Jump to 2020–Present

Our story begins in 1935 with just a few spare parts, one very bright idea and a $100 loan.

Ray Stanton (“Stan”) Avery invented the world’s first self-adhesive label as a way to merchandise objects. In 1935, he founded Avery Adhesives in downtown Los Angeles and, in 1990, the company merged with Dennison Manufacturing to form Avery Dennison.

Over the past 80+ years, we have grown from one bright idea into a global Fortune 500® corporation that continues to advance quality and innovation in materials science.

The first Avery labels were simple, round price stickers. Stan Avery chose Kum Kleen Products as his original company name to advertise the ability of a self-adhesive label to be removed without leaving a mark.

1940–1949

Stan Avery and his 19 employees stand in front of Avery Adhesives building.

1940

Stan Avery and his 19 employees stand in front of the Fourth Street location to which the company moved in 1940. Today, our operations are in more than 50 countries and more than 36,000 employees worldwide.

1946
Avery incorporates and becomes Avery Adhesive Label Corporation.

1948

Avery builds its first-owned factory in Monrovia, California. The new 17,000 sq.ft. plant allowed Avery to consolidate manufacturing and shipping in one place.

1950–1959

Paper advertisement for the Avery Paper Company in the 1950s.

1953-1954

Avery built a plant for the new base materials division in Painesville, Ohio. The division was originally named the Avery Paper Company. In 1954, it was incorporated as Fasson.

1955

Avery goes international. Also, one of our earliest known Avery trade show exhibits.

1958

The company name was changed to Avery Adhesive Products, after Avery’s board dissolved the separate Fasson Company and integrated it into the parent corporation.

1960–1989

1964
Avery Adhesive Products changes its name to Avery Products Corporation to account for its entry into new, nonadhesive areas.

1976

With annual sales at $300 million, Avery Products was recognized in 1974 by its inclusion on the Fortune list of the 500 largest U.S. industrial corporations. The company was renamed Avery International in 1976.

Stan Avery, Russ Smith and the president of the New York Stock Exchange watch as the company’s symbol appears on the electronic board of the NYSE for the first time.

1969

Avery obtained listing on the New York Stock Exchange. In the photo, Stan Avery, Russ Smith and the president of the New York Stock Exchange watch as the company’s symbol appears on the electronic board of the NYSE for the first time.

Avery manufacturing plant in Peachtree City, Georgia.

1976

Avery constructed an entirely solvent-free plant at Peachtree City, Georgia.

1990–1999

In 1990, Avery Dennison was created by the strategic merger of Avery International and Dennison Manufacturing.

2000–2019

2007

Avery Dennison acquires Paxar and becomes the world’s largest producer of branding and information solutions for the retail apparel industry.

2013

Avery Dennison sells Office Products businesses and automotive Specialty Converting business to focus on materials and solutions businesses.

2016

Avery Dennison acquires the European business of Mactac.

Avery Dennison acquires Ink Mill Corporation, a U.S.-based business, combining Ink Mill’s digital ink capabilities and technology with Avery Dennison’s reflective media portfolio.

Avery Dennison makes a strategic investment in PragmatIC, a world leader in flexible electronics, to accelerate the mass deployment of intelligent packaging.

2017

Avery Dennison acquires Finesse Medical, Hanita Coatings, Yongle Tape Company Ltd.

Avery Dennison spurs growth of Wrapify with capital investment, opening an opportunity to expand the wrap industry and create a new revenue stream for installers.

2020

Avery Dennison acquires the RFID transponder business from Smartrac, a leading innovator in the development and manufacturing of RFID inlays.

Avery Dennison invests in Roadrunner Recycling to launch a label matrix recycling program to enable label converters to meet zero waste-to-landfill goals.

2019

Avery Dennison joins Wiliot’s original investor group for a $30 Million Series B funding round, anticipating a future where paper-thin battery-free Bluetooth sensors connect people with packaging and products.

2020–Present

2021

Avery Dennison launches atma.io, a digital product cloud to connect physical and digital worlds by creating, assigning, and managing unique digital IDs for every physical item in the world.

Avery Dennison acquires ACPO Ltd., Vestcom, JDC Solutions, ZippyYum

Avery Dennison announces new 2030 sustainability targets, approved by the Science-Based Targets Initiative, and ambition to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

2022

Avery Dennison achieves $9 billion in global revenue.

Avery Dennison acquires Catchpoint Ltd’s, Rietveld and TexTrace.

2023

Avery Dennison strengthens its circularity ambitions with investment in Circ for textile-to-textile recycling.

Avery Dennison acquires Thermopatch and Lion Brothers.