The Challenges OEMs and Distributors Face

• Stringent Performance Requirements – Ensuring materials meet durability, barrier properties, and aesthetic standards.
• Customization Needs – Sourcing tailored coatings that fit unique product applications.
• Supply Chain Reliability – Working with one partner who provides consistent, scalable solutions.
• Speed to Market – Rapid prototyping and testing to support innovation.
• Sustainability Pressures – Finding eco-friendly solutions without compromising quality.

How Kapco’s Custom Solutions Drive Success

1. Tailored Coating Solutions:

Paper, and other flexible substrates are engineered to satisfy the masses so they can be sold in high volume. Finding specialty solutions that are optimized to fit a specific customer’s needs is not easy. Kapco makes it easy. How?

• Custom Chemistry Enhances Product Performance
• Extremely complex constructions
• High speed production with low waste

2. Innovation Backed by Decades of Experience

Experience drives innovation. As a true market partner with decades of expertise in coatings and custom converting, we help take your ideas to life. Our responsive R&D team works closely with clients to develop:

• Specialty heat-seals, barrier, and other functional coatings for emerging applications
• Eco-friendly alternatives for sustainable packaging
• High-barrier coatings to extend product shelf life

3. Product Development Support: Turning Your Ideas into Market-Ready Solutions

Your innovation deserves a fast-track to success. Our collaborative development process includes:

• Ideation and materials expertise - Selecting the best substrates and coatings.
• State of the art technology – Kapco strives for efficiency, consistency, and cost effectiveness. Modern technology positions Kapco to produce high quality parts at competitive prices.
• Production and custom trials – Ensuring performance before full-scale production.
• Scale and Process refinement – Kapco’s variety of coating assets enables us to test/trial materials in smaller formats to save on cost and waste. Once approved, transition to wider formats and larger rolls is seamless.
• Synergy with converting capabilities – Kapco is more than a coater. We operate a full-service converting operation in the same location. This enables Kapco to take your coated solution and deliver it in the ideal form for your customer’s processes/channels. Doing so in-house reduces lead-time and the overall logistics cost of moving material from one facility to another for processing.

4. Extensive Delivery & Partnership Capabilities

Reliability in the supply chain is paramount. Kapco offers:

• All capabilities under one roof
• Consistent quality control across all production runs
• Flexible production capacities to meet varying demand
• Collaborate with customers to ensure the materials integrate seamlessly

5. Speed Up Innovation with Custom Trials

Waiting months to validate new materials isn’t an option. Our custom trial programs with minimal material requirements enable you to:

• Test coatings on your production lines before committing to full-scale orders.
• Experiment with different finishes, barrier properties, and functionalities.
• Ensure compliance with industry standards and regulations.

Why Partner with Kapco?

We are strategic partners committed to mutual success. Our focus is to transform materials into our customers' success. We have:

• A proven track record of innovation
• Customization capabilities that bring your ideas to life
• A commitment to sustainability and performance
• Decades of experience providing innovation solutions, product development support, and outstanding service

Take the Next Step

Whether you're looking for a high-performance coating, an innovative converting solution, or a partner who understands your business, we’re here to help.

K-Shield is a lamination film formulated with antimicrobial technology.

SURFACE PROTECTION APPLICATIONS

• Door Pushes
• Elevator Buttons
• Point of Purchase
• Promotional Displays
• Counter tops
• Menus
• Walls

TYPICAL INDUSTRY USE

• Food Service
• Food Processing
• Educational
• Hospital
• Commercial
• Retail

PRODUCT PROPERTIES

• Overall thickness: 4.2 mil
• Surface finish: Satin
• Roll dimensions: 54" x 150', 27" x 30'
• Permanent adhesive
• Can be used on most of Kapco's print medias

Want to know more about what exactly Antimicrobial means? Check out SGIA's Blog post on the topic: What is Antimicrobial?

Take our 40 minute workshop to polish your skills or to learn how to protect and repair your collection. This workshop can be done at your leisure and is available virtually so you can prioritize your social distancing while learning a new skill. Once you sign up, you'll get some follow up and then you get the supplies in the mail and the link to follow!

To learn more email: book@kapco.com or sign up here: Virtual Workshop Sign-up

https://youtu.be/GrFCHDsFajQ

In the beginning founders Joe Barnette, Dr. V. B. Yahner, and Bob Sibley had big plans for their small company. Their first facility in Kent, Ohio was 2,500 sq. ft. and was designed to be cost efficient while laying a path for future success. Within their first five years of business, Kapco doubled in size, allowing them to expand and move to a larger 12,000 sq. ft. plant. This would be the first of four moves in the first 25 years.

