Administrators take charge at historic Arjo mills (printweek.com)

UK paper making has been dealt a further blow after Arjowiggins Group’s UK operations – including the historic mills at Stoneywood and Chartham – were placed into administration after the business became unsustainable in the face of spiralling costs for energy and raw materials.

Administrators Blair Nimmo and Alistair McAlinden from Interpath Advisory were appointed joint administrators at ten Arjowiggins Group UK subsidiary companies on the afternoon of 22 September 2022.

An MBO team acquired the business and assets of the Arjowiggins Fine Papers and Arjowiggins Chartham businesses in September 2019, just a few months before the Covid-19 pandemic struck. The deal came about after a complex saga involving the insolvency of its former French parent group and was supported by Scottish Enterprise, which provided £7m of funding.

The Stoneywood mill has been making paper since 1770 and specialises in fine papers, while Chartham has been in operation since 1738 and makes translucent papers.

Stoneywood’s brands for graphics and packaging include Conqueror, Curious Collection, Keaykolour and Delos. It had also diversified into making casting papers, security papers and smart papers for printed electronics.

Interpath said the group had faced a difficult trading environment since the negative impact of Covid-19 on trading and cashflow which resulted in it being loss-making, with losses then exacerbated by the significant increases in energy costs and the price of raw materials, including pulp.
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