Magazine El Papel Latinamerica - Edition 70

Download this edition in: Year XVII No. 70

> > > > www. elpapel .net

June - July 2018

ISSN N° 1390258X

Decorative Painting: Decorating and adding color to your life

¡ Available for all kind of devices. ¡ Languages.

www.elpapel.net

Keep yourself updated on this digital era with

production MarketPlace Worldwide Corp. general direction Ma­ría Cris­ti­na Mo­ra direccion@elpapel.net­ editor Dr. Daniel Millán dma@revistaelpapel.com marketing Lcda. Belén Fernández marketing@elpapel.net sales María José Perés mjp@elpapel.net Carmen Oleas coordinacion@elpapel.net associate reporters Lcdo. Ricardo David Martino Egas rme@elpapel.net Pedro de Sousa Santos pedrosantos@marketplace-americas.com Giselle Hipólito giselle@marketplace-americas.com design & layout Paolo Naranjo O. edicion@elpapel.net +1 954 357 0746 +1 305 810 4832 +593 2 2521891

Newspaper Library www.elpapel.net Daily News www­.re­vis­tael­pa­pel­.com

El Papel is a trademark.

Rights reserved, prohibited the reproduction in whole or in part by any means without prior written authorization of the editor.

This publication is not responsible for the opinions emitted in collaborations and advertorials.

Imagens: Shutterstock, Inc.

8

Editorial...................................................................................................... 6 Decorating and putting color to life.................................................... 8

14

SYNERGIES in the famous German region of the Black Forest Schneider and MOLOTOW decide to cooperate.......................... 14 Pelikan: Decorating the world............................................................. 16 The Creative Line of Global Notes................................................... 18 Regional Brief.......................................................................................... 20 Mergers and acquisitions Staedtler doubles its bet to Latin America....................................... 32 Latin American Vision Continental Peru, the future as a challenging opportunity........... 34

16

Staples Argentina, a change that strengthen its growth possibilities.......................................................................... 38 Pa-co, an inevitable reference in Ecuador......................................... 40 Enterprises in movement..................................................................... 43

32

4

38

FineArt HahnemĂźhle Paper

DS

E

RM

O F TH E C E

N

DS

N

RY TU

G

Contact for Latin America: HahnemĂźhle FineArt GmbH Rep. Felipe Otten / Chile Tel.: +56 998 24 92 42- felipe@vcan.cl www.hahnemuehle.com

B RA

Experience the genuine quality of an artist, in drawing papers and painting techniques in watercolor, pastel, oil and acrylic.

The HahnemĂźhle Papers evoke and inspire your creativity.

AN

S TA N D

AR

Editorial Decorative painting: A brilliant opportunity to fill the future with color

I

t could, at first glance, draw attention to the resurgence of different handicrafts at a time when technology is omnipresent. If we review history, however, we will find that this trend is not new and that it had similar manifestations a century and a half ago. At that time, the mechanization of tasks worried and the handicrafts were defended. Today, similarly, what we do with our hands stands out, although more than a reaction against the advancement of technology, it is a reaffirmation of our humanity. The phenomenon that we describe opens doors in spaces where others close. Let’s go beyond the metaphor. Although the sale of some supplies is currently decreasing, the sale of art materials and also of writing tools in countries like ours is increasing, which defines an important opportunity to serve an increasing number of users who are looking for, in addition , personalized attention.

Decorative painting is probably one of the most widespread forms of the discipline that privileges brushes. It has existed, practically, from always and today tends to recover the status that it had in its best times, with a clear recognition and diffusion. Beyond its value, artistically speaking, what is important for our time is how this practice has become a space for people to reunite with themselves, a place of relaxation and recovery of strength in a world like ours, which it seems to require us to be in movement and always move to the edge of the precipice of stress. As it has become a practice as important (or more) than that of coloring books and other similar activities, we have decided to give it a central space in this edition.

In our pages we have always privileged the voice of those who build the sector. In this issue, in an exclusive interview, the CEO of Staedtler, Axel Marx, tells us about the recent acquisition of the majority package of Artesco in Peru, which strengthens the presence of the German brand and provides an unbeatable platform in our region. Also, first hand, we will learn about the changes in Staples Argentina, with an interview with its CEO, Gonzalo Santander. Finally, as an example of constant innovation, Rodolfo Salas, Continental’s commercial manager in Peru, tells us about the evolution of his company and his future plans. As always, you can also learn about the latest developments in the region and the world.

Enjoy your reading.

Daniel Millan (2018).

6

As early as 1905 Kaweco had already manufactured the first writing instruments made out of metal. Products which were produced out of silver or gold-plated brass in the past, are made from aluminium today.

High-quality aluminium is processed by CNC-technique and finished in order to obtain a hardened surface and a satin appearance.

From August on, the KA WECO AL SPORT is available in rosegold as well.

art

section

Creative Leisure

Decorating and putting color to life

F

rom the ancient caverns to the present, humans have incorporated painting as a central part of their lives. If they previously registered what they did with it -and also projected the future- now they have become the color that allows everyday life to fill with shapes and chromatic variations that personalize objects and spaces, giving them that personal touch that individualizes and gratifies.

Decorative painting is usually considered a practice that is closer to hobbies than to art itself. However, nowadays, it tends to recover the place it once held -particularly before

8

the Renaissance- when it was considered at the same level as what we now call visual arts or artistic works properly said. Later, in the 19th century, with the emergence of the Arts and Crafts movement, which inspired artists such as William Morris and John Ruskin, the idea was reaffirmed that there was no significant difference between the visual arts and the decorative arts. This crystallized in 1911, when the legislation gave the same status to a traditional work of art and a product of the decorative arts in the intellectual property registry.

Wallpaper and printed fabrics turned out to be Morris & Co.’s most lucrative items.

The arguments that Arts and Crafts wielded, more than a century ago, with statements that evoke our present do not fail to draw attention. Those who participated in this movement asked to value those works where the hand of the artisan was perceived, rejecting those that came from mass production, all very similar, without features that demonstrate personalization and intervention of the human hand. At this time, with a progressive mechanization of tasks, we saw the displacement of thousands of workers who were replaced by machines, steam machines in that time, which produced more in less time. The hard part was that that automation also produced better products at lower prices. The manual activities, then, were reassessed by this movement in an attempt to diminish the traumatic effect that caused the already difficult to stop industrialization.

will lead the next day. It is possible that that same person, when he arrives home, because of the same reasons we described, will look for a space of his own, unconditioned, that painting, writing or other similar activity can provide.

The current rhythm of life needs moments of reunion, on one hand, and also knowing that what is important to us has our signature. The personalization of activities, services,

In our century, we do not intend to stop the future, nor place handmade works over those produced by industry.

The reaction of many who seek to escape the rhythm of our time, however, is related to that nineteenth-century movement, by rescuing the specifically human traits embodied in the crafts, in opposition to the depersonalization and vertiginous present, where modern machines impose their rhythm. products - increasingly demanded - also reaches those moments in which humans are not producing to make a living but seek to feel better, in their own personal backwater.

A subjective sensation that has its foundation in the same science, which explains how the perception of colors affects the mood and, closely linked to this statement, the satisfaction that results from carrying out a task that is crowned with a result that gratifies us (probably, this last one is the most important). These elements are present in tasks such as the decoration of clothes, shoes, furniture and other objects, activities that are often merged with art therapy.

Decorative painting, unlike the artistic painting, always runs on objects that have a specific function in the life of humans, although later they are only destined for contemplation. This is illustrated with an example: I can decoratively paint a dish -of clear utility and function- and then use it exclusively to decorate a space. This is different from the decoration of a sports shoe, for example, which not only will not remove functionality, but will allow its owner to be distinguished, giving it a unique character.

It is important to note that although decorative painting can find a place in the most elaborate works of art, it has the main merit of not requiring any particular capacity to those who practice it. Whether the object will be used or not in its

Painting is an artistic discipline that goes through millennia and takes special interest in our time, enriching particularly important spaces. The speed in which our life happens, which often seems to superimpose moments that are no longer lived separately but occur simultaneously, means that, more than before, we look for spaces to stop and relax. To give an example, we could imagine someone driving his car talking on the phone in hands-free, while checking, on the same mobile, different messages, while humming a song and thinking about the pending tasks that

9

original function, on the other hand, does not condition the painting technique itself. There are general techniques that can be used in any mounting and also specific techniques and materials for some in particular. Although we can use almost any material as a base to decorate, the noble wood allows us to exemplify the varied activities that can be done by treating it and, for this very reason, involve an interesting number of products that, in almost all cases, are obtainable in our sector’s shop, often specialized and that can offer an interesting variety of paintings, utensils and suggestions.

The description we make in the following section not only shows opportunities in the products used, but also highlights tasks that, as confirmed by studies and sales figures, have more and more adherents. Let’s review -not thoroughlysome practices on wood.

Working on wood Working in the decoration of objects of this material, we can, for example, use water techniques and apply dyes.

