The latest news that FAVINI are in trouble, especially in The Netherlands at Apledoorn and Meerssen, draws attention to the diminishing list of mills manufacturing coloured offset and coloured office printing papers in Europe, and begs the question ‘Why?’
The Klippan Red Dwarf that gobbled-up Inveresk Caldwell’s Mill in Scotland (which had previously incorporated Weir’s Mill nearby, though in truth more for its recycled fibre plant than its ability to produce coloured papers, and Fulmar and Repeat brands), made a play for Maresquel Mill in France when that mill was in the ownership of International Paper, but later withdrew.
I.P. closed Maresquel in October 2006 themselves. M-Real closed Pont Sainte Maxence (previously known as MoDo PSM) also in France, at about the same time.
While a certain Jan of Sweden was empire building, East Lancs Paper in the U.K. closed, but it wasn’t his fault, he was nowhere near, but Mölndal in Sweden was, and in the devastation left behind when the Klippan Empire imploded, Klippan Mill itself faltered and looked set to go too. It was saved at the last moment and is now flourishing under the new Vida Paper, but with no coloured paper production in sight.
SAPPI in Great Britain closed the historic Apsley Mill in Hertfordshire, and Curtis Fine Papers closed what used to be William Sommerville’s Dalmore Mill in Scotland, though we are assured that production was simply transferred to their Guard Bridge Mill. Although not a coloured paper mill in the traditional sense, ArjoWiggins also closed their Buckland Mill at Dover, famous for the Conqueror brand, which was available in tint’s, so that sort-of counts for this discussion too!
Olives Mill, though not quite so recent as those listed above, was yet another coloured paper mill with a fine range of well respected products that was there one moment, and gone the next! Garnett’s have gone to India for their production but maintain conversion in the U.K., while Thomas Tait’s Mill in Scotland (who remembers Captain Copier?) is now a white only mill in the safe hands of International Paper.
International Paper also saw the break-up of France’s Aussedat Rey Group, with coloured paper mill closures, and independence for others, some who have struggled (i.e. Lana) regardless of superlative papers to offer. Likewise Jeand’heurs who made beautiful low weight coloured papers, gone but not forgotten.
Yet there are still coloured graphical printing paper mills in Europe, making really good papers, e.g. Clariana in Spain, Fedrigoni and Cordenons in Italy, Arjowiggins in France and England, Cropper in England, Tullis Russell and Curtis in Scotland, etc. etc. But by the same token there are more ‘lost’ than retained.
I know the maxim that the last ones in a diminishing market are the ones who get all the business, but who would have thought that coloured graphical printing (including coloured office papers) was a diminishing market?
