The Premier Paper Group, the UK’s largest independent paper merchant with a nationwide network of regional stock holding branches, has announced that it has purchased the Advocate product brand from the administrators, after leading Fife-based paper producer, Tullis Russell Papermakers went into administration earlier this year. 

The announcement ensures that not only Premier maintains product continuity and supply of the brand and its qualities to the UK market, but also ensures that the Advocate range will still be produced to the same exacting standards and recipe. So the Advocate product range will still retain all the unique characteristics and qualities, maintaining its excellent product reputation.

Advocate was already available exclusively through Premier, and the deal to purchase the brand will see Premier Paper continue to stock and distribute Advocate Smooth Natural White, Smooth Xtreme White and Laid Xtreme White across a wide variety of sizes and weights as well as matching DL 100gsm envelopes.

Premier is also planning to extend the range further with the addition of digital sizes for colour laser and HP Indigo presses, expanding the product choice for its customers.

Commenting on the announcement of the Advocate deal, Premier Paper Group Marketing Director Dave Jones stated; “Advocate is a very important brand for many customers and I am pleased that we have managed to secure the brand and all the associated intellectual property rights. This means that customers can be confident that Advocate, made to the same recipe and exacting standards, will continue to be available from the Premier Paper Group”

Advocate is a leading corporate communications paper, ideally suited for prestigious text and cover applications, designed to make your business stand out. It is versatile with a choice of distinctive finishes to suit your needs. Use Advocate for corporate identity, correspondence, stationery or business cards. Each item of the comprehensive range offers its own unique appeal.

• Smooth Xtreme White combines a silky smooth surface with exceptional whiteness and a tactile opulence, which offers optimum print reproduction.
• Smooth Natural offers an attractive off-white shade with a superior smooth surface.
• Laid Xtreme White has a quality, traditional appearance making it ideal for business stationery.

Advocate is made from 100% Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF) woodpulps, sourced from carefully managed and renewed forests. Advocate is fully recyclable, and manufactured to precise and controlled standards. Advocate contains woodpulps from well managed forests that have been certified in accordance with the rules of the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC® Mixed Credit). Customers can also choose to Carbon Capture Advocate, mitigating the CO2 generated from the production, storage and distribution of the paper purchased by planting trees here in the UK with the Woodland Trust.  

In addition, Advocate also complies with the packaging (essential requirements) regulation (amendment) 2006 SI1492 for heavy metal content and BS EN71-3 2013 for toy safety. It also conforms to ISO9706 requirements for permanence and as such is suitable for archival use, or applications that require ‘acid-free’ paper.

Advocate Smooth is excellent for film and foil laminating, embossing, thermography, foil blocking and gravure printing processes.

The Advocate grades are perfect for: co-ordinated corporate communications across corporate stationery, report and accounts, brochures and folder and presentation materials.

The Premier Paper Group is the UK’s leading independent paper merchant and through its business divisions and nationwide branch network, offers a great choice of products and services.

Premier Paper has 30,000 tonnes of paper held throughout its branch network, offering some 5,500 different product items, from many of the world’s leading paper manufacturers, including the UK market’s widest selection of media for digital printing.

The Premier sales teams are equipped with specialist knowledge and extensive experience, and offer customers a first class service and a high level of guidance and advice on an extensive choice of quality products.