Some of them are ready to use in the desired color and are liquid, but others come in powder. We could also use anilines, which dissolve in water or alcohol providing more or less intense colors according to the amount of liquid used. It is important to clarify that in order to use these products the wood should be in raw condition and take into account that the dye penetrates and highlights the veins. To apply it you can use brushes and cotton pads (cuddles) and in most cases just one hand. Later we can use primer, to finally apply a layer of wax and polish, to which we can add a matt varnish to protect the wood. With this process, we leave the surface ready to paint different motifs with oil paint or fine acrylics. The latter, with waterbased paint, dissolve in water and can be reduced. It is vital, to apply them, to prepare the wood as we referred. If we make a quick enumeration, for a simple work we can get to use half dozen different products. Let’s continue with other examples.

Another way to decorate a wooden object would be by sanding it, applying primer and then covering it with acrylic paint as a base. Once this stage is completed, it is sanded smoothly and the final acrylic paint is applied to which it is retouched with sandpaper, this time moistened in soapy water, to achieve a veined effect. You can add to this some motif made with fine acrylics or oil paint, which can be finally varnished.

Using a stencil is always an interesting alternative. This technique allows applying paint using a template. In this way we can obtain a decorated surface with all kinds of shapes and objects. We can make the templates with acetate or also buy them made. The previous treatment of the surface and the application of the paint are similar to those already described.

The crackle effect also, always, attracts attention and it is easy to obtain. After preparing the wood with the primer, the desired acrylic is applied. Then the crackle latex is spread evenly and then color is applied. When the

10

Frankfurt am Main

every

CREATES MORE BUSINESS sábado – martes

26 a 29-1-2019

5 pasos HACIA SU ÉXITO: ¡Adquiera hoy su entrada online a una tarifa más económica!

¡Planifique sus citas y visita a las tendencias y talleres de Creativeworld! ¡Descubra numerosas innovaciones en la mayor feria mundial de la comunidad de DIY!

¡Pruebe y encargue in situ una amplia variedad de productos internacionales!

¡Asegure su éxito comercial todo el año, configurando surtidos de actualidad!

creativeworld.messefrankfurt.com

11

product of this treatment begins to crack the surface and we begin to see the background color, we can decorate it with oil paint or acrylic paints or patina.

dyes, although acrylic enamel tends to predominate.

Respecting the surface, which can be more or less smooth, it should be dry and free of any residue. The design can be transferred to the ceramic with transfer paper or also by using templates and painting it with a brush, which allows us to achieve different effects. We can finally fix the painting by applying heat.

In cloth, similar to what we do in other mountings, The surface must be clean, dry and without wrinkles or imperfections. This applies to a multitude of objects ranging from clothing to paintings or shoes. The surface of cloth, used in great works for centuries, allows drawing directly on it, we can use templates or other utensils as stamps, with which we can apply different designs. The

If we decide to use the sponge technique, to apply the paint with it by tapping, we have to prepare the surface before leaving it with the appropriate softness, apply soft plastic paint, sand lightly and finally apply the paint with the sponge which will contrast with the background. You can also apply details with a flat brush. The varnish may be the final step.

In practice there are no limits, and knowing the basic techniques you can use everyday objects as a comb to obtain special effects.

The techniques that we have briefly described, by way of example, allow us to visualize the quantity and variety of products, particularly broad, using this material as a base.

From wood to ceramics, cloth, plastic or any other surface If we become familiar with the wood, with which countless objects are made, including an important part of our furniture, we can handle any other surface only taking into account its specificity. It should be clear that you can start with any material; we chose wood in this example because of its ubiquity.

For ceramics, a large part of what is exposed is applied, particularly what is related to the availability of paints and

12

choice of paint is simplified by the fact that there are special paintings for fabrics. In the case of stamps, these should be thicker. The key of painting on cloth is to allow appropriate drying.

We end with a surface that is as abundant as complex when it comes to painting: plastic. We are surrounded by innumerable objects of this material and it is not unusual for us to come up with some idea to transform, for example, a simple garbage can. The problem of plastic is

its lack of porosity, which hinders the adhesion of the paint. The golden rule using this material is to clean it and leave it free, particularly of fatty substances. It is possible, depending on the object, to sand the surface with grit sandpaper 220 to 300, with the idea of gaining in adherence. Then you could apply a base that levels and that allows to spread the paint in a better way. Speaking of the latter, the recommended ones are those that come in

aerosol, preferably those specialized in plastics. Finally we can apply a sealer. Because of the characteristics of plastic, we may think that painting can, after a prudential time, vary with the constitution of each object, and can be detached from itself.

As we could appreciate, the different materials -to which we can add others that will coincide in their treatment in whole or in part with one of the referred ones- allow us to develop specific techniques but, if we practice with one, we already have an important part of the path done when we approach another one. Perhaps we might not apply a sealer to a ceramic and we will never use heat with the plastic, but in both we can use similar techniques to achieve the design we are looking for and

we will also use some common tools. The final reflection that arises when listing materials and techniques is that we are surrounded by hundreds of objects that we could decorate transforming them into something unique that has our personal signature.

Handicrafts on the rise We could not predict if in the next five-year period the price of a barrel of oil will remain at current levels, it could increase or decrease. It depends on multiple variables, including policies that make it unpredictable in the mid and long term. What we can anticipate is that, as we mentioned, there is a growing interest in handicrafts in general and decorative painting in particular. From creative calligraphy to decorative painting, including coloring books, there is a wide spectrum of practices that have led to a sustained growth of products that allow them to grow. Curiously, it is the progress of the technology -unstoppable- what causes this particular development.

The more connection with everything and everyone, which does not mean more communication, the more we long to be in our own presence and with what we consider

13

Meanings assigned to colors

unique and irreplaceable. The color and shapes of a decorative painting is a way of expressing ourselves, liberating our creativity and dissipating stress with colors.

If we agree that technological development will not stop, we could also agree that the activities that arise as a humanizing reaction will grow proportionally. Just as handwriting has a large space in the growing student populations of developing countries, in the same way artistic products have a huge streak to explode all over the world, particularly in those where technology has strongly impacted. But opportunities are not only found in products. A simple observation of what happens with traditional retail can guide us. We have seen that thousands of stores close annually in the first world. Is

14

this the retail apocalypse, as some say? It may be, particularly for some American-style stores that have had to go out of business. For those who have always provided personalized attention and also have a privileged location, like many we know in our region, it can be, on the contrary, a great opportunity. We must not forget, however, that having the product is no longer enough. There are many who offer it at the distance of a click, delivering an overflowing variety. But what an e-commerce cannot offer is the experience that enriches the purchase, such as the possibility of learning in a store, or simply trying the product, or its function as a meeting point with others who enjoy the same hobby; still taking into account that any traditional store can offer one or some products in the large network. Selling an artistic kit in a virtual market, for example, is relatively simple and does not involve large investments (although nothing prevents us from doing them and building our own store on the Internet). The products for artistic practices, painting in particular, have become a great opportunity; we can take advantage of the knowledge we have from our customers and transform the shopping experience in a different moment, if we add proximity + personalized attention + product sales by Internet, we can make the technological breeze push our sails instead of injuring us.

26 a 29-1-2019 Frankfurt am Main

The stationery trends.

The visionary office.

Inicie el año con nuevos impulsos – adquiera ahora su entrada!

Ya se trate de material de oficina o de uso privado, Paperworld 2019 impulsa el futuro de un sector en transformación: Novedades en artículos de escritura, ideas visionarias para la oficina moderna y la mayor plataforma mundial de papelería y artículos de regalo.

Aproveche también la oferta Business Matchmaking para su negocio en el mayor punto de encuentro del sector. paperworld.messefrankfurt.com

SYNERGIES in the famous German region of the Black Forest - Schneider and MOLOTOW™ decide to cooperate What can we expect when an innovative manufacturer of writing tools and a dynamic company with its own brand of urban art decide to cooperate? A lot!

On 21.04.2016 Schneider Schreibgeräte GmbH (founded in 1938) and Feuerstein GmbH (founded in 1959) with their own urban brand MOLOTOW ™ signed long-term cooperation contracts. The objectives of the cooperation are the development of common technological innovations and to take advantage of the exchange of expertise, which can be seen in the Schneider and MOLOTOW™ product lines. In addition, Schneider has taken over the international distribution of the MOLOTOW™ Fine Art range and has begun distributing MOLOTOW ™ brand products in several countries, including many Latin American countries.

Environmental protection is one of the most established values in the Schneider family business. Also MOLOTOW™ can shine with sustainable products and concepts: therefore, almost all markers are rechargeable and offer the opportunity to replace the tips.

Despite the sustainable concepts, both companies stand out, specially, for their innovations at the highest level of quality. Thanks to this cooperation, writing tools are drawing near to the artistic tools. But there is another aspect that is crucial: The two companies think the same in terms of sustainability, equity, “Made in Germany” and product quality.

So, what can we expect from this cooperation?

Everything!

