Self-adhesive label stock manufacturer UPM Raflatac is celebrating its 40th birthday - as well as a long list of achievements relating to self-adhesive label technology and sustainability.
Its story began in Tampere, Finland, where chemist Juhani Strömberg, working for paper converting company Raf. Haarla, set out to develop water-based alternatives to solvent-based adhesives.
Water-based label technology, which was still a rarity for label printers in the 1970s, was a significant advancement because it enabled higher speeds on printing machinery and greater efficiency for label production. Strömberg’s innovations were also a big step towards the sustainable production methods and label materials UPM Raflatac is known for.
For example, UPM Raflatac is behind the ‘Label Life’ concept launched last year, which is a tool to help label printers and end users understand the life cycle impacts of different labelstock products and find credible information on the environmental performance of their labels.
The company has steadily advanced in the global self-adhesive label stock market, and today employs almost 3000 people. It has 11 production facilities worldwide and offers thousands of solutions for product and information labelling needs.
Executive vice president Tapio Kolunsarka said entrepreneurship had shown itself particularly at times of change, when a strategic determination and shared goal have led to success.
“As proud as we are of our history, we’re even more excited about the future and what we can offer both to our employees and customers in years to come,” he said.
In honour of its 40-year history, UPM Raflatac is publishing a book titled The Story of RAFLATAC - From Internal Entrepreneurship to Global Self-Adhesive Labelstock Business. The book will be published in Finnish and English this year.
