#1: Pro Tapes^® Focuses on People

At Pro Tapes & Specialties^® we pride ourselves for being in a “sticky” business. We’re at the core of finding solutions, adding value, and building relationships within the pressure sensitive tape industry.

Throughout our various departments, we center our goals and initiatives on employee and customer engagement. We believe both employees and customers come hand-in-hand. You must be continually improving upon both in order to provide excellent service.

Pro Tapes^® Customer Obsession Guides Our Employees

“If you’re not serving the customer, your job is to be serving someone who is.”

A banner with the above slogan hangs in our warehouse and production facility. It serves to remind our employees that even if they are not in a customer-facing position, their work ultimately is! We challenge our employees to think creatively and develop innovative solutions to make a product or process better.

It’s not the only quote we love to turn to for guidance! Take this one for another example:

“Customer Service is not a Department, It’s an Attitude”

This quote hangs near our Sales & Customer Service offices. It’s a daily reminder to approach every customer interaction by focusing on service, experience and satisfaction!

We’ve made substantial investments over the years to enhance our service to our customers. These investments include our Customer Relationship Management Software, implementation of Electronic Data Interchange, and Advance Shipment Notifications to our customers with tracking information.

Annually, we send out a customer satisfaction survey to measure five key areas: sales, communication, flexibility, delivery and quality. We communicate the results of this survey across departments, with improvement objectives and action items outlined.

Pro Tapes^® Invests in & Inspires Our Employees

Pro Tapes® is one of the best places to work because we invest in our employees. By giving our employees the resources to grow, we empower them to excel within their roles. We believe that investing in and empowering our employees ultimately leads to a better customer experience.

That is why Pro Tapes^® regularly provides our employees with opportunities to attend training programs and earn certificates. Here is a sampling of some of the training we provide across different departments:

• Forklift Re-Certification (every 2 years)
• CPR & First Aid Training (every 2-3 years)
• ESL Training
• Fire, Safety Training, Back Safety Training
• Time Management Training
• Performance Review Training
• Management Training
• ISO Auditor Training
• Customer Service Training
• Product Knowledge Training
• Accelerated Process Improvement Training
• Microsoft Certifications
• Product Management Certification
• Google Analytics and AdWords Trainings
• Other Computer Skills & Software Training, such as: email Etiquette, Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM, Windows, Microsoft Office, SAGE 500 ERP, etc.

#2: Leadership that Promotes Communication, Innovation and Quality

Pro Tapes^® is one of the best places to work because our leadership promotes a high quality working environment. Our goal is to build relationships, aim for strategic growth, and continually improve on quality and manufacturing efficiencies.

Quarterly, our leadership hosts Town Hall meetings. During these meetings, they provide transparent communication to all employees on company news, enhancements and financials. They encourage employees to ask questions and openly share any suggestions for improvements.

Pro Tapes^® leadership has also developed a team that meets quarterly to develop, plan and promote building, equipment, workplace and fire safety, and disaster recovery.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Pro Tapes^® leadership founded a Small Business Advisory Network. This advisory network helped connect small businesses to sources of information to help them safely and quickly recover from the economic impact of the shutdown.

#3: Emphasis on Community & Giving

Pro Tapes^® is one of the best places to work because of our C.O.R.E Caring program. Through this program, employees can make meaningful contributions to the communities that Pro Tapes^® and its employees reside in.

The Pro Tapes^® C.O.R.E. Caring Program was founded in 2014. Like a “core” that provides the strong center for a roll of tape, our “C.O.R.E.” stands for the values of Community, Out-Reach, Responsibility and Empowerment within our business.

Our C.O.R.E Caring program allows us to engage our employees in company-sponsored initiatives that align our company’s core values with activities that improve and enrich our community.

Through this program, we also commit to a culture of being friendly to the environment and maintaining the highest corporate citizenship standard. We aim to protect the health and safety of our employees while also positively impacting community in which we operate. We also maintain a strong sense of social responsibility through our financial support of and active involvement in many local charitable organizations.

At Pro Tapes^® I’m challenged every day to work smarter and be a valued part of a successful team. I’m not just a number on a piece of paper; here at Pro^® I have the opportunity to make a real impact on our organization!

