Broaden your horizons with a run of the mill

Since we introduced our Mill Tours for framers in 1997 we have been surprised by the interest shown in products made for other markets. 

While learning more about the manufacture of these other goods, framers have been no slouches in recognising how to use the crossover between different product groups to their best advantage.  Requests to repeat the experience further support this finding.  The Mill Tours are not only an enjoyable day out - they are also an opportunity to increase the breadth of both your knowledge and your business.
It is for this reason that we are now extending the Tour invitation beyond framers to include customers and Sales Personnel involved in the Education and Merchant markets. 
On your guided tour of Lowerhouse Mills you will be guided by a senior member of Slater Harrison’s staff: there is considerable pride taken in giving visitors the most enjoyable and informative time.  The ultra-modern production lines and the sensitivity shown in fitting them so efficiently into this Grade II listed site, are further testament to this pride. 
Amongst many other things, you will be able to divine the secret behind the success of Day-Glo’s new non-smudging inkjet paper; learn more about the “magic roundabout” that enables Educraft’s multi-packs to appear at will; and discover how to wrap your parcels with a speed and perfection that eludes all but the packers of Colourmount!

One more tour date is already arranged especially for framers, on October 13th 1999. 
We are now arranging further dates for those of you in the other markets and will also be happy to lay on special days for group trips for individual customers. 
As places tend to get taken up rather quickly, please give us a call on 01625 573155 soon so that you don’t miss out! 
The points of contact for the respective markets are: 

Framers:                      Andrew Branton 
Merchants:                   Lyn Preston
Education:                    Paul Bowden & David Walker

The wallpaper market gets a pasting

Many customers are amazed by the different applications for our coating and converting processes. We are often approached by customers needing help in developing new market sectors and we are always interested in these new opportunities. 
Almost two years ago, we were approached by a leading Finnish paper supplier to discuss an opportunity in the wallpaper market; one we had certainly not considered before but which has developed into a major sector for us.  The Finns wanted to concentrate on supplying the wallpaper base and were pulling out of pre-pasting although they had supplied pre-pasted wallpaper to the UK for many years.
Slater Harrison committed No 5 coater to this project and invested more than £150,000 in a machine rebuild to enable us to diversify into the wallpaper market; a good business decision in hindsight as, after only two years, we are already targeted to produce in excess of 1000 tonnes in 1999.
Our involvement in this market is with the prepasting of a customer’s own wallpaper base.  This process involves the application of a hot starch coating, containing methyl cellulose (wallpaper paste).  The beauty of this coating is that while it is insoluble in hot water it swells when the wallpaper is immersed in cold water before hanging by a decorator. Both the hot starch preparation equipment and the hot roller coating head were acquired from Finland and incorporated into the machine rebuild.
The coated wallpaper base is then converted to ‘blown vinyl’ and exported to North America.
 When asked by Mike Braddock, Slater Harrison’s Managing Director and the brains behind the wallpaper project, why the finished product was only available for the North American market, our customers said simply that the DIY enthusiasts in the USA actually read the instructions.
This will speak volumes to those who have used pre-pasted wallpaper, albeit not blown vinyl, at home.
For information on this or any of our specialist markets, contact Mike Braddock.

Latest news from Portugal

The Lisbon Photo and Frame Show should be in the Guinness Book of Records!
Most shows finish at 6pm but, believe it or not, the Portuguese show closed at 11pm on Saturday and 8pm on Sunday!
 it’s no wonder that the staff on the stand of our Colourmount distributor Desicor look so happy - this picture was taken at closing time on the last day!