IADD: International Association of Diecutting and Diemaking

What IADD: International Association of Diecutting and Diemaking does

IADD (International Association of Diecutting and Diemaking) is a nonprofit trade association founded in 1972 (originally as NADD) that serves the global diecutting, diemaking, and converting industry. The association operates from Crystal Lake, Illinois with approximately 12 staff members under CEO Jenny Holliday, governed by a Board of Directors whose President is Rob McCann of Bobst North America. IADD's core mission is workforce development and knowledge transfer for an industry facing an aging technical workforce, providing education, technical resources, networking, and industry representation to members across North America, Europe, Asia, and Latin America.

IADD monetizes through six membership tiers (Patron $959, Company $599, Affiliate $379, Associate $169, Individual $229, Alumni $49 annually), supplemented by revenue from The Cutting Edge magazine subscriptions (1,500+ monthly recipients at $69-$100/year), online education through the Diecutting Academy partnership with The Packaging School, digital advertising, Corporate Leader sponsorships ($300-$2,750), and event registration for signature gatherings including Odyssey Expo, Annual Meeting, and Midyear Meeting. Distribution spans a global website hub, a Resource Library containing 750+ technical resources, seven regional US/Canada chapters, a NextGen chapter, a Global Ambassadors Network covering nine languages, and e-commerce via the IADDstore.

The technology stack is conventional association-management infrastructure (Novi AMS) rather than proprietary technology; the core asset is the cumulative human-authored content library and the volunteer-driven TechTeam help desk staffed by industry practitioners. Sub-brands include TechTeam (confidential troubleshooting), Diecutting Academy (online courses), and The Cutting Edge (monthly technical magazine). Member composition spans enterprise equipment manufacturers (e.g., Bobst, Preco), material suppliers (Monroe Rubber & Plastic, Central Die Supplies, Acu-Gage Systems, Freeman Manufacturing), and smaller converting operations.

Name

IADD: International Association of Diecutting and Diemaking

Legal name

International Association of Diecutting and Diemaking

Website

https://iadd.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

IADD is a 12-employee, Crystal Lake, IL-based nonprofit trade association founded in 1972 that serves the global diecutting, diemaking, and converting industry via tiered memberships, the Cutting Edge magazine, the 750-resource Resource Library, and Diecutting Academy online courses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Crystal Lake

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees at multiple tiers including Patron ($959), Company ($599), Affiliate ($379), Associate ($169), Individual ($229), and Alumni ($49) providing recurring annual revenue.
2. Publications and Subscriptions: The Cutting Edge magazine subscriptions at $69/yr (North America) and $100/yr (Outside North America). Also includes EPUB technical publications and video products sold through the IADDstore.
3. Online Education: Diemaking 101 online course offered at $299 USD with $100 discount for IADD members. Diecutting Academy partnership with The Packaging School.
4. Advertising and Sponsorships: Website advertising (Homepage Banner $800/yr, Run of Site Sidebar $1000/yr), promotional email advertising, and Corporate Leader sponsorship program (Bronze $300 to Diamond $2,750).
5. Event Registration: Fees for workshops, committee meetings, chapter events, and signature events like Odyssey Expo and Annual Meeting.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

IADD is a membership-based trade association founded in 1972 that serves the global diecutting, diemaking, and converting industry. It provides member companies with technical resources (Resource Library with 750+ items), a monthly technical magazine (The Cutting Edge), training workshops, online courses through the Diecutting Academy, networking events including the Odyssey Expo and Annual Meeting, and a confidential TechTeam troubleshooting help desk staffed by volunteer industry experts.

Product overview

IADD is a professional industry association serving the global diecutting, diemaking and converting industry since 1972. The organization operates as a membership-based platform offering multiple tiers (Patron, Company, Affiliate, Associate, Individual, Alumni) at varying price points from $49-$959 annually. Core offerings include The Cutting Edge monthly technical magazine, the Resource Library with over 750 technical resources, the TechTeam™ help desk for confidential technical troubleshooting, Diecutting & Diemaking 101 Workshops for hands-on training, and Diecutting Academy online courses partnered with The Packaging School. The association also organizes events including Annual Meetings, Midyear Meetings, Odyssey Expo, chapter meetings, and committee gatherings. Additional services include digital advertising, Corporate Leader sponsorship program, EPUB technical publications, training videos, and a Member Compass portal. The organization focuses on education, networking, technical information, and workforce development for member companies worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TechTeam: IADD's technical assistance program where industry experts assist IADD members with their diecutting or diemaking process questions through confidential troubleshooting.
• Diecutting Academy
• The Cutting Edge

