Reel Fast, the express sheeting service offered by paper and board merchant Denmaur Independent Papers Ltd (‘Denmaur’), has been received with enthusiasm by British folding carton converters and users of cartonboard. Operating under the principle that its customers will “never say no again” to jobs, it has gained traction as a comprehensive solution to modern supply chain issues, in many ways thanks to its UK base of operations.
One of Reel Fast’s central offerings is in adding flexibility and responsiveness to a customer’s existing capacity; whereas typical lead times for conversion orders sit at about four to six weeks, Reel Fast advertises a five-day turnaround as standard. This drastic reduction, when combined with the range of card types and sheet sizing options Reel Fast provides, means that customers have found they can now accept jobs that previously would not have been logistically or financially possible.
A major reason for this unique turnaround time is that Reel Fast entirely operates out of the UK, negating the industry’s typical reliance on paper mills from Europe and further afield. There are additional benefits in this set-up, with customers noting the positive knock-on effects it has on ever-topical sustainability efforts. Not only do shorter, faster journeys reduce emissions by default, it also allows for smaller quantities of product to be ordered, reducing waste and overheads. Reel Fast orders start from only 1 tonne.
“Denmaur is becoming the UK’s most responsive cartonboard partner,” Marketing and Sustainability Director Danny Doogan says. “Reel Fast gives folding carton converters instant access to high-speed conversion capacity, so clients can deliver on demand, without investing in more machinery.”
Reel Fast has the option for orders to be Carbon Balanced, providing the customer with a potentially lucrative certificate of endorsement from the World Land Trust. There is also a financial incentive to adopting Demaur’s waste-minimising approach. Against a standard 640x900mm sheet, customers have found that Reel Fast’s optimised sizing can lead to savings of over 13%, which rises to over 18% for a 450x640mm standard sheet.
Importantly, Denmaur has found success with Reel Fast without sacrificing its existing commitments. The firm’s FSC, PEFC and ISO certificates all apply to Reel Fast services. For customers using Reel Fast to fulfil short-run, niche cartonboard packaging, this provides significant reassurance.
Such has been the benefit of the service, Denmaur have recently launched a bespoke website for Reel Fast at reelfast.co.uk. Although proud of the success of its latest offering, Denmaur views Reel Fast as simply filling an obvious gap in the market. As speed and flexibility become increasingly in-demand by major brands, Reel Fast’s ability to remove the capacity ceiling for manufacturers is only expected to lead to additional growth.