The post Three Reasons Why I Believe Pro Tapes is One of the Best Places to Work appeared first on Pro Tapes®.

Looking to upgrade your dining room table centerpiece? Floral arrangements made with faux flowers are a great option because you can set it and forget it! They do not have the maintenance or shelf-life of real flowers.

You can make faux floral arrangements for any table, counter or shelf and when you do-it-yourself it can be an inexpensive way to brighten up any room!

It’s also a great gift idea for Mother’s Day, birthdays, Thanksgiving, Christmas, get-well or any occasion or celebration! UGlu^® makes putting together faux floral arrangements easy, here is how:

Supplies You Need for This Floral Arrangement:

• UGlu^® 900 Contractor Pack
• UGlu^® Industrial Roll
• Floral scissors/cutters or wire cutters
• Floral Styrofoam
• Faux Florals
• Base for centerpiece arrangements
• Candles (optional)

Step 1: Select a base to create your faux floral arrangement in.

If your table is rectangular in shape, you want to select a base that is rectangular in shape, too. My kitchen table is long and rectangular, so I selected a rectangular shape with a wooden insert and black metal frame.

I selected this base because the wooden insert could be removed. I removed the wooden insert and painted it grey, then placed it back into the black metal frame.

I selected a second base, also with a wooden insert and black metal frame that was square in shape. This smaller, square base is for the center of my end table next to my couch in the living room. I removed the wooden insert from this base and painted it grey as well and then placed it back into the black metal frame.

Pro^® Tip: By selecting a shape for a base that is the same shape as the table you are putting the arrangement on, the table appears larger.

Step 2: Shop for or select your faux florals for the arrangement.

Four things you want to consider when selecting your faux florals: color, texture, size and amount.

I selected neutral tones. My dining room and living are an open floor plan with white, beige, grey and black tones. I selected florals that bring out the beige tones in the room by selecting varying sizes of beige faux florals.

I prefer the arrangement style of varying sizes of florals, so the arrangement looks as realistic as possible. I also will not shop for faux florals online, only in-person. Therefore, I can guarantee that I can get the actual look (color, texture, size) accurate that I’m trying to attain.

If you’re shopping for faux florals and the store doesn’t have enough in inventory for the one you’ve selected, approach a store associate and ask them to place an order online and have it shipped to your door for any additional amount you need!

Pro^® Tip: Make sure you check out the small pre-arranged bouquets for weddings! They are often useful for centerpiece arrangements because “filler” florals are already included. Several small pre-arranged bouquets can be used for one centerpiece. This makes your centerpiece balanced and looking full!

Step 3: Gather all your supplies in one area to start working.

It’s best to lay down a sheet or table cloth on the area you are working on as faux florals have a tendency to shed and this makes clean up very easy when you’re done. Laying down a sheet or table cloth to work on also ensures you don’t scratch the delicate surfaces you’re working on.

If you line up all your supplies and faux florals in one spot, you can easily see how much florals you have to work with and this makes pre-arranging easier.

Step 4: Pre-arrange your faux florals.

Experiment with where you want to place the faux florals before you UGlu^® anything down or insert the florals into the Styrofoam.

Step 5: Place your Styrofoam bases down.

Take Styrofoam bases and place a strip of UGlu^® from the UGlu^® Industrial Roll, cut to size to the length of the base.

Remove the white liner. Turn the Styrofoam base over and press down. UGlu^® is very useful in this application because it keeps the floral Styrofoam in place. If you go to pull the Styrofoam block straight up, it will not move.

Place the Styrofoam in the wrong spot? No problem! With UGlu^® you can easily move the Styrofoam by twisting the block in the opposite direction. Turning UGlu^® to the right or left will cause the UGlu^® to release and you can adjust your location and firmly press it back down again!

For my smaller square arrangement for the living room end table, I used two Styrofoam pieces on top of one another to ensure I’m giving my arrangement the height and placement that the florals will need.

Step 6: Place UGlu^® on Styrofoam blocks and remove white liner.

 Styrofoam blocks not only keep the florals in place, but also give the arrangement height.

Step 7: Place your candles in the faux floral arrangement, using UGlu^® to hold them down.

