain and keep it clean and fresh,” Minnebo added.

Mobile Accessibility

MasterTag’s online ordering system is accessible via mobile browsers on phones and tablets, though usage patterns show most customers still prefer desktop. In October, less than 8% of users accessed MasterTag Online via a mobile device.

The mobile experience does have its use cases, particularly for iPad users.

“There have been a few [responses] from our online surveys where customers might use an iPad in the greenhouse,” Minnebo said. “And they want to go check to make sure, ‘Oh, I need so many more of these.’ An iPad has worked for what they need it for.”

Most mobile usage appears to focus on checking order status rather than placing full orders. “Phone [usage] is probably more that they’re checking to see when their order might ship as opposed to actually placing an order via a cell phone,” Minnebo noted.

Desktop ordering remains the norm for most operations: “In most cases, you have someone in an office setting that’s being given, ‘This is what we need you to order with MasterTag,’ and someone else is out in the greenhouse compiling what that list looks like,” she said.

The Role of Korey and Her Team

As Senior Manager of Customer Service & Success, Minnebo serves as the bridge between customer needs and MasterTag’s development team.

“A lot of what I’m doing is educating customers, engaging with customers, and making sure that [online ordering] is successful for them,” she said.

Her team includes customer service representatives, quality staff, production scheduling, and pre-production — all the “upfront operations teams” that work between creative and actual production. With 27 years at MasterTag (15 in pre-production, 12 in customer service leadership), Minnebo has deep knowledge of both customer needs and internal capabilities.

When feedback comes in through surveys or direct conversations, Minnebo collaborates with the IT and development teams to evaluate options.

“A lot of the success of this platform weighs on, ‘What am I doing? How am I doing it? What are the things we’re making a priority?'” she said.

Sometimes that means delivering exactly what customers ask for. Other times, it means finding better solutions. “[Sometimes, it’s] ‘The customer asked for this. I think we actually have a better option, let’s do this, deliver it to them, and see how it goes,'” Minnebo said.

What’s Next: Getting Feedback on Recent Features

*Korey Minnebo, Senior Manager of Customer Service & Success*

Over the coming months, MasterTag’s primary focus will be gathering customer reactions to “My Documents” and “My Projects.”

“Getting their feedback on those features to understand, ‘Is it working for them? Is it giving them the visibility that they’ve been asking for? Is there more that we can do there?'” Minnebo said.

As customers begin using these new tools, their input will shape the next round of refinements, continuing the collaborative approach that has guided the platform’s development since 2020.

So if you’re using the system and something could work better, speak up. That one-question survey, a quick call to customer service, even an offhand comment during an order — it all gets heard. And more often than not, it gets built.

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How MasterTag’s Online Ordering Platform Works: A Step-by-Step Guide for Growers

December 22, 2025

Ordering plant tags used to mean phone calls strictly during business hours, emailed spreadsheets, and endless PDF markups sent back and forth. MasterTag’s online ordering platform changed that in 2020, giving growers a self-service system that works on their schedule: day or night.

“What it really brought customers that we didn’t have before was an enhanced ordering tool,” said Korey Minnebo, Senior Manager of Customer Service & Success at MasterTag, who has been with the company for 27 years. “We had online ordering in years prior, but nothing to this extent.”

The platform introduced two game-changing capabilities: comprehensive ordering tools and online proofing. Since launch, MasterTag has continued refining the system based on customer feedback. Here’s how it works and what makes it efficient for growers managing complex tag orders.

A Personalized Experience From Login

When growers log in to their MasterTag account, they will see an experience tailored to their operation. “It is completely customizable to that customer,” Minnebo said. “We have the ability to add in a lot of personal preferences, defaults, reminders, favorites, things like that. That makes it their own experience. So it’s not necessarily cookie-cutter for all customers.”

This personalization extends throughout the ordering process, with customers seeing only the products, programs, and filters relevant to their business.

Multiple Ways to Find What You Need

MasterTag’s catalog is extensive, so the platform offers several search and filter options to help growers quickly narrow down their selections.

