UPM's Raflatac completes new coating line in the USA

UPM’s Raflatac has completed its new coating line at its pressure sensitive labelstock production facility in Fletcher, North Carolina. The new coating line is the second at the Fletcher facility and allows Raflatac to expand its product offering.

In a statement, a spokesperson said: ‘The new coater will especially focus on manufacturing high quality thin films and hot melt adhesive labelstocks for the North American market. Since 2000, Raflatac has developed from an importer of pressure sensitive labelstock to the second largest local manufacturer of pressure sensitive label materials in the USA. The investment further strengthens Raflatac’s position in the North American labelstock market, which is expected to grow by 4-6 per cent annually.’

Heikki Pikkarainen, president of UPM Labelstock Business, said: ‘Raflatac is currently implementing a strong global expansion strategy with major investment projects in North America, Europe and Asia. With our global investment program we want to leverage our production and service capabilities to all major markets globally and our target is to be the number one choice for label converters everywhere we operate. This technology investment, coupled with the recent establishment of UPM Rafsec’s new state-of-the-art RFID tag production facility in Fletcher, demonstrates our commitment to creating best-in-class production and distribution for the North American labelstock market.’

Raflatac employs over 300 people in the USA. Raflatac’s US operation concentrates on manufacturing pressure sensitive labelstock for prime and VIP labeling.