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,500 individuals receive The Cutting Edge magazine monthly
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• The Packaging SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIADD partnered with The Packaging School to create Diecutting Academy, an online learning platform offering training programs for the diecutting and diemaking industry. The partnership enables delivery of Diemaking 101 and Diecutting 101 online courses accessible globally.
• Bobst North AmericaflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerBobst North America serves as a major industry supporter with Rob McCann serving as IADD President. Bobst is one of the world's leading suppliers of substrate processing, printing and converting equipment for label, flexible packaging, folding carton and corrugated board industries.
• Novi AMScoreTechnology or IntegrationNovi AMS (Novi Application Management System) provides association management software powering IADD's website, membership database, event registration, e-commerce store, and member portal functionality.
• Global Ambassadors NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational volunteers speaking multiple languages (Japanese, Mandarin/Chinese, Spanish, Italian, German, Dutch, French, Portuguese, Turkish) serve as regional liaisons to connect with current and prospective members in their native languages worldwide.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• PRINTING United Alliance: PRINTING United Alliance is a large, broad-scope trade association for the printing industry at large, formed through the merger of SGIA, NPES and the Association for Print Technologies. It serves a wider universe than IADD but includes segments adjacent to diecutting and converting, and competes for the same training, certification and event spend from member companies.
• PIA (Printing Industries of America): PIA is a broad printing-industry trade association offering certification (e.g., offset, digital), training, government advocacy and industry intelligence. While broader in scope than IADD, it competes for training and certification spend from printing and converting companies that are also potential IADD members.

Direct peers

• PMMI (The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies): PMMI is a membership-driven trade association for packaging and processing equipment manufacturers, producing the PACK EXPO trade shows, industry education and market intelligence. Its member base overlaps with IADD's converting and diemaking supplier ecosystem, and its event-driven membership business model closely parallels IADD's Odyssey Expo and Annual Meeting.
• FTA (Flexographic Technical Association): FTA is a nonprofit technical association serving the flexographic printing industry through education, certification, conferences and the Flexo magazine. It is directly comparable to IADD in being a niche printing/converting trade association offering tiered membership, technical training and a member magazine, with overlapping supplier members.
• TLMI (Tag and Label Manufacturers Institute): TLMI is a member-driven trade association for the tag and label manufacturing industry, providing education, technical resources, networking events and an annual convention. Its target member profile (label converters, die makers, material suppliers) directly overlaps with IADD's converting and diemaking membership base.
• TAPPI (Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry): TAPPI is a long-established nonprofit trade association serving the pulp, paper, packaging and converting industries with technical content, training, conferences and standards. It is the closest structural peer to IADD in terms of membership model, education offerings, magazine publications and global chapter structure, and serves many of the same converting companies IADD does.

Regional players

• ERA (European Rotogravure Association): ERA is the European association for the rotogravure printing industry, providing technical conferences, training and research. It is comparable to IADD as a niche converting/printing association but operates primarily in Europe and serves a different printing process.
• ACIMGA (Italian Manufacturers Association of Machinery for the Graphic, Converting and Paper Industry): ACIMGA is the Italian trade association representing manufacturers of machinery for printing, converting and paper, and is a member of CONFINDUSTRIA. It is comparable to IADD as a converting-industry association but operates regionally in Italy and serves a more OEM-heavy constituency.

Emerging players

• The Packaging School: The Packaging School is IADD's explicit partner in operating the Diecutting Academy, offering online courses and corporate training for the packaging industry. It overlaps with IADD's education business but is more of a partner than competitor, and represents the broader professional packaging education market.
• AIM Global (Association for Identification and Mobility): AIM Global is an industry association for barcode, RFID, and identification/mobility technologies with a similar nonprofit membership model (tiered dues, technical resources, events). It is comparable structurally as a niche technical association that monetizes content and events rather than as a direct competing industry.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iadd-international-association-of-diecutting-and-diemaking

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 IADD: International Association of Diecutting and Diemaking