Advanced Coated Products Ltd

What Advanced Coated Products Ltd does

Advanced Coated Products Ltd (ACP) is a UK-based specialist manufacturer of coated films and release liners, founded in 1942 in Cheltenham by ex-RAF pilot Leonard Stace. The company manufactures release liners and release films used as backing materials for pressure-sensitive adhesives and self-adhesive products, serving industrial B2B customers across medical, pressure-sensitive tapes, labels, industrial, building, personal care and graphics verticals. ACP is described as the UK's leading independent supplier of specialised coated films and operates from a single site at The Vineyards, Gloucester Road, Cheltenham.

The company's technical foundation rests on UV curing technology (100% solids, free radical or cationic chemistry coatings cured in a nitrogen-flushed environment) developed after a 1993 transition away from solvents, combined with silicone coating processes that date to the early 1960s. ACP processes a broad substrate range including PET, APET, PE, PS, PVC, PVOH and cellulosic derivatives at thicknesses from 12µ to 250µ+ and widths from 19mm to 1,600mm. As a full-service provider, ACP offers in-house sourcing, printing, coating and converting, with flexible manufacturing equipment used for rapid bespoke development. Quality and compliance are anchored by ISO 9001:2015 certification, ISO 14064-based carbon footprint measurement, EcoVadis sustainability assessment and The Carbon Stamp certification, with Scope 1 and 2 emissions neutralised.

Commercially, ACP operates a direct enterprise sales model, working closely with customers to deliver tailored solutions through joint product development. The company serves over sixty customers ranging from blue-chip multinationals to private family businesses across the UK, Europe and Worldwide. Pricing is bespoke and quote-based. The business is privately held by Brightborough Capital Limited, a private equity firm that acquired ACP in 2015. In 2020 ACP exited bulk paper activities and disposed of its bakery division to refocus on speciality filmic release liners.

Name

Advanced Coated Products Ltd

Legal name

Advanced Coated Products Ltd

Website

https://adcoat.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1942

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Advanced Coated Products Ltd is a UK-based specialty manufacturer of UV-cured release liners and coated films, serving over sixty B2B customers across medical, tapes, labels, industrial, building, personal care and graphics verticals worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Coated Materials

NAICS

Paint and Coating Manufacturing (325510), Plastics Packaging Materials and Unlaminated Film and Sheet Manufacturing (32611)

SIC

Coating, Engraving & Allied Services (3470), Unsupported Plastics Film & Sheet (3081), Converted Paper & Paperboard Prods (No Contaners/Boxes) (2670)

akta.pro primary industry

Paper Labels & Paper-Based Release Liners (IMALACAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Application Equipment & Coating Services (Contract Coating, Surface Prep) (IMAEAGAL), Packaging & Can Coatings (IMAEAGAF)

Keywords

• Release liners
• Silicone coating
• Release films
• Coated substrates
• Toll coating services

Headquarters

HQ city

Cheltenham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Release Liners and Coated Films: Manufacture and sale of specialised release liners and release films. The company provides bespoke coating, printing, and converting services for filmic release liners across multiple industry sectors including Medical, PS Tapes, Labels, Industrial, Building, Personal Care and Graphics.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Advanced Coated Products Ltd manufactures silicone-coated release liners and release films used by industrial converters as carrier substrates for pressure-sensitive adhesives, food packaging, hygiene products, graphics, and industrial tapes. The company applies silicone coatings (solvent-free, water-based, and UV-cured) onto paper and film substrates in its UK facility, also offering toll/coating services for customer-supplied substrates and sustainable substrate options including PCR and FSC-certified papers.

Product overview

Advanced Coated Products Ltd is a bespoke manufacturer and the UK's leading independent supplier of specialised coated films and release liners. The company's core offerings consist of release liners and release films, with UV-cured release liners as a key product variant. Their portfolio includes coating services (1- or 2-sided release combinations, coloured silicones, lacquer options) and sustainable substrate options (RPET, BoPP, PE with PIR/PCR content, compostable cellulosic materials). As a full service provider, they offer sourcing, printing, coating and converting capabilities, processing substrates from 12µ to 250µ+ thickness in widths from 19mm to 1,600mm. They serve markets including Medical, PS Tapes, Labels, Industrial, Building sectors, Personal Care, and Graphics.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Release Liners (Paper-based)

Quantifiable outcome

• Complete product traceability delivers compliance with regulatory requirements
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• The Carbon StampcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACP has partnered with The Carbon Stamp in support of the UK government's net zero 2050 strategy. The partnership involves an annual carbon footprint measurement programme following ISO 14064 and GHG Protocol Corporate Standards, assessing impact across Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions areas. Based on this assessment, ACP has neutralised Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions and implemented carbon footprint reduction initiatives.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• 3M: Diversified industrial major with significant tape and adhesive businesses that consume release liners. ACP supplies into similar industrial, medical and tape end-markets served by 3M, albeit as a niche coater versus a broad incumbent.
• Mondi: European paper and packaging group with coated paper and release liner exposure. Comparable on paper-based release liners and coating capability, though far larger and more diversified than ACP.
• Mitsui Chemicals: Japanese chemical group producing release films and silicone coating materials upstream of ACP. Comparable as a major player in the release liner value chain serving electronics, medical and industrial customers.
• UPM Specialty Papers: European paper major with release liner base papers and label face stock. Comparable on the paper-side substrate of ACP's historical range, particularly given ACP's 2020 exit from bulk paper suggests continued crossover with paper-based liner demand.
• Avery Dennison: Global leader in labels and pressure-sensitive materials that internally consumes and supplies release liners. Comparable as a buyer and adjacent supplier; ACP serves the wider label/tape ecosystem that Avery anchors.

Direct peers

• Siliconature: Italian specialist in silicone-coated release liners and films serving labels, tapes and medical. Closely comparable to ACP on product technology (silicone/UV curing), substrate range and bespoke customer model.
• Loparex: Global independent leader in release liners and films with silicone coating capability across paper and film substrates. Most direct comparable to ACP given overlapping product range (PET/PE release films, silicone chemistries) and shared focus on medical, tape, label and industrial customers.
• Lintec Corporation: Japanese manufacturer of release liners, pressure-sensitive adhesive films and specialty papers. Comparable on release liner production for labels, electronics and medical tapes with strong UV/silicone technology overlap.
• Polyplex Corporation: Manufacturer of polyester films including release film substrates used in silicone-coated release liners. Comparable on the filmic substrate side of ACP's product range, particularly PET and specialty films.

Regional players

• Innovia Films (CCL Industries): European specialist in specialty films (BOPP, CPP, release liners) within the CCL group. Comparable on filmic substrate technology serving labels and industrial release liner applications in ACP's home region.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/advanced-coated-products-limited

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

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 Advanced Coated Products Ltd