Is Dymo publicly traded?

Dymo itself is not publicly traded. Parent company Newell Brands trades on NASDAQ under ticker NWL. Investors buying Newell stock own a stake in all of Newell's brands, including Dymo.

When was Dymo founded?

Dymo was founded in 1958 by Dymo Industries in Berkeley, California. The company's first product was a handheld embossing label maker that pressed raised letters onto adhesive tape. The brand name became so iconic that "Dymo" was used generically for embossing label makers.

What are Dymo's main products?

Dymo's main product lines include LabelWriter (thermal desktop label printers for shipping and office use), Rhino (industrial labels for electricians and installers), LetraTag (handheld electronic label makers for home and office), and the original embossing label maker (still sold as a classic product).

Where are Dymo products manufactured?

Dymo products are primarily manufactured at the company's facility in Sint-Niklaas, Belgium, which has been Dymo's European manufacturing base since the 1960s. Some product lines are also produced through contract manufacturing in China.

What is Dymo's main competitor?

Dymo's primary competitor is Brother International, which offers the P-Touch line of label makers and printers. Other competitors include Epson, Brady (industrial labels), and various private-label brands.

Household & Consumer Goods

Who Owns Dymo?

Dymo is owned by Newell Brands (NASDAQ: NWL), a publicly traded American consumer goods company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Newell acquired Dymo in 2005 as part of its acquisition of Gillette's stationery products business. Dymo was founded in 1958 by Dymo Industries in Berkeley, California, and pioneered the handheld embossing label maker. The brand is a market leader in labeling solutions, sold in over 100 countries, with manufacturing in Belgium and China.

Parent Company

Newell Brands Inc.

Acquired

2005

Status

Publicly Traded

Headquarters

Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Dymo Timeline

1903

Newell Brands Inc.

Parent company established in Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Company Founded

1958

Dymo

Founded by Dymo Industries

Founded

2005

Acquired by Newell Brands Inc.

Newell Brands Inc. acquired Dymo

Acquired

mid rangepremiumGlobalall-agessustainable materialsresponsible sourcingwaste reductionOfficial Website

Who Owns Dymo?

Parent Company: Newell Brands Inc.
Ownership Type: Brand division
Acquisition Year: 2005
Company Type: Publicly Traded
Stock Ticker: NASDAQ: NWL

Brand	Parent Company	Ownership Type
Dymo	Newell Brands Inc.	Brand division

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Dymo on Amazon

History of Dymo

Founded: 1958
Founders: Dymo Industries
Acquired by Newell Brands Inc.: 2005

Dymo Industries was founded in 1958 in Berkeley, California. The company's first product was a handheld embossing label maker that pressed raised plastic letters onto adhesive tape. The device was inexpensive, easy to use, and produced durable labels without ink or electricity. It quickly became popular in offices, factories, and homes.

The original Dymo embossing label maker became a cultural icon of the 1960s and 1970s. The distinctive raised-letter labels were used for filing cabinets, equipment identification, shelving, and household organization. The brand name "Dymo" became so associated with embossing label makers that the term was used generically for similar devices.

Dymo Industries expanded through the 1960s and 1970s, adding new label maker models, tape colors, and widths. The company also expanded internationally, establishing manufacturing in Belgium (Sint-Niklaas) to serve European markets. The Belgian facility remains Dymo's primary manufacturing site today.

In 1978, Esselte acquired Dymo Industries. Esselte, a Swedish office products company, expanded Dymo's distribution but eventually sold the brand. In 1986, Dymo was acquired by Esselte's management and later passed through several ownership changes. In 1993, Dymo was acquired by Coats Viyella, a British textile company. Coats sold Dymo to an investment group in 1998.

In 2005, Newell Rubbermaid (now Newell Brands) acquired Dymo as part of its $1.6 billion purchase of Gillette's stationery products business. Gillette had acquired Dymo in 1996 through its acquisition of the Sanford brand portfolio. The 2005 acquisition brought Dymo, Sharpie, Paper Mate, Parker, Waterman, and Liquid Paper under Newell's ownership.

Under Newell's ownership, Dymo has transitioned from mechanical embossing label makers to electronic and thermal printing label makers. The LabelWriter line, which connects to computers via USB and prints thermal labels without ink or toner, has become Dymo's flagship product line. The Rhino line targets industrial and professional users with durable labels for wiring, panels, and equipment. The LetraTag line serves consumers with handheld electronic label makers.

