1. tesa SE
With name recognition of 98 percent and a degree of popularity of 76 percent
(GfK, 2012), tesa is among the strongest brands in its home market of Germany.
The brand’s name has even made it into the Duden, the authoritative dictionary of
the German language. But tesa is more than just the celebrated classic adhesive
tape: Now a European stock corporation and wholly owned affiliate of Beiersdorf
AG (whose other brands include NIVEA, Eucerin, and la prairie), the company of-
fers more than 7,000 product and system solutions aimed at ensuring, among
other things, that state-of-the-art electronics can become ever more multifunc-
tional, with increasingly higher performance. tesa speeds up flying splices in
newspaper printing, partners with the automotive industry on a range of different
applications, optimizes energy efficiency in private households and prevents
product piracy with clever security concepts. In addition, the international group
of companies develops and produces medicated adhesive patch products for the
pharmaceuticals industry and extremely high-performance adhesive tapes for the
construction sector.
HISTORY
There’s a story behind the name
The name tesa® dates back to secretary Elsa Tesmer, who worked at Beiersdorf
from April 1903 to the end of October 1908. During that period, the secretarial
office was assigned to create names. Her suggestion, a combination of the first
syllable of her last name (Te-) and the last syllable of her first name (-sa), was in-
deed used, but the first products to carry the tesa name were unsuccessful. That
changed in 1936.
• One of the world’s leading manufacturers of self-adhesive
product and system solutions
• More than 125 years of experience in coating technology
and development of adhesives
• Headquarters with research and technology center
at a single site
• 1,257.8 million euros in sales in 2017 (previous year:
1,145.8 million euros)
• Strategic alignment toward establishing and developing
high-tech fields of application, environmentally friendly
production technologies, and business structures in growth
regions
Facts – Figures – Background Information

2. The first technical adhesive tape
tesa’s success story begins with the unsuccessful development of an adhesive
bandage. Paul C. Beiersdorf, a pharmacist, was at work on the bandage when
Dr. Oscar Troplowitz took over the lab from the company’s founder, in 1890. The
bandage adhered excellently, but was irritating to skin. Troplowitz made a virtue
of necessity and, in 1896, launched the world’s first technical adhesive tape – to
patch bicycle inner tubes. The product was marketed under the name Cito-Sport­
heftpflaster. It underwent further development over the years, and among other
things, went on to be used as the basis for transparent “Beiersdorfs-Kautschuk-­
Klebefilm” rubber adhesive tape, launched in 1935 – the precursor to tesafilm®.
tesa conquers the office
The triumphant advance of tesafilm® transparent adhesive tape is closely linked
to the history of industrial businessman Hugo Kirchberg (1908–1999), who was
tasked in 1934 with developing and systematically expanding the company’s ad-
hesive tape business. Kirchberg believed in the “unlimited possibilities of self-­
adhesive technology” – not just at home and at work, but also in industrial fields.
When the time came to choose a brand name, Kirchberg selected Elsa Tesmer’s
suggestion, tesa®, which the company had already trademarked – first using the
name in 1936, as tesa®-Klebefilm, and later as tesafilm®. Kirchberg was quick to
note that the transparent adhesive tape was extremely difficult to sell unless a
combined dispensing and cutting device was offered along with it. With that in
mind, the industrious businessman invented the tesa dispenser in his spare time
– a device that is still a fixture on practically every desktop to this day, albeit with
a different design.
Umbrella brand and product family
Since 1941, the name tesa® has been the umbrella brand used for all self-adhesive
products manufactured by the group of companies. The name covers a wide
range of different system solutions for industrial and professional applications, as
well as about 300 products for consumers.
tesa AG becomes tesa SE
When tesa AG was founded in 2001, tesa, originally a division of the Beiersdorf
group of companies, became independent – as a wholly owned affiliate, but with
autonomous structures. In March 2009, the company made the switch to a new,
international corporate form: The company is now doing business as a European
stock corporation – tesa SE (Societas Europaea).
