tesa – celebrating 80 years

Although it may be a surprise to those who associate the ‘tesa’ name with innovation – more than 50 per cent of its sales have been generated by products introduced within the last five years – the company is now celebrating 80 years of the tesafilm brand, officially launched on February 17, 1936.

Its origins are to be found in the person of Elsa Tesmer, who was the office manager in the Beiersdorf company’s Hamburg headquarters. Searching for a unique but simple and memorable name she simply took the first two letters of her surname and added the last two from her first name.

Recognised today as a global provider of self-adhesive tapes and products for industry, trade and the consumer, tesa in the UK has developed high value ranges dedicated to applications in key industry sectors, in the painting and decorating business and in the stationery market.

From somewhat humble origins on a single product range of technical adhesive tape through the development of an ‘umbrella’ brand by 1941 applied to all the Beiersdorf group’s self-adhesive products, tesa has grown to become a multi-product, multi-market brand associated with high performance and reliability.

But to prove that age is no barrier to new ideas, to celebrate its 80th birthday the tesa brand has received a new ‘suit of clothes’ in the form of a refreshed identity, with slightly different interpretation for its industrial, professional and consumer markets.

Looking forward, its latest products will be on view at this year’s Stationery Show at the Business Design Centre, London on April 27-28 and then at the Office Show, Excel London on May 11-12.