At the top of the page, customers can use a search field to look for botanical names, varieties, or common names. As they type, the system automatically narrows down choices.

The left side of the screen displays filtering options that can be customized for each customer.

“This customer has been set up with a lot of customized filtering options that apply to their products only,” Minnebo noted while demonstrating the system. Growers can filter by program, common name, series name, shape number, and other attributes.

Customers can also toggle between two viewing modes: an image view that shows product photos, or a list view that resembles a spreadsheet with sortable columns.

“Lots of our customers like the image view, obviously, because it gives them the benefit of seeing what they’re ordering,” Minnebo said.

For even faster access, the platform includes shortcuts to specific breeder programs under the stock catalog section. Instead of searching broadly, growers can click directly on breeder programs like Syngenta to see those varieties immediately.

Two Approaches to Building Your Order

MasterTag offers two distinct methods for placing orders, depending on how growers prefer to work.

Traditional Shopping Experience

The first option is browsing through the catalog, viewing product images, and entering quantities directly into cart fields. Customers can click on any product to see more details or enlarge images. “If there’s a front and back, they can see the front and back of the product,” Minnebo explained.

As items are added to the cart, a number appears next to the shopping cart icon in the upper right corner, providing a running tally.

Order Via Upload

The second option, which launched around 2021, allows growers to bypass manual browsing entirely by uploading a spreadsheet.

“This is really beneficial for customers who already work in a spreadsheet,” Minnebo said. “They have their order in a spreadsheet, and they’re coming to MasterTag Online to place that order. Within a few clicks, they can upload their spreadsheet, and they’re already in the shopping cart process.”

The feature works two ways: growers can download a MasterTag template, fill it in, and re-upload it, or they can use their own spreadsheets.

When using their own spreadsheets, “there are only a couple of areas of information we need for that feature to work. But it allows them to use documents and spreadsheets they already have as their ordering tool,” Minnebo said.

This is particularly valuable for operations that extract order data from their own systems or databases, or for teams that collaborate on orders before submitting them.

“We get pretty good feedback on that,” Minnebo said. “They can work out of the tool with their team to organize their order.”

Managing Your Shopping Cart

Once items are added — whether through traditional browsing or spreadsheet upload — growers move into the shopping cart experience.

One key feature: customers can maintain multiple shopping carts simultaneously.

“Maybe they have an order for their perennials, and maybe they have an order for their annuals,” Minnebo explained. “They can maintain more than one shopping cart at a time as opposed to previously, [when] they would only be able to [build] one shopping cart at a time, and they’d have to wait before they could work on another order.”

Shopping carts never expire, so growers can work at their own pace.

“A customer could order all in one day or a customer could spend weeks working on an order, and it will still be there when they come back,” Minnebo said.

This is also the first point where pricing appears. The cart displays a summary showing the number of items ordered and total quantities. Customers can still review and make changes here, adjusting quantities, clicking for better product views, or using the download and print options to share cart contents with others.

The Checkout Process

Moving through checkout involves three main steps: delivery, payment, and review.

Delivery

In the delivery step, growers enter shipping address information. For operations with multiple locations, MasterTag offers an address book feature.

“If a customer has multiple ship-to locations, they can create an address book up front, or we can for them,” Minnebo said. “When they get to this step in the process, they’re essentially choosing them from a drop-down list, so they don’t have to enter in that ship-to information every time.”

This is also where customers select shipping methods (ground, priority, or overnight) and see an expected ship date based on their order composition.

Payment

Growers can pay by credit card, PayPal, or — if they have terms set up with MasterTag — simply enter a purchase order number.

Review

The final review step gives one last opportunity to verify all order details before submitting.

After You Hit Submit

Once an order is placed, customers immediately see a confirmation message with an order number. Simultaneously, the system sends an automated email confirmation that includes a link back to the order in the platform.

From that point forward, growers have complete visibility into their order status through the “My Orders” section. “This is their all-encompassing order history with MasterTag,” Minnebo said.

