Glossy, matte, foil, embossed, debossed, varnished, laminated? Black, white, blue, yellow, orange, red? Thick, thin, coated? When you design custom packaging, this is just the beginning of your paper options. (And we haven’t even gotten into printing, design, or structure!)
You may not realize it, but there are thousands of paper colors, textures, weights, and coating combinations. There are hundreds of paper mills that manufacture these specialty papers in the United States alone. Searching for the right paper material for rigid paperboard boxes could take you weeks. That's where a partnership with a trusted paper distributor comes in handy. When it’s time to source the right paper material, we call the Semper/Exeter Paper Company.
Semper has been our valued paper distributor for over 30 years. We spoke with Mark Flaherty, the Northeast Sales Manager from Semper/Exeter Paper, about meeting the Taylor Box team. "I remember walking into Taylor Box for the first time 30 years ago, meeting Dan Shedd and his team. I knew then that this was going to be a special partnership." Throughout the years, Semper has played a part in some of Taylor Box's most significant projects. When the project was mission-critical, Mark and Taylor Box President Dan Shedd traveled to meet with the team from a paper mill personally. This level of partnership ensures everything is up to project specifications.
I knew then that this was going to be a special partnership.
Mark Flaherty, Northeast Sales Manager, Semper/Exeter Paper
Semper's Foundation
The Semper/Exeter Paper Company was founded in 1948 and later acquired by Cellmark, Inc.
While the owners may have changed over the years, Semper takes pride in the fact that their team has changed very little. Flaherty added, "We've had minimal turnover in our company. We consider our employees one of our biggest assets." This commitment to their team is one of the ways Semper/Exeter sets themselves apart from their competitors. They also have deep relationships with hundreds of paper vendors all over the world. These vendors range from producers of the finest papers in the world to paper mills that manufacture more economical lines.
Project Workflow
When we get a design brief from a client, we will often reach out to Semper/Exeter early in the design process. They help us find the best paper to fit each client's project and budget. Sometimes we need to match a paper color or weight. You'd be surprised at how little information Semper needs to start the hunt for the perfect paper products. Flaherty added, "We love it when Taylor Box calls us with a challenge; that's the most fun. They aren’t afraid to ask for something out of the ordinary." Frequently, Semper will present us with several options that we can then propose to our client. These types of insights are invaluable and incredibly helpful to us and our clients.
More Than Paper
Another valuable service that Semper/Exeter Paper Company provides is paper finishing and converting; this processes the paper into a more usable form. Processing could mean embossing, die-cutting, or laminating the paper before it gets to the Taylor Box warehouse, making the design manufacturing process even faster. Semper Paper also provides trimming of paper products.
Keeping the Paper Flowing
Designing rigid paperboard boxes that dazzle our clients and elevate their brands is not accomplished by a single person. It takes the collaboration of our internal team and our partners like the Semper/Exeter Paper Company. Being able to rely on their expertise and leverage their relationships with paper vendors makes happy packaging clients.
We’re excited to work with Semper/Exeter Paper Company, and we value their contributions to helping us create packaging products that don’t just meet client expectations, but exceed them. Because of partners like Semper, we can WOW our clients, who, in turn, can WOW their customers.
