Avery Dennison Creates RFID Division

Published: September 24, 2004, By pffc-online.com

PRESS RELEASE

PASAENA, CA, USA — Avery Dennison Corp. reports it has formed a new business unit dedicated to the manufacturing and marketing of low-cost radio frequency identification (RFID) inlays and tags. According to the manufacturer serving the pressure-sensitive label market, Avery Dennison will leverage the company's existing distribution system by marketing the RFID inlays and tags to its label converter customers.

Says Avery Dennison CEO Philip Neal, "Retail, pharmaceutical, and packaged goods companies throughout the world are confirming that pressure-sensitive labels are ideal vehicles for carrying an RFID chip and antenna."

Avery Dennison's new RFID business will be headed by Mathew Mellis, who will hold the title VP, RFID and specialty converting. Mellis, a 25-year veteran at Avery Dennison, led the company's industrial and automotive products business for the past 14 years. Stan Drobac, VP of RFID applications, will continue to lead the division's sales, marketing, and research and development actitivites and will report to Mellis, says the manufacturer.

Avery adds that it continues to participate in numerous RFID pilot projects with leading retailers and consumer products companies. The company says it also has upped its investment in RFID, with plans in 2004 to more than double the previous year's spending on RFID R&D activities.

"[Avery Dennison] is developing a variety of RFID labeling applications; is building an infrastructure; and is creating cost-effective manufacturing processes to enable it to produce quantities of RFID labels in the hundreds of millions," states the company.

Learn more about Avery Dennison at averydennison.com.