News: The Paperbox expands into Europe
The Paperbox Ltd in Rotherham has experienced unprecedented growth in its first year of trading and is now expanding further into European markets, with support from RiDO (Rotherham Investment Development Office).
The wedding stationery supplies business in Manvers spotted an opportunity after visiting a large paper supplier in Bradford and was surprised with how many wedding stationery products they produced. Ray Calland-Scoble, director of The Paperbox Ltd, decided that it looked like a lucrative enterprise and, backed by his knowledge and expertise as a printer for over 25 years, he invested in production equipment and started cutting, creasing and folding card and paper to sell online to wholesalers, specialist wedding stationers and individual consumers.
The business grew very quickly with the majority of sales generated through a bespoke website and via eBay. In January 2012, Ray moved the business from a double garage at his home, to a business unit at RiDO's Century Business Centre which gave him more space and the ability to increase production and streamline output efficiently.
By now he was selling literally hundreds of products every day, which required a second move, in June, to the largest unit within the business centre.
The ERDF-funded Growth and Prosperity in Rotherham (Soft Landing Zone) project, which is run by RiDO and helps Rotherham SME businesses to identify new overseas markets, is helping help him expand further.
Martyn Benson, business development co-ordinator for RiDO carried out research into export markets by investigating the potential market in Eire. Moving into this market too meant an Irish version of the Paperbox' website, to facilitate trading in Euros, which was bespoke designed and developed by Prototype Creative, based at Manvers.
RiDO also assisted Ray with registering an EU trademark, which was essential to be able to secure an Irish web domain name.
Ray Calland-Scoble, Director of The Paperbox Ltd, said: "The support we have had from RiDO has been invaluable in helping us drive the business forward into new, specifically targeted markets.
"The Irish market has proved very lucrative and thanks to RiDO's help in securing the EU trademark, we have protected our brand. This means we now see progressive opportunities for expansion and growth in other targeted European countries, much of which is currently untapped."
Martyn is continuing to work with Ray to grow the business in other countries, particularly where there is a strong expat community – such as Gibraltar, Malta and Spain.
Sales to Germany will launch in January 2013 with other European countries following during 2013/14.
The business has taken off so well that The Paperbox Ltd is set to take on a further 260 sq ft office unit within Century Business Centre after Christmas.
Martyn Benson, Business Development Co-ordinator for the Soft Landing Zone at RiDO, said: "It is fantastic to work with Ray and so exciting to see new market opportunities opening up across Europe for growing businesses like this.
"At one point we even had to scale back some of our export research and activities as The Paperbox saw unprecedented demand! We look forward to seeing this already very successful business develop and grow even further!"
The Paperbox website
RiDO business centres website
Images: RiDO
The wedding stationery supplies business in Manvers spotted an opportunity after visiting a large paper supplier in Bradford and was surprised with how many wedding stationery products they produced. Ray Calland-Scoble, director of The Paperbox Ltd, decided that it looked like a lucrative enterprise and, backed by his knowledge and expertise as a printer for over 25 years, he invested in production equipment and started cutting, creasing and folding card and paper to sell online to wholesalers, specialist wedding stationers and individual consumers.
The business grew very quickly with the majority of sales generated through a bespoke website and via eBay. In January 2012, Ray moved the business from a double garage at his home, to a business unit at RiDO's Century Business Centre which gave him more space and the ability to increase production and streamline output efficiently.
By now he was selling literally hundreds of products every day, which required a second move, in June, to the largest unit within the business centre.
The ERDF-funded Growth and Prosperity in Rotherham (Soft Landing Zone) project, which is run by RiDO and helps Rotherham SME businesses to identify new overseas markets, is helping help him expand further.
Martyn Benson, business development co-ordinator for RiDO carried out research into export markets by investigating the potential market in Eire. Moving into this market too meant an Irish version of the Paperbox' website, to facilitate trading in Euros, which was bespoke designed and developed by Prototype Creative, based at Manvers.
RiDO also assisted Ray with registering an EU trademark, which was essential to be able to secure an Irish web domain name.
Ray Calland-Scoble, Director of The Paperbox Ltd, said: "The support we have had from RiDO has been invaluable in helping us drive the business forward into new, specifically targeted markets.
"The Irish market has proved very lucrative and thanks to RiDO's help in securing the EU trademark, we have protected our brand. This means we now see progressive opportunities for expansion and growth in other targeted European countries, much of which is currently untapped."
Martyn is continuing to work with Ray to grow the business in other countries, particularly where there is a strong expat community – such as Gibraltar, Malta and Spain.
Sales to Germany will launch in January 2013 with other European countries following during 2013/14.
The business has taken off so well that The Paperbox Ltd is set to take on a further 260 sq ft office unit within Century Business Centre after Christmas.
Martyn Benson, Business Development Co-ordinator for the Soft Landing Zone at RiDO, said: "It is fantastic to work with Ray and so exciting to see new market opportunities opening up across Europe for growing businesses like this.
"At one point we even had to scale back some of our export research and activities as The Paperbox saw unprecedented demand! We look forward to seeing this already very successful business develop and grow even further!"
The Paperbox website
RiDO business centres website
Images: RiDO
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