CEO Year in Review 2025: Powered by People, Proven by Performance

Ignatius K.C. Lau, Chief Executive Officer, SML Group

KEY INSIGHT

In a challenging year, disciplined execution and people-first innovation drove measurable gains across products, standards, and ESG. With new investors, expanded capacity, and data-driven operations, SML enters 2026 ready to scale what works, simplify delivery, and deepen customer impact globally.

2025 demanded focus and resilience. Global headwinds tested the industry: uneven demand, supply-chain complexity, and higher regulatory expectations. Even so, our team delivered. We strengthened product leadership and standards influence, refreshed our brand, advanced digital innovation, expanded our footprint, and welcomed FountainVest and CPE as new shareholders. Throughout, we stayed true to who we are.

Performance and Progress in 2025

Our brand refresh sharpened who we are and how we execute. With a clear new vision, mission, and value proposition, we brought our brand DNA to life: people first, innovative and creative, a winner’s attitude, and global reach with local touch. This was more than a cosmetic change; it aligned teams and decision-making across markets and functions, yielding a consistent, forward-looking, human-centered experience for customers and partners.

On the technology and solutions front, we deliver impacts where it counts. InfuseRFID unlocked tangible improvement in speed, accuracy, and total cost of ownership for leading brands, while Factory Care Solutions (FCS) strengthened quality, efficiency, and floor-level visibility. We are advancing Digital Product Passport (DPP) readiness to support upcoming EU requirements with practical, end-to-end solutions that enable compliance and unlock lifecycle business value. We continued to advance industry standards and, in parallel, embedded data-driven ways of working across our operations – helping us work smarter, faster, and more connected.

We also moved closer to our customers. We expanded capacity with additional facilities in India and Vietnam and strengthened our network with a partner site in Jordan. RFID TIDC capabilities in Hong Kong and Dongguan, China, were strengthened, and onboarding began in the facility in Raleigh, United States, to place engineering and service where they create the most value. Our expanding global network brings us closer to customers and strengthens speed, quality, and consistency from factory to shelf.

ESG progress remained tangible and measured. Scope 1 and 2 emissions fell by 12.9%, and waste diversion reached 92.7%. From January 2025, our Dongguan and Shanghai sites in China operated on 100% renewable electricity. We achieved our first EcoVadis assessment and became a participant in the UN Global Compact, underscoring disciplined progress on ESG. We will continue to report transparently and improve clearly defined plans.

Disciplined Execution in a Dynamic Environment

Volatility and operational complexity persisted. We responded with discipline: focus on customer value, elevate quality, speed, and accuracy, and invest in our people. These choices strengthened resilience and positioned us for scale.

In November, we reinforced our foundation with long-term investors. FountainVest and CPE joined as shareholders, signaling confidence in our strategy, culture, and potential. They recognize our leadership in item-level RFID and brand identifications, a four-decade legacy in label manufacturing, a global footprint, and an innovation agenda across RFID, DPP, Factory Care Solutions, and Digital IDs. Their partnership brings resources, networks, and expertise to accelerate operational excellence and efficiency, enhance digital integration, and support geographic expansion with leading brands. We will deploy this new chapter with excitement while remaining true to our purpose, customer focus, and brand DNA.

2026: Scale What Works, Simplify How We Deliver

Our path forward is well defined. We will scale proven solutions, simplify delivery, and strengthen connections between products, data, and people. Investment will continue in technology and talent. We will deepen our roles in standards and ecosystems and advance ESG with measurable outcomes. Most importantly, we will stay close to our customers, addressing their most critical challenges and delivering trusted solutions with speed and scale.

To our customers and partners, thank you for your continued trust. To the SML team around the world, thank you for your dedication, commitment, creativity, and performance. 2025 demonstrated what our people can accomplish even in a challenging environment. As we enter 2026, we do so with momentum and enthusiasm. The global landscape remains challenging, but we are confident in our strategy, our capabilities, and the strength of our partnerships.

Stay connected with our journey at www.sml.com and on LinkedIn for key updates and what’s coming next. See YOU in 2026!