Product Spotlight: Onion Skin Paper

Posted on August 26, 2013 by TWPpapertecinc

Paper: it’s been used for infinite purposes for thousands of years, and not all paper is created equal. There are many different types and grades for many different functions, and choosing the exact right paper can make all the difference.

One specific type of specialty paper is onion skin paper.  It gets its name from how thin it is—a #9 basis weight.  A typical grade of onion skin paper is used for writing or typing, as it has a beautiful, formal appearance that is a reminder of times when people cherished hand-written notes.

Another use of onion skin paper is for the manufacturing of ammunition, flares, charges, and explosive devices for the military.  Very small circles of it are used as separators in these products. The fact that onion skin paper is pH neutral means that it doesn’t break down, and therefore lasts very long, making it ideal for military use.

At Papertec, we offer the highest quality onion skin paper—for everything from love letters to military use. With a beautiful smooth finish, it is available in standard white.  Our specialized grade for military use is approved for the U.S. government and meets military spec P-157A. This particular grade is used in the production of military flares, munitions, and detonators, and can be customized to any size, shape, or specific quality.  Both grades of our onion skin paper are available in sheets, or die cut pieces.

These days, people might be relying on computers and the digital world more and more, but for some things, only paper will do.  Onion skin paper is one example of an important paper product for which there is no replacement.

Posted in Green Packaging, Paper, Paper Converting, Paper Die Cutting, Paper Packaging Industry, Paper Sheeting, Paper Slitting, Papertec Inc, Specialty Paper, Sustainable Packaging | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Papertec Takes on an Explosive Industry!

Posted on July 8, 2013 by TWPpapertecinc

We are so excited to take a trip to Western PA and exhibit for the first time at Pyrotechnics Guild International, Inc convention, Boom & a Blast!

You may be wondering what we at Papertec have to offer those in the fireworks industry, and that is an excellent question. We provide a water activated gum tape called Keen-Seal ™, that is used in the manufacture of fireworks.  Our tape has a standard width range of ½ inch to 3 inches and a length range from 500 to 1000 feet. Custom sizes are also available.

We will be joining firework hobbyists and manufacturers at this exciting convention at Coopers Lake Campground in Slippery Rock, Butler County, PA., where we will be exhibiting and selling Keen-Seal ™, as well as making new friends and contacts in an explosive industry!

Boom & a Blast kicks off on Saturday, August 10th and runs until Friday, August 16th. Besides a jam packed schedule of classes, training events, competitions and seminars,  this convention also has 4 nights of impressive firework displays that are open to the public!

We would love to see you there! Stop by and visit our booth and be sure to stay for the impressive fireworks display!

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Why Packaging is a Priority

Posted on June 10, 2013 by TWPpapertecinc

While consumers don’t necessarily think about packaging on a conscious level, a product’s packaging reaches them subconsciously all the time.  Everything from what we eat and wear to what we watch and listen to comes to us in a package, and that package speaks volumes.  Choosing and designing the right packaging and branding is crucial to a product—any, and every, product.

First and foremost, you must choose the right type of package.  Whether it’s a packaging carton or a tape or label that will go onto a package, thought must be put into this choice.  Working with the right expert means experienced guidance to the exact right look, feel, shape, and size for your particular needs.  Companies such as ours can provide advice, options, and reasons why or why not a particular product is right for your brand.

From there, it’s important to consider a multitude of branding options: colors, style, logos, tag lines, images, etc.  Questions to ask include: who are you trying to reach?  Are you aiming for a specific age group, or one gender over another?  As an example, this article on the millennial generation points out that this age group, “the fastest-growing segment of luxury goods-and-services purchasers” is most concerned with being frugal and green, and that now “packaging, which has long been part of the green discussion due to concerns about food waste, sustainability and recyclability, is center stage again.”  As such, creating a brand identity that speaks to them could be a great way to target potential customers.   While branding is the next step after first choosing the packaging, we can offer advice and guidance, as experts in the field.

Remember, consumers do judge a book (or shirt or snack food or soda) by its cover, so it’s just as important to consider how the product is packaged as it is the product itself.

Posted in Chipboard, Converting, Green Packaging, Kraft Paper, Narrow Width Slitting, Paper, Paper Converting, Paper Packaging Industry, Specialty Films, Specialty Paper, Sustainable Packaging | Tagged | Leave a comment

The Paper Packaging Industry: Growing, Green, and Going Full Speed Ahead

Posted on May 7, 2013 by TWPpapertecinc

With the American manufacturing comeback, the industry-wide, across-the-board question for many companies and industries seems to be “How did you fare?” 

In general, the paper industry has changed and shrunk over the last decade. With more and more products and people going electronic, there has been a resulting shift in the industry, with a consolidation to fewer suppliers.  However, the decrease that paper has seen has not affected the paper packaging industry in the same way.  In fact, paper packaging is doing very well—and is projected to keep going upwards.

