When Valley Forge Tape & Label started manufacturing printed self-adhesive products 50 years ago, Walter Cronkite had just anchored his first news broadcast, the average cost of a new home in the US was $12,500, and “The Beverly Hillbillies” was the top-rated TV show in primetime. Today, homes are just a bit more expensive, but Valley Forge Tape & Label (VFTL) continues to grow as an independent, family owned and operated, custom printing business.

“We’ve never been acquired by a faceless conglomerate or sold out to venture capitalists,” states Paul Myers, Jr., the company’s president, “So we’ve always been able to do what’s right for our customers. We still provide the personal service of a family business, but on a much larger scale.”

The company’s capabilities have diversified significantly over the last five decades. Today it produces award winning pressure sensitive labels, tamper evident and security products, as well as specialty self-adhesive constructions for the packaging of food, pharmaceuticals, healthcare products, animal products, chemicals and consumer products. Its manufacturing is done on 10 Mark Andy and Webtron presses using conventional flexo, UV flexo, and hot-stamp technologies. Fully digitial pre-press operations are also housed at VFTL headquarters in Exton, Pa., along with customer service, sales and administration.

VFTL was started by Paul Myers, Sr. After working for 16 years with the 3M Co., he and his sons started printing “Scotch Tape” in the basement of their home in Berwyn, PA. Today, Myers’ sons Dennis Hulton and Paul Myers, Jr. own and operate the company.

“Printing today isn’t just about staying up with technology, and it goes beyond putting ink on paper,” says Myers, Jr. “It’s about solving customers’ problems and making them feel comfortable knowing that their project will be handled correctly…..by a family business that’s still ‘sticking’ around after 50 years.”