Canadian Packaging

When it comes to Open House events such as for real estate, we all have a curious mind, just to see how the other half lives.

On June 21, 2018, Spicers Canada ULC, a leading distributor of commercial print and business papers, specialty products, graphic solutions, sign and display media, and industrial packaging products held a two-day Open House at its Woodbridge, Ont. headquarters.

Apparently the other half lives very well.

As a distributor of the above-mentioned materials, the 114-year-old Spicers Canada company certainly has quite a lot of suppliers that allow it to be the de facto one-stop shop for its clients.

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The well-attended, catered event that featured tours of the entire facility also provided a table-top exposition featuring a multitude of cheerful Spicers suppliers who were extremely happy to discuss with Spicers customers all of the goods and services each provides.

Calling the entire event “Game Changer”, suppliers providing details on themselves at the exhibition included: CMYK; Epson; Mutoh; Royal Sovereign; SEF Americas; Xante; X-Rite; Independent Corrugator; Innocore; Intertape Polymer Group; Kruger; Malpack; Polyair; RitRAMA Car Wrap; Ronco; Royal Containers; Sabre Pak Ltd.; Zebra Paper; Actega; Appvion; Barcelona Carton/Plastic Suppliers; Berger; bSmart; CNG Trading/Converting; Dietzgen; Domtar; Gilman; GPI; Hazen Paper; Huber; Iggesund Lecta; International Paper; K&R Plastic; Kodak – Flexo; MacTAC; Matraplast; MetsaBoard; Mohawk; Natura; Neenah; Nekoosa; Newlife; Nobelus; PhotoTEx & Glass Apeel; RitRAMA; Rolland; Senfa; SIHL; Supremex; Ultraflex; Unigraph; Verso; Web Converters Ltd.; WestRock.

Spicers Canada is a fifth-generation, family-owned company based in a handsome state-of-the-art facility, and maintains 15 regional centers across the country.

A key distributor to the North American market, Spicers Canada has partnered with trusted global manufacturers, and is thus able to source, stock, market and distribute a wide and diverse range of quality products. As a one-stop shop, Spicers Canada is able to provide its customers with an efficient supply chain.

Spicers Canada was founded in 1904, and via a plethora of mergers and acquisitions over the ensuing decades—culminating in the 2012 consolidation of Coast Paper, Roll-O-Vert and Spicers in Canada, renaming it Spicers Canada Limited.

In 2015, Central National Gottesman Inc. (CNG) purchased Spicers Canada, and now operate it under its current moniker of Spicers Canada ULC.

CNG is a well-respected as one of the largest distributors of pulp, paper, packaging, tissue, newsprint and plywood on the planet, employing nearly 2,400 people in 150 locations in 48 cities across North America and in 26 countries.

Sometimes when companies get big, there is a disconnect between themselves, their suppliers and their customers—but not with Spicers Canada, who have populated its workforce with people that are passionate about the business and understand how to deliver consistent service and support.

Spicers’ general manager of the Greater Toronto Area James Tovell agrees. “The first day of the Open House was for our own employees, coming in from all over Canada to see our suppliers, and even just to see our facility for the first time.

“I also had a chance to speak to a lot of suppliers fact-to-face, and was intrigued to see the interest they had in seeing our business first hand, and how surprised they were to see the other suppliers and learn just how diverse Spicers Canada truly is.”

He continues: “From commercial, industrial, science, retail and packaging and more, Spicers Canada is more than just a distribution entity, we’re a logistics company with accurate on-time delivery of a wide range of products for our diverse base of customers.”

According to Tovell, internally a few hundred Spicers employees showed up, with over 170 customers signed up to visit the Game Changer Open House event.

International Paper senior account manager of commercial printing & imaging papers Douglass Compton Jr. of South Windsor, Connecticut saw the event as a perfect way to expand the vision of some of Spicers customers.

“We’re here to show the customers our wide range of products, including our new “by George!” line,” explains Compton, adding that the by George! line is a new family of colorful cover weight papers created for the discerning designer and printer in mind.

Intertape Polymer Group industrial packaging director of sales – Canada Tony Molinaro was in attendance at the event.

“They are a long-time partner of ours in the Canadian market—10 years, I believe,” continues Molinaro. “While we are here to show some of our new products like our shrink films, double-coated tapes and PE (Polyethylene) tapes, we are also here to support Spicers Canada.”

Tempo Plastics Limited, headquartered in picturesque Innisfil, about 60 minutes drive north of Toronto, had vice-president of marketing Leonardo Giglio in attendance. Tempo Plastics is a 48-year-old producer of award-winning high-quality flexible plastics for the packaging industry.

“We are looking to make a capital investment for a new proofing system to expand our capabilities, and because we knew that Epson would be in attendance at the Spicers Open House, we knew we could come and see it in operation,” explains Giglio.

The affable Kelly McCarthy of Huber Group Canada located in Mississauga, Ont. was quite enthused with Spicers.

“Huber has been a partner with Spicers for decades,” he says. “We love working with them. We have a great working relationship.

McCarthy continues: “Spicers Canada goes where we don’t go. They are a breath of fresh air in our industry.”

For more information on Spicers Canada, visit www.spicers.ca.

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