With more requirements for products and retail (an industry coming back in a big way), packaging demand is on the upswing, with paper packaging being significantly in demand.  One of the reasons for this is consumers’—and thereby manufacturers’—interest in going green.  As this demand for sustainability grows, there’s been a shift away from plastics and more toward paper.  People are wanting their packaging to be recyclable and more earth-friendly, and paper fits that model better.  According to this article, “while most paper packaging is recycled, nearly 85 percent of plastic packaging and containers (including the biodegradable kind) wind up in a landfill”.  In fact, pretty much any paper is recyclable or compostable; at least 90% of it, whether virgin paper or not, can be recycled.

So while printing and writing paper is shrinking, paper packaging—the answer to people’s desire for sustainability—is growing.   And with paper being less expensive than plastic, it’s as beneficial to the wallet as it is to the planet.   With these benefits, and the world’s demand for sustainability increasing faster than ever, optimism in the paper packaging industry abounds. 

Posted in Converting, Green Packaging, Paper Converting, Paper Die Cutting, Paper Packaging Industry, Paper Sheeting, Paper Slitting, Papertec Inc, Specialty Films, Specialty Paper, Sustainable Packaging | Leave a comment

One Sweet Paper Product

Posted on April 4, 2013 by TWPpapertecinc

Did you know that honey is the only food that contains all substances necessary to sustain life, including water, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and antioxidants associated with brain functioning?  Did you also know it was once said, “If the bee disappears from the surface of the earth, man would have no more than four years to live”?

What does this have to do with paper products?  We recently had a client who manufactures food for these amazing honey bees come to us in need of a specialty paper to line their bee food bars.  The company’s product is a formulation of protein and nutrients that are good for bees and helps them produce great honey.  The food is extruded into sticky bars eaten by the bees, and is sold to honey producers, bee keepers, and others in the honey bee business.  This startup company has grown significantly over the past three years, creating quite a “buzz”.

Our client needed us to make a paper for them (and their bees) that would keep the bars from sticking to the packaging.  It couldn’t be ordinary paper though; it needed a coating on it to prevent oils and moisture from seeping through, while having small holes in it so that the bees could get through to the food, while being safe for the bees to eat through.  At the same time, the required roll widths were very narrow, and difficult for many converters to produce.  A complex project, indeed!

After doing various trials and testing a number of grades, we were able to develop a custom wax coating on a very specific bleached kraft paper that the bees liked—if the bees didn’t like eating the paper, they would not eat the product underneath it.  Who knew our paper products are people and bee friendly?

At Papertec, every day we are tasked with fun and challenging projects and applications.  This is just one example of our value—we suppose you could say it’s the bee’s knees.

Posted in Paper Converting, Paper Die Cutting, Paper Slitting, Specialty Films, Specialty Paper | Leave a comment

Our Newest Addition! New Hire, Mary Jo Coan.

Posted on March 8, 2013 by TWPpapertecinc

Customer service is of the utmost importance to us. To be sure that we are providing the top notch customer service, we only hire the best!

Our newest hire, Mary Jo Coan is a shining example of a Papertec employee. Seasoned in customer service and backed with an MBA in finance, we are ecstatic to have her join our team.

Mary Jo was initially hired in as an Administrative Assistant/Customer Service Representative but her role is evolving. Since being hired, she was also given the responsibility of fielding incoming orders and will be expanding her role in shipping as well.

Mary Jo has worked for Fortune 500 companies as well as small privately held companies. While this is her first foray into paper packaging, she has cut her teeth in other manufacturing industries, including clothing and conveyors.

One of the first things that Mary Jo will point out is that our industry has been one of the first to rebound. We work in an industry that is minimally impacted by the ebbs and flow of the economic cycle. Because of that, she has had to hit the ground running.

“I am taking in all the small details that Papertec provides to their customers while learning the nuisances of the paper industry. One of the great things about Papertec,” says Mary Jo, “is that they are committed to their customers and their unique business needs. “

“You get the professionalism of a big company and the customer service of a small company.”

Posted in General Services Administration, GSA Advantage, Paper Converting, Paper Die Cutting, Paper Sheeting, Paper Slitting, Parchment Paper, Specialty Films, Specialty Paper, Sustainable Packaging | Leave a comment

What Does 2013 Hold for Papertec?

Posted on January 21, 2013 by TWPpapertecinc

Now that 2013 is officially here, we at Papertec are excited about the year ahead, and we have a lot to look forward to.  In addition to continuing to offer our clients the highest quality specialty papers, films, and boards, we are eager to begin our new venture of working with the federal government.

