Why Settle?

There are lots of standard pressure-sensitive film and adhesive products on the market today. They are great products that work just fine for many applications. What happens, though, when that standard product isn’t quite right? When the application surface is too rough for the adhesive to bond well? Or when you could achieve the yields you need to be competitive if only you could have it with a different release liner? Using that same standard product may be like trying to jam a square peg into a round hole. It just doesn’t fit. When circumstances such as these arise, a simple tweak to a standard product may be the answer.

Unfortunately, not all suppliers have a business model that supports fulfilling this type of need. Let’s face it, different suppliers bring different things to the table. Those with an operational business model purchase raw materials in bulk and mass produce a handful of products. They have fewer changeovers in production which allows them to offer aggressive pricing and very quick turnaround. They are more efficiency-minded which prevents them from offering customized service that recognizes your business as an individual — unique based on your equipment, areas of expertise, markets served, business goals or local climate.

The good news is that you don’t have to settle. When my father started Flexcon, his mission was to fill the void left by suppliers who only wanted to offer one-size-fits-all products and service. He instilled in our people the value of developing products based upon your needs so that they would fit precisely into your process and be more aligned with your goals, thus ensuring your profitability for the long term.

If you have a very specific performance need, such suppliers are not typically anxious to provide the customized service you require. It’s just not in their wheelhouse. So what do you do? Do you sacrifice performance and cross your fingers? Or do you go outside the box to find an equitable solution?

What we’ve found over the years is that sometimes what seems like a major obstacle actually has an easy fix, such as simply swapping out a product component or adjusting a coating. Believe it or not, custom products aren’t just for that one specialized, high-profit margin job. They can be small tweaks that solve a challenge and result in a positive impact on your business. And while a custom product may sometimes cost more per MSI, it may very well reduce risk related to performance and/or result in efficiencies that make up for the added cost, helping you to stay competitive. It may also allow you to differentiate yourself in the market by offering a unique solution that’s not available anywhere else.

So why accept supplier-imposed compromises when you don’t have to? That different coat weight of adhesive or alternate product component could mean the difference between winning and not winning a particular piece of business. You deserve to have the product that best suits your needs — that allows you to demonstrate your added value to your customers and that opens the conversation beyond price — that brings something new to the market and differentiates you — that enables you to win business and gives you the best possible business result. And that’s what I want for you.