Page 27 - PWM2023_February

TECHNOLOGY REPORT

Arjowiggins is chiefly known for its shade or texture or weight, but there are plenty of alternatives for cent paper, a very niche product – there
creative papers range, which, by defini- them to fall back on. is now only one European manufac-
tion, is sold into the creative, graphic turer, “alternative product can be
design and advertising world. But as A smaller number of suppliers imported from other regions, so if the
Hobson comments, “this market is cur- The problem for the paper supply market is that over the last price were to increase too dramatically,
rently blissfully unaware of the end of four years, some 6m tonnes per annum of production has been it would just come in from other coun-
Arjowiggins – the reason being that culled. Scheufelen, Lecta, Stora Enso, Sappi Europe, UPM, SCA, tries”. And China is a good example of an
there is no solid news source for the cre- and Zanders Paper – they’ve all closed mills and/or exited parts of alternative source, especially if, ironi-
ative industries that is interested in print the market. cally, the former Arjowiggins mill in
Quzhou China restarted production of
and paper.” He says that in the past there Of course, just because a supplier leaves the market doesn’t what Chartham no longer makes.
used to be reliable printed magazines mean the market has shut up shop entirely. So, for Hobson, this Turning to two of Arjowiggins key
such as DesignWeek and Creative means that suppliers will be able to cope with the new landscape products, Conqueror and Keaykolour,
Review that would have reported in light of the Arjowiggins shutdown. Some customers may end Hobson states that there are plenty of
changes in the industry and were indus- up with a short-term problem while alternatives are sourced, but alternatives for them too. Of the
try sources, but now that “the creative overall, he reckons that there is no shortage of manufacturing Keaycolour coloured paper range, he
industry is fed news by a vast array of capacity within the market, despite the recent closures. says that the market leader is Colorplan
websites and blogs, few of whom have And further diminishing the risk, he says that Arjowiggins may from GF Smith, but there are other
interest in paper and print, there is no have been a major presence in the domestic market but “in the ranges such as Sirio from Fedrigoni,
one reliable industry source.” scale of the industry it was not a big player; companies such as Vanguard from James Cropper, Gmund
And none of this has been helped by Fedrigoni, Cordenons, Reflex, Favini, Zuber Rieder, James Colours from Gmund, and most
the move from print to digital which has Cropper and Lessebo to name but a few will be able to meet recently, a new range, Lessebo Colours
been running at an ever-increasing pace demand”. from Sweden’s Lessebo Paper.
And of Conqueror, he highlights
That said, Fisher is more upbeat and says that Antalis “does not
since the turn of the century, but espe- foresee any issues in the long to medium term with supplying our “Zeta, Europe’s leading business station-
Picking up the pieces son that Hobson believes that “the customers in the UK & Ireland”. In fact, as he points out, the com- ery paper, with laid and wove finishes
cially so following Covid. It’s for this rea-
which are available with or without a
pany is working on relaunching the brands “with the support of
creative industries have far less regular
watermark – they are the most readily
contact with print and paper compa-
on quality and service levels”.
nies”. And this is why he feels that “the best-in-class suppliers, with a renewed assortment and a real focus available, direct replacements for
Conqueror.” He adds that although
majority of the creative market will only Fisher also emphasises that from discussions it has had with paper is manufactured by Reflex in
become aware that Arjowiggins has gone potential partner mills, at a local and international level, “it Germany, Zeta has been established in
when they request products and are told appears that there is still plenty of manufacturing capacity”. the UK for many years.It shouldn’t be
they are no longer available”. Demand for Arjowiggins products forgotten that the business stationery
It seems to bother Hobson that it’s the So, with the end of Arjowiggins, what will happen to customer market has shrunk dramatically over the
“printers that are the ones who are demand? Will it shift to existing products in the market or will last decade so, although Arjowiggins’
new products from other markets which have traditionally not
aware of the papers not being available, products occupied an important niche,
and they are the ones who are having to been sold in the UK take up the slack? it is still a niche.
find alternatives and are having to call Fisher thinks that Antalis has little worry about in terms of Looking to the future, could other
their regular suppliers – or find new sup- changing demand. He says that when “Antalis acquired the world- paper suppliers fail? It’s entirely possi-
wide portfolio of brands, among them the well-known Conqueror,
pliers – to find alternatives”. And from a Curious Collection, Keaykolour, Pop’Set and Rives [we] commit- ble. Hobson has over the last decade
customer service perspective, this is less ted to continue to invest in, develop and grow these brands”. seen a number of mills cease production
– most recently Meerssen Papier
than ideal. Hobson expands on this Again, he states that demand for the company’s newly acquired (Marsna) in Holland, which produced
point: he’s seen customers become “a bit products remains high. coloured and speciality papers, and
disgruntled” when told that a product is Hobson isn’t so sure and thinks that “an example of this would which stopped this time last year. But as
no longer available. However, if the be what is commonly known as tracing paper. Arjowiggins has he comments, “in the current market,
statement is “followed with ‘the mill has dominated the market for decades with a product called with all inputs and energy prices going
gone bust’ then reality brings a ready Simulator Transparent and more recently Curious Translucent. up, all manufacturers are vulnerable and
acceptance and understanding of the sit- But with the demise of the Arjowiggins Chartham mill, it leaves sadly no one is safe”.
uation and a search for an alternative”. only one European manufacturer for this type of paper: Reflex Through buying the brands, securing
Paper in Duren, Germany. Their product, Spectral Translucent,
Interestingly, while Hobson com- which has been available in the UK for many years, is now the significant additional stocks and finding
ments that “Arjowiggins had an excel- obvious replacement product.” high quality mills to produce the brands
lent range of creative papers, I can’t But what are the ramifications of this if there are fewer – or no – in the future, Fisher reckons that the
think of one totally unique product that ready alternatives? Could prices rise beyond the usual, now high, impact to the Arjowiggins brands will be
they made”. In other words, customers inflationary moves? Fortunately, as Hobson explains, paper is a relatively small and should present “sig-
may have to change to a slightly different global market and although in this particular instance – translus- nificant opportunities in the future”.

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