Page 34 - Print 21 Sep-Oct 2019

Paper
Local manufacturing
into the Australian market due to global oversupply. “Our targeted strategy has led to a significant increase in Australian Paper’s domestic volumes over the past five years, with similar gains across copy, printing and packaging grades”, he says.
Support for Australian-made products has also boosted Australian Paper’s performance, says Williams.
“Australian consumers have developed a better understanding that local manufacturing underpins jobs and successful communities.
“As one of the Latrobe Valley’s largest employers, Australian Paper is an important part of this regional community and we believe our customers also recognise the value that Australian made products can bring to their business,” he says, adding that part of the strategy is Australian Paper’s support for anti-dumping measures.
As the company operates in a number of different segments, its market fundamentals vary widely:
a decline in transactional mail volumes is hitting its envelope paper business, and offset and forms grades are also under pressure; however, inkjet grades for digital printing have continued to grow, and the volume in packaging grades is also growing. Williams says, “We are continuing to look at further packaging innovations, including the potential for recyclable and compostable barrier coatings on our packaging grades to address water/ air transfer. At the same time we are looking to continue to improve the print quality achievable on these packaging products,” says Williams.
Copy paper is also holding up well, adds Williams, and Australian Paper is a major player in that sector.
“While the copy paper market is mature, our share remains strong and we have observed a movement in volumes from corporate to Soho and home as consumers continue to use their own printers,” he says.
With its focus on local product for local demand, Australian Paper looks set to continue to provide the local industry with appropriate product. 21
meets global expertise
Australian Paper is the country’s only on-shore fine paper manufacturer, and known for brands such as Reflex and Tudor. It is a staple of the Australian pulp and paper market, and a company with a strong local focus, but able to draw on the strength of its overseas owner, reports Jake Nelson.
Based in Victoria, Australian Paper is the country’s only manufacturer of uncoated woodfree papers, and of many packaging grades.
Using pulp sourced from both Victoria and New Zealand, Australian Paper’s Maryvale mill produces a variety of paper grades including kraft liner board (virgin and recycled); sack kraft (flat and semi-extensible); bag kraft (MG and MF); offset; forms; envelope papers; inkjet; copy papers; and recycled white grades across most of the above segments. Its Preston converting operation also produces envelopes; stationery; and Queens Slipper playing cards.
Australian Paper has significant investments underway, including its massive $600m energy-from-waste (EfW) project at its Maryvale mill, to create a power plant that would burn household rubbish to power the mill and sell excess energy back to the grid. The EfW facility would divert around 650,000 tonnes of residual waste annually from Gippsland
and Melbourne landfill, using best available techniques in emissions control to comply with stringent European IED limits.
A decade ago Australian Paper
was acquired by the Japanese giant Nippon Paper Group. This has made it part of a larger paper manufacturing family, says Peter Williams, chief
Above
To be powered by waste: The Australian Paper mill at Maryvale
Right
Reflex: major paper brand manufactured in Australia by Australian Paper
operating officer, and able to draw
on its parent company’s experience
in paper machine performance and pulping efficiency among other areas.
Williams says, “Our owner has also supported the implementation of significant capital investment and process improvements across a wide variety of functions.
“This has enabled a positive blend between Japanese insights and technical expertise, and our experience and knowledge of the local Australian market.”
According to Williams, this combination of local manufacturing and global expertise gives it the opportunity to offer its value proposition to its customers.
“As the level of global competition has increased, we have recognised the importance of improving our level of differentiation through continued investment in our value proposition.
“I strongly believe we have
taken significant steps forward in demonstrating to our customers
that we value their business and are prepared to fight for it. Our success, I think, is demonstrated by our ability to build strong domestic market shares across the key segments underpinning Australian Paper’s business,” he says.
Williams tells Print21 that, since 2014, Australian Paper has pushed to regain market share from low- priced imports that had moved
34 Print21 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019