Tag and Label Manufacturers Institute

What Tag and Label Manufacturers Institute does

Tag and Label Manufacturers Institute (TLMI) is a non-profit trade association founded in 1933 (originally as the Tag Manufacturers Institute, renamed in 1962) that serves the North American label and packaging industry. Headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, TLMI operates with 1-10 employees and a member-led governance structure, with converter members representing approximately 70%+ of labels manufactured in North America and supplier members reaching 70% of the market through association participation. The organization operates on a tiered annual dues model: converter membership dues range from $2,500 to $12,500 based on member company sales volume, and supplier membership dues range from $4,000 to $13,000, supplemented by event registration fees ($425-$2,295 across the Annual Meeting, Converter Leadership Meeting, and Label Leaders of Tomorrow Excursion).

TLMI's core offering is a platform-plus-services model anchored by the TLMI Community (a Small World Labs-powered member-only engagement site) and a portfolio of programs spanning events, benchmarking research, awards, education, sustainability, and regulatory advocacy. Key products include the Management Ratio Study, Quarterly Trends Report, and TLMI Market Insights Quarterly (produced with Industry Insights and AWA respectively), the TLMI Gurus technical expert network, the Liner Recycling Initiative with associated recycling maps, and award programs including the 48th Annual Printing Excellence Awards (2026), Calvin Frost Sustainability Leadership Awards, and Eugene Singer Excellence in Business Management Award. The association also provides scholarships, regulatory advocacy through PACE LLP, and education partnerships with the Flexographic Technical Association (FTA) and PRINTING United Alliance.

TLMI's go-to-market is community-led: it acquires members through networking events, committee participation, exclusive programs, industry recognition awards, and member referrals via the Membership Committee. Application requires Executive Committee approval, and the association operates regional in-person events complemented by digital channels including its website, LinkedIn presence, email newsletters, and the TLMI Community platform. Notable strategic partners include LOUPE Americas (event partner), Industry Insights, AWA, PACE LLP, The Workplace Advisors, FTA, PRINTING United Alliance, The Association of Plastics Recyclers, Procure Analytics, PRX Market, and SF Processing. Board leadership is drawn from member companies, with Inland Packaging CEO Mark Glendenning serving as Chairman, Yerecic Label EVP Kristin Yerecic Scott as Chairman-Elect, and Blue Label Packaging President Andrew Boyd as President.

Name

Tag and Label Manufacturers Institute

Legal name

Tag and Label Manufacturers Institute

Website

https://tlmi.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1933

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

TLMI is a non-profit trade association founded in 1933 that serves North American label and packaging converters and suppliers through tiered membership dues, events, benchmarking research, sustainability programs, and regulatory advocacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Milford

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Converter Membership Dues: Annual membership dues for converter companies engaged in the manufacture and sale of tags, labels, and allied products. Dues are structured by total sales tiers ranging from $2,500 to $12,500 annually.
2. Supplier Membership Dues: Annual membership dues for manufacturers or distributors of supplies, raw materials, equipment used in label manufacturing. Dues range from $4,000 to $13,000 based on company revenue size.
3. Event Registration Fees: Revenue from Annual Meeting, Converter Meeting, and Label Leaders of Tomorrow Excursion events. Registration fees range from $425 for LLT Excursion to $2,295 for non-member Annual Meeting attendance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

TLMI is a non-profit trade association serving the North American label and packaging manufacturing industry. It provides membership-based services including industry events (Annual Meeting, Converter Leadership Meeting), benchmarking research (Management Ratio Study, Quarterly Trends Report, TLMI Market Insights Quarterly), award programs (Calvin Frost Sustainability Leadership Awards, TLMI Printing Excellence Awards), education and training partnerships, sustainability initiatives (Liner Recycling Initiative), and regulatory advocacy for converter and supplier member companies.

Product overview

TLMI (Tag and Label Manufacturers Institute) is a trade association serving the North American label and packaging industry. The organization operates a platform-plus-services model combining a member-only community portal (TLMI Community) with a portfolio of events, award programs, research/benchmarking services, education initiatives, and sustainability programs. Core offerings include the Annual Meeting and Converter Leadership Meeting as premier networking events; the Calvin Frost Sustainability Leadership Awards and TLMI Printing Excellence Awards as recognition programs; the Management Ratio Study, Quarterly Trends Report, and TLMI Market Insights Quarterly as industry benchmarking tools; FTA FIRST Certification and PRINTING United iLearning+ as education partnerships; and the Liner Recycling Initiative as a sustainability program. TLMI also provides technical support through the TLMI Gurus network, administers scholarship programs, and offers regulatory affairs support through partnerships with Pace LLP.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Annual Meeting TLMI's largest annual event bringing together label and packaging professionals for collaboration, networking, learning, and relationship building.
• Converter Leadership Meeting Spring event exclusively for TLMI Converter Members featuring sharing, learning, and networking opportunities over two-and-a-half days.
• Label Leaders of Tomorrow Excursion Emerging leaders program featuring networking, industry education, and connection-building with industry experts for young professionals.

