FLEXcon
 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Manufacturing |
| Founded | Spencer, Massachusetts, U.S. (1956) |
| Founder | Myles McDonough |
| Headquarters | Spencer, Massachusetts , U.S. |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Neil McDonough (CEO & Chairman of FLEXcon Holdings) Lavon Winkler (CEO of FLEXcon North America) Stephen Hall (Managing Director, FLEXcon Europe Ltd.) |
| Products | Pressure-Sensitive Films & Adhesives |
Number of employees | 700 (2023) |
| Website | www.FLEXcon.com |
FLEXcon is a worldwide manufacturer of pressure-sensitive film products for applications that include indoor and outdoor advertising, product identification and safety/hazard labels, bar coded labels, primary labels and bonding/mounting. FLEXcon also develops custom solutions to meet unique converting or application needs. The company is headquartered in Spencer, Massachusetts, and has operations throughout North America and Europe, with distribution worldwide.[1][2]
In 2023, Aimee Peacock became CEO of FLEXcon Global, a move which brought together the separate continental branches under her team[3]
History[edit]
From its origin as a small garage-based business in Spencer, Massachusetts, FLEXcon has grown to be a worldwide polymeric coater and provider of pressure-sensitive film and adhesive products. FLEXcon remains a family-owned, privately held company.[4]
Founding[edit]
Neil McDonough’s father, Myles, founded FLEXcon in 1956. In those early years, the company focused on laminating vinyl and metallic polyesters for use in women's shoes and handbags. “You can never remain on a plane. You must either go up or down.” was Myles motto. Among his values that permeate the company to this day, Myles McDonough emphasized doing whatever it takes to meet customer needs. A typical example of his ingenuity was building a slitter/re-winder using motors from discarded washing machines.[5]
Expansion[edit]
Through the years, FLEXcon's product line and capabilities expanded to meet changing requirements within the industry. This included the increased demand for dyed, brushed, embossed, and topcoated products in the '60s; the growth of sheet-form labeling and dramatic expansion of roll-form-labeling in the '70s; the introduction of variable print technologies in the '80s; and the birth of "no-label-look" labels for glass bottles, which FLEXcon pioneered in the '90s for Clearly Canadian.[5]
FLEXcon discovered a replacement for hydrogel while conducting research on batteries. The innovation was named OMNI-WAVE, a discovery which to its healthcare business unit manager Aditi Subramanian was said to be cost-effective, and resulted in an improved patient experience.[2][6]
Quality management[edit]
FLEXcon adopted a quality management system in the 1980s, achieving ISO certification and OSHA VPP status in the 1990s, and integrated lean manufacturing practices in the 2000s. All of these programs are ongoing today.[5]
Facilities[edit]
In 2008 FLEXcon employed 1,200 people worldwide, with manufacturing facilities located in Spencer, Massachusetts; Columbus, Nebraska; and Glenrothes, Scotland. The company also has sales offices throughout North America and Europe and distribution worldwide.[5] This number is reported to be 700 as of April 2023[2]
References[edit]
- ^ KBA
- ^ a b c "Manufacturing awards: FLEXcon's new adhesive seeks to change the medical device paradigm | Worcester Business Journal". 2023-08-17. Archived from the original on 2023-08-17. Retrieved 2023-08-17.
- ^ "FLEXcon Global promotes Aimee Peacock to CEO". Label and Narrow Web. Retrieved 2023-08-12.
- ^ "Todd County Industrial Authority". Archived from the original on 2008-12-29. Retrieved 2009-06-11.
- ^ a b c d "Signshop". Archived from the original on 2006-10-16. Retrieved 2009-06-11.
- ^ "Flexcon debuts four healthcare and pharma products | Labels & Labeling". 2023-08-18. Archived from the original on 2023-08-18. Retrieved 2023-08-18.