# 341 - 2 Kings talk about "people-ing", data, and Compton High

- Show: [People of Packaging](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging)
- Published: 2026-02-20
- Length: 30m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2026-02-20-341-2-kings-talk-about-people-ing-data-and-compton-high
- Listen: https://encase.substack.com/p/341-2-kings-talk-about-people-ing

## Summary

Adam Peek, founder of Label King, and Esteban Garcia from CERM discuss the implementation of CERM’s MIS software at Label King’s Utah facility. Peek explains that he chose CERM based on testimonials from other successful label companies rather than sales pitches, aiming for a single source of truth for estimating, production, and scheduling. The conversation highlights the heavy lift of implementation, the strategic use of automation to free up staff for complex decision-making, and the value of on-site support from CERM’s Dean. They also explore how AI and integrations with pre-press software like Hybrid can reduce lead times and improve customer transparency.

## Chapters

- [0:01](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2026-02-20-341-2-kings-talk-about-people-ing-data-and-compton-high#t=1) Introduction: Adam Peek and Esteban Garcia at Label King Utah
- [2:15](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2026-02-20-341-2-kings-talk-about-people-ing-data-and-compton-high#t=135) Why Label King Chose CERM: Customer Testimonials and Roadmap
- [4:28](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2026-02-20-341-2-kings-talk-about-people-ing-data-and-compton-high#t=268) The Implementation Journey: Stress, On-Site Support, and Breaking Things
- [6:41](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2026-02-20-341-2-kings-talk-about-people-ing-data-and-compton-high#t=401) The Value of a Single MIS Database and Customer Transparency
- [9:02](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2026-02-20-341-2-kings-talk-about-people-ing-data-and-compton-high#t=542) Automation vs. People-ing: Freeing Staff for Complex Decisions
- [10:55](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2026-02-20-341-2-kings-talk-about-people-ing-data-and-compton-high#t=655) Pre-Press Integration and Reducing Lead Times with Hybrid
- [13:28](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2026-02-20-341-2-kings-talk-about-people-ing-data-and-compton-high#t=808) Scheduling Complexity and CERM’s Optimizer
- [17:42](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2026-02-20-341-2-kings-talk-about-people-ing-data-and-compton-high#t=1062) The CERM User Group and Industry Collaboration
- [19:55](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2026-02-20-341-2-kings-talk-about-people-ing-data-and-compton-high#t=1195) AI, Large Language Models, and Future Automation in Label Printing

## Topics

- [Design for manufacturing & NPI](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/design-for-manufacturing)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [Direct-to-consumer & e-commerce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/direct-to-consumer)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- CERM (company)
- Label King (company)
- Hybrid (other)
- Esco (other)
- Loomi (other)

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## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2026-02-20-341-2-kings-talk-about-people-ing-data-and-compton-high. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to People of Packaging.