Within the extensive catalog of MOLOTOW™ products, we would like to highlight the famous ONE4ALL™ artistic

16

markers. The ONE4ALL™ line of markers consists of high-quality paint tools for all creative applications.

This includes the ONE4ALL™ sustainable acrylic marker system, which is the most popular and important color system, since it is suitable for almost all surfaces, from wood, canvas, glass, fabrics, etc.

The focus of the line is on its high opacity, as well as on the durable functionality and the patented marker technique.

This technique has been used in almost all MOLOTOW™ markers.

This marker, in addition to providing rapid implementation of the works also represents great savings for the user due to the sustainable technology R.E.M.™ from which it is developed. R.E.M. ™ is the result of the main features of ONE4ALL™ markers; R is for refill, easy-to-recharge markers, at least 50 times, so it is ecological and economical.

E is for Exchange, enjoy endless possibilities and develop your creativity thanks to the different interchangeable tips.

M is for Mix; since all colors of ONE4ALL™ (more than 50 colors) can be mixed.

Using empty markers, it is possible to create your own color tones without any difficulty.

Once again MOLOTOW™ offers the market a totally innovative and exclusive product.

SUSTAINABLE ACRYLIC PAINT SYSTEM 50 COLORS ULTRA OPAQUE FOR ALMOST EVERY TYPE OF SURFACES

Decorating the world by: Martín Arzate Latin America MArketing Analyst Pelikan México S.A. de C.V

C

ould you imagine a world where all materials had only one or two colors?

Where there was no way to give a personal signature to things? I think it would be an extremely gray and boring world. Fortunately for all of us, the colors and shades give life to everything that surrounds us.

We can talk about objects like a cup to a piece of furniture, from a sheet of paper to a complete mural; from wood textures, through ceramics and cloth to metal, that is to say, the only thing that could limit us is our imagination.

Imagination comes from times that we may not be so aware of. It can be said that it has its origins with the first civilizations, with primitive man when he tried to leave his signature on the walls with cave paintings and utensils. This decoration had many uses, whether to identify themselves, mark their territory and belongings or simply represent a situation lived.

As man evolved, this decoration was reflected in their objects and the style of each one of them. This is how each culture developed its own signature, giving origin to the different styles by region and country.

18

Decorative painting itself is an art and a simple activity, whose degree of complexity will vary according to the wishes of those who use it. Any person, even if he/she has no knowledge of color techniques or natural talent for painting, can turn everyday objects into decorative and functional elements. What better example than the youngest of the house, who at a very early age have fun decorating that craft that they will give to mom and dad in their day. And this is how adults should see this activity, leaving aside perfection, allowing our mind, personality and creativity to be reflected in everything we want to personalize and give it “our image”.

At Pelikan, we want to be part of this fun with a wide variety of materials that they will allow you to leave your signature in everything you want. Our tempera with its intense colors, the “Markatodo” with its various uses and the digital paint for the little ones, will allow you to transform any boring material or surface into something full of life and color.

Imagination without limits.

The Creative Line of Global Notes

G

lobal Notes, a division of AMC AG, has over 25 years’ experience in the sticky notes industry and guarantees the high quality standards associated with “Made in Germany”.

Over the years, Global Notes has become a modern manufacturer of adhesive notes, which includes a wide range of high quality products and continuous innovations. Since 2013, Global Notes is represented in the creative sector products for creative minds of all ages. The main attribute in producing sticky notes is also the special feature of the Creative Info products. Sticky notes are slightly tacky, they can be removed without leaving any residue and can be repositioned repeatedly without losing grip. This is due to a special solvent free adhesive and water.

Creative Info assortment consists of several sticky products such as previously printed coloring sheets, stickers, sticky notes and large banners for both creative minds for decoration or for professional presentations.

“Real Eye-catchers” are the new –exciting and magical-

themes for the popular coloring inFO Creative Rolls for children. In addition, there is a new king-size color roll available. Because of its size, it is ideal for the simultaneous use of several artists. Topics are arranged so that they can also be colored from the opposite side.

For all decorative minds, creative adhesive tapes with colorful and sophisticated designs offer almost endless applications. They are ideal for decorating photos, envelopes, greeting cards, mirrors, vases and other objects.

A highlight is the new “proTECT”, which covers all self-adhesive masking paper products for the craft and professional sector, also based on sticky notes technology for elimination and waste-free repositioning.

Inspire yourself with various applications and purpose opportunities!

Discover the world of sticky notes and creative applications. www.globalnotes.de

20

n n

Sticky notes and related products “Made in Germany” Notes, bookmarks, adhesive flags and creative paper and plastic products for all needs.

n

Global Notes is the specialist with own brand and also has a wide range under its INFO brand.

n

The water-based and solvent-free adhesive protects the environment and adheres optimally.

èHAVE A GOOD SHARE IN A GOOD BUSINESS...

BE AN EXCLUSIVE INFO BRAND DISTRIBUTOR IN YOUR REGION. For more detailed information Visit: www.globalnotes.de or contact Peter Czemetschka pc@globalnotes.de

regional

brief

Jamaica: SOS will also be a manufacturer The Jamaican distributor SOS announced that it has decided to expand its activities and soon will also be a manufacturer of furniture and school supplies.

In pursuit of this goal, the now manufacturer acquired the Book Empire Limited equipment and operations for around half a million dollars. The assets purchased include guillotines, gluing machines, staplers and book presses; even more valuable is the popular paper brand SEEK paper products, also included in the acquisition.

SOS will move the production to its Beechwood Avenue location where the staff will increase with 25 members. Among the future plans is the manufacture of new lines of stationery products, but the supply of office furniture would continue to be its main business.

“We felt it was a perfect opportunity based on the initial public offering we had and depending on where we want to go with the business. It combines exactly with what we are doing,“ said Allan McDaniel (picture), deputy managing director of SOS, who highlighted that what they are now doing was always in their plans.

C

M

Y

CM

MY

Chile: The consumption of e-books grows slowly but steadily

CY

CMY

K

If we talk about books at this time, we can no longer think exclusively about traditional printed texts, we inevitably have to take digital books into account. The latter are accessible with just a couple of clicks and can be purchased in a few minutes from any place. Publishers, on the other hand, reduce their printing costs in the new format, although this does not benefit the traditional merchant that is left out of this new chain.

This is already visible in the first world and in emerging countries like Chile, which have an important movement of digital texts. According to the specialized company Adimark, in Chile almost a quarter of the population reads frequently (22%). This reading indicator is sustained in recent times by the growth in digital book sales (about 5% per year).

The popularity of the digital media in Chile reaches all kinds of works, including texts of general interest such as the “Secret History of Chile” by Jorge Baradit, which has had a particular sales success in this format.

The purchase is not the only way to access these texts; there are also institutions such as the National System of Public Libraries of Chile of the DIBAM, which also offer web texts (www.bpdigital.cl). Other international free access projects can be mentioned, such as www.gutenberg.org, openlibrary.org or www.cervantesvirtual.com.

22

AC ADE M Y Pencils, Paints, Pastels and Markers

Derwent Academy has been created for aspiring artists wishing to develop and improve their drawing and painting skills. Ideal for colouring, drawing and illustration, the range is perfect for school age artists and entry level artists who want to experiment with products and techniques.

www.DerwentArt.com

regional

brief

Peru: QSI will have the representation of 3M’s industrial line products Química Suiza Industrial (QSI) and 3M, defined an agreement that will allow QSI to represent the products of the industrial line of the North American company.

This alliance hopes to project, in a short time, to other countries in the region and includes products such as industrial tapes and adhesives for construction, transport and advertising industries. All this, complemented with ribbons for all types of packaging.

“Our vision in QSI is to be the market referent in the industries in which we participate, and with this alliance with 3M we confirm our interest in continuing to offer integral and innovative solutions to our customers to accompany them in their growth,” said Carl Rooth, general manager QSI regional.

For Mario Loor, General Manager of QSI Peru, “In Peru we will take the first step, with the commitment we have with the Industrial Sector to continue adding value to their business,” the executive added that the complementarity of the products of both companies, the great beneficiaries will be its customers.

“In 3M we have as a pillar the innovation in each of our solutions and with QSI we want to reach more industries with our portfolios to offer these benefits,” said José del Solar (picture), general manager of the 3M Andean Region.

Ecuador limits the weight of school backpacks and promotes digitization With the intention of protecting school children, the Ministry of Education of Ecuador has regulated the use of the always present school backpack. The resolution is mandatory for all public and private educational establishments.

The measure affects students from 5 to 17 years old and determines that basic education students will not be able to carry more than 10% of their own weight in their backpacks. Those over 12 years old, however, may carry up to 15%.

According to the educational institution, the goal is “to avoid suffering muscle or joint injuries in the back due to overweight”.

“From several studies, it was determined that the weight of the backpack or any other type of support used to transport school supplies, should not be greater than 10 percent of the body weight, for students of Basic General Education (...) and 15 percent of body weight for students (12 years and up)”, the ministry said.

