Art Yerecic

Art joined the family label business full time in 1976 upon graduation from high school.  Working together with his father Art Sr. (the company’s founder) and his mother Jane, Art helped grow Yerecic Label from the garage of the family’s home into our first manufacturing facility.  During those early years, Art was our primary press operator.

As Yerecic Label grew, so did Art’s role.  He became supervisor of our printing, design and shipping departments.  Art also did all the press scheduling.  Art and his high school sweetheart, Sue made the plates.  Art’s Dad, Art Sr. began encouraging his son to begin selling to prospective customers.  After a few early successes, Art thoroughly enjoyed sales and helping our customers succeed.  Together Art Sr. and Art mentored sales account managers and the business grew to serve much of the eastern US.  Art took on additional responsibilities for the administrative side of the business to round out his background.

In 1993 as sales outstripped our ability to fulfill orders, Art introduced Lean Cellular Manufacturing processes at YL.  The success of our press cells led to adoption of office cells.  We became a fully cellular, team-based environment in 1998, when we moved into our New Kensington facility.  Art became the primary shareholder of Yerecic Label in 1990 and President in 1995.

When Yerecic Label joined the Tag and Label Manufacturers Institute (TLMI) in 2001, we were virtually unknown in the label industry.  Art and Sue had to start building relationships at TLMI from scratch.  Art began introducing the label industry to Lean.  This led to an eleven-year role on TLMI’s board and its Chairmanship.  Art’s years of TLMI Board service were instrumental in establishing Yerecic Label among the ranks of well-respected label converters in our industry.

Labels for fresh meat products have long been Yerecic Label’s forte.  Art served on the Annual Meat Conference Planning Committee for over two decades.  His participation was a building block for YL’s strong relationships in fresh food trade associations.  In 2005, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the National Pork Board joined Yerecic Label in conducting original consumer research that resulted in the creation of our Easy Fresh Cooking® (EFC®) peelable recipe/cooking instruction product line.  EFC® sales drove Yerecic Label’s growth throughout North America.

In 2022, Yerecic Label’s vision for a multi-facility company became reality.  We expanded our manufacturing operations to Phoenix, AZ.  2023 brought even more change as Art and Sue achieved their goal of generational continuity at Yerecic Label.  They transferred almost all YL ownership to family, just as Art’s father had done 33 years earlier.  Josh Yerecic, Kristin Yerecic Scott and Elizabeth Yerecic Freedman are now 3rd Generation Yerecic Label co-owners.

Art looks forward to continuing working side by side with our Third Gen co-owners and our YL Team to achieve Yerecic Label’s continued success.  He and Sue spend lots of family time with all seven of their children and their twelve grandkids.