Be Paper continues to assert itself in the paper market. After successfully restarting the Arjowiggins paper mill located in Wizernes in the Pas-de-Calais (read Arjowiggins is reborn and becomes Wizpaper thanks to a printer ), the group founded by Henry Breban attracted investors and obtained nearly EUR 10 million: EUR 6 million from LCL, Banque Postale et Crédit Agricole, Banque Publique d'Investissement (BPI) and Fonds Régional de Garantie (FRG) plus EUR 3 million from the investment company CAP 3RI.
The takeover of the former ArjoWiggins paper mill in 2018 has enabled Be Paper to develop its corrugated base paper (PPO) production business, particularly for light-weight paper (60-80 g/m²) 2 ) from recycled waste paper. The site, which has been in production since the summer of 2019, is expected to reach full production (200,000 tonnes/year) in the course of 2020.
Today, the group has around 280 employees and generates a turnover of more than ?35 million with three companies in the flat and corrugated board paper and packaging sector: Express Packaging, Express Découpe and the Wizpaper plant, all located in the Pas-de-Calais region.
This 10 million package will enable the group to pursue its development project, which aims to become a significant player in the paper and corrugated cardboard industry in the Hauts-de-France region in a circular economy
And the future looks bright: paper produced in Europe was until recently exported to Asia for recycling, but the Chinese government has stopped these imports.
"This is an extraordinary industrial adventure that requires major investments that will enable us to be a fully integrated player in line with market expectations in the future, explains Henry Bréban, the founding president of the Be Paper group. The impact on the local economy is significant with 280 direct jobs and a considerable number of subcontracting partners, particularly in regional transport. We carry the vision of a family business that places employees at the heart of its project in an environment where it is necessary to reach a significant critical size to sustain its business model"
And the CAP 3 RI team says: "The project led by Henry Bréban and his family (...) is an ambitious industrial project that allows the relocation of the treatment of recycled waste paper in the region with a product, the low weight PPO, which exceeds market expectations."
