INTERTAPE POLYMER GROUP REDEFINES ITS CUSTOMER TO CREATE STRONGER BUSINESS AND MERCHANDISING RELATIONSHIPS

Company Creates New Consumer Products Business Team

BRADENTON, Fla. – April 6, 2005 – Successful companies don’t sit on their laurels; they continually align their business strategy to ensure their customers’ needs come first.  Intertape Polymer Group, the largest tape manufacturer in North America, today announced that it has created the Consumer Products Business Team to better position the company to create stronger customer and merchandising relationships.

Traditional “consumer” businesses are based on products sold through retail distribution.  Intertape has taken a different view. Its new classification of a consumer business partner will focus on the businesses that provide an Intertape product to a human being who, in turn, uses the product in the course of a project or in a profession. 

“Our research pointed out that channels traditionally thought of as commercial actually behaved more like classical consumer channels,” said M. J. “Doc” Dougherty, general manager of the Consumer Products unit.  “As such, the company reassigned a number of non retail businesses that eventually deal with a person using the product into our consumer business.”

The Consumer Products team now encompasses:

“As a result of the new alignment,” said Dougherty, “we expect to develop even stronger customer relationships through multi-tiered merchandising programs, ensure that product development is closely aligned to the marketplace and allow the company to quickly respond to customer and market changes.”

Intertape began a commitment to a classic consumer packaged goods marketing approach for some of its brands last year. The innovative programs were built around a unique understanding of customer motivations and behaviors, and an identification of gaps in the market.  The successful execution of these strategies has made Intertape one of the fastest growing in the industry with a growth rate nearly 20 times that of the industry.   The expectation is to utilize a similar approach for the newly identified consumer segments. 

“At retail, the war is won at the store level,” noted Dougherty.  “As we approach these other businesses, we will go forward with the understanding that what the customer cares about isn’t the product, but what that product can do for them in saving time, producing better quality, and improving economic value.  It’s our intent to provide our customers…at all levels…with the products, programs, and tools they need to be successful.”

Dougherty will lead the new business team.  His experience includes an accomplished background in sales, marketing and general management with a number of consumer products companies including H.P. Hood, Pepsico and Crossmark.

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