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Avery Dennison, the labels manufacturer, has opened its first distribution centre in Japan to spearhead its growth in pressure-sensitive labels in the Japanese market.

The distribution centre will be based in Chiba and use the Chiba port as a hub.

The firm has also set up a new Avery Dennison Japan headquarters in Tokyo, headed by Gary LePon, who has been appointed as president and general manager.

LePon, a former executive for AB SKF in Yokohama, will oversee Avery Dennison Japan's expansion efforts and spearhead the development of new partnerships and strategic alliances.

Avery Dennison president and chief executive Dean Scarborough said: "With so many manufacturing facilities in nearby countries, we believe now is the time for us to significantly increase our investment and presence in Japan."

The move will allow Avery Dennison's global customers, such as Procter & Gamble and Unilever, to access in Japan the same Avery Dennison products that they use elsewhere in the world.

"Avery Dennison has worked closely with these customers to develop packaging solutions that help market and differentiate their products, but these solutions have been limited in Japan to the products they import," said Scarborough.

Closer proximity to Japan-based companies with global operations, such as Toyota and Sapporo, will also enable Avery Dennison to work with them to develop products that can be applied in all of their facilities worldwide.

The firm also hopes to work in partnership with Japan-based companies that have significant Asian market share or special technologies, but lack a market presence outside Asia.

"Our strategy is to produce and deliver high quality, innovative products and solutions everywhere in the world our customers are located," said Scarborough.

Avery Dennison's move follows that of CCL Industries, the Canadian labelling specialist, which announced in June that its sales and technical centre in Japan would become a pilot manufacturing facility for personal care labels.