PRESENT AND FUTURE
tesa around the world
As of September 2015, the tesa SE group of companies is headquartered in Nor-
derstedt, near Hamburg, where the company built a new complex to accommo-
date more than 1,000 employees. At 160 million euros, the move marks the larg-
est investment in the history of tesa, combining the company’s headquarters and
a research and technology center at a single site. Streamlined communication
channels and close physical proximity will now allow the technology group to re-
spond even faster to customers’ requirements – a big plus in the international

3. competition to develop innovative products. 52 affiliates and eight production
sites, along with an efficient logistics structure and high-performance service
network, ensure that the product and system solutions from tesa maintain their
global presence, and that the company can reach customers in over 100 coun-
tries. Today, tesa is the world market leader in many fields of application. The
company continuously strives to expand this success further – including by focus-
ing on the growth markets in Eastern Europe and Asia.
Business development, 2017
The tesa Group closed the 2017 fiscal year with great success. Sales revenue
rose by 112.0 million euros, up from 1,145.8 million euros in 2016 to stand at 1,257.8
million euros. In 2017, tesa’s operating result (EBIT) was up 21.6 million euros, to
207.5 million euros (2016: 185.9 million euros). Compared with the previous year,
the return on sales led to an improved EBIT margin of 16.5 percent (2016: 16.2
percent). Economic development in the divisions: Direct Industries accounted
for about 58 percent of total sales in 2017 (2016: 56 percent). The Trade Markets
division, which encompasses not only the business in products for consumers
and craftsmen, but also those industrial markets that are reached via the technical
trade, accounted for 42 percent of total sales during the year under review
(2016: 44 percent). Breakdown by region: In 2017, tesa earned 56.2 percent of its
sales in Europe (2016: 57.6 percent), 15.2 percent in the Americas (unchanged
from 2016), and 28.6 percent in Africa/Asia/Australia (2016: 27.2 percent).
Solutions for many industrial sectors
System solutions from tesa optimize production processes, provide enhanced
speed, dependability, and efficiency in numerous industrial sectors, and can be
used to upgrade finished products. The company is a capable partner to a range
of industries, including electrical engineering and electronics, automotive, print
and paper, pharmaceuticals, building supply, solar and wind energy, retail, and
the technical trade. In addition, tesa supports many companies, such as produc-
ers of name-brand items in the fashion industry and the automotive replacement
parts market, with extensive safety and security applications and concepts that
provide protection against counterfeiting (including the PrioSpot®).
Solutions for consumers
In many countries all around the world, tesa® is part of consumers’ day-to-day
lives – at work, in DIY projects, and when doing creative work at home and in the
garden: tesa® helps people affix and mount items, do renovations and repairs,
install insulation, and protect themselves from insects, dust, and drafts. In terms of
environmental protection, tesa has taken a clear stance with its ecoLogo® range,
which encompasses over 100 products (office supplies, items for renovations).
These products are produced predominantly from renewable and recycled raw
materials. Alongside the end consumer business, the company also offers tai-
lored product ranges for professional craftsmen, such as painters and finishers, in
the Craftsmen segment.
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
New developments as the basis
Innovations are the basis for tesa’s success and dynamic growth. The company’s

4. laboratories in Germany, the United States, and China employ about 500 re-
searchers. tesa applies for patents on many of the approximately 100 new devel-
opments it produces each year.
Cleanroom unit and LabFactory
The tesa research center, completed in 2015 as part of the integrated new build-
ing complex, offers outstanding conditions for future innovations and sustainable
growth. A cleanroom unit at the Hamburg-Hausbruch plant is enabling tesa to tap
into new markets, especially in the sectors of consumer electronics (e.g., optically
clear adhesive tapes and films and ultrathin double-sided tapes used in the
assembly of tablet PCs) and pharmaceuticals (pharmaceutical patches and rapid-
ly dissolving oral films). A pilot unit (LabFactory) began operating in Langenfeld
in 2014, offering top-quality services, such as products for clinical trials, to cus-
tomers in the pharmaceutical industry even before the development phase is
complete.