In Kapco's early stages of growth, they suffered a significant setback when in 1979, founder Bob Sibley suddenly passed, leaving the company in the hands of Joe Barnette.  As the business continued to grow, Joe understood he would need help, so in 1983 he hired Ed Small to lead the sales department.  Ed was the perfect fit and was able to continue Kapco’s growth trajectory by forging close relationships with key customers.  Many of these relationships continue to this day.

The Schriber Press.

Joe and Ed were adept at recognizing opportunity and in 1983 they saw such an opening in the Gerber Computer Aided Sign (CAS) machine which created sign vinyl with punched edges.  By modifying an old Schriber forms press Kapco was able to produce this type of sign vinyl and expanded the business once again. The Schriber press created many new digital opportunities for Kapco and it still runs today!

Kapco continued its expansion with the addition of Book Protection products in 1987.  This line of patented products, 14 patents in all, offered an effective way to make paperback book more durable and last longer.  Using a newly created book protection kit, Joe and Ed were able to showcase the products effectiveness at a book protection trade show in Pittsburgh. This trade show proved to be a breakout point for the product line and signaled the start of a successful business that would continue to this day.

Another significant area of growth for Kapco has been the adhesive coating business.  This business started in 1988 with the purchase of Kapco’s first coater which provided adhesive backed vinyl for the sign industry.  This coater could coat adhesive up to 30" and was sufficient until the market demanded different sizes, leading to the purchase of a 60" coater in 1992. The book protection line also offered additional applications to help accelerate Kapco’s growing coating business.

Coating opportunities continued to expand with the introduction of ink receptive media for water based ink jet printing platforms in 1995.  With this expansion, Kapco was able to create a whole new product line for the digital market place.  Today this product line resides within the Digital and Graphics business segment.

Kapco today.

In 1996, Kapco moved into the plant it occupies today. This new location allowed for future growth all while providing an exciting new workplace for its employees. With modern equipment, expanded office space, a lunchroom, an outdoor area, and a softball diamond, Kapco was poised for additional growth.

The 80" Coater.

In 2003 Dirk Desanzo purchased Kapco and championed the addition of a 81” coating line.  This asset would prove to be the foundation for Kapco’s growth well into the next decade.

In 2006 Kapco suffered another significant loss with the passing of Dirk.  Through the tragic loss, the Desanzo’s remained committed to making Kapco a great place to work along with continuing Kapco’s legacy of growth.  Recent additions to Kapco’s production capabilities include a state of the art Delta Press for converting complex constructions, a print lab, lab coater and a new 31” coater that offers extensive drying capacity along with excellent tension control.

Throughout the years, Kapco has far exceeded any goal   that Joe Barnette and Bob Sibley ever dreamed of. What was once a small job-shop, has turned into a thriving manufacturing plant with four significant business units, capable of producing thousands of different products. Through core beliefs,  which include a focus on our customer base and a leadership team that is committed to sustainable growth, Kapco it poised for success as we enter the next decade.

KAPCO also offers closure alternatives to zippers, screws, snaps, hooks, bolts and more with hook and loop, 3MTM Dual LockTM, die cut tape and more.

Cross-linked Polyethylene Foam is available in black or white, Spun Bond in blue, black, gray, or white and Tyvek in white. KAPCO also offers roll to roll and roll to sheet laminating up to 60” wide.

KAPCO partners with some of top names in the industry- ensuring that we meet the needs of a wide and diverse range of industries with up to date solutions. ISO 9001:2008 with Design.

Easy Cover II

Easy Cover® II saves you time and money by turning your paperbacks into hardbacks. It's easier - and quicker - to apply than our original Easy Cover®. It's less expensive too, with the same high quality and performance.

Tests show that using Easy Cover® II will extend the circulation life of your paperbacks by more than five times.
Rigid Cover with Flexible Spine Prevents Damage.

• 15 mil Clear Polyester Front and Back Covers
• 2 mil Wrap-Around Spine
• Acid-Free, Non-Yellowing Permanent Adhesive
• Wipes Clean

Easy Bind

Easy Bind can help reinforce your book hinges, mend torn pages and affix loose pages. You can also repair documents, photos drawing and more. With Easy Bind you can strengthen magazine and paperback spines. It’s acid-free and non-yellowing.

Easy Jacket

Our most popular book jacket cover is the Easy Jacket with no paper. This allows you to choose the height of the dust jacket cover and custom cut the length you need.

Easy Corners

Easy Corners are used for prevention of tattered and fraying corners, normal wear and tear on heavier or heavily used hardback books.

Label Protectors

Label Protectors provide protection for call labels, bar codes, spine labels. They have a clear, glossy finish polyester with rounded corners to help prevent lifting from book’s surface.

Don't toss them! Re-purpose. We collected some ideas from our customers and subscribers we'd like to share! Please watch the video below!