New York has decided not to renew a contract with 3M, four years after reports surfaced about problems with peeling license plates made with the company’s products.
The state selected Avery Dennison Corp. of Glendale, Calif., to supply the reflective sheeting, laminate adhesive and coating applied to the plates beginning Sept. 1, state contracting records show.
Minnesota-based 3M, a global conglomerate, had supplied the materials under an initial two-year contract that began in September 2014 and was renewed in 2016, 2017 and 2018, the records show.
All of New York’s license plates are manufactured at Auburn Correctional Facility, the state prison about 26 miles west of Syracuse, using materials supplied by outside companies.
A state official confirmed the change in suppliers from 3M to Avery Dennison but declined to say whether the move was due to problems with the peeling license plates. The problem was first identified by motorists in 2015 and resurfaced last year with new Empire gold and blue plates.
In some cases, New York drivers have reported plates where the laminated adhesive peels off within only a few months of installation, leaving the blank metal surface exposed.
A state spokesman said the only change in production will be with the supplier of materials used to make the plates through a thermal transfer process at the prison’s manufacturing plant.
“All license plates will continue to be produced by civilian staff and incarcerated individuals at Auburn Correctional Facility,” said Thomas Mailey, a spokesman for the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.
“The production process itself will not be changing; however, DOCCS has signed a contract with a new vendor, Avery Dennison, who will be supplying the sheeting for the new plates,” Mailey said. “DOCCS and all its vendors continually review and evaluate all of its programs for quality and effectiveness.”
Mailey declined to say whether the state identified the cause of the problem with the peeling plates, nor would he answer a list of questions his department requested in writing.
Mailey told Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard that the questions should be submitted to the state under its Freedom of Information Law, a process that can take months.
Officials at 3M did not respond to requests for comment.
State records show 3M and Avery Dennison were among four companies that submitted bids for the contract that were opened May 8.
The contract documents did not explain why Avery Dennison was selected, and state officials declined to discuss details of the bidding process.
The contract is likely to grow in value next year after Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced this week that the state will begin replacing all New York license plates with a new design starting in April 2020.
The new design will replace both the existing blue and white plates, and Empire gold and blue plates, once they are 10 years old or older.
Vehicle owners will be required to pay $25 for the new plates, and an additional $20 vanity plate fee if they want to keep their existing license plate numbers.
The state Department of Motor Vehicles has replaced the peeling license plates for free but charged $20 to drivers who want to keep the same numbers.
DMV spokesman Tim O’Brien said the state doesn’t keep track of the number of peeling plates returned to the state, but he said officials believe it’s a small percentage.
“The number of returned plates remains low compared to the approximately 14 million New York license plates on the road,” he said.
The state last year said it worked with 3M to investigate the peeling, or delamination problem, but were unable to identify the cause. Officials would not say whether 3M or other suppliers had to reimburse state taxpayers for the cost of the returned plates.
Drivers with peeling license plates can request a new set for free by bringing a single peeling plate into a DMV office or by contacting the DMV’s Custom Plates Unit at 518-402-4838.
The state will charge a replacement fee for plates that show other signs of damage unrelated to peeling, such as fading or cracking.
Cuomo has faced criticism this week for mandating the new plates, which some view as a way for the state to raise more revenue.
During a visit to the New York State Fair on Wednesday, Cuomo said the plates typically must be replaced after a 10-year lifespan.
He said the license plate design also had to be changed to a lighter background to be compatible with digital license plate readers as the state expands its use of cashless toll systems.
Contact Mark Weiner: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751
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