If you are using candles in your centerpiece arrangement, place them in before you put your faux florals in. Utilize UGlu^® Contractor Pack 1” x 3” stripes on the bottom of the candle and remove the white liner to firmly hold the candle in place.

For my large rectangular arrangement for the dining room table, I’ve used three candles. For my smaller square arrangement for the end table in the living room, I didn’t use any candles.

Step 8: Arrange your faux floral arrangement in the base by sticking them onto the UGlu^® or piercing the stems through the Styrofoam.

Any UGlu^® used can easily be adjusted by pulling or turning in the sheer direction, so this makes it easy to adjust your arrangement as you’re completing it.

As you’re arranging your faux florals, make sure to take a step back and check your arrangement between each placement. You don’t want to wait till the end to check the arrangement! That’s a big mistake because you don’t want to end up pulling apart the whole arrangement to fix one issue.

That’s all! Have fun crafting your faux floral arrangement!

And if you LOVE how it came out, feel free to send us a photo at marketing@protapes.com!

The post Assemble a Faux Floral Arrangement with UGlu® appeared first on Pro Tapes®.

Although traditional trick-or-treating has been on the fall even before the pandemic (we’re looking at you, trunk-or-treating!), this year has pushed Halloweeners to find creative new ways to safely take part in this spooky Autumn holiday loved by both kids and adults.

One great way to help Halloween still happen this year -but avoid strangers coming uncomfortably close to your front door- is this new “candy sticking” or “trick-or-treat sticks” trend!

You take a long stick, attach candy and Halloween decor to it, and put it out on your lawn on Halloween day for happy trick-or-treaters to come a’pickin. It’s a simple and fun craft!

Find out how our UGlu^® Dashes make it extra easy to assemble these trick-or-treat sticks below.

What you need:

• UGlu® Dashes
• 100 Plastic Yard Sticks/Placeholders
• 100 Die-cut Vinyl Bats (or your decoration of choice)
• 100 Mini Packages of M&M’s (or your favorite mini package treat)
• 100 Packages of Pirate Booty (or your favorite potato chip bag)
• 100 Lollipops

Yield: 100 Sticks

Note: To make 100 sticks, you’ll need about 3 packs of UGlu^® Dashes

Step-by-Step Process:

Step 1: Take two UGlu^® Dashes and place on the on back of M&M package, line up with top of stick and press down to apply.

Step 2: Take two UGlu^® Dashes and place on the on back of Pirate Booty package, line up with bottom of M&M package on the stick and press down to apply.

Step 3: Take one UGlu^® Dash and place on die-cut vinyl bat and place on top left corner of M&M package and press down to apply.

Step 4: Take one UGlu^® Dash and place on die-cut vinyl bat and place on top right corner of M&M package and press down to apply.

Step 5: Take one UGlu^® Dash and place on one side of one of the lollipops and place down on top of the pirate booty directly underneath the M&M package and press down to apply.

Step 6: Place the yard stick in your front yard for your trick-or-treaters to take and enjoy!

Check out how these Trick-or-Treat sticks came out!

If you make your own trick-or-treat sticks with our tape, be sure to tag us @protapes let us know!

The post Trick-or-Treat Sticks for Halloween with UGlu® appeared first on Pro Tapes®.

1: Time

Initial thoughts on time usually steer towards, how long a tape will remain on the intended surface, such as: hours, days, months or years? Will the tape be intended for temporary or permanent use? Although it’s usually an afterthought, or not a thought at all to your average user, it’s just as important to ask: does the bond strength need to be immediate or stronger over time? Most adhesives will cure and reach maximum bond after 24 hours.

2: Temperature

What is the max temperature resistance that needs to be met and for how long? Is short term or long term high temperature resistance required? An application may require intermittent or short term exposure to 400°F baking cycles and remove cleanly when done. This is often a requirement in automotive masking tapes used in automobile body painting. An example of long term temperature resistance may be exposure to heat and freezing temperatures permanently. Pro Tapes® has a variety of butyl tapes, like Pro® Flex, that are made for waterproof sealing and remain stable (even in fluctuating changes) in temperatures from -70°F to 200°F. Pro Tapes® liner of butyl and EHB tapes are unique because they are permanent and can withstand extreme changes or fluctuations in weather temperature or conditions within hours.

