17 July 2017

Chris Ellison from OPM Group announced as new FINAT President

BPIF Labels member, OPM Group is proud to announce that Chris Ellison, Managing Director, has recently been elected to serve as the twentieth President of FINAT for the next two years. FINAT is the European association for the self-adhesive label and narrow-web converting industry.

Chris was elected by fellow association members, and will serve as President providing guidance and strategic direction for the association. He has begun his two year-long term as the President when he was inducted in June 2017 at the European Label Forum, in Berlin.

The recognition of Chris as FINAT President coincides with the strategic growth that the OPM (labels & packaging) Group has experienced in the past three years since the company relocated to Leeds following continued investment in people, innovative printing technology, lean processes and automation.

As Managing Director, Chris is responsible for the management, strategic initiatives and overall operations of the company. Under his leadership OPM continues to be recognised as one of the UK print industry's top independent self-adhesive labels & flexible packaging firms.

FINAT (an abbreviation of the French title: Féderation Internationale des fabricants et transformateurs d'Adhésifs et Thermocollants sur papiers et autres supports) is all about labels and people. (https://www.finat.com/) In 2008 FINAT celebrated its 50th anniversary, its Golden jubilee. On the initiative of the French label association, at the time the only national label association in Europe, a group of 20 companies got together in Paris to lay the foundations for an international association dedicated to the label sector. FINAT was officially founded in November 1958.

What started as a small convention of pioneers in a young, emerging industry in Europe has developed into an organisation of over 500 companies spanning all disciplines in self-adhesive labelling in more than 50 countries worldwide.

In 2017, FINAT provides a networking platform for converters, suppliers and indirect suppliers, offers education and technical publications, represents the industry's views at EU level and establishes and maintains industry-related best practices, standards and test methods. In short it provides a central source for industry information for its members today and will continue to do so for younger generations at the start of their journey in the print industry.