HAMILTON, Ohio, September 3, 2008-SMART Papers' premium cast-coated Kromekote is now fully Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified, giving corporations and graphics professionals immediate access to the most luxurious and environmentally responsible printing and packaging papers in the world.
 
Kromekote is the first triple cast-coated brand to achieve full FSC certification.  The achievement represents another important advance for SMART Papers and its commitment to supply the widest range of FSC premium coated and uncoated printing and packaging papers in North America.
 
"Kromekote has always been a leader in terms of print performance and environmental responsibility," said Doug Gruber, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for SMART Papers. "Now with full FSC certification, mirror-smooth Kromekote continues its 80-year tradition of meeting and exceeding customer needs."
 
SMART Papers is North America's largest independent manufacturer and marketer of premium coated and uncoated printing papers.  The company is currently building a new energy facility at its manufacturing center that will be fossil fuel free by late 2009, enabling all of the company's papers to be fully carbon neutral.  "SMART Papers' carbon-neutral future will give customers total confidence they are getting the most environmentally responsible printing papers available from any U.S. paper manufacturer," said SMART Papers President Dan Maheu.
 
Ultra-glossy Kromekote is widely regarded by printers and designers as the "gold standard" in printing papers.  Now, the brand sets a new "green standard" for premium environmentally preferable coated papers, with both FSC certification as well as papers with 30% post-consumer waste (PCW) fibers.
 
SMART Papers recently announced FSC-certification for its Kromekote Recycled products. Today's announcement expands the certification to encompass the rest of the brand including Kromekote Text and Cover, Folding Board, Colors and Metallics, Foils, Textures and Digital products.
 
"Customers tell us they want access to high-end FSC-certified printing papers," said Chuck DeWitt, Director of Product Management for SMART Papers.  "Once our customers learned that we achieved FSC-certification for our Kromekote Recycled papers, they wanted to see the whole line certified."
 
FSC certification confirms that fiber originates in or supports forests that are managed to meet the social, economic and ecological needs of present and future generations. The certification is important to paper distributors, designers, printers and corporations because it assures them that these papers meet all of the Forest Stewardship Council's high standards, the company said.