The order history includes every order, even those placed by phone or email through MasterTag’s customer service team. Each entry shows the order number, PO number, date placed, who placed it (customer or MasterTag staff), number of items, and current status.

Status indicators include “processing” (before the order reaches MasterTag’s ERP system), “in process” (actively being produced), and “shipped.” For shipped orders, customers can click into the “Shipment” tab to access tracking information with direct links to carrier sites.

“When they submit the order, they’ll receive a nice ‘thank you for your order’ message in the summary on the right. They get an order number, and at the same time, the system will automatically email them an order confirmation with all of the same information, including a link to come back into the ordering tool and find the order that they placed,” Minnebo said.

Handling Special Order Needs

MasterTag’s online platform also supports a range of order scenarios beyond standard placements.

Rush Orders and Custom Ship Dates

During the delivery step of checkout, growers see an expected ship date calculated based on their order volume and production lead time. But if they need something sooner or later, they can request a different date.

“If for some reason they don’t want that estimated ship date, [they have options to move it forward or backward],” Minnebo explained. “[If] they want something faster, they have a calendar that they can select dates from.” Customers can select either an earlier date (for rush needs) or a later date (for planned spring shipments placed in fall, for example).

When a customer requests an earlier date, a MasterTag project manager receives an email notification and works with the production scheduling team to see if it’s feasible. “They will then work with the customer to change that date if that’s something we can do,” Minnebo said.

Small Quantities

Order minimums vary depending on whether growers are ordering stock items or custom products.

Stock items — MasterTag’s pre-determined catalog based on new breeder varieties, high sellers, and years of order history — are available in increments as low as 25 to 100 tags.

“The reason we can accommodate lower increments in our stock offering is because we spent our non-peak months building up that inventory in our fulfillment warehouse,” Minnebo said. “Because it’s been produced already and it’s been put on our shelf when a customer comes here to order, they don’t have to order in production runs.”

When a stock order is submitted, the fulfillment team picks it from the shelf and ships it within three to five business days.

Custom orders require higher minimums (typically 1,000 tags) because production work hasn’t been done yet.

“We are pricing according to production efficiencies,” Minnebo said. “To run very short amounts, like a hundred, means that the customer is going to pay more for that product versus if they order a thousand.”

MasterTag can accommodate exceptions for unique customer needs, including short sheet runs, though smaller custom quantities do cost more.

Getting Help When You Need It

Customer service support is built into the platform in several ways.

At the bottom of every screen, growers see a phone number and email address ([email protected]) connecting them directly to the customer service team, available 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.

“Whether they’re in our online ordering tool or whether they’re just on mastertag.com, they can call our 1-800-number, or they can email us,” Minnebo said. “That will go directly to our customer service team, who are there to answer questions, offer support. They’re also trained in offering guidance on how to use the tool.”

There’s also a “Request a Tag” button that allows customers to describe what they’re looking for if they can’t find it in the catalog. “They can click this button, enter what it is that they’re looking for, and when they submit it, that is also going directly to our customer service team, and they will reach out with guidance on how to help them find it,” Minnebo explained.

Why Order Online vs. Phone or Email

While MasterTag accommodates orders placed any way customers prefer — phone, mail, fax, email, or online — the online platform offers several advantages.

“Even in its simplest form, they’re actually seeing what they’re ordering as opposed to if they call us on the phone or they send an email. They’re not going to see the products firsthand like they can when they’re in MasterTag Online,” Minnebo said.

The platform also provides ordering flexibility beyond business hours.

“They can do it on their time. They don’t have to do it during business hours. With MasterTag Online, they can do it when it works for them in the evening on a weekend. They’re not then forced to place an order when customer service is available during the week,” she added.

Perhaps most importantly, online ordering puts information directly in growers’ hands: tracking updates, expected delivery dates, product availability, order history, and, for custom orders, the ability to proof and approve designs before production begins.

