Five years of BOXLAB Services: Why our anniversary feels so particularly fitting right now

Sometimes timing creates stories
that you could hardly have planned better yourself.

On March 30, 2026, BASF will publish a LinkedIn post addressing the question of what makes a location like Ludwigshafen future-proof. Two days later, on April 1, 2026, we at BOXLAB Services celebrate our 5th anniversary.
Of course, that’s a coincidence.
And yet, it doesn’t feel like one.

Because anyone familiar with our history knows: BOXLAB Services didn’t just spring up out of nowhere. Our journey is closely linked to Ludwigshafen, to BASF, the “Chemovator,” to industrial reality, and to the commitment to not merely manage problems, but to solve them. That is exactly why the idea from the BASF article fits us so well: Sustainability arises where change is embraced without losing one’s own substance.
For us, this anniversary is therefore more than just a date. It is a moment to look back—on five years of independence, on the years before that as the origin of our idea, and on everything that has shaped BOXLAB Services.

It all started with a problem,
which was no small matter

The story of BOXLAB Services does not begin with a product catalogue or a trend. It begins with a very specific observation made during day-to-day work.
In 2018, Mischa Feig identified a recurring problem within BASF’s logistics processes relating to highly regulated packaging materials in the hazardous goods sector: damaged transport cartons meant that products could not be dispatched. There was often no standardised, rapid or cost-effective solution for the necessary replacements. How this was handled frequently depended on the specific warehouse or the on-site managers. This was precisely the crux of the matter: what at first glance appeared to be an isolated operational issue was, in reality, a systemic problem. It was about supply security, process stability, compliance, sustainability – and ultimately the question of how to make industrial processes more robust.

This observation first gave rise to a process concept, then an idea, and finally a business model. In 2018, the idea was pitched to BASF’s Chemovator incubator. In 2019, this led to the launch of the BOXLAB venture. From that point on, it was clear: this was not about selling a standalone product, but about providing a solution to a real-world industrial problem. Very early on, we succeeded in replacing damaged cardboard packaging, complete with all labels – including customised track-and-trace elements – across Europe within a single day. This was not only a major operational achievement, but above all proof that speed, quality and regulatory requirements can go hand in hand.

An idea became a business –
and a service became a systematic approach

These early successes did not go unnoticed. By 2019, the company had already generated its first revenue and secured framework agreements. At the same time, however, it became clear that anyone wishing to deliver quickly and reliably to more than 15 countries and over 50 warehouses needs the right structures, space and a robust setup. With placards available from a quantity of just one, a further service was added that consistently expanded on the original value proposition: fast, flexible and practical solutions for highly regulated labelling requirements.

With the spin-off of BOXLAB Services GmbH at the end of 2020 and the announced launch as an independent entity on 1 April 2021, the venture structure gave way to entrepreneurial independence. The direction was clearly defined from the outset: to make logistics processes more efficient and sustainable, to avoid the destruction of undamaged products, and to holistically optimise labelling and packaging processes. It is precisely this ambition that BOXLAB continues to uphold to this day. For the anniversary, 1 April 2021 is therefore the clear and publicly announced starting point – and so, on 1 April 2026, we will celebrate five years of BOXLAB Services standing on its own two feet.

For us, growth has never just meant getting bigger –
but becoming more relevant

Anyone who has worked with a company for over five years knows this: growth is never just a matter of square footage, product range, or revenue. Growth is most clearly evident in whether a company learns to evolve without losing its identity.
At BOXLAB Services, this is exactly what has been evident in recent years.
As early as 2021, BOXLAB Services entered the next phase of its operations: more warehouse space at TZL, targeted portfolio expansion (including thermal transfer ribbons, 2-in-1/3-in-1 hazard labels) and, in early 2022, the next phase with the first true system solutions for the preparation, application, and removal of labeling. The move to larger premises on Mundenheimer Straße in September 2022 highlighted this growth and the clear shift from a product provider to a process-oriented solutions provider.

Taking the leap to scaling:
The BOXLAB online shop

With the launch of the open online store in October 2022, this development was consistently expanded to support scalability. Corporate customers could now create accounts, view net prices, and place orders directly. This made BOXLAB Services not only more accessible operationally but also significantly more digitally compatible with modern B2B procurement processes.

The launch of the Outlet also fits into this strategy. This is not just about clearance sales, but about combining sustainability with cost efficiency: B-grade goods, overproduction, and remaining stock are made available as high-quality, discounted options without compromising on quality standards. This improves resource utilization while simultaneously creating economic value for customers.

A strong partnership:
BOXLAB Services x HERMA

Also in October 2022, a long-term partnership began with HERMA. This partnership exemplifies the combination of flexibility, quality, and process expertise: BOXLAB Services took over operational management in the area of hazardous goods labels, thereby further solidifying its role as a reliable partner for legally compliant, application-oriented labeling.

