History

History and Background of Tapecon, Inc.

The original family business was the Davis Bulletin Co. founded in Buffalo, NY by Albert Davis in 1919. The product was the Davis Bulletin, which was a mechanical sign-changing device. This machine was patented, sold across the country and used for advertising in bank lobbies, trade shows and vaudeville theaters. An astute marketer, Albert would hire vaudeville transients, such as Abbott and Costello, as salespeople and was successful in displacing the young lady walking across the stage to announce “the next act” with the Davis Bulletin Sign Changing Machine.

As sales grew, hand painted signs were replaced with the production of durable, screen printed signs. This led to the growth of the silk screen printing business, which presented the company with new opportunities. During the 1930’s silk screen printing of advertising displays was the mainstay of business.

With the advent of World War II, the US government approached the Davis’ to begin producing screen-printed water slide off decals for the aircraft industry in Buffalo - Curtis, Bell and Consolidated Aircraft. Government contracts drove the company to become a fully operational screen printer, adding equipment and capabilities to fulfill aggressive needs.

During these early years, Davis Bulletin recognized the need to “network” with other similar companies and in 1948 were one of the founding members of what is today known as the Screen Graphics and Imaging Association (SGIA). Dedicated to the continuous improvement of the world of screen printing, the SGIA has grown to involve industry segments, such as Point-Of-Purchase advertising, garment printing, ceramics, glass, metal decorating, electronics, container printing and membrane switches.

During the 1950’s, the development of pressure sensitive adhesives led the industry away from water slide off decals to pressure sensitive decals. The expansion of pressure sensitive adhesive papers in rolls led to the use of the flexographic process in the hi-speed production of labels. In 1956, Stan Fulwiler started a small flexographic company called FD Tape Printing Company in Rochester, NY.

As a building relationship developed, Harlow Davis (3rd generation Davis Bulletin President) and Stan Fulwiler found that the two companies could sell decals and labels as a compatible commodity group specializing in product identification. By 1967 Mr. Fulwiler also realized that he was doing a considerable amount of business for the growing electronic industry, particularly IBM, using flexographic equipment, by laminating conductive materials to tape with intricate slitting and diecutting. He decided that this might be attractive to the investing community and decided to go public with the name Tapecon Inc. - implying conductive tape.

By 1970 all three companies, Tapecon, FD Tape and Davis Bulletin had been consolidated into Tapecon Inc. thus giving the sales people a full bag of product identification capabilities. In 1983 Harlow Davis and Tom Hale purchased the controlling interest from Stan Fulwiler and took the company private in 1992. To extend our capabilities in the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) market, Tapecon purchased Duragraphics, Inc., a membrane switch manufacturer.

Today Tapecon Inc., headed by Alan Davis, is a closely held Sub S corporation with a strong, long-term plan for continued growth and success.

Summary

1919 - Davis Bulletin Company started
1956 - FD Tape Printing started
1968 - Tapecon Inc. formed
1970 - Davis Bulletin becomes wholly owned subsidiary of Tapecon Inc.
1973 - Tapecon purchases the assets of F.E. Mason (a small, embossed foil seal press operation) in Batavia, NY
1992 - Tapecon goes private
1994 - Tapecon purchases the assets of Duragraphics in Rochester, NY