In November last year, BJ Ball announced that it would acquire the significant digital resource, Longbottom Digital Paper, and establish itself in the top position for digital paper market share. The Longbottom range was incorporated into the BJ Ball brand and Longbottom relocated its operations from Padstow to BJ Ball’s Prospect facilities in NSW.
In March this year, BJ Ball announced that it would take over API Foils in Australia and New Zealand. Since 1 April, API branded products, which are manufactured in the US and UK, have been sold in Australia and New Zealand exclusively by BJ Ball.
Now the company has announced its acquisition of Access Paper.
Access Paper began in 1993 and the family business has become a leading distributor of products to the wide format screen and digital market. It has sales and distribution sites in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane and specialises in both rigid and roll substrates.
Access Paper has been an important distribution partner for BJ Ball for several years now. The acquisition will add power to BJ Ball’s push into the wide format market, increasing its supply lines, converting capabilities and sales expertise. And bolster the capabilities of the digital media division that BJ Ball launched in June last year.
All six Access Paper employees will be offered positions within BJ Ball. Access Paper’s distribution sites will eventually merge with BJ ball sites.
Access Paper owner, Damian Pocock, noted that it had long ago identified the need to have the ability to supply large format paper, board and synthetics as existing suppliers were not catering for what was clearly a growing market.
“We established a wide range of flexible and rigid media for the wide format market in both screen and digital. We have always viewed this market as our core business and now coming into BJ Ball – Digital Media we are looking forward to growing the support of our customers with a broader range of products and services. I would like to thank our staff, our loyal customers and suppliers and for the many years of support. We are looking forward to this new chapter under BJ Ball.”
