The company is calling its Teknocard range, launched this week, the widest available in the market for packaging and graphical applications alike. It is the first SBS board Arjowiggins has produced. One of those who created top Tullis Russell board Trucard, Malcolm Sinclair, is now the business development manager for Arjo’s Teknocard portfolio.
Trucard is currently one of the intellectual property (IP) brands being sold by Tullis Russell Papermakers' administrators KPMG through specialist IP firm Metis Partners. The deadline for bids was last week but the process is still ongoing.
Teknocard is FSC-certified and has, the company said, "outstanding bulk, stiffness and dimensional stability" and "perfect smoothness", with applications as diverse as business cards, audiovisual packaging, menus and book covers.
The range is available in uncoated, one-side coated, two-side coated, wood-free, 50% recycled and 100% recycled. Arjowiggins has already taken its first Teknocard orders.
Sinclair said that the SBS board will be used for many of the same premium packaging and graphical applications as Trucard.
“With the broadest range in the market under the same brand with both uncoated and coated options we aim to offer many of the same features that proved attractive for Trucard users, but with the added bonus of the unique offer in the premium cartonboard market of not just a 50% but also a 100% recycled version. And of course, the full range is FSC-certified.
“No other players in this market offer coated and uncoated grades within the same brand and the choice of recycled options, a key strength of Arjowiggins Graphic, is absolutely unique. This means that the sheer number of variations available within our range provides customers with the greatest choice available on the market,” he added.
“At Arjowiggins Graphic we believe we have a track record in building solid and strong positions in any market within which we operate and we are sure we can build the same credibility with board users.”
Sinclair said the Teknocard coated boards offer “superb whiteness and surface smoothness for excellent contrast” and “exceptional compatibility with finishing techniques” while uncoated, Tecknocard “caters for the growing trend for more tactile surfaces that can be seen in both packaging and graphical markets”.
Arjowiggins is still deciding on the full grammage range and would not reveal pricing at this stage.
So far the only sale of historic Fife papermaker Tullis Russell's brands to have been revealed is that of the Naturalis fine uncoated papers, bought by GF Smith in June. Arjowiggins, James Cropper and Mohawk were also named as possible buyers of the company's range.
Arjowiggins told PrintWeek it has not bought any. Tullis Russell Papermakers went into administration in April after building up losses of £18.5m over five years, leading to the loss of hundreds of jobs. It had produced paper and board since 1809.