As a future measure, the Ministry expects to provide students with “digital tools” that will lighten the overload without affecting the quantity and quality of the support materials.

24

Seasonal Decoration at its best 25 a 29-1-2019

all you wish

for

business

Christmasworld convierte sus deseos en realidad: ¡Descubra ahora el nuevo concepto ferial con aún más variedad en decoración de temporada y ornamentos festivos!

Le esperamos. christmasworld.messefrankfurt.com

le fascinará como mercado de flores frescas y plantas ornamentales.

regional

brief

Uruguay: Mercado Libre becomes an alternative for school supplies purchases Although the online platform was already an alternative, with thousands of suppliers who sold school lists items in different ways, the current bet has formally involved Mercado Libre and its business partners in this last season.

Under the slogan: “School returns, everything returns!”, Mercado Libre has offered everything from school supplies and backpacks, to furniture such as desks and chairs, technology -notebooks and cell phones-, clothing, and sporting goods, among many other items. Jansport, Fly, Zenit, Crayola, Stadium, Toto, Inbox, Macri, Divino, Lenovo and El Tunel, are some of the companies that have participated in this initiative.

To the benefits offered by the variety, novelties and special prices, Mercado Libre has added options such as “Mercado Pago”, which allows paying in up to 18 quotas without surcharge using the main credit cards of the market or collection networks. If users opted to pay with Scotiabank they would benefit from an additional 10% discount on all items in the campaign.

Chile: 64% of bookstores are family businesses It is not surprising in Latin America, where capitals tend to hold a significant proportion of the total population of each country, so that supply is concentrated in those cities. This is what happens in Chile with books: more than half of the bookstores are in Santiago.

This is revealed by the study of Circulation and Dissemination of the book in Chile, prepared by order of Editors of Chile. The same investigation revealed another fact that affects sales levels: the price of books. The research found that the average price of a book varies between $ 11,139 and $ 16,603 pesos ($ 18 to $ 27, approximately), which drives some readers away.

Unfortunately, as might be supposed, concentration not only affects books but also reaches other cultural and artistic manifestations. A positive aspect to rescue, however, is that, according to the aforementioned report, in all the large cities of the country there are bookstores, from Arica to Magallanes. An interesting additional fact was to know that 64% of these establishments in Chile correspond to independent bookstores, “family enterprises for the love of books”.

Rodrigo Fuentes, director of Digital Edition, the company that prepared the report, said that “the number of bookstores per inhabitants is much lower than in other countries,” adding that Santiago would be on par with cities such as Bogotá and Rio de Janeiro, where there are 3.5 stores per 100 thousand inhabitants; but far below Buenos Aires, where there are 25 bookstores per 100 thousand people.

26

Chile: Research reveals large differences in prices of supplies An investigation developed by the National Consumer Service, a state institution that ensures compliance with legal provisions in commercial transactions, showed that it is not the brands that determine the price difference for the same product.

The survey, conducted in person, included 39 establishments -supermarkets, bookstores and importers- distributed in 5 sectors of the vast and populated metropolitan area, where 40% of the country’s population is concentrated. Prices of 28 school products considered common and of greater demand by parents and students were investigated.

In types of establishments, the biggest differences were identified between bookstores and importers, which contrast with the scarce variability among supermarkets. It is striking that own brands are not always the cheapest.

The tendency is to buy in one place, in the same area. The average difference between establishments revealed to be 69.7% for the same list of products. An example: in the case of round tip markers, of 12 assorted colors of a recognized local brand, a consumer could pay from $880 to $2,260, for this same product, which translates into a difference of 156.8%.

The biggest difference, which indicates the importance of the geographical area, was recorded in a 5mm 80 sheets, economic design, national brand math notebook, whose lowest price was registered in the north sector at $399 and the highest in all other sectors to $990, which represents a difference of 148.1% or the equivalent of $591 for each unit.

Ecuador: Ambassador Stationery Concepts India seeks to consolidate its presence Rahul Roopchandani (picture), international marketing manager of Ambassador Stationery Concepts India, made his first tour in Latin America in April, which lasted two weeks. During this visit, he met with the companies contacted at Marketplace Americas 2017.

The objective of the tour was to find exclusive distributors in Ecuador and Mexico. The company wants to focus initially in these two countries, very interesting markets in which it can compete with its varied offer and also in prices. Ambassador Stationery Concepts India is already present in the United States and its plans include, in addition to the mentioned countries, the entry to Chile and Colombia.

During his stay in Ecuador, the Asian executive visited R. Mercantiles, Paco and Expocsa. In Mexico he met with Jocar Products and Marchand Stationery, all of them invited participants of the 2017 version of the Marketplace Americas.

27

regional

brief

Chile: establishes the national day against school bullying As part of the campaign “I choose to be a Witness”, an initiative against bullying was instituted on March 21 as the National Day against Bullying and Cyber Bullying.

“I choose to be a Witness” has been developed in Chile

by Ripley together with the “Flying in V” Foundation. In a short time it reached millions of visualizations, both in social networks and in digital media, in addition to obtaining thousands of positive comments.

The campaign has also been joined by students from different regions, who have incorporated the emoji of the campaign into their uniforms. Only in the metropolitan area, which concentrates almost half of the school population, nearly 100,000 students joined the initiative.

Different public figures have published campaign badges on their networks and have openly expressed their support, including known influencers such as youtubers Pollo Castillo and Dylantero, who participated in a social experiment to demonstrate that bullying is more common than what one thinks.

Well-known plastic artists have produced works that allude to the phenomenon of harassment. In the same line, Ripley has already given hundreds of schools thousands of posters with important content for a healthy school life, colorful shirts, badges and stickers of the campaign for students to use.

Colombia: The important reforestation that Faber-Castell develops The reforestation project that Faber Castell has been developing in Brazil for decades is recognized worldwide.

However, not less important, is the one that is implemented along the Magdalena River in Colombia.

The program has not only ecologically recovered that vast area, transforming the port of Zapayán into the most important in the region, but has also generated valuable jobs that benefit more than 250 families.

“We know that the new generations are more aware of their actions in terms of environmental impact and understand that taking care of their environment is taking care of themselves.

That is why social and ecological responsibility is part of our values and not only applies to our brand but also to the entire organization “explains Andrés García, marketing manager for Faber-Castell Colombia.

With the raw material that comes from this Colombian region, Faber-Castell produces its “Eco” line, which with 100% reforested wood products contribute to the protection of the ecosystem.

28

Mexico: New leader in “Grupo Gigante” In the early days of this year, Federico Bernardo de Quirós González Pacheco (picture), took over the management of “Grupo Gigante”, the conglomerate that operates Office Depot, Toks and Radioshack, among others. His mission will be to maximize the profitability of the company and maintain its growth.

The challenge will be to return to the rhythm that the group had until 2016 and which slowed down in the last year. Among the plans is to keep the growth in the different subsidiaries of the group and also of mixeduse real estate projects (offices and shopping centers). The possibilities of development outside of Mexico are not ruled out, particularly in the countries in which the group already operates. “It is an honor and represents a major challenge to be able to lead one of the companies that stands out in the Mexican business environment and has many years, I do it with all the enthusiasm in the world,” said Quiros, who has the difficult task of succeeding Ángel Losada Moreno, with whom the group reached its maximum level.

“In general, our goal is to grow where we have the most profitability, whether it is abroad or in Mexico. The objective is to maximize profitability in each of our businesses. We will see what return on investment is proposed for each of the projects and based on this, investments are authorized. Our investment process is very selective and always striving to maximize the return on investment”.

Peru: Victorinox will open its third store in Lima With an investment that borders the quarter of a million dollars, Victorinox is preparing to open the doors of the largest store the brand will have in Peru.

The new location - the third in the country - will be located in the “Real Plaza Salaverry” Shopping Center and its inauguration is scheduled for the month of May. The other locations are located in the “Jockey Plaza” shopping center and in “Larcomar”.

The expansion will not only be in the sales area, Victorinox also expects to incorporate new lines in its outlets that will include, in addition to its well-known products, haversacks, backpacks and travel objects.

Although the European company has not revealed its profit in the country, it is estimated that each store makes an income of 250,000 dollars a year. The average purchase ticket exceeds 150 dollars and the line of greatest sales in Peruvian territory is watches, which expects to grow by 25% this year.

29

regional

brief

Mexico: OfficeMax and Cornershop put tools at a click away Many Mexican consumers make their grocery shopping with Cornershop. Taking advantage of the popularity of this App, OfficeMax now offers the possibility of including school and office supplies in its virtual path.

As of April, the chain is one click away from Mexico City, Monterrey, Guadalajara, Querétaro, León and Puebla, where it offers a wide catalog with nearly 3,000 products, including computer accessories, imported items, school and stationery supplies, office and printing categories.