MARKETS OF THE FUTURE
Market of the future I: consumer electronics
tesa SE’s strategic focus on attractive markets of the future is geared to various
fields, including consumer electronics. The trend toward increasingly high-perfor-
mance electronic devices offers tesa excellent growth prospects. Dependable
adhesion is just one aspect of the company’s work in this field. Special adhesive
tapes are progressively taking on additional functions as well. As one example,
ultrathin double-sided adhesive tapes provide support for heat management in
smartphones, an extremely important factor. The thinnest tape produced by tesa
worldwide is just 5 μm thick (1 μm = 1/1000 mm) – ten times thinner than a single
strand of hair. Solutions from the tesa product range now cover more than
45 adhesive applications. If they were all used in a single device, they would have
a combined area of over 500 cm². In early 2017, tesa launched a completely re­
designed adhesive tape product range for OEMs and suppliers in the booming
market for “wearables” (e.g. smartwatches, fitness trackers, smart glasses). These
tapes are highly resistant to shocks and potentially disruptive or corrosive sub-
stances such as sweat, sunscreen, and soap.
Market of the future II: automotive electronics
tesa is excellently positioned for the shift that is taking cars into the electric and
digital age. Thanks to close cooperation between two of its “traditional” business
segments, automotive and electronics, the tesa Group already has a product port-
folio that combines forward-looking applications from two different industrial
spheres for customers. The international adhesive tape manufacturer has Appli-
cation Solution Centers at its research facilities at the German headquarters, in
China, and in the United States, which act as a kind of flywheel that drives innova-
tion. When developing new tapes for automotive electronics, tesa focuses on four
major fields of application: comfort and infotainment, components for driver assis-
tance systems (such as parking and lane change assistant features), batteries for
electric mobility, and lighting. A car equipped with state-of-the-art electronics can
now include as many as 100 different adhesive applications, ranging in thickness
between 5 and 1500 µm, from wire harnessing to adhesive bonding of high-tech
displays.

5. Market of the future III: pharmaceutical patches and rapidly
dissolving oral films
In 2008, tesa acquired Labtec GmbH, which specializes in the development of
pharmaceutical patches and rapidly dissolving oral films. In 2011, the newly
constructed cleanroom unit at the tesa plant in Hamburg’s Hausbruch district re-
ceived official authorization to manufacture pharmaceutical products, and the
first market-ready products were shipped in 2013. At the same time, the company
intensified its work with international pharmaceutical groups. In 2016, the re-
named tesa Labtec GmbH company passed an audit by the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA). Its seal of approval gives the tesa affiliate access to one of
the world’s largest pharmaceutical markets.
Market of the future IV: solutions for the construction and
building supply industry
The ultra-high-performance tesa® ACXplus
product range is based on a patented
method used for solvent-free coating of double-sided acrylate adhesive tapes.
The secret of these tapes, which have coating thicknesses of up to 4,000 micro­
meters, lies in a specialized term: viscoelasticity. This term is used to describe
material behavior characterized equally by elastic and fluid, or viscous, proper-
ties. The positive effects are excellent adhesion, dissipation of stress, and resist-
ance to temperature and weather conditions. With this product range, tesa is pro-
gressively tapping into new and attractive market segments. Alongside various
applications in the automotive industry, the building supply sector is a particular
area of focus for tesa® ACXplus
. Fields of application range from doors and win-
dows to partitions, illuminated signs and elevators and even façade elements.