We were recently awarded a GSA Schedule 81 contract (GS-02F-0162X) and have placed our selection of paper products, tapes, and wraps on the government’s electronic ordering system, GSA Advantage!®.  So what exactly is GSA?  In a nutshell, GSA is the U.S. General Services Administration, and GSA Advantage!® is the government’s premier online shopping system.  According to its website (http://www.gsa.gov/portal/category/21354), GSA oversees the business of the federal government and “supplies federal purchasers with cost-effective, high-quality products and services from commercial vendors.”  We are very proud that GSA has chosen us for this outstanding program.

Through our GSA contract, we will now have the “opportunity to provide federal agencies with significant cost savings from locally produced products,” according to Kevin Bielen, our VP of Production.  We will now be able to also reach “numerous state and municipal governments as we can now offer them our vast selection of products at fixed government pricing.”   Our specialty, locally-sourced, Made in the USA products will serve a wide range of applications for multiple government agencies, and we are proud to know that Papertec will be delivering cost-effective, exceptionally-made products to our government.

We are extremely excited to move into 2013 with this new venture, and will continue to bring our loyal, dedicated customers the quality and service they have come to expect for over 85 years.

Posted in Converting, General Services Administration, GSA Advantage, Paper, Paper Converting, Paper Die Cutting, Specialty Films, Specialty Paper | Leave a comment

From the Papertec Family to You and Yours!

Posted on December 5, 2012 by TWPpapertecinc

With the month of December comes many things, including snowmen, mistletoe and if you are lucky, homemade pies! With that in mind, we here at Papertec would like to say thank you to all that make our business grow and also take a minute to wish our clients a Happy Holidays!

As we all know, things tend to get a little crazy this time of year. We want to be sure that we do everything in our power to accommodate our customers and thank you all in advance for your patience during the holiday season. In hopes of keeping things easy for all involved with our business (both our employees and our clients) please see below for our holiday schedule:

Closed Christmas Eve Plant & Offices Monday 12/24
Closed Christmas Day Plant & Offices Tuesday 12/25
Closed Day After Christmas Plant & Offices Wednesday 12/26
Closed New Years Eve Plant & Offices Monday 12/31
Closed New Years Day Plant and Offices Tuesday 1/1/2013

If you have any questions or orders to put in prior to these dates, please contact us.

We can’t wait to work with you again in 2013!

Posted in Paper Converting, Paper Die Cutting, Paper Sheeting, Paper Slitting, Specialty Films, Specialty Paper | Leave a comment

Papertec Product Spotlight: Parchment Paper

Posted on November 13, 2012 by TWPpapertecinc

At Papertec, we have a wide range of specialty papers that are used by our customers in so many different industries.  In this post, we’d like to focus on our parchment papers, which have become integral to the clients who use them.

All of our parchment papers are FDA approved, ensuring the highest standards of food safety.  While they are used for a variety of applications, including food and candy wrappings, yogurt cups, and meat packaging, they are predominantly used in the baking industry.  We offer two top-quality types of parchment paper for our bakery customers: genuine vegetable parchment and greaseproof parchment.  For our greaseproof grades, you can choose between quilon-treated and silicon-treated.   While both quilon and silicon prevent baked goods from sticking, the difference is that quilon-treated is a one-time use product, and silicon can be used over and over, so your cookies, cakes, and other confections come right off and the trays need not be washed in between uses.  For applications where there are water and liquids involved, our wet strength grade parchment paper is the ideal choice.  Whichever you choose, we have lots of weights, colors, and custom printing options available, and most importantly, you’ll know you’re getting the best parchment paper out there!

As you may already know, one of the great things about working with us is that because we keep so many products in-stock, we can accommodate a wide range of order sizes. From small orders for startup companies and mom and pop shops, to large commercial bakeries ordering multiple pallets, we do everything we can to meet your needs and keep the customer’s sweet tooth happy! Visit our website to learn more about our parchment paper.

Posted in Paper, Parchment Paper, Specialty Paper | Leave a comment

Mission: LabelExpo 2012. Result: Success!

Posted on October 15, 2012 by TWPpapertecinc

Last month, we told you all about how excited we were to be attending LabelExpo Americas. This month, we are happy to tell you that things went great! We had some long and eventful days and because of that there are some great potential new projects for our converting work and for our label stock material grades.

There were so many things to see and do, and we wanted to be sure that we covered as much of the conference as possible, so we sent out our VP of Operations, Kevin Bielen to attend a workshop called Expanding Sales and Growing Business. Kevin learned a lot of great information and innovative ideas that he has now brought back to Papertec!

As always, it was great to able to see faces, both old and new. Everyone was incredibly helpful and friendly. We made tons of great new contacts and we are so looking forward to exploring all of these new found opportunities!

We know that not everyone who would have liked to attend LabelExpo Americas was able to, so please, if you missed the show, feel free to reach out to us with any questions. We are always here to help.

Posted in Paper Converting, Paper Slitting, Specialty Paper, Sustainable Packaging | Leave a comment