Feel the Extreme?

Hafrestroms seeks prominence with an avant-garde approach

The new Arctic brand from Håfreströms AB in Asensbruk, Sweden, seeks to redefine matte grades for graphic designers and publishers of specialty magazines, allowing paper to express the touch of haute couture or images to express character not pre- viously seen. Combining market input and ideas from their paper sales force, the mill has worked with key sup- pliers to create these new properties in the sheet.

The Håfreströms management team Claes Westling, manager, R&D and customer technical service; Jan-William Pijl, marketing and sales manager; Markku Nevanen, production manager; Olle Dahlin, managing director.

Just prior to the millennium, Håfreströms AB, one of three mills in the Trebruk group, invested SEK 160 million ($15.45 million) to pursue a new coated grades offering, ranging from an improved silk to new high bulk grades called "the Volume" and "the Extreme". Says Olle Dahlin, managing director of Håfreströms AB, "We are pushing the limits on dou- ble-coated grades, made possible by an intensive effort to reformulate our coatings. Our success comes from "extreme" focus, and an unusually creative team. We decided to be the innovative specialist company in coated matte grades... the designer's first option."

Adds Jan-Willem Pijl, marketing and sales manag- er, "Our new coated grades have a visual and tactile quality very true to the designer's inspiration - whether that's a fashion designer or a graphic design- er. Who says paper can't evoke feelings?"

The Arctic line now includes four distinct offer-ings of matte papers. Each grade represents an upgrade in quality, and in the case of the Volume and the Extreme, premium bulky and ultra-bulky grades, aimed at the avant-garde of graphic design. One only has to look at Håfreströms' own promotional date- book for 2002 with images from Maxim magazine to see the potential for a new look in visual impact or turn the pages to understand the "feel."

Daring to be different

There is an important business concept in Håfreströms' branding efforts for other medium sized mills across the globe, says Dahlin. "Define markets where you can excel, narrow your offering, promote your differences, and look to key suppliers to help you adapt papermaking and coating processes. And above all else, be flexible."

Dahlin is referring to flexibility in adapting the grades, made possible because of the long tradition of fine tuning the process at Håfreströms, and the close relationship with strategic suppliers. And he insists that for continuous development more resources are needed. "When you have to have the courage to put in resources, you will be rewarded in the long run," says Dahlin.

Customers help create the extreme

Input from potential markets, customers, and sales people took the form of a series of focus group sessions in all key markets. Håfreströms' management con- cluded that the niche for premium matte grades made sense for the mill's existing machines with certain modifications to the base sheet and coating formula- tions. Its offering was already a popular choice for cookbooks, photography, and brochures. The team of marketing and technical experts saw the potential to strengthen their position in those markets and even gain a position of preference. In addition, with the growth of specialty magazines and catalogs, they believed that their new and reformulated Arctic grades could attract a loyal base in these segments, as well.

Håfreströms was the first mill to produce online coated paper.

Maria Westman, graphic designer at the Appelberg Publishing Agency in Stockholm, producers of global custom magazines, believes that paper plays a vital role in the way pictures and text create a balance of presentation for the reader. "It's important that you choose a particu- lar feel for a magazine, a feeling which connects to the idea of what the magazine is about. You get an idea of what a magazine is when you have it in your hands."

Sophia Tufvasson, also a designer with Appelberg, confirms the value of Hafrestroms' efforts. "Arctic's new line has the right feel and look for a business-like presentation. The images have good definition, and text is easy to read."

Patrik Milleskog, printing sales rep at DB Grafiska of Örebro, Sweden, adds "the Extreme delivers a rich- ness that directly contributes to the style for several of our specialty magazine customers. Glossy is out in favor of the softer, more intimate, feel of the Arctic matt grades."

The sales manager from Graphic Press's Atlanta, plant in the US says that, "the Volume was turning heads during the press run, and catching the attention of designers who were at the presses for unrelated jobs. We used far less ink, yet saw subtleties emerge from photographic images."

