UPM Raflatac recently made headlines with the decision to rename its storied brand. The decision to rename the company comes as part of a strategic evolution, reflecting its business growth ambitions.

The new name, UPM Adhesive Materials, was chosen to communicate the expanded scope of the company’s offering. The company’s arsenal includes graphic solutions and specialty tapes, in addition to pressure sensitive labels (PSL). The new name also makes it easier for UPM Adhesive Materials’ partners to recognize the breadth of its solutions and reinforces the company’s commitment to serve the industry more broadly.

The Raflatac name is not going away, though. “Our PSL customers will continue to see and engage with the UPM Raflatac brand, as it will remain the brand name for our flagship label material offering,” explains Brinder Gill, senior vice president, Americas. “By purchasing UPM Raflatac materials, customers will receive a full spectrum of service options.”

As Gill notes, the change to UPM Adhesive Materials services a distinct purpose. “The name captures who we are and what we stand for,” he says. “It puts adhesive material performance at the center of our story, reflecting our people’s creativity and expertise. The new name represents our commitment to product quality and reliability so we can meet our customers’ and end users’ performance expectations. It’s important to emphasize that this new name and positioning is not merely cosmetic. It signals at UPM that we are committed to our whole value chain. We aim to create partnerships that drive sustainability and competitiveness in the markets we serve.”

Evolving to support the industry

UPM Adhesive Materials is also committed to evolving its organization to better support the industry. With the company, customers can rely on partnership amid a more volatile and uncertain global market.

“Our dedicated teams continue to improve the efficiency and technical capabilities of our global asset base to ensure that our customers grow and succeed,” remarks Gill. “We are also leveraging the newly acquired graphics companies, Grafityp and Metamark, to create synergies and innovations in adhesive materials science that benefit all our customers – in graphics, labels and specialty tapes, alike.”

With the name change, UPM Adhesive Materials is more fully aligned with UPM’s dedication to material performance and sustainable solutions that impact people’s everyday lives. To capture the combination of superior adhesive materials and its resourceful teams, a new brand promise has been established, too. The mission is to “Renew the everyday with adhesive material performance.”    

“Our philosophy remains centered on innovation, sustainability, and a steadfast commitment to create value for customers and society,” comments Gill.

Industry reaction

The recent change has been met with positivity from customers. Additionally, the UPM team has been an integral part of a smooth transition.

“First, these ongoing improvements in our business wouldn’t be possible without the people who make UPM who we are,” says Gill. “Our teams have been engaged, resilient through the change, and ambitious in enabling this transformation. It is the people who make up UPM and their commitment to our collective success the enable us to drive sustainable impact in the industries where we do business.   

“From our customers and external partners, we’ve heard a lot of positive feedback,” Gill adds. “Our PSL customers have expressed strong loyalty to the UPM Raflatac label material brand, which is a testament that it is aligned to the needs of our customers and end users. We are committed to the label value chain in continuing to deliver high-quality label materials under the Raflatac brand. At the same time, we surveyed customers in all our markets, including labels, graphics and specialty tapes. They have expressed strong support for our focus on material performance and the clarity of our new business name, UPM Adhesive Materials. We’re continuing to engage globally to make this transition as smooth as possible, especially for customers and team members in Graphics, where we’ve recently acquired multiple brands such as Grafityp, Omega-Skinz and Metamark.”

Future projections

In the future, customers can anticipate a strategic direction that directly enhances their competitiveness and growth. This entails:

• Strengthened product differentiation: UPM Raflatac remains the premium brand for UPM label materials. This delivers high-performance solutions that help customers differentiate their products and improve their market position.
• Access to new growth opportunities: The transition to UPM Adhesive Materials reflects a commitment to growth beyond label materials. This includes innovative solutions in graphics and specialty tapes that unlock new applications and markets. This way, customers can expand into new markets and applications with confidence.
• Ease of partnership: With industry-leading adhesive expertise and reliable, customer-focused service, UPM builds true partnerships through the value chain. This enables customers and partners to achieve their business and sustainability goals.