“A lot of [the benefit] is visibility, a lot of it is convenience, as well as proofing,” Minnebo said. “[Customers] have the ability to request [custom] items from us and then proof and see them online before they actually place an order.”

MasterTag Online reflects the company’s commitment to giving growers control and transparency throughout the ordering process, while still maintaining the personal service and support it has built its reputation on.

Whether you’re ordering at midnight or calling during business hours, the system (and the team behind it) is designed to work the way you do.

One Team One Campus

MasterTag Scales Up, Nears Completion on Its One-Campus Expansion — 95,000 Square Feet, Natural Light, and Room to Grow

December 9, 2025

MasterTag is rebuilding its operations around a simple idea: straight lines.

For decades, the horticultural tag and label maker has stretched across mismatched buildings, worked around five additions to a plant built in 1939, and zigzagged product flow between departments.

In 2026, that ends. The company is finishing a new production facility that will physically connect MasterTag’s administration offices — the “farmhouse” built in 2001 — with its longstanding fulfillment center, forming one unified campus.

Julie Rice, Senior Director of Operations, described today’s process as looking like “a zigzag or spaghetti.” The new facility straightens that out.

Raw material will enter on the north side, move step-by-step through production, and exit directly into the warehouse before heading to the shipping docks.

The streamlined path eliminates bottlenecks and creates space for both equipment and work in progress (WIP) — the printed and cut material that currently piles up without a proper staging area.

“We’ll have clearer pathways now, a lot less congestion,” Rice said.

The expansion’s benefits extend beyond daily operations. A larger footprint means room for new equipment, flexibility to meet changing market demands, and more opportunities to say yes to customers.

“That opportunity for future growth and expansion is much more possible,” Rice said.

Not only was the original production site completely landlocked, but it also sat a mile down the road and had five different roof lines, a quirk that complicated moving large equipment.

The new facility eliminates those hurdles, adding more than 60,000 square feet — two and a half times the size of the old plant — all under a single roofline.

How It Started

The expansion plan took shape even before MasterTag’s acquisition was finalized. Rice recalled giving Geoff Martin, CEO of Avery’s parent company, a quiet walkthrough of the production floor.

“He’s a long-time printer,” Rice said. “He started as a printer when he was a young man, so he knows printing very well. And he’s the CEO of the largest printing company in the world.”

It didn’t take Martin long to recognize MasterTag’s potential. “I’ll bet he didn’t take five steps, and he stopped. He looked left, and he looked right, and he looked back at me, and he said, ‘You guys need more space?’ And I said, ‘Yes, we do.’”

From that moment, the expansion became part of the acquisition plan. “It never left the table,” Rice said. “They didn’t say, oh, maybe we’ll build you a new building, and then later change their mind. They stuck with it after they acquired us.”

That immediate alignment set the tone for the partnership. “They saw it and put the puzzle pieces together very quickly,” Rice said. “I didn’t expect him to say that right out of the gate… but he didn’t hesitate. It was quick.”

Timeline: From Drawings to Doors

2023 — Engineering and sitework.

“We spent that year doing all the engineering drawings, getting all of the site work done,” Rice said, from water flow to civil engineering.

August 2024 — Groundbreaking.

“On August 21st, we did a groundbreaking ceremony, and we started moving soil around and getting ready.”

By Christmas 2024 — Shell up.

“We had our outer shell built and some of the basic groundwork.”

2025 — Enclosed and finishing.

“We’re completely enclosed. Windows and doors are finishing right now. All of the cement work is done,” Rice said, adding, “We’ll probably consider it complete by the end of ‘25.”

Spring 2026 — Move-in.

“We won’t try to move into it [at the beginning of the year] because of our seasonality in horticulture,” Rice said. “We should be in and ready to go by June 1st. By mid June of ‘26, we should be doing full production in the facility.”

A Facility That Fits the Vision

MasterTag built the new facility to eliminate extra steps and bottlenecks — a core Lean principle.

The expected payoff is immediate: “Faster shipping times, shorter lead times, and then of course, taking on more market,” Rice said.

