Our History

Tecman Speciality Materials Ltd was founded in 1994 to supply the signs and graphics industry with performance tape.

Starting out as three staff members with slitting equipment and a flatbed press has grown into the Tecman Group, employing over 50 members of staff across two companies, with an extensive conversion facility supporting industries across the globe.

We are proud that our people have helped shape our business into what it is today.

1994

Tecman was established to supply performance tape to the signs and graphics industry.

2003

The first rotary press was installed, which signified the initial step of Tecman becoming an advanced material converter.

2006

The second rotary press was installed along with Tecman gaining ISO9001 accreditation. Following this we received the coveted Top 10 Supplier Status from Siemens.

2009

Investment in further rotary presses and a new slit/rewinding facility paved the way to Tecman becoming the leading converter of advanced materials that we are today.

2013

As part of a 5-year expansion plan, we strategically relocated to our current larger premises in Leamington Spa, within the heart of the West Midlands manufacturing hub and were awarded our first automotive contract.This expansion was quickly followed by a rebrand of the company.

2015

Tecman was awarded our first Innovate UK R&D grant supporting the development of DAAT^® Technology, a ground-breaking structural adhesive tape.

2017

We received our second Innovate UK R&D grant for the continued development of DAAT^® Technology.

2018

We increased investment in our manufacturing facility with further rotary presses and a 100-tonne automated beam press. Additionally, we launched Alfa^® Technology, an innovative new range of acoustic insulation materials for automotive NVH.

2020

This year went down as our most challenging, yet transformational year to date.

In response to the alarming shortage of PPE available to healthcare professionals during the pandemic, we pivoted our manufacturing to supply high performance, cost effective and more environmentally friendly face sheilds to healthcare organisations throughout the UK, Scandanavia, Europe and USA.

After partnering with a network of medical distribution partners closely aligned on values and ethics, our flagship face shield was listed on the NHS supply chain network and we registered our new company Tecman Advanced Healthcare Products Ltd.

Subsequently, we were awarded our first contract worth over £1 million. This was quickly followed by the installation of one of the largest servo-controlled rotary presses in Europe along with in-line ultra-sonic welding capability.  

We received a third Innovate UK R&D grant for the continued development of DAAT^® Technology. We also achieved our first OEM approval for surface protection film suitable for protecting piano black paint.

2021

As we continued to grow and invest in our organisation, we expanded into our neighboring unit, adding 50% additional space into the facility. This was followed by the delivery of our first fully automated slit/rewind facility.

Following in-depth consultations with healthcare professionals we launched Optec® Reusable Face Shield System.

2021 also marked our entry into the thermal barrier space in EV manufacturing, as we introduced advanced insulation materials into our thermal management product portfolio.

2023

As part of our new 5-year growth plan we restructured our engineering team and kicked off our modernisation programme to replace and upgrade conversion equipment every 10 years.

We filed the patent for an all-in-one manufacturing process for Framed ATP Pads and launched the product at Battery Cells & Systems Expo during a live event presentation.

2023 is also the year that we applied for automotive quality management system IATF 16949 certification and environmental management system ISO 14001.

2024

In January we achieved IATF 16949:2016 certification, the most widely recognised international standard for automotive quality management systems. This is a major milestone for the business and is a direct result of the coordinated effort of the whole Tecman team and the investment set out in our 5 year growth plan.