- 350 000Daily ribbon slitting capacity to support our customers’ development
- 1000Number of meters of film coated each minute on our most newest production line
- 130People dedicated to daily customer care
- 1500Number of employees dedicated to Thermal Transfer technology
1922
Creation of GALLAND & BROCHARD company in Nantes, France
ARMOR
1925
Creation of the ARMOR brand
ARMOR
1964
ARMOR is the first company to produce carbon films in France
ARMOR
1970s
First TV commercial
ARMOR
1980s
Pioneers of Thermal Transfer technology
ARMOR
1st company to produce Thermal Transfer ribbons in Europe
IIMAK
Creation of the International Imaging Materials, Inc. (IIMAK) to produce Thermal Transfer ribbons in North America. The first thermal transfer ribbon in North America was produced in Amherst, NY.
1990s
Growth of 2 leaders
ARMOR
Opening of the first building of the new facility dedicated to Thermal Transfer ribbons.
IIMAK
Construction of a 300,000 square feet manufacturing plant with expanded research and development.
Innovative online presence with a password-protected site for customers.
2000s
Regional expansion
ARMOR
Opening of 4 slitting subsidiaries outside Europe: USA, Singapore, China, and Brazil.
Launch of an ambitious sustainable development program. First breakthrough with SolFree®, the 100% solvent-free production process reducing the CO2 emissions of each ribbon.
IIMAK
2 slitting entities opened in Brazil and Europe (Belgium).
Launch of Clean Start® printhead cleaner on all thermal transfer ribbons.
2010s
Investments and innovation
ARMOR
The creation of 9 new slitting subsidiaries on all continents: Canada, India, South Africa, East Africa, Mexico, Colombia, and Turkey.
Launch of inkanto, the brand applied to ARMOR ribbons, which come with innovative add-ons such as a lifetime guarantee or certificate of conformity.
Massive investments in quality and high-performance production equipment. Including automated slitting robots and high-performance coating machines running up to 1000m per minute.
IIMAK
Acquisition of converting partner in Mexico to develop a stronger market position in Central America.
2021
A new era for a brighter future
ARMOR acquires IIMAK to offer the best in Thermal Transfer.
ARMOR-IIMAK is born.
Sustainable development
ARMOR-IIMAK takes responsibility for and has set clear guidelines to reduce the environmental impact of its industrial activities. Since we embarked on a true sustainable strategy in 2008, ARMOR-IIMAK is now offering more sustainable products and services. Environmentally-conscious ribbon design, waste management, manufacturing processes and regulatory data: have a look to the sustainable solutions ARMOR-IIMAK is offering.
ARMOR-IIMAK social innovation
Social responsibility is the result of a collective and constantly evolving process. Through its activities, the group strives to stimulate the drivers of sustainable growth based on innovation and ethics. The group has identified 6 main objectives relating to the impact of its business activities.
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Governance and ethics
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Employee development
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Circular economy
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Renewable energy
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Responsible traceability
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Local solidarity
Long term partnership
ARMOR-IIMAK produced its first Thermal Transfer ribbons in 1983 and grew to become the worldwide leader with a local presence in all regions of the world. You experience our product solutions in your life every day from barcodes and clothing tags to food expiration dates and warning labels.
We place our focus on relationships, assuring that our thermal transfer product solutions align with your needs as our industry grows. With over 1700 employees worldwide, we’re able to support you from near and far and our team is committed to providing reliable traceability solutions that will guarantee mutual growth.
- 350 000Daily ribbon slitting capacity to support our customers’ development
- 1000Number of meters of film coated each minute on our most newest production line
- 130People dedicated to daily customer care
- 1500Number of employees dedicated to Thermal Transfer technology
