06-05-15
Member news
UPM Raflatac 40 years – Proud of the past, confident of the future
UPM Raflatac, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of self-adhesive label stock, is celebrating 40 years’ history as a company. For decades, Raflatac’s business has been driven by a genuine will to understand and serve its customers combined with leading-edge products, efficient production processes and the capacity to innovate.
This success story in Finnish industrial history began 40 years ago in Tampere. 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 major step towards the sustainable production methods and label materials to which UPM Raflatac remains strongly committed.
Raflatac originated from one man’s vision, and today the company is a global pioneer in its field with strong prospects for the future. Growth and internationalization started at the end of the 1970s, and UPM Raflatac has since continued its rapid advancement on the global self-adhesive label stock market. Today, UPM Raflatac employs close to 3,000 professionals and makes sales well in excess of a billion euros. The company has 11 production facilities worldwide and offers thousands of solutions for continually growing needs in product and information labelling.
UPM Raflatac’s success is based on a determined implementation of strategy, active research and development and the resources of a world-class forest industry company. An additional and undisputed strength is the Raflatouch – the unique way employees operate and work with people both internally and externally. Internal entrepreneurship and the Raflatouch spirit demonstrated by employees will prevail as strengths underpinning the company’s future profitable growth strategy.
“At Raflatac, a strong sense of presence has been retained for the company’s history and its founders. New has been built from the foundation of the old. Entrepreneurship has shown itself particularly at times of change, when a strategic determination and shared goal have led to success,” UPM Raflatac’s Executive Vice President Tapio Kolunsarka reflects.
“As employees, we are mindful that Raflatac is under our temporary custodianship, and that it is our duty to pass on to future generations an increasingly strong and successful company. 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.”
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 in spring 2015.
This success story in Finnish industrial history began 40 years ago in Tampere. 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 major step towards the sustainable production methods and label materials to which UPM Raflatac remains strongly committed.
Raflatac originated from one man’s vision, and today the company is a global pioneer in its field with strong prospects for the future. Growth and internationalization started at the end of the 1970s, and UPM Raflatac has since continued its rapid advancement on the global self-adhesive label stock market. Today, UPM Raflatac employs close to 3,000 professionals and makes sales well in excess of a billion euros. The company has 11 production facilities worldwide and offers thousands of solutions for continually growing needs in product and information labelling.
UPM Raflatac’s success is based on a determined implementation of strategy, active research and development and the resources of a world-class forest industry company. An additional and undisputed strength is the Raflatouch – the unique way employees operate and work with people both internally and externally. Internal entrepreneurship and the Raflatouch spirit demonstrated by employees will prevail as strengths underpinning the company’s future profitable growth strategy.
“At Raflatac, a strong sense of presence has been retained for the company’s history and its founders. New has been built from the foundation of the old. Entrepreneurship has shown itself particularly at times of change, when a strategic determination and shared goal have led to success,” UPM Raflatac’s Executive Vice President Tapio Kolunsarka reflects.
“As employees, we are mindful that Raflatac is under our temporary custodianship, and that it is our duty to pass on to future generations an increasingly strong and successful company. 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.”
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 in spring 2015.