Dymo has also developed software for label design and printing, including Dymo Connect (released 2019) and Dymo Label software, which integrates with popular applications including Microsoft Office, QuickBooks, and Google Workspace.

About Newell Brands Inc.

What does Newell Brands own?
Newell Brands owns more than 20 major consumer brands including Sharpie (permanent markers), Rubbermaid (storage and organization), Graco (baby products), Coleman (outdoor and camping), Yankee Candle (scented candles), Calphalon (cookware), Crock-Pot (slow cookers), Paper Mate (writing instruments), NUK (baby feeding), and Contigo (insulated drinkware). The company sells products in more than 100 countries across writing, home organization, appliances, baby products, outdoor recreation, and home fragrance categories.

Is Newell Brands publicly traded?
Yes, Newell Brands Inc. is listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the ticker symbol NWL. The company has been publicly traded for decades. Shares are owned primarily by institutional investors including index fund managers. The company has no controlling shareholder.

Who founded Newell Brands?
Newell Brands traces its origins to Edgar Newell, who founded the Newell Manufacturing Company in Ogdensburg, New York in 1903. The modern Newell Brands was formed through the 2016 merger of Newell Rubbermaid and Jarden Corporation. Jarden was itself led by Martin Franklin prior to the merger. Christopher Peterson serves as President and CEO as of 2025.

Where is Newell Brands headquartered?
Newell Brands is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. The company moved its corporate headquarters to Atlanta, Georgia after the 2016 Jarden merger. Manufacturing and distribution operations span the United States, Mexico, China, Germany, and Australia, among other locations.

How many brands does Newell Brands own?
Newell Brands owns more than 20 major consumer brands. The company previously owned over 50 brands following the 2016 Jarden merger but divested more than 35 brands and businesses between 2018 and 2021 as part of a portfolio rationalization program. Current core brands include Sharpie, Rubbermaid, Graco, Coleman, Yankee Candle, Calphalon, NUK, Contigo, and First Alert, among others.

Who owns Newell Brands?
Newell Brands is a publicly traded company with no controlling shareholder. The largest shareholders are institutional investors including Vanguard Group, BlackRock, and State Street Global Advisors, which hold shares primarily through passive index funds. Individual shareholders and smaller institutional investors hold the remainder. Newell Brands has no parent company and is not owned by a private equity firm.

What is Newell Brands' revenue?
Net sales for FY2024 were approximately $7.7 billion, down from approximately $8.4 billion in FY2023. Revenue has declined from a peak of approximately $9.4 billion in FY2018, the year following the Jarden merger, as the company divested non-core brands and faced headwinds in several categories. The company's Ovation restructuring plan, launched in 2024, is intended to stabilize margins and return the business to organic growth.

Has Newell Brands faced any major controversies?
Newell Brands faced significant activist investor pressure in 2018 from Carl Icahn and Starboard Value, who criticized post-merger integration management and board governance. The company also disclosed material weaknesses in internal controls over financial reporting related to income tax accounting in 2022, which were subsequently remediated. No single product recall or regulatory action has been identified as material to the company's overall operations in recent annual filings.

Founded: 1903
Headquarters: Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Company Type: Publicly Traded
Stock: NASDAQ: NWL
Revenue: approximately $7.7 billion (FY2024)
Employees: Approximately 22,000

Visit Newell Brands Inc. website

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Where Is Dymo Made / Based?

Headquarters: Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Manufacturing / Operations: Belgium, China

Dymo Categories & Tags

Labels Label Makers Office Organization Newell Brands Office Supplies

Dymo Sustainability & Ethics

Dymo has invested in sustainability initiatives, particularly at its Belgian manufacturing facility.

Sustainable Materials: Dymo's paper labels are made from FSC-certified (Forest Stewardship Council) forests and controlled sources. External plastic cassettes contain at least 80% recycled material. Cardboard packaging uses at least 80% recycled content. Plastic blister packaging incorporates at least 60% recycled materials.

Product Design: Over 40% of Dymo products use water-based adhesives that reduce chemical ingredients. All Dymo paper labels are BPA-free. The LabelWriter line uses direct thermal printing technology, which eliminates the need for ink or toner cartridges, reducing waste and environmental impact compared to traditional printing.

