Denmaur Paper Media is expanding into the supply of carton boards, striking a deal with Townsend Board to join the paper merchanting group.
“We have known Denmaur for many years, both as a customer and as a supplier. Discussions about this arrangement were at an advanced stage just as the pandemic took hold, but I am pleased to confirm that we are now officially with one of the most sustainable paper and board merchants in the UK,” says Clive Townsend.
Townsend Board has its head office in Furness Vale at the edge of the Peak District. The division will continue to trade under its own name from 1 September when the new arrangements kick in. Stocks will be delivered from the vast Denmaur warehouse in Bardon, Leicestershire, which is already accredited to BRC standards. Denmaur will handle all back office functions, leaving Clive Townsend and son Michael to focus on sales.
Denmaur has a long standing collaboration with Townsend and has been watching development of the carton sector for some years. The investment from the Gould last year has allowed Denmaur to accelerate this interest and to expand through acquisition rather than organically. Further expansion is not ruled out.
Denmaur’s biggest move into packaging before this step has been with the Delipac barrier film free board for food packaging. It has also handling quantities of EnsoCoat and Performa one side coated boards. These are being joined by a Revive branded grey board along with white, cream and kraft backed folding box board. All are FSC certified and will be carbon balanced through Denmaur’s carbon capture scheme.
Denmaur director Andy Buxton says: “The addition of a carton board division will undoubtedly add strength to the group, especially as some of the key players in our traditional marketplace will unfortunately succumb to the economic impacts associated with coronavirus.”
Commercial printers have been investigating the potential of carton packaging, particularly in smaller quantities than the established converters are comfortable with handling. Brands shifting to online retailing and smaller order batches also favour a merchant style stockholding model.
There is also an opportunity for the Denmaur Media publishing division, not because publishers require cartons, but for the print management companies that are also customers of the media management offering and who are starting to extend into packaging management.
Packaging, by contrast, has seen steep increases in demand during lockdown and is set for further expansion as brands and retailers continue to look for alternatives to plastic packaging and to buy packaging closer to home. Upcoming European legislation, aimed at eliminating plastic waste from beaches leading to pollution at sea, will ban the use of plastics in convenience food packaging.
“Sustainable food and pharmaceutical packaging has a greater importance now than ever before as society adapts to the new normal,” says Buxton. “Along with Delipac, our new products and a new division with expertise in this area will enable us to respond to the demand for packaging that demonstrates social and environmental awareness.”
Townsend Board has been in business for more than 30 years with a full range of single and double sided folding box boards, grey boards, which can be supplied in bespoke sizes and supplied next day.
Denmaur is already stocking cart onboard that Townsend Board will be selling at its Bardon warehouse in Leicestershire. The move into packaging has been aided by investment from the introduction of new shareholders last year.