Quantifiable outcome

• Members benchmark company performance against industry peers through confidential Management Ratio Study
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• LOUPE Americas (formerly Labelexpo Americas)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerLOUPE Americas is TLMI's premier event partner for the largest dedicated label and package printing event in the Americas. TLMI offers 30% off converter membership when joining with LOUPE promotion. The partnership provides members early access to events, networking with decision-makers, and industry-leading resources.
• Industry InsightscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry Insights confidentially manages TLMI's Management Ratio Study, Compensation & Benefits Study, and Quarterly Trends Report. These studies provide members with benchmarking data on profitability, productivity, financial management, and labor practices.
• AWA (Alexander Watson Associates)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAWA produces the TLMI Market Insights Quarterly report featuring North American market trends, projections, converter surveys, and brand insights for the narrow web industry.
• PACE LLPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPACE LLP provides bipartisan government relations consulting for TLMI, keeping members informed about legislative issues affecting the industry including EPR, recycling requirements, tariffs, and PFAS regulations.
• The Workplace AdvisorscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHR consulting partner providing TLMI members with discounted HR support including mentoring, day-to-day HR support, recruiting assistance, and training. Also supports workforce development initiatives.
• FTA (Flexographic Technical Association)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTLMI partners with FTA to provide members exclusive discounts on FIRST Certification programs for press operators, prepress specialists, and implementation specialists.
• PRINTING United AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTLMI provides members exclusive discounts on iLearning+ platform courses covering color management, sustainability, sales, and technical training for digital, offset, and flexo printing.
• The Association of Plastics RecyclersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to help TLMI members design and certify products to meet sustainability goals through recycling compatibility standards.
• Liner Recycling InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTLMI-led initiative focused on growing paper recycling through industry collaboration. Provides recycling maps and resources for matrix byproduct and PET/paper release liner recyclers.
• Procure AnalyticsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExclusive member benefit providing savings for MRO, freight, and packaging procurement through group purchasing power.
• PRX MarketminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember marketplace to turn excess materials into profit or find offcut rolls needed to complete jobs.
• SF ProcessingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExclusive partner making electronic payments simple, efficient, and profitable for TLMI members.
• Phoenix ChallengeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports print skills training at high school and college level to develop future workforce for the label industry.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• LOUPE (formerly Labelexpo): Global events company operating the largest dedicated label and package printing exhibitions globally. TLMI's flagship event partner (30% off converter membership promo); not a membership peer but a commercial partner addressing overlapping exhibitor and attendee constituencies.
• AWA Alexander Watson Associates: Specialized market research and consultancy serving the label, release liner, and specialty coating industries. Producer of TLMI's Market Insights Quarterly, AWA is a commercial intelligence partner rather than a peer association, but addresses the same member information needs.

Emerging players

• Sustainable Packaging Coalition: Industry working group focused on sustainable packaging design and recovery, addressing many of the same sustainability themes as TLMI's Liner Recycling Initiative and Calvin Frost Sustainability Leadership Awards. Overlapping audience among packaging-converter sustainability leaders.
• Active & Intelligent Packaging Industry Association (AIPIA): Industry association promoting smart and active packaging technologies. Overlaps with TLMI's served industry at the convergence of labels and intelligent packaging features (NFC, sensors); could compete for supplier-member attention in emerging tech segments.

Direct peers

• PRINTING United Alliance: Broad North American printing industry association covering commercial printing, packaging, and digital production. Direct peer in serving print service providers and suppliers; TLMI offers members PRINTING United iLearning+ courses as a partnership, reflecting overlap in target audience.
• Flexographic Technical Association (FTA): North American technical association for flexographic printing, which is the dominant process for label production. FTA is both a TLMI partner (FIRST Certification) and a direct peer competing for the same flexographic converter and supplier members' attention and dues.

Broad incumbents

• PMMI — The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies: Larger trade association covering packaging and processing equipment across multiple end-markets (food, beverage, pharma, industrial). Comparable membership-based model targeting packaging machinery makers and suppliers, with overlapping membership potential for TLMI supplier members.

Regional players

• FINAT: International association serving the self-adhesive label industry in Europe. Most direct peer to TLMI globally — same membership-based trade association model serving label converters and suppliers, but with a European rather than North American geographic focus.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tlmi
• Xx.com/TLMI
• Facebookfacebook.com/tagandlabelinstitute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Tag and Label Manufacturers Institute