Spotlight on Afera Converter Member Profitape

The managing director and shareholder of the Czech converter discusses their goals to minimise labour-intensive processes by investing in new machinery to produce complex, higher-added-value products

What does Profitape do?

As a converter of adhesive tape and an Afera-Member since 2019, the Czech company Profitape s.r.o. buys tapes from tape manufacturers and processes them. This means incorporating a self-adhesive layer which is transferred onto the material of about 50% of its products. Tapes are a key part of converters’ output, playing an important role in creating the function of their products.

How long have you been in the business?

Based in Paskov, which is close to Ostrava, on the north-eastern tip of the Czech Republic, Profitape is celebrating its 20th anniversary on the market in 2023. “I guess you could say we are a rather young company,” said Managing Director Jan Tyleček. “On the other hand, we have a history and experience that we can apply to our products and services.”

Mr. Tyleček himself joined Profitape as Director (and the adhesive tape business in general) in 2005 after spending 2 years at BSK Metal s.r.o. as project manager for the production of shelf equipment for shops, shopping centres and shopping markets. Before this, he earned a bachelor of sciences degree in business economics and management from the Technical University of Ostrava. “When I joined Profitape, I knew tapes were sticky and could be used for closing boxes, but that was about all,” Mr. Tyleček recalls, and then with a smile, “Today I know that they are not always sticky enough.”

What do you have to offer your customers?

Paskov, which is close to the Slovak and Polish borders, is an area with a strong industrial background. In 2019, Profitape moved to its current new site of about 3,000 square metres where it has its production and stock all in one place. Active mainly in the construction, automotive, heating & cooling, and industrial markets, the Company produces most of its products from soft foam materials, tapes, industrial textiles and plastics.

“As we are a relatively small company of about 50 people, and smaller companies tend to be more agile in terms of rapid product development and production than larger ones, flexibility is our competitive edge,” Mr. Tyleček explained. “This is a benefit of our work that we can offer to our customers.” Over the last few years, Profitape has expanded its technical department and is combining its flexibility with its substantial technical knowledge to offer its customers “a full package”.

How has the business changed recently? What are the biggest trends affecting your business currently and in the future?

Over the last 2 years, Mr. Tyleček says, Covid has been the key factor in influencing the market: “Most tape-related companies have experienced the same difficulties through the pandemic, from those related to personnel to supply chain availability, greatly affecting their businesses. We are no exception to these trends.” In the Czech market, the low unemployment levels of recent years have caused Profitape to analyse and invest in reducing the labour-intensive parts of its production. Through investing in new machinery, one of its goals is to produce more complex products with higher-added value, and thus generating more revenue. In the future, the Company will increasingly look into automating its production processes and searching for any other cost- and labour-efficient solutions.

Another significant trend is the transforming automotive industry and the general shift to more eco-friendly products. “So, we have to keep our eyes peeled, making sure we do not miss an opportunity or fall behind our competitors,” Mr. Tyleček emphasised. He sees this as a chance to seek out new markets and products never before seen, to watch what is happening in the market, to observe what the big producers are doing with their products, and to take in the valuable information Afera is sharing with its Members.

How has your involvement with Afera benefitted you and Profitape?

On his first contact with Afera, Mr. Tyleček remembers he learned of our European industry collective from a supplier, saw Afera’s logo, and was curious to learn more about the benefits of Membership. This led Profitape to join as a Converter Member.

“Being a part of Afera enables a company to have a much better overview of the tape industry,” he shared. “There is technical knowledge which we also look forward to benefitting more from, such as participating in the Technical Seminar, Tape College and Technical Committee. Although I am also very interested in the topics Afera discusses that are outside of the tape field, the real reason we attend Afera’s Annual Conference is that it’s like an important industry exhibition: There are costs attached, and even though it is hard to calculate the exact return, you just cannot miss it.”

Visit www.profitape.czor call +420 558 648 494 for more information about Profitape s.r.o.