By Kyle Stucker

Hampton Union, August 5, 2014

[The following article is courtesy of the Hampton Union and Seacoast Online.]

Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter, D-N.H., speaks with Peter Melendy, owner of Adhesive Technologies Inc. in Hampton before an official ribbon-cutting ceremony for the adhesive manufacturer, which is expanding. [Deb Cram photo]

HAMPTON — Twelve years ago, Adhesive Technologies Inc., the world's largest manufacturer of glue sticks, made the difficult decision to move its production from New Hampshire to China.

“I didn't want to do that,” said Peter Melendy, the Hampton-based company's founder and chief executive officer.

The move wasn't designed to be a permanent one, but rather one born out of necessity as skyrocketing material costs put Ad Tech at a sizable disadvantage, he said. Melendy's goal always was to “bring things back” when the opportunity arose and the market “stabilized worldwide.”

That long-awaited day arrived Tuesday, much to the delight of Melendy and a number of local dignitaries and business leaders who joined Ad Tech for a ceremony to celebrate its new production line, which will bring new jobs to Hampton and glue production back to the Granite State.

“This is kind of an interesting celebration for us in different ways,” Melendy said. “It's sort of a new beginning.”

Two new positions have been created at Ad Tech's Merrill Industrial Drive facility thanks to the new production line. Company officials also said a total of 17 jobs will be added by 2017 as Ad Tech continues to expand the line and once again produces all of its standard adhesive formulas in the United States.

Founded in 1981, Ad Tech specializes in custom adhesives. The company first started producing 4- to 10-inch glue sticks in 1987 and became the largest manufacturer of the product by 2001. That was a year before a number of factors forced Ad Tech to move its production overseas, according to Melendy.

State Sen. Nancy Stiles, R-Hampton, was among a number of individuals who attended Tuesday's ceremony, and said she was delighted to help Ad Tech celebrate something that will strengthen New Hampshire's manufacturing industry.

“Thank you for bringing (more) business to the Seacoast area,” Stiles told Melendy and his employees. “I'm looking forward to the positive impact it will bring to Hampton.”

U.S. Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter, D-N.H., said the issues that Ad Tech faces are “so familiar to manufacturers across the country,” which is why she said she was proud to be able to help recognize a business working to overcome those issues to create its products domestically.

Melendy said the move is also designed to help his company's customers, as he said the new production line will help Ad Tech dramatically reduce the lead time for orders.

“We know where we want to go and the first step on that journey is the most important,” Melendy said. “We're going to take that step today.”

For more about Ad Tech, visit www.adhesivetech.com.

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