Market of the future V: smart mounting without drilling
In the end consumer market, the company began rolling out the tesa® Smart
Mounting System in more than ten countries in 2016. The product range offers
48 adhesive solutions in all. The products have been sorted on hardware and
home improvement store shelves according to different surfaces; there are prod-
ucts for transparent items like glass, slick surfaces like tile, sensitive ones like
wallpaper or plaster, and rough ones like masonry or concrete. Research was
conducted at tesa’s labs for years in order to further develop proven technologies
like Powerbond® and Powerstrips® for additional applications. With success:
Powerstrips® now also offer a secure bond on sensitive surfaces, and they can be
removed without leaving a trace. With the April 2017 acquisition of nie wieder
bohren ag, tesa expanded its portfolio to include the internationally patented
affixing technology of the same name (which means “never drill again”), which
can be used to permanently affix accessories weighing as much as 20 kilograms,
such as towel bars and cabinets, to bathroom surfaces including wall tile, glass,
and natural stone – all without drilling or installing wall anchors or bolts before-
hand. The adapter and adhesive can be removed as needed later on, without
leaving any residue behind.
RESPONSIBILITY
UN Global Compact
tesa SE does business sustainably. Within its sphere of influence, the company
is actively committed to the environment and society. The group underscored

6. tesa.com
tesa SE
Corporate Communications
Hugo-Kirchberg-Strasse 1
22848 Norderstedt, Germany
Phone: +49 40 888 99 4448
Fax: +49 40 888 99 184448
pr@tesa.com
this voluntary commitment in March 2006 by joining the United Nations Global
Compact.
Environment
The company engages in preventive environmental protection and conservation
activities on its own initiative and out of its own sense of responsibility. Part of the
tesa strategy is the development of new production technologies that enable
production without the use of solvents. To protect the climate and conserve re-
sources, tesa also regularly reviews whether there are “greener” alternatives
available for the raw materials the company uses. Among other factors in this
approach, the company considers the environmental footprint of selected prod-
ucts and analyzes environmental impact over the entire product lifecycle. Another
area of focus is protecting the climate: tesa relies on state-of-the-art technology
to further reduce CO2
emissions and boost energy efficiency. The tesa plant in
Offenburg has operated a combined cooling, heat and power (CCHP) plant since
2014, and the Hamburg plant commissioned a combined heat and power (CHP)
plant in 2016. Each is used to generate the site’s own climate-friendly electricity.
In the process, not only is electricity produced, but the heat generated is also put
to use for things like heating and production processes. The two plants together
supplied about 47 percent of the power tesa needed in 2017. tesa relies on power
from external renewable sources to meet its remaining energy needs. The plants
in Offenburg and Hamburg are not only certified under the ISO 14001 environ-
mental standard, like all tesa production sites, but have also been recertified un-
der ISO 50001 for their energy management. This is also true of the new tesa
headquarters in Norderstedt.
tesa as an employer
tesa has a staff of about 4,450 people worldwide (as of December 2017), with just
under 2,500 of them in Germany. The company is dedicated to making sure that
its employees are given the opportunity to become involved in the business and
obtain further training and qualifications, and it implements extensive measures
to ensure occupational health and safety. The frequency of reportable accidents
( 3 days) at tesa (worldwide) stood at 1.3 per million hours worked (2016: 3.1),
significantly below the German industry average (BG RCI, the statutory accident
insurance and prevention institution for the raw materials and chemicals indus-
tries) of 11.7. The group views this as an affirmation of the quality of its manage-
ment system in the area of occupational safety and health.
Social commitment and involvement
Based on a firm conviction that all sides win when companies give back, tesa gets
involved in the form of donations, supporting memberships, and volunteer in-
volvement. In the “tesa verbindet” (“tesa connects”) corporate citizenship pro-
gram, the company has established four thematic areas: providing assistance,
donations, support, and protection. These pillars are intended to make it easier
for tesa employees all over the world to make a positive impact in society. For
example, tesa teams on all of the continents where the company operates pro-
vide active assistance to neighbors through local projects. In many locations, tesa
colleagues are involved with supporting the education of children and teens, with
a particular focus on encouraging an interest in science