By uniting production and fulfillment on a single campus, MasterTag eliminates the mile that once separated them. Stock product and custom orders will now move just steps apart, allowing shipments to leave together.

The building itself embodies Lean principles. “There are no walls in this building. It’s completely open,” Rice said. “I’m super excited about the visual factory that we’ll gain.”

The Employee Experience: More Light, More Space, and Simpler Routines

Rice placed employee experience at the top of the benefits list.

“From an employee standpoint, the largest thing we will have is a brand new break room. We’ll have all new furniture in there. They’ll have a brand new locker room that they’ve never had before. The bathrooms are three times the size of what they have right now at our current facility,” she said.

The new building also brings in natural light and a sense of openness that the current plant lacks.

“In our current facility, the production floor has no windows,” Rice said.

By contrast, the new building is “full of windows,” including the largest door at the north end of the facility (which is a full wall of glass).

Even the small design choices aim to improve everyday routines: an automatic, touchless door between offices and production, doorless restroom entries like you see in airports, and automatic sink-dryer stations. Outside, employees will gain a patio with a covered area to relax during breaks.

From Heat Capture to EV Charging

Sustainability was built into the project from the ground up.

One example: the new plant captures heat generated by its own machines and recycles it back into the system to offset winter heating costs.

“It is all temperature-controlled with a much more sophisticated system than we had before. And the lighting, of course, is all new,” Rice said.

Material choices follow the same philosophy. Flooring and chairs include recycled content, while recycling stations will be added to the new break room.

On the production side, MasterTag continues to recycle its production scrap, input materials, and other reusable components, extending practices already in place.

Water management was designed into the site plan back in 2023, with runoff directed to retention ponds. Inside, the building will feature water-bottle filling stations.

And the sustainable upgrades don’t stop at the building. “We are installing [two] electric car charging stations in the new parking lot,” Rice said. The stations were partially funded through a grant.

The Road Ahead

MasterTag’s expansion complements its broader growth plans in the horticulture space. “It’s always our goal to grow and offer new solutions to our market,” Rice said.

The added space “will position us more favorably for those new markets because of the increase in capacity in space.” She named the nursery market as a possible next priority vertical.

At its core, the expansion is about removing barriers to growth.

“There’s going to be a lot of empty floor,” Rice said. “When the opportunities come, as we need to install more equipment or we need to expand the current equipment that we have, we won’t be restricted.”

MasterTag plans to be fully out of the old, mile-away plant by mid-2026. “My hope is we’re completely out by July of ‘26,” Rice said. The future of that building remains open: “We don’t know yet.”

In the near term, the team is mapping a careful extraction sequence because of the site’s unusual geometry.

A Long-Held Plan, Finally Realized

The “one campus” concept isn’t new. Rice helped design it 25 years ago.

“In 2000, when we sat down with the architect to draw The Farmhouse, we drew a master campus,” she said. “We built this in 2001… and the master campus did show the production facility going off the back side.”

Back then, as a privately held company, “we were just really fortunate that when [the owner, Rick Hughes, Jr.] did sell us, those who took us over said, ‘That’s a great idea, we have that same vision, we see it, and we’re gonna do it.’”

For Rice, who has spent 35 years at MasterTag, the biggest win is cultural. The company has been split across buildings since the late 1990s, when growth forced departments to peel off.

That separation is coming to an end.

“Today, if I’m managing over in our current production facility and I have a question, I have to email somebody, or pick up a phone, or jump in a car and drive over… But to be able to say, ‘Oh, yeah, I’ll go find that manager and ask him a question?’” she said, “I think that’s probably the entire company’s excitement, is for us all to be together again.”

For Rice, that excitement runs even deeper.

“Mine is squarely on employee satisfaction and the lean, no-walls, straight-line space,” Rice said. “We’re very excited to all be in the same building.”

Uncategorized

Jennifer Dyer Steps into General Manager Role as MasterTag Expands for the Future

November 21, 2025

Jennifer Dyer didn’t set out to run a horticultural company. But once she stepped into MasterTag’s world, she never looked back.