According to the latest edition of the Electronic Commerce Study in Mexico, presented by the Internet Association Mx. and the Mexican of Online Sales Association (AMVO), in the previous year 17% of Internet users bought office supplies, with a quarterly average expense of 1,001 pesos. “With this partnership Cornershop.mx seeks to diversify the product offerings that our users can find in the App. We seek to respond to the current needs of digital consumers and go beyond offering the mega grocery store at home and provide added value at the moment of making your digital purchases to make your day to day efficient, “said Paola Aguilar, Chief Commercial Officer of cornershop.mx. Cornershop will offer users the same prices they find in the electronic store of the chain: www.officemax.com.mx

Ecuador: Caicedo Miño presented his ecological notebooks Within the framework of the exhibition of school supplies organized by the group “Todo en Papelería”, the company “Caicedo Miño” presented its new ecological notebooks.

Taking advantage of the abundant production of sugarcane in the Ecuadorian coastal region, the manufacturer produces notebooks using bagasse, one of the wastes of this activity, contributing to the environment and enhancing an existing activity.

“We were invited to show our product, we were pleased that people really liked our proposal that is aligned to the new practices of sustainable development,” said Antonio Rodríguez, representative of “Caicedo Miño” Stationery.

The aforementioned exhibition took place in “El Nuevo Tarqui”, in the coastal city of Manta. This space was born after the last major earthquake that struck the city in 2016, on the initiative of wholesaler “Kirie Bravo”. In this precinct a series of exhibitions is developed to show the local public the alternatives for school supplies for the next school period.

30

Colombia: Kilometrico remains the most popular brand in ballpoint pens In a study conducted by the Brandstrat consultancy in Colombia, it was found that Kilometrico is the pens’ brand with greater recognition with 86% of mentions.

The research was developed in different cities, interviewing a total of 993 people between 18 and 70 years old and belonging to different socioeconomic levels. The second most recognized brand was Bic (49%) and the third was Paper Mate (45%).

In terms of value perception, qualifying the price of pens between 1 and 10, with 1 being very low and 10 being very high, the brand perceived as having the highest price was Montblanc with 8.7; followed by Lamy with 8.2, Parker with 8.1, Sheaffer (7.8) and Sharpie (7.5). At the extreme opposite, the brands perceived as having the lowest price were Paper Mate (7.1), Kilometrico (6.7) and Bic (6.1).

In quality, the assessment was even, using the same scale, the brand with the best perception at this point was Lamy with 9.2; followed by Montblanc and Sharpie with 9,1 and 9, respectively. Parker and Kilometric tied with 8,9; and they closed the assessments with Paper Mate (8,7), Sheaffer (8,6) and Bic (8,4).

Branstrat concluded that the evaluated brands “are brands that in particular offer a perception of quality and high confidence, by a price perception equal to or lower than the market. This may be related to the fact that they are products that fulfill their function very well and they perceive that the disbursement that has to be made to acquire them is low “.

Brazil: New authorities in ACCO Brands Latin America and in Tilibra Earlier this year, Tilibra’s leader, Rubens Passos (picture), was promoted to the position of senior vice president of ACCO Brands Latin America, a region comprising South America, Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean.

Passos began his career at Tilibra in 2006 as financial director and was promoted to the presidency in 2009. His training is in economics from FAAP and he has an MBA from Duke University. He is president of the Brazilian Association of Manufacturers and Importers of School and Office Supplies (ABFIAE) since 2011, and holds a similar position on the Board of Enactus Brasil.

The succession in Tilibra promoted Sidnei Bergamaschi, a veteran executive who joined the company in 1986, to the presidency.

Bergamaschi, who has an excellent background that includes a doctor’s degree in business administration, will continue to report to Passos in his new position.

31

regional

brief

Peru: New Utilex store in Lima At the 14 stores that already operate in Lima, Utilex adds another one that, like the previous ones, is strategically located.

The new outlet, located in the “MegaPlaza Norte” shopping center, provides the chain with two new stores in the short space of four months (the previous one was opened last December, in the “Jockey Plaza”). These two could also add an existing store that has been re-opened and serving a large sector, located in “La Beneficencia China” in Paruro and that supplies the demand for school purchases in the central market area, in Lima’s downtown.

“With the recent openings and the one of “MegaPlaza Norte”, we hope to cover the high demand for school supplies in this period and throughout the year, for which we have developed different sales mechanisms to give our customers greater ease under our campaign slogan: “Utilex makes it easy for you,” said Mariella Castro, retail manager at Utilex.

Colombia: “El Cid” stationery: among the three most important stationery chains In a market such as Colombia, which is particularly dynamic, being an important player in the large stationery segment is particularly worthy. According to figures from Euromonitor, “El Cid” stationery ranks third in this group of retailers, clearly dominated by Panamericana.

For this outstanding retailer of the Caribbean Coast in Colombia, the school season remains the most important moment of the year, concentrating 40% of its annual sales.

“We have 15 stores, 10 of them in Barranquilla, three in Santa Marta, one in Cartagena and another one in Sincelejo.

Each one handles about 8,000 references for the school season, which runs until mid-February, “said Alan Rasch, marketing area leader of “El Cid” Stationery.

32

Mexico: BIC sees double-digit growth for this year Mexico continues to offer a broad development space for BIC, which in this country recorded double-digit growth so far this year in its most important lines, a pace that it expects to maintain.

Both pens - its flagship - as shavers and lighters had growths above 10%. This development occurred, it is worth noting, in a complicated macroeconomic environment.

As this subsidiary has shown throughout its long history, its growth has always exceeded that of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). For BIC, Mexico is particularly important and only surpassed by the United States, Brazil and France.

According to its marketing director, Michael Kaller (picture), the possibilities for growth in Mexico are wide: “We clearly see opportunities in the traditional grocery channel, there is still a sea of opportunities. In the modern channel we want to ‘premiumize’ to give options to the consumer that is more demanding“.

Chile: Santiago’s subway promotes reading with its borrowing system Growing with technology is what has allowed Bibliometro, the organization that handles book lending points in Santiago’s subway, to increase its activity with 55 thousand active users who in 2017 alone benefited from more than 300 thousand checkouts.

The organization has been operating for 21 years and recently installed new points in the avant-garde line 6, recently inaugurated: “Line 6 has the absolute tendency that everything is automatic. So as not to be left behind, we created this service that consists of two areas: the book dispensing machines and a catalog of free titles to download through QR codes,” explained Ángela Salazar, director of Bibliometro.

The referred machines allow users to remove physical books directly and without intermediaries, “as if they were acquiring a drink or a treat”. Each machine has 16 titles with 10 copies of each.

E-books can also be downloaded using QR codes. This allows users to access 25,000 titles that belong to the catalog of the Digital Public Library completely free. Some texts remain available indefinitely and others are deleted after 15 days.

“In the school period students ask for many books and those users are digital natives, that is, they use technological devices to access information,” said the director of Bibliometro. “For us, incorporating technology is a plus to keep them active as faithful readers. Far from competing against devices, they are 100% a complement.”

The system’s success has motivated its growth to other spaces such as San José hospitals in Santiago and Putaendo in Valparaiso’s region. “We imagined arriving to install modules in train stations in the south and even in the airport,” said the project director.

33

Mergers

and

acquisitions

STAEDTLER doubles its bet to Latin America

W

ith a consolidated presence in our region, the German manufacturer confirms the importance it has in its operation with the purchase of a majority share in Artesco Peru. The CEO of STAEDTLER, Axel Marx, who knows our America very well, tells us in this interview about the aforementioned acquisition and also about the company’s plans for our countries.

El Papel: How long have you been leading STAEDTLER? Can you please tell us briefly about your professional career?

Axel Marx: I joined the Board in October 2003, but I started with STAEDTLER as early as 1977. I worked for STAEDTLER in South America, in Brazil from 1985 to 1989.

EP: How many operation centers does STAEDTLER have in Latin America and to which countries does each center provide?

AM: We currently have one STAEDTLER subsidiary in Mexico. In almost all the other countries of Latin America we have local representatives.

EP: What expectations do you have regarding to your operations in Latin America for this year and the upcoming?

AM: Expectations for the upcoming years are very positive, especially due to the joint venture with Artesco / Mova in Peru.

EP: Which is the line of STAEDTLER with the highest growth in Latin America?

34

AM: Nowadays, school and hobby products.

EP: What new products, categories or lines have you included in your offer last year for Latin America?

AM: AM: We are constantly expanding our range of hobby art products, as well as pre-school and school products EP: We understand that you have just acquired the

shareholding of Artesco in Peru, which also includes Mova’s business. Which are the considerations that drove you to purchase a local company? Its brand strength, power in the distribution channel, its export capacity within the region, access to new market segments ...?

AM: It is definitely everything you just mentioned in your question plus the excellent manufacturing facilities of Artesco and Mova.

EP: What percentage of Artesco’s shares did STAEDTLER acquire?

AM: 75%.

EP: Which person will assume the leadership of STAEDTLER-Artesco in Peru?

fallen in sales lately and what do you attribute it to?

AM: Because our partners remain on board, they are the ones who will continue to run the company.

AM: I think that in our industry, we all face a decreasing volume of office products. This trend definitely has to do with digitization.

