Heritage and tradition are important values to Proost en Brandt. The company has a long established history of papermaking and merchanting which dates back hundreds of years to when it was originally founded in 1742. The company, now part of PaperlinX is the largest stock paper wholesalers in the Netherlands and values itself on its excellent relationship with its customers and a strong, reliable supplier base.

PROMPT DELIVERIES
The company’s distribution centre houses an impressive 5,000 specifications of paper and board, supplying to Dutch and Belgium converters. This colossal stock facility enables Proost en Brandt to boast a 24 hour delivery time for the products it holds.

With its headquarters based in Diemen and with offices in Eindhoven, Zwolle and Zoetermeer the company is logistically situated to be able to provide excellent distribution support to its customers.

Proost en Brandt has been selling cartonboard for over 40 years and its specialist division dedicated to cartonboard supply is the hub from which an extensive service is provided to a full range of converters across the Netherlands and Belgium.

CAPABLE OF EMERGENCY SUPPLY
A strong relationship with Korsnäs was formed over 20 years ago – which has evolved into a union based on trust and industry insight. During that time Korsnäs has supplied its Korsnäs Light and Korsnäs Carry products and now its Korsnäs White product is a recent addition to the stock portfolio.

The excellent functionality and quality of the Korsnäs White grade has led to its success in the cartonboard market and it is these qualities that Proost en Brandt has recognised as being a huge benefit to Dutch and Belgium converters.

Proost en Brandt is supplying Korsnäs grades on indent and reel sheeting service base. Having the product in stock, in a wide variety of specifications, allows Proost en Brandt to have an essential facility to deliver an emergency supply to converters and enable them to have access to sheets in a fast turnaround situation.

It is its first stock availability for the Dutch market, which plays an essential part in allowing Dutch and Belgium converters gain access to key products within the Korsnäs range.

DEMAND ON THE RISE
Frank Bosboom, Proost and Brandt Divisional Manager of Cartonboard and Labelpaper comments on the demand for the Korsnäs White product: “The demand is increasingly high and we need a well-balanced stock portfolio. The Korsnäs White product sits at the higher end quality of the cartonboard products that we stock and it also enables us to serve a bigger market.”

A TRUE PREMIUM MATERIAL
Korsnäs White combines in a unique way the strength of a GC with the print results and formability of an SBS. An excellent combination of functionality and appearance offering a lot of possibilities for sophisticated packaging and graphical applications.

Higher-end premium brand owners, especially in the food sectors, are choosing cartonboard because of its flexibility and ability to create a high quality pack that looks amazing on shelf and offers excellent protection for the premium product inside.

Mr Bosboom also highlights that the growth of cartonboard in certain sectors, such as the food market has led to more converters requiring cartonboard. He adds: “Packaging is a growing market and we have seen a 20 per cent increase in the last year.”

LIGHTWEIGHTING OPPORTUNITIES
Korsnäs White is a premium product for achieving lightweight folding cartons, while using less material but with excellent functionality and performance. The benefits of weight reduction to the Korsnäs customer are to achieve lower costs, less resources, less energy consumption and less waste. The product is a lighter weight to transport which contributes to a smaller ecological footprint.

The relationship between Korsnäs and Proost en Brandt has always been strong but working together on the long-term development of projects for a range of leading brands has intensified the need for greater collaboration.

LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIPS
An innovative pack development for Dutch design agency Touché involved close collaboration between Korsnäs and Proost en Brandt to ensure a pack for espresso coffee met all the expectations of good design with the combination of excellent durability and innovative pack structure. The pack for the espresso market is designed to hold two cups and Korsnäs White was picked as the ideal choice because of its excellent printability and high quality appeal. 

Both companies have also been working closely together for a leading blue chip company on a major three year project which involves working with three other suppliers and converters. A long relationship with a supplier is the norm for Proost en Brandt, and the core of a successful and positive future relationship. Frank Bosboom concludes: “Together with Korsnäs, we are looking to continually expand on this for the benefit of both companies. We always go for long-term relationships and when we start business with a supplier we plan for the future.”