FLEXcon recently celebrated half a century of business. The Spencer, MA-based company manufactures pressure-sensitive films and adhesive products.

Myles McDonough founded the family-owned, privately held company and focused its early efforts on laminating vinyl and metallic polyesters for use in women's shoes and handbags. In the 1960s, he expanded FLEXcon's capabilities to include the production of dyed, brushed, embossed, and topcoated products. Sheet-form and roll-form labeling entered the picture during the 1970s, and the adoption of variable-printing technologies and a quality-management system came in the 1980s. During the 1990s, the company achieved ISO certification and OSHA VPP status and developed the no-label-look for glass bottles used in the Clearly Canadian line of beverages. The most recent development at FLEXcon involved the integration of lean-manufacturing practices.

"We strive to blend the original, small-company approach with the resources of a global corporation," says Neil McDonough, who became FLEXcon's president in 1990. "Throughout our history, we have worked closely with our customer, learning their application needs and challenges. Then we combine our products and know-how with their converting and printing expertise to arrive at the best solution.

FLEXcon employs 1200 people worldwide and has manufacturing facilities in Spencer, MA; Columbus, NE; and Glenrothes, Scotland. Myles McDonough continues to serve the company as chairman of its board of directors.