Beontag, a global manufacturer of pressure sensitive adhesives and smart tags, took a major step in its ambitious growth plans for North America with the unveiling of a new facility. More than 200 attendees arrived in Trotwood, OH, USA, just outside Dayton, to take part in the official launch of the 200,000-square-foot building.

City officials, Beontag employees, and numerous clients and partners were on-hand to take part in a ribbon-cutting, facility tour, and remarks from Beontag leadership and the mayor of Trotwood, Yvette Page.

The event showcased Beontag’s wide range of capabilities, from material production to RFID investment. Beontag showcased the installation of a new coater, with plans to install another in the immediate future. Plus, there is space to add a third coater down the line. Ricardo Lobo, CEO, told L&NW that Beontag envisions the US serving as the company’s biggest and strongest market.

“If we put the third coater here, this will be our biggest facility globally,” said Lobo. “The RFID facility we’ll have here will start at the size of the current one in Brazil, and we’ll have space to grow. Given the sheer size of the US market and the opportunities here, the US has to be our biggest business globally and it has to lead our development programs and be our center of gravity. We want to be here for the long run, and this is the biggest opportunity for the company. This new facility is transformational for us.”

Beontag, which was founded 40 years ago in Brazil, boasts more than 20 industrial facilities located on four continents, and presence across more than 40 countries. According to the company, more than 300 employees will call Trotwood home in the near future. Beontag’s North American journey originated with the 2022 acquisition of Technicote.

“For our Graphics and Label Materials (GLM) business, we acquired Technicote because they had a 40-year history in the US. They offered great clients and a great set of products,” remarked Lobo. “We knew this would allow us to break in to the US market and grow organically, stronger, and be able to participate in every application the customer might need.”

When Lobo joined Beontag in 2016, he first made a trip to Labelexpo Americas to get a feel for the market and its customers. He recognized that an acquisition would be the easiest path into the US, and the company found Technicote in 2020. In four years, Beontag not only acquired Technicote, but it located facility space in Trotwood and invested heavily in this new location.

Following the installation of two coaters and the launch of the RFID Lab in Trotwood, Beontag will have invested $80 million in the space. Plus, the addition of a third coater will bring Beontag’s North American investment well north of $100 million.

“We’ve been fortunate to grow by innovation, by investing, by great service and pillars of what we do – in double digits,” noted Lobo. “In RFID we grow much faster because of the adoption of the technology. Next year, we’re forecasting to grow over 50% organically in dollar terms, so it’s a different ballgame. Today our GLM business is bigger than RFID, and in the future maybe they’ll become the same size.”

Promoting a digital future, along with diversity and sustainable practices, are among Beontag’s key pillars. “We’ve always had diversity and sustainability ingrained in our operations, but it was informal,” explained Lobo. “It was kind of a fad for years where you had to have an ESG. We decided we were going to do it the right way and establish a formal program. We hired experts in that field, and our chief of ESG used to work for the United Nations – so we hired people who knew exactly what we wanted to do. We then did a self-assessment about what moves the needle for us.

“We do it seriously and we’re externally audited,” adds Lobo. “Another pillar is more of a social agenda, where we could move the needle in the communities we’re in, and we’ve always looked to women to do that. That initiative brings diversity of thought and new perspectives to our business, which makes the company stronger. And you can impact so many lives in the whole workforce. We have a goal not only for top management positions but also entry level positions, and that’s where we can make a profound impact and change the way the industry is going. We’re really about breaking barriers and working with people in a responsible and transparent way and creating connections.”