3: Conditions

What elements will the tape be exposed to? Will the tape be used indoors or outdoors? There are many factors to consider in regards to conditions. Some indoor factors include: storage conditions, humidity, chemicals and dust. Some outdoor factors include: UV rays, water, wind, ice, humidity, chemical and acid contact. Exposure to outdoor elements such as submersion under chlorine or salt water or air pressure during aviation can cause strain on the shelf-life of some tapes.

4: Surface

What type of surface is the tape adhering to? Is this a LSE or HSE surface the tape is adhering to? LSE or Low Surface Energy is solvent less surfaces and can’t handle high temperatures. Some examples of LSE surfaces are some plastics (fluoride film, acetal), polypropylene, polystyrene, polyethylene, polyvinyl, PTFE and powder coated paints. HSE or High Surface Energy solvent based surfaces that can handle high temperatures. Some examples of HSE surfaces are metals (copper, zinc, tin, aluminum, lead, stainless steel, glass porcelain) and some plastics (kapton film, PVC, polyester, epoxy, paint, polyurethane paint and polycarbonate). Another complicated surface to consider is direct skin contact. Usually, the higher the surface energy the higher the adhesion that is required to stick.

Visit Our Online Tape Catalog

We encourage you to visit our online tape catalog and browse through our adhesive tape products to learn more. Pro Tapes® online tape catalog is designed to assist you in locating the adhesive product that best suits your needs. There are three different filters: Type, Application and Feature. If you know that you need a paper based product that will be used for color coding and labeling but also needs to remove clean, you can select those options and results will first display products that meet all three criteria (Artist Tape and Pro® 46). Our product selector functionality will also display the results of tapes that meet two or maybe only one of the criteria options.

Please feel free to ask our expert solutions team by completing the form below.

The post 4 Key Factors to Consider When Determining the Suitability of a Tape Product for the Application appeared first on Pro Tapes®.

ProTapes has responded to that demand for smaller consumer goods by creating smaller “pocket” versions of our top selling ProGaff gaffers tape as well as a variety of our glow products. These items are available on a smaller, one inch inner diameter core instead of the standard three inch inner diameter core.

What are the advantages to your store selling rolls of tape available in a “pocket” version?

1. Appeal to impulse shoppers at checkout

According to a survey performed by creditcards.com in November of 2014, 3-in-4 Americans are making impulse purchases. Our Pro Pocket Gaff is available in 19 eye-catching colors and perfect for both home or professional use. Its something everyone needs and a perfect addition to your checkout space.

2. Our “pocket” tapes come ready for retail

ProTapes pocket tape products come conveniently packaged in “retail ready” clamshell packaging including hang-tab and UPC barcode making them a convenient product to add to your store shelf or hang next to your register and scan at checkout.

3. Smaller, lighter, less space required

Pocket-size items require less of your retail and storage space. This means you can carry more SKUs and offer a wider variety of colors at checkout gaining multiple incremental sales when multiple colors appeal to a single shopper.

4. Less expensive to ship

These pocket tapes are lightweight and less expensive to ship than their full-size counterpart. If you’re selling through an online store, you can offer free shipping or shipping discounts to shoppers purchasing multiple rolls. This increases your sales while having little effect on your shipping costs.

Pro Pocket items currently available:

Pro Pocket Gaff
view product details

• 1″ core
• 1″ & 2″ wide rolls
• 19 colors
• Clamshell pack w/hang-tab
• UPC label and barcode

Pro Pocket Spike Stacks
view product details

• 1″ core
• 1/2” wide rolls
• 5 colors per pack
• 3 color combinations
• Packed in a sleeve tower
• UPC label and barcode

Pro Pocket Glow Dots
view product details

• 1″ core
• 1” wide roll
• 1/2” wide dots
• Die-cut glow dot stickers
• Clamshell pack w/hang-tab
• UPC label and barcode

Pro Pocket Glow Arrows
view product details

• 1″ core
• 1” wide roll
• 3/4” wide arrows
• Die-cut glow arrow stickers
• Clamshell pack w/hang-tab
• UPC label and barcode

The post 4 Advantages to Selling Rolls of Tape Small Enough to Fit In Your Pocket appeared first on Pro Tapes®.