21 June 2017 08:06 am
Papyrus Papers, a name synonymous in Sri Lanka with fine paper, celebrates a 15-year journey of organic growth via logical diversification this month.
The company has grown its sales almost six-fold over the past 15 years and built up a highly specialised product portfolio of 400 stock keeping units (SKUs) in the fine paper category alone.
Commencing business in June 2002 as the sole distributor for the heritage fine paper brand Conqueror, Papyrus Papers is the senior member of Papyrus Corporation, a group comprising of four companies -- Papyrus Papers, Print Point (Pvt.) Ltd, a leading on-demand, quick-print digital printing specialist, JAMPhoto, the company that pioneered the production of digitally printed Photobooks in Sri Lanka and Ashalin Investments (Pvt.) Ltd, the group’s property management company.
The diversification into connected areas of business has been achieved while consolidating the group’s position as a fine paper specialist with expansion into security paper, medical paper, graphic paper, synthetic paper, sticker paper, digital paper and labels and a paper cutting facility for customers.
“It has been a remarkable journey that has weathered the vagaries of the market and the ups and downs of the economy and kept pace with the advances of technology,” said Papyrus Corporation Chairman and CEO Ashan Abeyesundere.
“Our brands representation has grown significantly and our distribution base has been widened. There is much to celebrate for a relatively young business entity.”
He said all customers of Papyrus Papers have been receiving a discount of 15 percent on purchases made since June 15 as part of the group’s anniversary celebration. Papyrus Papers has also felicitated customers and employees who have been with the company for 15 years and intends to undertake a community project to mark the milestone.
Papyrus Papers has represented Arjowiggins, the company that owns the Conqueror brand, from the inception of the company and has added the Italian brand Favini, Indian brand Technova and French brand Sterimed in the graphic, synthetic and medical paper categories, respectively. The company operates via four main dealers in Colombo and Kandy, 10 sub-dealers in Kurunegala, Jaffna, Galle, Matara, Vavuniya and Badulla and five retailers.
Tracing its history back to 1492, Arjowiggins is the world’s leading manufacturer of creative and technical papers and has operations in Europe, North America and Asia. The group follows a strategy of constant innovation to provide its customers with high added-value, environmentally friendly products. Arjowiggins generated sales of 710 million
euros in 2016.