EP: What are your expectations with this plant established in Peru with Artesco and Mova?

AM: Obviously to increase production through the manufacture of products under the STAEDTLER brand.

We will focus on preschool and school items, as well as products that develop creativity.

EP: What do you consider to be the main differentiator of STAEDTLER over the competition in Latin America? And of Artesco?

AM: STAEDTLER as a brand is probably the oldest in our industry worldwide. We are synonym of excellence in terms of quality, German design with high innovation.

Artesco is a highly dynamic and vivid brand, focused on the needs of Latin American customers.

EP: : Please tell us what product categories have

EP: Can you mention the ventures that you have developed so that STAEDTLER Products are tuned to this digital era, in addition to the digital Noris?

AM: In recent years, we have introduced, in addition to Noris digital, a group of “digital” products, for example the first 3D printed pen, the first optical pencil, an application to learn to write, an application for photographic painting and a ballpoint pen to digitize the writing done on paper.

EP: What factors must be taken into account to consolidate as a company in this highly competitive sector?

AM: To satisfy the needs of the consumer in terms of individualization and, as a timeless task, always try to invent, to create more, to offer even better products for the diverse demands on writing, drawing, painting and modeling.

EP: Future plans for Latin America?

AM: Profitable growth!

EP: Can you mention the amount of the shares’ purchase of Artesco and Mova?

AM: No. We keep that confidential.

35

Latin American

Vision

Continental Peru the future as a challenging opportunity

I

n a very competitive market and facing, many times, phenomena with consequences that are difficult to foresee, as is the case of climate change, Continental has not stopped its evolution in Peru. Starting with just one store in the capital, now the company controls a conglomerate that includes stores, plants and distribution centers, serving both the local and international markets.

In the following interview, Rodolfo Salas, commercial manager of the Continental Group, allows us to know a little more about this interesting company, in which the word impossible seems to have no place.

El Papel: Who and when started the company? How do you decide to venture into this industry and sector?

Rodolfo Salas: Continental SAC, was founded in 1950, later transferred, in 1980, to its current owner and General Manager, Pablo Wong. Its first store to open is in Lima’s China Town, and since then they have been dedicated to the distribution of stationery, school supplies and desktop.

The experience that was acquired in the field led them to venture into the manufacture of school notebooks and stationery. In 2012, they inaugurated a modern factory in LurĂ­n, for the production and manufacture of the same. This is how Continental has been developing or innovating in the field, with determination and professionalism, backed by a broad trajectory in the market, creating leading brands such as Standford, Conti, Mylano and Offi; at the same time the distribution and development of the Atlas brand.

As a Continental distributor, it has twelve wholesale stores located in Lima and provinces, and as a retail channel, it has fourteen Utilex stores distributed in the main shopping centers and avenues of Lima.

36

EP: What products and brands do you offer in the national and international market?

RS: Continental SAC offers school and office supplies in the market, with a wide portfolio of brands, segmented to various target audiences. The brands that we currently have are: Standford (leading brand in the field, with notebooks and school supplies), Atlas (notebooks and photocopy paper), Conti (varied notebooks), Mylano (notebooks and stationery) and Offi (office supplies). The school notebooks are produced in our own factory, whose processes are subject to broad quality standards, which is why they have the recognition of their consumers.

EP: Where are your offices and your factories located? What markets do you export to?

RS: Currently the company has administrative offices (Sede Ate-Lima), the production plant (FĂĄbrica LurĂ­nLima), warehouses and distribution centers strategically located in commercial areas, twelve wholesale stores (eight in Lima, and four in provinces - Arequipa, Trujillo and Chiclayo), thirteen retail stores (all in Lima), aimed at final consumers. Thus, Continental SAC serves customers from different parts of the country, so their expansion plans will continue.

We have exported to countries such as Bolivia and Costa Rica, and potential clients from other countries are being evaluated to consolidate the market abroad, since we have a competitive portfolio of products of high quality and track record.

EP: Who are your local buyers?

RS: Local buyers are from all segments and are served by different channels: traditional, modern, institutional and retail.

Our customers through Continental are: Distributors, who are dedicated to the marketing of school supplies, office and stationery, to serve their wholesale customers, retailers and end consumers in various regions and cities; Large wholesalers, from different regions or areas of Lima (such as Mercado Central); Retail, those with bookstores, school fairs, retail, photocopying centers, etc.

The attention to the final consumer or user is done through our retail chain or institutional channel, which directly serves companies or State institutions.

EP: Since when do you export?

RS: Since 2003, we have had experiences in markets of the Andean community (Ecuador, Bolivia) with products from the Standford brand. In the year 2017 we exported to Costa Rica.

EP: What do you think is your main differentiator over the competition so that the buyer chooses you?

RS: Our attention is directed to different segments of the market, we offer a product according to the characteristics that are valued by the target. In the case of the notebook market, for example, we have a proposal for each market segment: Premium Category, with the Standford brand; Medium range, with the Atlas brand; Economic Segment, with the Conti brand; Super-economic, with the Mylano brand. In each category we offer quality and the attributes that the client looks for.

EP: Referring to diversification, what new products or categories have you included in your offer lately?

RS: Each brand has a particularity, it seeks to offer the consumer attributes that tune in with the personality of each brand.

EP: Does any product show rising demand?

RS: In the last school year, we took out the notebook with the license of the Peruvian Soccer Team at a favorable juncture in the market because our country was going to a World Cup after 36 years. As a result, the product was the best-selling license of the school campaign in Peru. It was bet on obtaining the license of the national team before the Peruvian team classified the world, so their classification meant a joy for the fans and for the brand.

37

EP: Does the company have a virtual store or online sale?

RS: The Utilex chain, part of the Continental group, has an online sales division, where more and more transactions are made every day.

EP: How has the stationery industry in Peru evolved, according to your point of view, in the last 2 years?

RS: In recent years we see that the Peruvian market has changed; today we have leading brands that are strengthening and are not giving space to new brands. In the part of distribution, two important chains of the sector are growing.

EP: How do you see the future of your exports for the next 5 years?

RS: We have the best expectation that our brands Standford and Atlas flags can reach several markets in the region, through the appropriate selection of products according to the needs of each country. This is our interest in contacting the most important distributors in international markets.

EP: Mention 2 or 3 new products that you consider will be successful in sales in your country and internationally this year RS: The products that we would mention are the practiforro, a product developed by the Standford Brand, aimed at parents who seek practicality in the lining of the notebooks, which corresponds to the modern lifestyle that seeks the pragmatic; and the 9-ring notebook, university format with excellent paper quality and a very practical functionality to exchange the position of the sheets, complemented with excellent designs.

EP: What general strategies should be developed and applied to customer loyalty according to their criteria, related to price, quality, variety, service?

RS: Every customer looks at brands and / or products to promote large businesses, for that we must consider the following: •

Relation product - price – market

EP: What factors must be taken into account to consolidate as a company in Peru?

•

Brand work in the presentation of products to the market

RS: In Peru, in the school market, consumers are very demanding in terms of quality and innovation. Even in the most popular segments they always expect to be given a good product at the lowest price. That is why we have been able to consolidate our brands in the different socioeconomic levels because we always comply with what we offer.

•

Innovation in products

•

Attention to customers at the right time

EP: How easy or difficult is it to sustain in the competitive world of school and office products?

RS: More than difficult, it requires a lot of work, creativity, innovation and development of distribution channels. Something very important for us is to respect the distribution channels and to not compete with our customers.

EP: Tell us a little about how the panorama looks for the local market?

RS: Despite the fact that 2017 had problems as a nation, for example the case of El Niño the coastal phenomenon that complicated the northern departments of the country and other political problems that affected the sector, we have seen a general growth of the school supplies sector. In 2018, despite some symptoms of political crisis, customers have responded by trusting our brands. The leading brands are those that have more activity in the campaign as the rest of the year (attending the State and private institutions).

38

•

Careful in setting prices, respecting distribution channels and avoiding unforeseen changes in prices, which harm retail customers.

Paper Manufacturing Machine

Complete paper machine for sale Manufacturer (Black Clawson) Cia. Federal de Fundição, capacity of 100 ton/day with useful wisth of 2,50 mts.

Componets: - Forming board with Cantilever; - 02 Presses with Double felt; - Drier group with 30 iron casting driers of 1,50 mts diameter; - Yankee casting iron cylinder with 3,50 mts dimeter; - Winding machine with capacity for jumbo rolls of 1,50 mt diameter; - Re-winding machine for 500 mt/min.

Contact: Geraldo Margella Souza E-mail: geraldo_margella@ondunorte.com.br Phone: +55 (81) 2121-6767 Mobile:

+55 (81) 99159-1540

Latin American

Vision Staples Argentina, a change that strengthen its growth possibilities Ep: Directly linked to the previous one, will the opening of new stores in the interior of the country continue?

