Paperworld 2007: Cooperation between tesa® and VELCRO® brand

Premium assortment of hook-and-loop solutions

In a cooperative arrangement that is unique in the history of tesa AG, the Hamburg-based specialist in self-adhesive technologies is blazing a new trail in the field of fastening solutions for consumers: Under the new dual tesa® VELCRO® brand, tesa and Velcro Europe S.A., based in Barcelona, the leading provider worldwide of hook-and-loop systems, will offer a high-quality product line throughout Europe starting in March 2007.

With hook-and-loop fastener ideas for everyday needs – from do-it-yourself projects to outdoor applications – the two companies are bundling their competencies and positioning themselves as Europe’s leading brand for high-quality, innovative, multifaceted hook-and-loop fastening solutions. The two partners are opening up this product segment, which has to date not been fully occupied for consumers, in order to enter new markets and achieve additional growth in sales.

The perfect complement

tesa® VELCRO® brand hook-and-loop systems complement the tesa adhesive tape assortment perfectly with their innovative fastening technology. Hook-and-loop fasteners offer particularly strong hold and can be opened and closed up to 10,000 times. This opens up new possibilities in the fields of organization, bundling, and fastening. “Under the new dual tesa® VELCRO® brand, starting in March 2007 users will be able to find convenient solutions that are at the high level of quality they are used to and have all the advantages of two well-known brand-name manufacturers at the same time,” as tesa company spokesman Reinhart Martin explains the two partners’ product line policy.

Both tesa® and VELCRO® brand represent strong brands in their respective fields and have become bywords for quality for their respective uses in many countries. While tesafilm®, with its brand awareness of 98% (Research International, 2004), is among the strongest consumer brands in Germany, the VELCRO® brand epitomizes hook-and-loop fasteners, especially in south and west Europe.

Since the inventor and pioneer George de Mestral, founder of the VELCRO® brand, discovered the principle of using hooks and loops, in the nineteen-forties, and chose the initial syllables of the French words “velours” (loop) and “crochet” (hook) as the company’s name. VELCRO® brand fasteners has developed into a unique, multifaceted product assortment that has revolutionized the fields of fastening and closing all around the world. This combination of widely varied uses and technological leadership is another strength the two new partners share.

Europe-wide launch

tesa and Velcro Europe S.A. will profit especially from a dense international distribution network. The partners will benefit from the Europe-wide high brand awareness of both brands. “With the tesa® VELCRO® brand product assortment, we will be present in the European tesa markets and distribution channels while also further expanding our distribution base, particularly in France and Spain,” says tesa company spokesman Martin.

Premium brands

The product line, which will include up to 34 individual products depending on the distribution channel, offers end users the ability to organize and design their personal surroundings according to their wishes, simply and conveniently. “tesa® VELCRO® brand is multifaceted and creative, innovative, practical, intuitively understandable, and simple to use,” as tesa company spokesman Martin summerizes the dual brand’s advantages to the end consumer. The philosophy of convenience, which is an essential component of the tesa® and VELCRO® brands individually, is also taken up by the dual tesa® VELCRO® brand. The full line of clever hook-and-loop fastener ideas, the scope of which is new on the European market, offers practical solutions from multifunctional cable ties to extra-strong stick-on hook-and-loop strips that can be used to fasten small devices or tools securely to the wall so that they can be removed easily at any time for