Case Studies

Case Study A:

A customer approached us and requested we step in and take over manufacturing their line of coated specialty papers, because their existing supplier wanted to discontinue making these grades.  The customer did not have the coating formulas, and wanted us to develop those as well.  Further, the process for applying the coatings needed to be adapted to a rotogravure press.

At Waldan, we began by working with the customer to set specifications for the base paper, which we realized was a key part of the product design.  This allowed them to make several changes to the base paper, resulting in higher quality, more uniform base which was better suited for use as a coating base stock.  We then worked with a chemical supplier to develop a custom coating for one group of products.

Concurrently, we developed a proprietary formula in-house for a second group of products, which provided better functionality than commercially available coatings, and at lower cost.  We made a number of innovations to improve quality and yield on the rotogravure press, and are currently making over 50 different products for our customer.  The improved product appearance, quality and functionality have allowed them to expand their product offerings and increase sales and market share.  Lower minimum order size has provided more flexibility and greater inventory turns, improving cash flow and profits for our customer.