ALPHARETTA, GA - Neenah Paper today announced it has signed an exclusive partnership agreement with Gruppo Cordenons, the Italian maker of high quality fine papers, to market and distribute all Cordenons papers to the US and Canada.

The papers will continue to be manufactured by Gruppo Cordenons at its two paper mills in Italy, the Cordenons Mill, a state of the art facility and at the Scurelle paper mill, both in Northern Italy. The papers will be available to Neenah distributors beginning September 3, 2013.

“Neenah has an unwavering commitment to providing designers with unique product options to set their work apart,” said Julie Schertell, President of Fine Paper. “Cordenons papers are known for their exemplary quality, thick and heavy cover weights, and artisanal color palettes. Brands like Stardream, Plike, and Canaletto are specified by designers for projects that require a unique and premium image.  This collection is a natural complement  to our existing portfolio of fine papers.”

“We are very pleased to announce this partnership,” said Ferruccio Gilberti, owner and president, Gruppo Cordenons. “The affiliation with Neenah Paper will enable Gruppo Cordenons to more fully extend the reach and availability of our fine papers in this key region of the world. Neenah continues to find new and creative ways to grow in existing and new market segments. The alignment of our premium image and high quality brands make this partnership a perfect fit for both companies.”

Cordenons papers are chosen by the best designers, clients and specialty printers around the world for business cards, greeting cards, covers, presentation folders, tags, invitations, social announcements, coasters, calendars, brochures, display boxes, shopping bags, menus, catalogs and direct mail. The papers are crafted for letterpress, thermography, engraving, lithography, foil stamping, embossing and screen printing; as well for conventional printing and UV varnish. With their exceptional strength, the papers are designed to perform in secondary and finishing processes such as die cutting, scoring, folding and laminating.

“We understand that designers want options, but not complexity. We have worked to make this partnership portfolio a complementary offering of high end, high image products without the complexity. We took this opportunity to streamline our portfolio, and capture new items that are complementary to what is currently available in the marketplace. We are excited about this partnership and believe that our customers will be as well," says Schertell.

Neenah Paper will market and distribute all Cordenons papers emphasizing six paper lines:

Stardream®. A distinctive range of metallic, iridescent and pearlescent colors.

Plike®. Short for “Plastic Like”, this surprising and artistically innovative range provides a unique tactile sensation and is available in white and colors.

Canaletto Grana Grossa. The cotton in Canaletto gives it a natural, lasting brightness, and a purity and strength to enrich every sheet and provide exceptional strength for the most demanding of printing techniques.

Wild. Launched last year, and produced with virgin pulp from responsible sources, Wild papers contain 35% cotton. The softness and strength of its fibers afford a luxurious feel and very high bulk.  One creative director said of Wild, “It begs to be letterpressed.”

Moondream®. An innovative and technically advanced paper that is ideally suited to detailed multilevel embossing and becomes translucent when heat and pressure are applied, simulating a watermark.

So…Silk®. This paper range offers an iridescent visual in unique colors including a classic pearl hue. The papers are made, in part, with natural silk fibers.

Schertell noted this agreement follows several successful strategic partnerships by Neenah Paper to fuel its growth and share, “We are committed to our partners and understand, appreciate, and respect the longstanding tradition of craftsmanship and quality. These are brands that underline that paper can be both beautiful and functional, will continue to drive value in the marketplace, and will thrive as part of the Neenah Paper family,” she said.

Environment, history
Both Neenah Paper and Cordenons have a strong commitment to sustainable offerings. Cordenons is FSC-certified by the Swiss Association for Quality and Management Systems both as a manufacturer, and through certified chain of custody. 100% of the Italian mills’ energy needs are met from clean-burning natural gas.

And both mills have papermaking heritage: Neenah Paper, founded in 1873, was the first to introduce the brand watermark, a practice that has become a symbol of authenticity for business and personal correspondence and is still in use today. Cordenons has been making exquisite papers for nearly four centuries.