BRADENTON, Fla. – May 24, 2005 – When it comes to offering superior tape products to the HVAC industry, Intertape Polymer Group says the more the merrier.  As a result of an internal realignment of its consumer products business team, the company will now market its construction-related line of tape products to HVAC professionals.

       "Intertape already has a strong relationship with the HVAC industry through our leading UL listed duct tapes and foils,” states Mark Pulawski, national sales manager, Intertape HVAC Business Team. “However, by using the vast product resources at Intertape, we are adding valuable products to our customer’s ‘tool kit’ to become the one source they need for any tape related job.”

       Some of the Intertape-branded tape products that HVAC professionals now have at their disposal include:

      These products compliment Intertape’s traditional HVAC products such as UL rated DUCTape, HVAC film tape and Aluminum foil tape.

      As a result of the new alignment, Intertape expects to develop even stronger customer relationships to ensure that product development is closely aligned to the marketplace and allow the company to quickly respond to customer and market changes.

      Intertape’s research pointed out that channels traditionally thought of as commercial, such as HVAC, actually behaved more like classical consumer channels. As such, the company reassigned a number of non retail businesses that eventually deal with a person using the product into its consumer business

      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

      “As we approach the HVAC business with a full portfolio of products,” said Pulawski, “we go forward with the understanding that the customer truly cares about what that product can do for them in saving time, producing better quality and improving value.  It’s our intent to provide our customers…at all levels…with the products, programs, and tools they need to be successful.”

      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.