T

he Argentine retailer always put a particular stamp within the operation of Staples in the world. Now, after a change of controller that incorporates it into a group with a large presence in logistics, everything suggests that the union will make the company even stronger. We risk saying that this South American company anticipated many changes that occurred in the world, a feature that it seems to carry in its DNA since its founding. It is no coincidence that their former CEOs become renowned speakers, because they were leaders who joined a particular capacity with experience and innovation, qualities that also distinguish their current leader, Gonzalo Santander, who speaks of the present and future of this company.

El Papel: Is there a change in Argentina’s Staples strategy after the change of controller?

Gonzalo Santander: We have a new shareholder, a group that has logistics as one of its main strengths and somehow that key area crosses all the companies in the group. This greatly empowers us, not only for our plans to expand into the interior of the country and be a company with a greater national presence, but also with our idea of being able to offer truly multi-channel solutions to our customers. Additionally, it opens the doors to new services that we were not previously offering.

Logistics is a great challenge in South America, and these new shareholders bring us great competitiveness and expertise in this area.

From this, we are rethinking the next steps of investment and growth to enhance the possibilities of development of the company in Argentina.

Ep: Will it keep the same name?

GS: Yes, we have the trademark license and we have not made any other decision about it.

40

GS: Stores are an important part of our growth and our expansion because they generate income by themselves but also as an integral part of our value proposition, seeking to be close to the client and offer an omnichannel proposal. We are betting strongly in the interior of the country and that expansion will surely come hand in hand with branches in the cities that we decide to develop.

Ep: What proportion of the total offer of Staples represents school and office supplies?

GS: Our proposal is to offer any product or service that a person needs to work and study. Likewise, and above all because of our origin as a delivery company, our highest invoicing percentage is linked to the B2B world. We serve a large number of different SMEs per year, and the main companies at the country level, whether in the banking, services or insurance industries. School supplies grow year by year but today that world represents about 20% of the company’s billing, and in back to school season it reaches 30%.

Ep: Continuing with the proportions, what proportion of the invoicing corresponds to B2B? GS: The B2B represents 80% of the company’s billing, with 83% of the orders through our ecommerce platform.

Ep: Is it perceived, as is the case of the first world, a growth of the jan-san categories? And electronics?

GS: Yes, we are having a great growth in JAN-SAN and Break Room. Customers value its integral solution, we have made a very strong bet having a very competitive proposal and in many cases even superior to the supermarkets and offering free delivery. In terms of electronics, and especially for import and tax issues of recent years, the development has not been so good.

Ep: In the United States, we see traditional suppliers redirecting their offer towards services; does this have viability in countries like ours, particularly in Argentina?

GS: Yes, no doubt. We are also doing it and it will be one of the biggest bets for the coming years. Today, with our new group of shareholders, we believe that we have a great advantage and an important differential.

Ep: We do not ask for the integration of channels because it is visible in Staples Argentina, what is the direction you expect to follow in this area in the coming years?

GS: Our purpose is for the customer to buy in the way that is most convenient for each opportunity. If you have an emergency you have a branch nearby. If it is a planned

purchase, without doubt our platform is the best option since you can repeat the order, have suggestions, it can record lists, etc. And if you need advice, an executive on the phone or at the branch will be able to give the information that the client needs.

Ep: Virtual traders -that is how we call the sellers of platforms such as Mercado Libre- do they affect sales during the school season?

GS: Not until today, as Mercado Libre is conceived, being a single-product platform, without a shopping cart. It was very difficult to buy school products in that platform since customers had to make several orders. That is undoubtedly changing and will change, and will gradually affect traditional sellers. We believe that we have a great differential that is the variety of products, free shipping, and the fact of being specialists in these categories.

Ep: Talking about school season; is it still concentrating in the months in which it was traditionally located or has it expanded for Staples?

GS: The school season has been expanding little by little, but there are also 2 weeks of great concentration that do not change. The fact of the platform with schools that we have developed has allowed varying the demand a little, and also the solution of turns that we offered this year so that the clients do not have to wait. They could take an online turn, choose the branch, and a consultant was waiting to help them. At the same time, if you wanted to upload a file with a school supply list, we were already preparing it.

41

Latin American

Vision

Pa-co, an inevitable reference in Ecuador

I

t is difficult to remain more than sixty years in a market, always standing out as one of the most important actors, without the capacity to evolve. Paco Ecuador, operated mainly in Quito in the first years of its commercial life, and later extended to practically all the important locations of the country. In addition to the geographical coverage, the company increased its offer and became an inevitable reference of the country. In this interview, its Commercial Manager, Aitor A. Echeverría Gasquet, shares details of the operation of his company and also gives us suggestions to deal with the customers of our sector.

El Papel: When was your company founded and what motivated you to be part of the group of merchants of stationery products in the country? Do you belong to any companies’ association?

Aitor Echeverría: Paco Comercial e Industrial is an Ecuadorian company that is more than 60 years old. In brief features we could point out a few milestones: 1.

1954, Pablo Pfeifer, a visionary entrepreneur of Czech origin founded Paco whose acronym means Paper Company. In the beginning, he distributed paper bags and office paper in which food and other products were wrapped. At that time there were two lines of business: materials for the graphic industry were commercialized and paper bags were distributed to supply small retailers.

2.

In 1955, the first Paco store was opened for customer service.

3.

To serve more cities and expand the offer, on April 1, 1968 Narciso Attia joined the company, who has extensive experience in the American market. He was Sales Manager. In 1971 Narciso Attia becomes a shareholder of the company, of which he is now a controlling shareholder.

42

The motivation of our company is to work with passion and efficiency, providing customers with a superior shopping experience, offering quality products and services.

EP: Which products and brands do you commercialize?

Do you have your own brand?

AE: We manage two mega categories: Stationery and Technology. Our product portfolio has a wide mix of brands, including exclusive representations such as Edding, Pilot, Milan, Acrilex, Erich Krause, Rotring, Stick’n, Larousse, Doricolor, My Wigo, Inoxcrom, and own brands.

Among the latter we have Real, Digital Print and Axiom.

As well as commercializing the main technology brands of the market.

EP: Where is your main office, how many selling points do you have and what expectations of new openings do you have for this year?

AE: Our main offices are located in the City of Quito. At the moment we have coverage of 27 stores distributed in 12 cities of the country and distribution offices in other cities. Additionally, we have 2 express stores located in Quito. A renewed CeDis (Distribution Center) that controls logistics from the south of the capital city to the whole country. Regarding new stores, we must mention that in April 2017 we opened our last store in the city of Manta, in “Mall del Pacífico”. By 2018 we are focusing our efforts on the renovation and modernization of some of our stores, such as the one we just opened in May 2018 in the city of Ambato.

EP: Who are your local suppliers?

AE: Market leaders in terms of their items. Companies that handle brands that are very accepted by the Ecuadorian consumer, such as Norma, Estilo, Escriba and Gama in notebooks; Rex Plastics in folders; CASIO calculators; Didacteka puzzles with Disney licenses; books of renowned publishers such as Planeta, OcĂŠano, among others. Regarding our technology line, we offer brands such as Epson, HP, JBL, Genius, Logitech, Lenovo, etc. From the most recognized wholesalers in the market.

EP: Who are your International suppliers?

AE: We represent brands from several origins that meet high quality standards and have a specialized and differentiated portfolio. For example, Edding Markers from Germany, Pilot pens from Japan; Rotring technical drawing material from France; Acrilex art product from Brazil; Milan school supplies from Spain; Larousse dictionaries from Mexico; and other well-known brands such as Erich Krause (Russia), Doricolor (Colombia), Stick’n (China), Grafipapel (Peru), Inacopia (Portugal), MyWigo (Europe), etc.

EP: What do you consider that is your main differentiator over the competition so that the consumer chooses you and to build customer loyalty?

AE: We respect our competition and value its existence in the market. We consider that our most important differentiating factors is the quality of the products we commercialize, the variety that allows our client to choose according to their needs and interests and our coverage that brings us closer to our customers every day. We invest in our stores so that the customer has an everyday experience.

EP: Referring to diversification, which new products or categories have you included in your offer last year?

AE: In the last year we have entered into the toy and small appliance lines; which have given the expected results and we trust that they will be strengthened in time.

EP: Please tell us what kind of products have fallen in sales this year and what do you attribute it to?

AE: In general we have had very good results in the last 12 months with categories that are maintained or that grow. However, we can see a very slight decrease in the line of dictionaries, which we adduce, is due to the change from the printed option to the digital option.

EP: Does the company have a virtual store or online sale? How do you think e-commerce is affecting traditional bookstores?

AE: We have currently entered into digital platforms and the experience has been positive. We know the importance of digital channels to approach our most current and future clients in a different way. Therefore, we will continue working until we consolidate this channel.

EP: According to your point of view, how has the stationery industry evolved in your country in the last two years? Who are the most prominent manufacturers in your country?

