Labelling is a subject that the vast majority of investors would find it difficult to get worked up over . However , when asked to name a company whose products most people probably use every day without realising it , Felix Wintle of the
VT Tyndall North American fund and Illingworth each gave different examples of a multi-billion dollar business in this area . Wintle named $ 32bn Zebra Technologies as his choice . “ Zebra is the brains behind smart labelling and barcodes ,” he says . “ Every time you scan an item , or take a delivery from Amazon or the Royal Mail , that is using Zebra ’ s technology . “ The company has a global reach , operating from 128 offices in 45 countries . As the world becomes ever more digital and ever smarter , Zebra is leading the way in connecting businesses with customers , yet it flies completely under the radar for most investors .” Meanwhile , Illingworth named Avery Dennison , an $ 18bn manufacturer of pressure-sensitive adhesive materials such as sticky labels . “ We ’ ve held it for years and it ’ s been a fantastic long-term performer ,” he says . “ It ’ s amazing how many uses there are for this stuff – from labels on lots of the products you buy in the supermarket through to medicine bottles and even the printed signage you see stuck onto cars and white vans .”