London, 2nd September 2025
Adam James, Co-Managing Director of CS Labels (part of Asteria), will take on the new role starting at Label Expo in Barcelona.
Peter Jolly, CIO at Duplo International and a Company Director of BGM commented:
“We are absolutely delighted to secure the services of Adam as our new Managing Director at BGM. Adam’s extensive experience in the labels and flexible packaging industry, combined with his history of helping to guide a company through an acquisition, made him a standout candidate. As a former buyer of labels equipment, Adam will give BGM a unique perspective on the market requirements and help support product development with our brilliant BGM design team.”
James will work alongside founders Bill and Annemarie Rhodes who will stay in the business as it transitions under the new ownership of Duplo. He will report into a group of Duplo International BGM Directors who will support James as he drives the BGM business plan, much like his role at CS reporting into the Asteria Group.
Mr James commented:
“Joining BGM as Managing Director after Duplo's purchase is very exciting, as with my experience of being an end-user and managing a label company, I have a great insight into to what converters require, I have been in the labels/packaging industry for over twenty-five years. It's the staff that make a business and the team here at BGM are excellent, producing some very well engineered machines over the years under Bill and Annemarie. We are small enough to listen and big enough to produce in good volumes. Moving forward we have some great product ideas in the pipeline, designed to benefit both operators and businesses alike. ”
James’ career history includes starting at Amberley Labels in Blandford, Dorset in 2000 as stores and dispatch. Then James moved to the ‘shop floor’ including running the Mark Andy 4200 Label Press, eventually moving up to the role of Production Manager. In 2009 he moved to CS Labels in Wolverhampton, West Midlands as Production Manager, then Operations Director and since Asteria purchased the company in 2021, has been Joint-Managing Director.
For further information, please contact: Peter Jolly, peter.jolly@duplointernational.com.
As per our previous press release, please join is on the Bar Graphic Machinery stand at Label Expo to meet Hideo Tanaka, President of Duplo Corporation and Adam, for photos on our stand @ 15:00 16th September, Hall 4 Stand 4E34.
Header Image: The BGM Staff with Adam James (fifth from the left) picture taken outside the Bar Graphic Machinery Headquarters in Bradford, UK.
Bar Graphic Machinery (based in West Yorkshire, UK) are specialists in the design and manufacture of narrow web Label Slitter Rewinders, Inspection Slitter Rewinders, Rotary Die Cutting Rewinders, Digital Label Converting Finishing Systems and Flexible Packaging Finishing Equipment for the Label and Packaging industries.
For 30+ years this year, Bar Graphic Machinery has been an industry leader in providing proven, technically creative, high-quality machines to the Label and Packaging industries.
Producing high quality machines to customer specifications is our passion. Our technically creative equipment has been designed to meet our customers’ requirements today and anticipate their needs for tomorrow. Bar Graphic’s highly-skilled engineers are constantly developing modifications and expanding our range of equipment to ensure our customers can find the right solution.
Bar Graphic were acquired by Duplo in August 2025.
Duplo International (based in Surrey, UK) is a leading Print Finishing provider, renowned for the precision and automation of its finishing solutions. With a legacy spanning several decades, Duplo International is committed to delivering innovative and high-quality print finishing systems and technology to meet the evolving needs of the printing industry. Our extensive range of modular solutions has been designed to optimise your print operations and cater for a wide range of print finishing needs, from implants to commercial printers as well as in Embellishment and packaging.
Duplo International (part of the Duplo Group) are the sales and distribution arm of Duplo Corporation in Japan, which sells in Europe, Middle East, and Africa. Duplo International is responsible for more than 60 countries and operates through more than 100 local distributors.
