Having been established by John N Hazen during the Roaring Twenties, Hazen has a long and interesting history. The company originally focused on producing decorative specialty papers for stationery, book covers, and greeting cards, and later got a patent on a product dubbed Shur Sheen, as well as the Sheen embossing process. Sheen embossing was the predecessor to micro-embossing, which is how holographic papers are made today. Hazen went on to develop an embossed cardstock that became the cornerstone of the company\u2019s business model still in place 101 years later in 2026.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Today, Hazen\u2019s ownership remains in the family, with third-generation John H Hazen now managing the business as President, and Robert Hazen serving as Executive Vice President. To learn more about how Hazen is building a sustainable, future-ready business while honoring its legacy, we sit down with John to discuss the company\u2019s latest developments.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAt our core, Hazen is a foil laminator, metallizer, and a holographic designer producing its own transfer film and holding more than 1500 copyrights,\u201d John opens. \u201cWe took the lead on holographic development in 2004, and we\u2019ve continuously reinvested in new designs, technology, and equipment to remain at the forefront of the industry\u2019s evolution. I don\u2019t believe there\u2019s another company as vertically integrated as Hazen. Our business model, where we generally don\u2019t charge for design and origination, continues to build momentum around the globe, as well as thousands of awards and success stories.\u201d<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Such innovation has ensured a century of success for Hazen. As the company celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2025, we ask John his thoughts on the secrets behind Hazen\u2019s success. \u201cI became President in 1999 when my father Thomas (son of founder John N) retired, but the company was at a crossroads,\u201d he reflects. \u201cAt that point, our primary product was aluminum foil laminated to paper, and it was being targeted as not recyclable. There was also an increase in offshoring American manufacturing, particularly to China, which would go on to have a devastating impact on the lamination industry over the next 20 years. Most laminators pursued lean manufacturing processes and fell into endless pricing wars, but I decided to deploy our resources to develop holography and transfer metallization.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen we first started to invest in holography and transfer technologies, most people dismissed the idea. However, we had a vision that holography would be a powerful way to create compelling and vibrant structures in light on paper \u2013 and a capability that would set Hazen apart from the competition. My first investment was to build a holographic design and origination lab, staffed with the world\u2019s leading optics, to fuel innovation.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBefore the lab, our prevailing business model was to charge buyers of holographic originations for the design and the origination,\u201d John shares. \u201cThink of a holographic origination as the original recording of a song by a musician; my idea was to not charge for the design and origination but to make our money on the mass-production. This approach made it attractive for brand managers to play with holography, and it was embraced by the entertainment industry in 2004.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOur first great success was with Pixar for the DVD packaging of The Incredibles. We produced a gorgeous holographic design that looks like neon beams of light, and we call it \u2018Pillars of Light.\u2019 At the time, this was the biggest order in our history, and one that changed our business for the better. Hazen set up a new lamination operation in Indiana, along with a holographic embossing and metallization plant in Holyoke, and we went on to invest more than $30 million in these two plants between 2004 and 2008. Demand was dominated by DVD packaging in the first few years, especially for Disney and Pixar, and we designed hundreds of new holographic designs and proofing materials.\u201d<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n While holographic DVDs put Hazen on the map as the world\u2019s premier surface relief holographer, the company\u2019s capabilities have spread to many markets today. \u201cOur products are used in hundreds of applications including labels, gift cards, scratch lottery tickets, folding cartons, trading cards, playing cards, cold foil, security seals, book and magazine covers, posters, and advertising materials,\u201d John elaborates. \u201cSecurity and authentication are a growing market for us, and while we can\u2019t go into detail about ongoing projects, we did win the IOTA Best Decorative Design 2025 for the \u2018Fire Dancer\u2019 hologram we originated for the Dave Matthews Band. Authentication is becoming of greater interest, and the Hazen Authenticator uses elements like hidden holograms and micro text as a \u2018seal of authenticity.\u2019 This was used on the 2025 Basketball Hall of Fame yearbook, for example, as well as Hazen\u2019s 2026 calendar, La Rosa Volcanica.\u201d<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"an](\"https:\/\/manufacturing-today.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/02\/Hazen-244-body-image-1.jpg\")
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