Our development has never been linear –
but it has been consistent

Since 2023, BOXLAB Services has further broadened and clarified its market positioning. This has been achieved both through new products and services and by playing a more prominent role in shaping market content.

This included, among other things:

the expansion of the product range to include additional hazardous materials and labeling solutions,
the development and market launch of specialized solutions such as MultiMark, premium warning signs, or specific battery and special labeling,
new formats for training materials, practical application, and product experience,
greater integration of the product range, online store, content, and expertise.

By this point at the latest, BOXLAB Services had definitively become more than just a supplier of labels and placards. The company evolved into a partner for labeling as a system—offering expertise, process understanding, e-commerce logic, consulting, regulatory compliance, and concrete application solutions.

It wasn’t just opportunities that shaped us –
but also external changes

You can only tell the honest story of five years of company history if you don’t pretend that everything was a neatly planned rise to success. BOXLAB Services has grown at a time when companies have had to cope with a constant stream of new external challenges: volatile supply chains, rising cost pressures, new sustainability expectations, surges in digitalisation, tighter regulations and changing market demands in the dangerous goods and hazardous substances sector.

In our industry in particular, it is very clear just how significantly external factors impact operational processes. Changes to the ADR, new CLP regulations, new requirements for battery labelling, developments in online retail, compliance issues relating to hazardous substances, and even international changes such as further countries acceding to the ADR: for our customers, none of this is merely theoretical industry news, but rather a matter of immediate practical concern.

This is precisely why our company has evolved not only in terms of products, but also in terms of focus. Building up a centre of expertise, providing regular updates on regulatory changes, offering practical guidance, maintaining a presence at trade fairs, and translating specialist knowledge into concrete ordering and process solutions were not merely side projects. They were a logical response to the realities faced by our target groups.

Denn Zukunftsfähigkeit heißt in unserem Umfeld nicht nur, etwas liefern zu können. Sie heißt auch, Entwicklungen früh zu erkennen, sauber einzuordnen und Kunden Lösungen anzubieten, die nicht morgen schon wieder überholt sind.

Labelling has become a strategic process component

Looking back over the past five years, one thing stands out in particular: the perspective on labelling has changed.
What was once treated as a rather secondary step in many companies is now clearly a strategic process factor. Errors in labelling cause delays, rework, risks, unnecessary stock and, in the worst case, legal or safety-related consequences. This is precisely where our systematic approach comes in.

Today, BOXLAB Services stands for solutions that are designed as a cohesive whole, from material selection, layout and ordering logic right through to printing, dispatch, application and regulatory compliance. This approach has evolved over the years: from replacing damaged cardboard packaging and placards and hazard labels to digital solutions, label generators, smart shop features and expert system consultancy.

Many of the new products introduced in recent years cannot simply be described as additions to the range. A more accurate description is that BOXLAB Services has consistently addressed areas where practical difficulties arise. Some solutions are entirely new developments, others have been deliberately recombined, customised or made more user-friendly – but almost always with the same aim: to simplify handling, prevent errors, save time and make processes more robust. This applies equally to products relating to cleaning, application, replacement, training and the temporary deactivation of labels.

Label remover

A good example of this is the label remover, which was introduced in 2025. It is not merely an accessory, but fills a practical gap in the process: When highly adhesive hazardous material labels need to be removed from metal surfaces such as containers or drums and PE panels are not an option, the spray reduces time loss, rework, and surface damage. This is precisely why it fits into the BOXLAB philosophy: not only labeling, but also reliably solving the removal of labels as part of the process.

Machine cleaning cloth

The machine cleaning cloth is similarly practical. Unassuming at first glance, but essential in practice: Especially when it comes to containers, machines, or other industrial surfaces, preparing the substrate is crucial for clean and durable labeling. Thus, this product not only strengthens the product range but also enhances the quality of the entire labeling process.

micro-perforated hazard label

A particularly good example of process-driven innovation is the micro-perforated hazard labels on a roll. Technically, the change seems minor, but operationally, it’s significant: The labels can be cleanly separated from one another without tools while remaining machine-processable. This increases flexibility in everyday use—whether in the warehouse, on the go, or in spontaneous situations. Improvements like these demonstrate how BOXLAB Services turns everyday tasks into real process advantages.

Warning signs, half-size warning signs and more

This strength is also evident in warning signs, half-size warning signs, and individual digits. This is not just about making products available, but about designing them in a way that makes them safer and more consistent in use. The premium warning signs with pre-printed placement guides are a good example of this: a small but effective improvement that facilitates the precise positioning of the digits, thereby supporting quality, aesthetics, and regulatory compliance.

