Kapco (Kent Adhesive Products Company) is celebrating its 40th anniversary as a leading manufacturer, coater and converter of pressure-sensitive flexible materials. Kapco began manufacturing in a 2,500 square foot facility in Kent in 1974. Thanks to consistent growth they are in their fourth Kent location, a 120,000 square foot facility.
Kapco (Kent Adhesive Products Company) is celebrating its 40th anniversary as a leading manufacturer, coater and converter of pressure-sensitive flexible materials. Kapco began manufacturing in a 2,500 square foot facility in Kent in 1974. Thanks to consistent growth they are in their fourth Kent location, a 120,000 square foot facility.
During the past 40 years Kapco has built a tradition of excellence in providing its customers with innovative ideas from prototype to production and custom products for every industry. Kapco has five business units including Converted Products, Graphic Products, Book Protection, Digital Products, and Custom Coating.
The Converted Products division has been a key growth business specializing in products supporting the electronics, appliance, packaging, general industrial and transportation markets. Kapco offers value added converting such as rotary, steel rule, flatbed and laser die-cutting, slitting, and sheeting. Kapco is ISO 9001:2008 with Design certified, assuring consistent quality and rigorous attention to maintaining high standards of performance.
Established in 1983, Kapco Graphic Products Division began manufacturing and distributing pressure-sensitive sign vinyls, banner materials and sign supplies. From there the Digital Products business unit evolved—supplying a complete line of water-based inkjet and solvent media for large format printing and mounting adhesives, laminates and backers—in 1995. Since Digital Products has grown to be Kapco’s largest division.
Since 1987, Kapco has been a manufacturer of unique book repair and preservation products. Their Easy Cover self-adhesive book covers allow customers to turn paperbacks books into hardbacks books, significantly increasing durability for libraries and book businesses everywhere.
Kapco first started in-house coating in 1987 which enabled them to further vertically integrate and become more cost competitive in the markets they serve including Graphics and Book Protection. In 2010 they expanded their capabilities by adding the Custom Coating Business unit which enabled Kapco to add extra value in partnering with their customers by offering a full range of services to meet all their supply needs from coating, to converting and all the way to packaging. In October of 2013 they completed a significant upgrade to their 80 inch coater, which included two sided custom coating capabilities on both paper and film products at a web width up to 80 inches wide. The most essential enhancement of the upgrade allowed the ability to apply two coatings, either the same or different, in a single pass. The coater upgrade also included additional drying capacity for heavy coat weights on a single side and improved measurement devices to ensure coat weight and correct moisture content. The coater’s advanced capacities tie into their top coating capabilities letting Kapco supply coated products for almost all the digital print methods available in the market place.
Recently the additions of three new presses have advanced their converting capabilities significantly. Two presses with print stations, dual side corona treater, and multiple die stations were added as well as a FME modified Heidleberg.
Today, Kapco remains a privately owned business, with Ed Small serving as President. The company continues as a manufacturer, coater and converter of pressure-sensitive flexible materials. Looking back on the past 31 years of working for the company, Mr. Small said, “We have a lot of good, hardworking employees that are dedicated to making Kapco successful. Twenty of our team members have over 20 years of service. It has been fun watching our employees develop, be promoted to new roles, and thrive. I am proud to see the company evolve and grow throughout the years.”