NATIONAL HARDWARE SHOW – May 19, 2005 – Whoever said “Good things come in small packages” must have been thinking of Intertape’s Pro-Mask® Blue masking tape, one of the fastest growing premium masking products in the business.  While the popular tape remains available in 60 yard rolls, ideal for multiple jobs, Intertape is introducing a 30-yard roll of Pro-Mask Blue for smaller masking jobs.

“We’re very active in listening to the consumer and, in turn, providing products that can help them and our retailing partner,” states Brian Miller, vice president of Intertape’s Consumer Products Business Team.  “This new SKU affords the retailer a number of merchandising and new profit opportunities.  It’s perfect for secondary displays and cross merchandising to generate impulse buying.”

Formulated for use on windows, trim and walls, Pro-Mask Blue is a superior-quality 14-day painter’s masking tape that can withstand direct UV exposure without leaving residue. Unlike its biggest competitors, the masking tape features a Fine-Structured™ crepe for superior cornering, conformability and tight paint lines. Highly versatile, Pro-Mask Blue removes easily yet is strong enough to hang visquine and masking papers for spray applications.

The 30 yard roll was developed in response to research that many consumers pointed out that a 60 yard roll had much more tape than they needed.  Having a lot of tape left over was a point of frustration, in that they felt it was wasted.

“According to our research, do it yourselfers don’t always need 60 yards of masking tape,” Miller said.  “Sometimes a smaller roll will do.  By repackaging the product with enough tape to mask an average-sized room, consumers get a high performance product at a price point that promotes impulse sales and sampling. By stepping the customer up, we also believe the customer is happier with the results of the job and then uses premium products for future purposes.”

The new Pro-Mask Blue 30 yard roll is the latest configuration in what has become one of the fastest growing products in Intertape’s portfolio.  Much of the product’s success has been attributed to consumers and professionals alike discovering the combination of quality and value this product offers.  Pro-Mask Blue was designed with a core group of professional painters who evaluated the product in a blind study doing a comparison to another product.  Their feedback guided the creation of the new formulation as they used the product in field trials.  These painters, who were dedicated users of the best selling blue tape, rated the final version of Pro-Mask Blue very favorably.  Specifically, they stated:

• 87% rated the performance as “excellent”

• 55% rated Pro-Mask Blue as “superior” to their existing product; 91% rated as “equal to or superior

• 100% said the product left zero residue

• 100% rated the paint lines as “excellent”

• 93% said that the cornering was “superior” to their existing product

Additionally, Miller adds that the new descriptive and colorful packaging is preferred 3:1 over any other brand in quantitative consumer tests.

The largest tape manufacturer in North America, Intertape Polymer Group Inc., headquartered in Bradenton, Florida, develops, manufactures and sells polyolefin plastic, paper packaging products and complementary packaging systems. Products include masking tape, acrylic and natural rubber pressure-sensitive carton sealing tapes, paper and reinforced tapes, HVAC tape and a number of automotive and aerospace high-performance products.  The company sells under a portfolio of brands including Intertape, Anchor, American, and MailAway products.

The company also manufactures and markets Exlfilm® shrink film, StretchFlex® stretch film, case erectors, shrink packaging machinery, ink jet printers and labeling systems, woven coated fabrics products and flexible intermediate bulk containers. For more information, visit the company’s website at www.intertapepolymer.com.