Training as part of the system

The development of BOXLAB Services also involves treating labeling not merely as a procurement issue, but equally as a training topic. Training kits, magnets, and especially the remote-controlled 1:20 scale training truck illustrate this concept very clearly: hazardous materials processes can be trained in a more realistic, tangible, and flexible way—essentially “learning at the truck in the office.” This not only strengthens the product portfolio but also reinforces BOXLAB’s role as a practical, application-oriented partner.

Gefahrgutetiketten Schulungs-LKW "Mercedes-Benz" – Realistische Gefahrgutschulungen

Partnerships have accelerated our development

When BASF emphasizes in its article that sustainability is not achieved through individual measures but through collective action, this also applies to our own history.

While BOXLAB Services is an independent company, it has never grown in isolation. Our development is also a story of ecosystems, partners, and companions.

The Chemovator was the space where an observation became a venture. TZL Ludwigshafen was a key hub for growth. The partnership with HERMA combined operational strength with product quality. Events, trade show formats, and industry dialogues have ensured that we don’t just react, but actively shape the future.

2026 demonstrates this once again: Our presence at LogiMAT under the guiding principle “Labeling as a System” brings together much of what defines BOXLAB today—from hazardous goods labels to the intelligent label generator, from classic product expertise to digital and process-related enhancements.

Why the BASF article is so relevant to us right now

The BASF article from March 30, 2026, discusses Ludwigshafen as a location that has continually evolved—technologically, structurally, and strategically. It addresses adaptability, responsibility, transformation, and investments in the future.

That is exactly what makes this article so special to us. Not because we want to compare ourselves to a large corporation, but because our roots lie precisely in this environment.

BOXLAB Services, too, was born from the idea that processes must be reimagined when conditions change. We, too, have learned that future-readiness has nothing to do with standing still. We, too, had to grow, make decisions, refine our offerings, build partnerships, embrace new topics, and develop a scalable business model from a very concrete problem.

That’s why it feels almost symbolic that BASF chose this topic exactly two days before our anniversary.

Five years of BOXLAB Services – and we’re not at the end, but right in the thick of it

An anniversary is always a milestone.

For us, five years means: from identifying a problem to launching a venture, from a venture to a spin-off, from our first core service to a broad portfolio of solutions, and from ad-hoc operational solutions to establishing a recognized system.

CURRENT DEVELOPMENTS

First, the move toward software-supported, automated label creation with KURZ Digital. The focus is on aAI-powered label generator, which converts data from safety data sheets, technical documentation, or product databases into consistent, auditable label layouts. This is strategically important because it reduces manual layout work, lowers error rates, and makes labeling processes scalable across locations. This is complemented by the Digital Product Passport, which links physical labels with digital information, thereby bridging the gap to future data-driven labeling processes.

On the other hand, the expansion toward service-based Print@Office models in collaboration with EWS—namely rental, leasing, and supply concepts that enable standardized, up-to-date, and legally compliant labeling production directly on-site. While BOXLAB Services is responsible for material supply, layout maintenance, print data, and individual labeling requirements, EWS complements the concept with technical support, operational reliability of the printing systems, infrastructure management, and assistance with availability and scaling. This transforms labeling from a one-off project into a robust printing and supply system for everyday industrial use.

Brand new and easily integrated as a fresh solution are the BOXLAB Blackout Patches, which have been available in the shop since Q1. They were developed for the quick and secure covering of invalid or no longer needed placards or warning signs. The benefit is highly practical: instead of removing old markings under time pressure, they can be immediately deactivated—especially in situations where removal is time-consuming, risky, or practically impossible to implement. This, too, is typical of BOXLAB: a product conceived to address a specific real-world problem.

Joyeux anniversaire, BOXLAB Services.

What BOXLAB Services has built up over the past few years is evident not only in its growth and partnerships, but also in the many concrete solutions that specifically address typical pain points in the day-to-day operations of logistics, industry, and hazardous materials management—sometimes as entirely new developments, sometimes as intelligent enhancements to existing processes.

Perhaps that is precisely one of the common threads running through these five years: BOXLAB Services has not grown through noise, but through relevance. Through products and services that address the very areas where time is lost, errors occur, or processes remain unnecessarily complicated in everyday operations.

When we say today that we are celebrating a birthday, we are not just celebrating a date. We are celebrating attitude. Development. Perseverance. And the willingness to remain fast, pragmatic, and innovative even in a highly regulated environment.

Or to put it another way:
We’re celebrating five years of standing on our own two feet—and a bond that doesn’t always need to be spoken to be felt.

Happy Birthday, BOXLAB Services.
Here’s to five years of independence since April 1, 2021—and to everything that’s yet to come.

BOXLAB Services GmbH

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