“I came into MasterTag, and I instantly fell in love with the culture. My values aligned with the mission of the company,” she said. “Employees and customers were cared for, and so it made me want to continue to grow with MasterTag and make an impact for employees and the industry.”

Now, she’s stepping into a new chapter – as General Manager this spring. Jennifer will lead the company as it continues to innovate and evolve under Avery’s ownership.

The leadership shift follows a period of shared responsibilities.

For the past seven years, Dyer has worked closely with Julie Rice, Senior Operations Manager, in a senior role running the day-to-day business with the support and guidance of former owner of MasterTag, Rick Hughes. Together, she and Julie have built a strong partnership and actively lead the team with a shared vision.

Dyer’s transition to General Manager became official on March 1st. “Rick’s still there,” she noted. “He is now focused on business development objectives and continued support for the company.”

Dyer’s promotion is part of a broader evolution at MasterTag – one encompassing Rick’s long-held vision of a facility expansion.

“Rick started planning [the expansion] 20 years ago,” she said. Both the farmhouse and fulfillment center were built with temporary walls so that they could eventually be connected to a new production facility.”

Now that plan is coming to life.

With a new facility double the size of a professional football field, MasterTag is gaining space, capacity, and innovation.

Recent developments include products like adhesive labels and RFID, as well as upgrades to the online system, including My Print and a customer satisfaction survey.

Jennifer actively encourages her team (and herself) to engage with customers, gathering feedback that will drive continued change and innovation.

“My top priority is strengthening the customer and consumer experience,” Dyer said. “Based on that, we’re already starting to put in some changes.”

Tech-driven innovations in inventory management, like RFID, were grounded in direct grower feedback.

Updates like these strengthen MasterTag’s commitment to the horticulture industry and will help consumers purchase plants more successfully.

While the facility signals a new chapter, Jennifer’s approach to leadership draws directly from the values she saw modeled from day one.

After her interview at MasterTag, Dyer was surprised to receive a personal call from Hughes warning her about dangerous road conditions after a snowstorm.

Though they had just met, his thoughtfulness left a lasting impression and reflected the company’s caring culture.

“That, to me, was somebody I wanted to work for,” she said.

During her tenure, Dyer rose through the organization – from Human Resources Manager to Director of People and Culture, then Senior Director of Commercial and Business Administration, and now leading the company as General Manager.

Along the way, she earned an Executive MBA and led several major business initiatives, including the development of a new online ordering and proofing system, enhancements to company culture, elevated marketing and design solutions, implementation of LEAN processes, and improvement of the customer experience.

She now brings Rick’s same care and vision to her role.

“MasterTag, with the growers, is known for always having a personal touch and building relationships. That’s not going to change. That’s rooted in who we are as a company,” she said.

Dyer’s focus is on sustaining that culture and strengthening people’s love for plants.

“I’m looking at what new partnerships can help us even help consumers,” she said. “If we can help the consumer, that means they’re likely to buy more plants, and therefore we can help our customers sell more plants.”

And what should growers and partners know as they visit MasterTag and meet Jennifer?

“Again, I’m here to listen and understand how we can better serve their needs,” she said.

They’ll quickly find Jennifer is grounded, approachable, and eager to connect – both professionally and personally.

Dyer is a mom of three, a Michigan native, a skier, a traveler, and a home gardener with a soft spot for hydrangeas. When she’s not working or weeding, you’ll find her at a local youth sporting event.

Over her career, she’s been shaped by industries as varied as staffing and healthcare before landing in horticulture. And in this industry, she’s found a lasting fit.

“You ask anybody in the industry – they’re like, it’s one of the best,” she said. “Nobody wants to leave it once you come to it. The people are so authentic, they’re so genuine, they truly love what they do. And I hope they see the same in me, because I truly do love it.”

With expanded capacity and customer-driven innovation on deck, Dyer is positioning MasterTag to boldly lead the next era of people, plants, and partnerships.