First ever apparel RFID solution centre opens

ADT, Salpomec and UPM Raflatac today announce the opening of a unique Apparel Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Solution Centre. This new facility demonstrates how RFID can significantly enhance supply chain management and in-store retail operations for garment manufacturers, brand owners, retailers and logistics providers.

“Optimisation of the supply chain is a vital competitive factor for both apparel manufacturers and retailers alike,” says John Smith, Vice President of Retail Sales for ADT Europe, Middle East and Africa. “Brand owners want to prevent counterfeiting, manufacturers want to save time and money by streamlining their processes, while retailers seek to improve their in-store and point of sale activities. The whole supply chain has to be transparent and effectively managed to truly help reduce out-of-stock situations and increase sales.”

The Apparel RFID Solution Centre, based in Lahti in Finland, is the first facility of its kind anywhere in the world. It is a joint venture between ADT, Salpomec and UPM Raflatac, three world class companies that have been pioneering RFID implementation with early adopters in a number of countries. The Centre brings together all the elements of an RFID enabled apparel supply chain to demonstrate a complete end-to-end solution. This includes source tagging, automatic goods reception, an RFID-based sorting system, replenishment and store inventory management and point of sale analytics and security.

According to Jarkko Kuusisto, Chief Executive Officer of Salpomec: “In increasingly global supply chains, apparel manufacturing often takes place on one continent with the goods being sold in an entirely different location. This increases the demand for up to date and accurate information throughout the entire supply chain. RFID can deliver this by offering increased levels of information and control.”

“By hosting customer visits to the Centre, we can demonstrate that the most advantageous point in the supply chain to attach an RFID tag to a garment is the manufacturing stage,” explains Samuli Strömberg, Vice President of Marketing at UPM Raflatac. “In this way, it can include information for the whole supply chain right from the beginning, bringing value to all participants in the chain. In addition to tracking and tracing capabilities, RFID offers a means of brand protection and enhanced marketing opportunities.”

The Apparel RFID Solution Centre opened to visitors at the beginning of May. In its first year of operation, it is expected to host visits by up to 100 garment manufacturers, brand owners, retailers and logistics providers. Visits can be arranged by contacting rfidsolutioncentre@tycoint.com, salpomec@salpomec.fi or mikko.immonen@upmraflatac.com.

For more information, please contact:
Mr Samuli Strömberg, Vice President Marketing, RFID, UPM Raflatac, tel. +358 40 740 9588

About ADT
ADT, part of Tyco Fire & Security, designs, installs and services electronic security systems for retail, business and government and home intruder protection and detection systems. Sensormatic® is a leading brand of ADT. In Europe, ADT's products include alarm systems and integrated security applications that link access control, CCTV, electronic article surveillance and source tagging systems. They are used to deter thieves and protect people, goods and property.

About Salpomec
Salpomec Oy is a Finnish company providing logistic solutions for the garment industry. Over twenty years ago Salpomec introduced the Magic Tube, a revolutionary trolley-less garment handling system. Today, Salpomec offers a complete solution for all garment handling needs, including production systems, sorting, laundry sorting, storage, mezzanines and racking, steam tunnels and bagging machines with the needed intelligence. Salpomec has customers in over 35 countries on five continents, making us a true global expert on garment handling. For your complete logistic solution, please go to www.salpomec.fi

About UPM Raflatac
UPM Raflatac is a world-leading supplier of self-adhesive label materials for a wide variety of needs in product and information labelling. In addition, the company is at the global forefront of the development and high-volume production of HF and UHF radio frequency identification (RFID) tags and inlays. UPM Raflatac has around 2,500 employees and sales of approximately EUR 1 billion in 2006. The company has a global service network consisting of 11 factories on five continents and a broad network of distribution and slitting terminals and sales offices worldwide. UPM Raflatac is part of UPM. Further information is available at www.upmraflatac.com.