FINAT renews global drive for new members

FINAT, the global trade association for the self-adhesive label industry, is launching a renewed drive for new members throughout their entire supply chain.

President David Harrisson, half-way through his term of office, said: ‘A lot of people in our industry just don’t appreciate what a good trade association can do for them and we are making it a priority to get across the benefits of FINAT membership.’

Throughout the last year a special sub-committee under the chairmanship of FINAT board member Bernhard Grob, has been hard at work devising improved member benefits, such as discounted publications, conferences/seminars and English language courses tailored for the self-adhesive industry’s needs, that will help member firms prosper.

‘During the year we developed the concept of the Euro-Indian Label Exchange as an aid to help members, particularly the small and medium sized ones, develop business in both regions.  This culminated in a successful conference in India in December,’ said Mr Harrisson.

As part of the drive, FINAT has been concentrating on an effective public relations campaign to bring to the notice to the world the benefits of self-adhesive labels, with the help of London-based PR consultancy Franklin Associates, and has created a three-times-a-year end-user newsletter featuring trade developments which member companies can download from FINAT’s website for distribution to their customers and suppliers.

‘It is all part of the plan to spread the word to every potential user of labels that the versatility of self-adhesives gives the best way to move forward and sell products better and quicker,’ Mr Harrisson said.

Recently FINAT became one of 12 signatory organizations to endorse the European Declaration on Paper Recycling and is now actively advising its members on effective recycling schemes for recycling the labels’ liners.  

Mr Harrisson said: ‘It is important for our industry to play its full part in the drive to recycle more and more and we will be advising our members of practical - and sometimes imaginative – ways to recycle.  For instance one of our members, working with a major customer, is collecting siliconized liner paper to be turned into paper towels.

‘This is a prime example of how FINAT is helping its members and the more companies who are involved, from the suppliers of substrates, ink and machinery through the entire business chain to high street retailers, the better we can improve the profile and the prospects for self-adhesive labels,’ Mr Harrisson added.