Retooling the paper machines and processes

Opened in 1880, the mill is situated 140 km north of Gothenburg. It now runs two paper machines, PM 2 and PM 6. Håfreströms won approval from its parent, Trebruk AB, and began the modernization in 1998, including a rebuild of the PM 6 forming sec- tion, new pre-coaters and soft calenders, which pro- duce base paper with a smoother and softer surface. Says Claes Westling, manager R & D and Customer Technical Service at Håfreströms, who has visited more than 1,000 printers and graphic designers over the years, "The best way to understand our paper is on the printing presses, and in the hands of graphic designers. The best way to make better paper is to incorporate their observations and requests right onto the paper machine." Westling says that ability to quickly adapt papermaking and coating "is remarkable".

While his proud claim sounds quite strong, Håfreströms does have a 50-year tradition of innova- tion, which rivals even the large paper companies with dedicated R & D centers. In the early 1950s, Håfreströms was the first to produce online coated paper. More than 20 years ago, it converted from acid to alkaline, and was a pioneer of the then controversial silica nanoparticle technology at the wet end. This technology has now become the standard retention/drainage system to achieve a more uniform base sheet, and cleaner, smoother operating condi- tions. With enhancements at the wet end and coating, the mill has created its double-coated on both side the Extreme with a substance range of 90-170 g/m2 - and the Håfreströms team keeps innovating.

Double nip online calendering is considered a benefit for matte grades.

Better products, but how?

Håfreströms management believed that they were behind the industry in whiteness, but strong in opacity. Their goal to boost whiteness and maintain or enhance bulk was achieved, but making this happen required careful planning at the wet end through coating. Key elements in their program included:
* a series of trials to enhance the quality of the base sheet;
* implementation of a new coating concept for better paper quality;
* design of a better appearance and feel.

A given to achieve these gains was the investment in the paper machines, namely the new and rebuilt wire section, a precoater and online soft calender. But, equally important, were modifications in the base sheet and the design of coating formulations to help differentiate individual grades.

Westling notes that numerous mechanical changes were made over the past few years, which contributed to improved productivity, and indirectly to new grade development. Enhancements included a new computer system, quality control for PM 2, wire section add-ons for PM 6, precoating adjustments for PM 6, on-line tracking for matte quality on PM 6, and a rebuild of the stock preparation and wastewater treatment systems.

Stock preparation changes and adjustments in the wet end chemistry were aimed at formation gains for the base sheet. The double nip online calendering was considered a benefit for matte grades. But most critical to grade development was the choice of pig- ments, followed by the timing of trials, and the plan for implementing changes based upon trial results.

Building On partnerships

For more than 20 years Håfreströms has used car- bonates in its papermaking process. In the late 1970s, it became ECC's (now IMERYS) first carbonate cus- tomer in Sweden. This was accomplished by using a chalk-based product delivered as slurry direct by ship from England into a tank on the west coast of Sweden. In 1980 when ECC started ground calcium carbonate (GCC) production in Köping, Sweden, it became a natural to supply Håfreströms from there. For many years after start-up, Håfreströms represented 50% or more of the GCC plant's total output.

Håfreströms was ECC's (now IMERYS) first carbonate customer in Sweden.

Because of the mutual importance of the partners to each other, strong relations from the managing directors to the machine tenders became the norm. This long- standing relationship led to a long-term contract in 1999, when IMERYS was chosen to work as a partner with the mill project team to develop the new grades. Says Dahlin, "IMERYS has played an integral role in brand development, providing know-how, trials at their pilot plant, hands-on support, and innovative formulations of carbonates and kaolin. They helped speed up our launch, as well."

Focus helps build brands

Dahlin sums up the Håfreströms' new efforts this way: "Being focused has given us the opportunity to develop paper with precisely the characteristics that many designers and printers consider to be lacking today. It also makes us cost-effective, which is not unim- portant in the circumstances. Now we'll build a strong brand - synonymous with Extreme matte paper - and take a position at the top of this market segment. The target is to be one of the foremost suppliers in this narrow, but well-defined, niche."