Belgian Facility Achievements: Dymo's manufacturing facility in Sint-Niklaas, Belgium has achieved significant environmental improvements: energy consumption reduced by 27% through modernized machinery, water use decreased by 73% over ten years, and over 70% of plant water usage now comes from harvested rainwater.

2024 Sustainability Award: Dymo's team in Sint-Niklaas earned the silver award in Newell Brands' 2024 Sustainability Excellence Awards. The team simplified the Dymo 2-inch LabelWriter label printer spool, reducing plastic usage by 14% and saving 300 tons of virgin plastic and 1.7 million kWh of energy in 2023. The team also installed high-speed doors that reduce energy usage and launched a bicycle lease program for employees.

Corporate Framework: As part of Newell Brands, Dymo adheres to the company's corporate sustainability goals, which include responsible sourcing, packaging reduction, and carbon footprint reduction across its brand portfolio.

Awards & Recognition

Newell Brands Sustainability Excellence Awards (2024): Dymo's Sint-Niklaas team earned the silver award for reducing plastic usage by 14% and saving 300 tons of virgin plastic through spool design simplification.
FSC Certification: Dymo's paper labels are FSC-certified, ensuring responsible forest management throughout the supply chain.
Market Leadership: Dymo is recognized as a market leader in consumer and small-business label printing by industry analysts including IDC and NPD Group.
Brand Longevity: Dymo's 65+ year history and continued market relevance demonstrate sustained consumer recognition and trust in the labeling category.

Dymo Recalls & Controversies

Software Compatibility Issues: Dymo has faced significant consumer complaints regarding software compatibility, particularly with macOS updates. Dymo Connect software has experienced compatibility problems with newer versions of macOS, leading to consumer frustration and negative reviews. The company has released updates to address these issues, but compatibility problems have persisted with some operating system updates. This is the most common consumer complaint associated with the brand.

DRM and Third-Party Label Controversy: Dymo's LabelWriter printers use thermal printing technology that technically works with any compatible thermal label stock. However, Dymo has incorporated authentication features in some newer printer models that restrict the use of third-party labels. Consumers have criticized this as a way to force them to buy Dymo-branded labels at higher prices. The controversy has generated negative online reviews and consumer advocacy complaints, though no legal action has been successful.

No Major Product Recalls: As of 2025, Dymo has not been subject to any major CPSC-mandated product recalls. The brand's manufacturing quality has been maintained across its Belgian and Chinese production facilities.

Newell Brands Portfolio Concerns: Newell Brands' declining revenue and portfolio simplification strategy have raised questions about the long-term investment in Dymo. While Newell has identified Dymo as part of its core brand portfolio, the company's overall financial pressures could limit product development investment.

Dymo Ownership: Pros & Cons

Advantages

+Dymo is the market leader in consumer and small-business label printing, with strong brand recognition built over 65+ years
+Newell's extensive retail distribution network gives Dymo shelf space in major office supply retailers globally
+The LabelWriter line benefits from the growing e-commerce shipping label market, as small businesses need affordable thermal label printers
+The Belgian manufacturing facility provides high-quality European production with strong sustainability credentials
+Newell's financial resources support ongoing product development, including software integration and mobile connectivity

Considerations

-Newell's portfolio simplification strategy could lead to divestment of Dymo if it is deemed non-core, creating ownership uncertainty
-Brother's P-Touch line is a strong competitor with comparable brand recognition and broader product range
-Dymo's software has faced criticism for compatibility issues, particularly with macOS updates and newer operating systems
-The shift toward mobile and cloud-based printing solutions could reduce demand for desktop-connected label printers
-Newell's overall revenue has been declining (from $8.0B in 2023 to $7.3B in 2024), which may limit investment in Dymo's product development
-Dymo revenue is not separately disclosed, making it difficult to assess the brand's standalone financial performance

Frequently Asked Questions About Dymo

Sources & Further Reading

Competitors to Dymo

These competing brands operate in the same categories and provide similar products or services. Compare key attributes to understand market positioning and competitive landscape.

Brand	Parent Company	Country	Founded	Market Position	Primary Market	Gender Target
ExpoSister Brand	Newell Brands	USA	1976	Mass market	Global	All-ages
Paper MateSister Brand	Newell Brands	USA	1941	Mass market	Global	All-ages