Interview with the National Sales Manager for Walker Tape - Allan Horrocks

USA, January 29, 2015 (Newswire.com) - So Allan, tell me a little about yourself.

Well, when I am not talking tape, I am a dad. I have 4 kids and have been married for nearly 17 years. I really enjoy taking my family into the outdoors. We enjoy camping and hiking. I am a lover of the outdoors and spend a fair amount of free time in the mountains in and around Salt Lake City, Utah.

Walker has capabilities that many companies do not, they create their own machinery.

Allan Horrocks, National Sales Manager

What got you into the Adhesive Tape Industry? Tape isn't always the most exciting topic, but we've heard you love it? We want to know more.

Oh, I can really geek out about tape! I had been selling packaging products for nearly 10 years which included some carton sealing, masking and duct tapes. I thought I knew about tape. Then I started working in sales at a local tape converter. There I picked up my passion for tape. I really started enjoying double coated products. I really enjoyed how many problems in the manufacturing world, not to mention many other industries, can be solved by using a piece of tape. I became a problem solver for many of the customers I picked up. They would call me when they started using new substrates or their current tape wasn't doing the desired job. I really enjoy being able to be that consultant they needed.

What are the top 3 misconceptions about PSA's and Double-sided Tapes? Could you also give us a quick learning lesson on each?

The 1st one is the biggest. Your pressure sensitive tape will stick to whatever it finds first. That may be the dust on your product, that may be residue left behind from one of the processes your widget sees...the list goes on. Your product has to be clean before you try to stick a piece of tape down to it.

The next one always puts a smile on my face. Tape can solve many areas where one is using a mechanical fastener of some type. What people don't realize, mechanical fasteners will fail over time. When the right tape is used, and I have to emphasize...the RIGHT tape, those failures can all but disappear.

The last one is a bit more difficult to verbalize, but just doing the old "finger to the tape test" to see how "sticky" the tape is does NOT tell the entire story! I have to laugh, usually on the inside, when I bring a new tape in for testing and the one who uses the tape unwinds the roll and sticks it to their finger. That person has usually been in a shop area with dirty hands. They will look at me and tell me, "well, it doesn't feel as sticky as what I use now!" I have to smile and fill them in on the above mentioned fact. Some tapes will gain in strength as it dwells or cures. Some have the ability to be repositioned, and the list goes on.

If somebody is looking for tape for a specific application, what do they need to know to find the right tape?

If they need the right tape for the job, they need to know what the application is. What are the substrates? How much heat is involved or will the tape have to endure? In what type of environment is the tape being applied? How much time does the tape have to cure? How much pressure can be applied? How much weight is going to be supported? What tapes have been used in the past? How much tape is needed? Are the substrates smooth, or is it an uneven surface? How long does the tape need to last?

When someone finds a tape that works for them, how important is it to do further testing? What should they test for?

This is a great question. There are many variables here. Most of them come down to what type of substrates are being joined. In plastics for example, there is out-gassing that occurs, which has a dramatic effect on a tape. Another tricky one is with skin contact. In manufacturing, one has to consider each environment to which their product will be exposed. Will there be extreme heat or cold, will there be a lot of humidity? Does there product get exposed to UV, these will all have an impact on the performance of the tape.

We know that many industries switching from old connection methods like riveting to 100% tape solutions. What are some of the industries and applications that are switching to tape?

This is really where the fun begins! Many trailer manufacturers are moving over to some of the high bond foam tapes. This is getting them away from using rivets and screws. When a trailer is moving down the highway, there is a lot of vibration going on which will over time compromise those mechanical fasteners, not to mention the expanding and contracting that happens with temperature change. The foam tapes which are replacing these mechanical fasteners is able to absorb and conform to all of these conditions. The tape simply out performs these mechanical fasteners. You will see that many mounting applications are now using tape as well, bathroom fixtures, towel dispensers, etc. are using tape. Another area where tape is being used more and more is the aerospace industry.

You've been in the tape industry for a long time now, but we've heard you recently switched to Walker Tape as their National Sales Manager. Why the move?

I really enjoy selling tape solutions and Walker has capabilities that many companies do not, they create their own machinery. Brent Bonham (the founder) is an engineer that has trained a team to create machines for tape projects as needed, which makes anything possible. We are a true tape converter. We can die cut, rewind to custom roll lengths, and laminate creating special tapes. We also have slitting abilities as well including razor slitting, which allows very precise roll widths which for some industries is very critical. If we can't do it with our current equipment, we'll create equipment. It's really incredible.

What does Walker Tape have to offer that your previous company didn't?

Like I mentioned before it's our ability to take on very custom projects with our own custom machinery. We have more equipment and more in house capabilities than our competitors, it really sets us apart in our market. Walker has been doing this for 30 years and truly are the leaders. I'm happy to be part of such a great team.

Walker sounds pretty cool, and Brent Bonham is a talented guy. Now that you're at the right company with the right talent and capabilities, what are you working on?

You are not kidding! Right now we are expanding fast into sign and trophy mounting tapes, foam tapes, skin tape for fashion, and golf grip tape. We are growing in commodity type tapes too, but we LOVE the custom jobs. The plan this year is to build our custom converting site WalkerTapeConverting.com to be the go to source for custom tape jobs. We can take any tape idea, project, or need, and nail it with our custom-tailored solutions.

That sounds great Allan, and that's exciting news. Thank you for taking the time to be with us today. Before you go, what are the ways people should reach you?

One can either call me: 801-554-4330 or email me:  [email protected]

Thank you for taking the time to meet with me.