Plastic + Paper, a member of the Bantex Partners program based in Toronto, Canada, has proven that a company can prosper for more than a century if it’s willing and able to change with the times in meeting customer needs.
The company began operation in 1917 as Paper Sales Limited with a focus on the distribution of specialty products such as gold and silver paper. Over the years, the company grew to become Canada's leading supplier of paper and plastics, expanding with its own manufacturing center in 1961 and moving into plastics in 1971. Since then, Plastic + Paper has continued to expand its capabilities and product portfolio which includes Bantex Digital Media.
“We work primarily with customers in sign, display, merchandising and packaging industries,” said Frank Catalfo, vice president and general manager. “The materials we provide are frequently used for point of sale and retail applications.”
One of the major strengths of Plastic + Paper is its ability to offer a great diversity of products all under one roof – paper, paperboard, plastics and magnetics. The company has invested steadily over the years in advanced technology which enables it to customize its products with turnaround times often measured within a few hours. Plastic + Paper is particularly strong in wide-format applications.
“Our approach to customers is to learn as much as possible about the end user application so that we can suggest the best possible solution,” Catalfo said. “With our broad product line and in-house conversion capabilities, we can meet a wide range of signage, merchandising and packaging applications.”
Plastic + Paper has featured the Bantex Digital Media line for many years and has experienced an uptick in demand for Bantex as a result of the recent Bantex rebranding program. Catalfo reports sales increases of 10 – 15 percent.
“Bantex is the only true curl-free product, and there has been a great deal of interest in the black-back Bantex product,” he said. “We are seeing more sign shops specifying Bantex by name for their clients who want a high-end banner or sign. The rebranding and marketing program for Bantex has definitely created new interest in this product for image conscious end users.”
Catalfo credits his own company’s ability to continually change as the primary reason it has thrived for more than 100 years.
“We were the first company in Canada that could offer so many different categories of materials all under one roof. Not just paper, but also plastics and magnetics,” he said. “Our company can offer customers a complete package of materials, and it’s not one size fits all. We learn about each application, understand the need and then suggest the right product to meet that need.”