AE: There are very creative national companies that are at the forefront of what the client asks for. In other words, they seek to incorporate trending licenses into their products. For example, the national brands of notebooks who always have on their covers characters from the latest films such as Avengers, Disney, among

43

other attractive products. Similarly Didacteka has also incorporated Disney licenses to its puzzles. And on the other hand there are other suppliers that have invested in their machines and technology to bring to the market more optimal products such as what the brand “Escribe” with their notebooks.

Paco is a strategic partner of the AEI, “Alliance for Entrepreneurship” that encourages the development and growth of small entrepreneurs of the country.

EP: How do you see the future of stationers for the next 5 years?

AE: I believe stationers will continue to incorporate new lines in their portfolio, whose trend will be linked even more with technology, because as we know, teaching goes hand in hand with the digital world.

EP: If you could request that something gets done or stops being done in your country in favor of the commercialization of school and office products, what would it be?

AE: Promote and strengthen activities that tend to regulate the control of products that enter the country informally. All the entry of products that are not formally declared, not only harms the country in terms of taxes, but also leaves the legal trader that complies with all the regulations of the law unprotected and at disadvantage.

And of course this inequality is evident in the final price of the products that are placed on the rack. At the same time we have noticed the entry of counterfeit copies of the SKUs of some of the brands we represent, a fact that harms us and the brand itself, as well as the final

44

customer who acquires a product of very poor quality under deception.

EP: Mention 2 or 3 new products that you think will be successful in sales in your country AE: The new technological products that combine applications with the device. For example, we now have in our portfolio Smartbands MyWigo that accompany not only the athlete but the user who seeks to take care of his health and can measure steps, calories, pressure, etc.

There are also new notebooks “Rocketbook” or “Whitelines” that through different applications make it easy to transfer what is written in the notebook directly to our files digitally in the computer, send them by mail or even show the sketches made directly in a presentation.

EP: According to your criteria, which general strategies should be developed and applied to ensure customer? Related to price, quality, variety, service, etc.

AE: Obviously the relationship of the elements of this triad: portfolio-price-quality, form a base pillar with which confidence is built with the consumer. However, in order to make the customer faithful, we must differentiate ourselves in service. In trying to understand what their needs are in order to be able to offer tangible solutions. The recommendation based on the knowledge of the sales consultant can facilitate the purchase process, both in celerity and assertiveness, which will avoid future claims problems. The Customer Centricity is a fundamental guide on which we are working to implement soon.

enterprises in

movement

Foroni sells 40,000,000 notebooks on the 2018 back to school season The 2018 back to school season was unquestionably successful for the Brazilian manufacturer Foroni. This is proven by 40 million notebooks sold only in this season.

The company attributes the success to the quality of the products and the large number of points of sale strategically distributed throughout Brazil more than 6,000 establishments - in addition to the important contribution in sales of its official virtual store, which sells the entire Foroni line with prices and special promotions.

Foroni offered more than 70 lines, between own and licensed, all produced following its rigorous quality controls. Added to this is the FSC certification, which guarantees that all products are made with ecological and socially correct papers. The company is constantly working to develop environmentally responsible crops, such as the selective collection of waste, the recycling of cutouts and waste, among many others.

Foroni´s factory - Brazil

Grupo Biella increased its sales Biella increased its sales of filing cabinets - ring and handle - reaching 2.7 million euros (€ 1.9 million the previous year).

The achievement has double merit for Biella, the largest European producer of archival products. To achieve this, it had to overcome market conditions - where demand fell - and the operational pressures derived from the sharp increase in the cost of raw materials, logistics and personnel in Poland, where its factory was located.

At a general level, however, the group’s revenues decreased slightly and sales of standard office products continued to suffer due to the negative evolution of the market. Sales of custom office products, on the other hand, increased considerably in Switzerland, the manufacturer’s base.

The producer has also developed new products. The most notable is the digital binder “Biella SimplyFind Data Safe”. With this solution, which is totally based on the cloud, the Biella Group has launched its first purely digital product.

45

enterprises in

movement Marc Roca establishes in Germany With the aim of promoting sales in Germany, Rocada strengthens its base in Germany with the leadership of Marc Roca (picture), who will become the CEO of the group - ceasing to be general manager - and will be established in Hamburg.

“Germany has always been a very important country for Rocada because apart from the long commercial history of this branch, it was also the first foreign market for our sales. In addition, it shows a potential growth”, expressed Roca.

Rocada Group grew 18% in 2017 and recorded a 33% growth in the Spanish market. Germany represents 25% of the company’s sales with products that are widely accepted by its demanding market.

Rocada Germany has had Dieter Hahn in charge of the subsidiary. Dieter took on the challenge of bringing the brand to Germany in 2005 and made it profitable from the start. The executive, of brilliant performance, will retire at the end of September when Marc Roca takes charge. The main objective is to turn Germany into the second pillar of the company together with Spain.

Staedtler is recognized as “Superbrand” in the United Kingdom Staedtler was recognized for the second time in the United Kingdom with the Business Superbrand award, a distinction granted by the specialized Business Superbrand Council.

The awarding organization has been following and rewarding the main B2B brands in the United Kingdom since 2001. To identify the winners, a survey is implemented in which around 2,500 professionals from around the country participate. The Business Superbrand Council is formed by a voluntary group of marketing experts.

The process, administered by The Center for Brand Analysis in association with Research Now SSE, examined more than 1,500 brands grouped into 63 categories. They evaluated the three central factors that should be present in a Superbrand: quality, reliability and distinction.

“We are delighted to have achieved the status of ‘Superbrand’ for the second year in a row and we anticipate that this award will have a positive impact on our business. It is particularly rewarding as we firmly believe that our reputation is based on those same three central factors of quality, reliability and distinction, “said Rachel Owen (picture), marketing manager at Staedtler UK.

46

Artificial Intelligence already modifies office tasks The Spiceworks technology network has issued a report highlighting the growing influence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital assistants in office tasks. The most common are voice dictation, chosen by 46% of the respondents who use the technology; the strengthening of teamwork (26%); the management of agendas (24%); customer service (14%) and administration of help desks (13%).

Artificial intelligent chatbots (AI) and voice activated devices, for example, are also increasingly common in homes, smartphones and even in cars, so it’s no wonder that these technologies gain space in the workplace.

Chatbots are already used by organizations to respond to customer requests and solve common problems without the need for human interaction. On a larger scale, intelligent systems are now also being implemented to fulfill orders and organize deliveries autonomously.

Spiceworks, whose research involved more than 500 IT professionals in North America and Europe, was able to establish that 40% of large companies expect to implement this technology by 2019, while 24% have already implemented one or more smart AI chats or smart assistants for work-related tasks.

CCL acquires company that maximizes Avery CCL Industries, current owner of Avery, has announced a new acquisition that will couple and complement the legendary label manufacturer.

The company acquired is Richmond Imprint Plus, based in Canada, for around US $ 25 million. This is the sixth incorporation of CCL since it bought Avery in 2013.

Imprint Plus manufactures custom badges, signage solutions and accessories. Sales for the year ended in May 2018 are estimated at US $ 16 million. “We continue to develop our rapidly growing portfolio of webto-print technologies and brands using software and related supplies.

The addition of Imprint complements similar proposals already present in our global portfolio of brands, “said Geoffrey Martin (picture), general manager of CCL.

47

enterprises in

movement

Staedtler celebrates the Day of the Solidarity Colors with an important donation In the framework of the Day of the Solidarity Colors, held on May 6, Staedtler donated one euro for each drawing received on this day by the NGO International Plan, an organization that promotes a contest called “This is typical.” In the contest, children from 3 to 12 years old from all over the world participate; who translate into their works meals, daily chores, monuments and activities that they consider is typical of the place where they live. The contest is already underway and the deadline to participate in this solidarity initiative will close on June 30, 2018.

The proceeds will go to the project “Education for the children of Malawi”. This important work aims to improve the conditions of two primary schools in the towns of Mkoma and Malika, which will increase the number of children who finish school. In addition, ten new classrooms, sanitary facilities and eight homes for teachers will be built. All this will benefit more than 4,000 children in the area and also teachers who can take training courses on new forms of education and equality between boys and girls.

“As an international company we want to actively modify the world in which we live. Our commitment to childhood plays a fundamental role in this context. We hope to celebrate many more Solidarity Colors Days that allow us to collaborate with important social aid projects such as the International Plan School Project, “said Axel Marx (picture), CEO of the Staedtler Group.

Crayola, 115 years being a worldwide icon The thought of how to express a chalk with oil originated a word -Crayola- that arose from the union of two languages: French to designate chalk (craie) and Latin to identify oil (oleum). This particular merger made possible the brand that, patented in 1903, would later be recognized all over the world.

The company was born a year earlier and was known for producing chalk without dust, an experience and technique that allowed it to produce colored crayons that needed an original name like the one they patented.

The first commercialized packaging contained the 8 classic colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, brown and black and, in 1958, Crayola presents the collection of 64 colors that was known globally. Currently there are presentations with up to 152 colors.

Later the brand included a whole family of products such as markers, glue, play dough, spray paint and, recently, various applications or ‘apps’ for cell phones and tablets.

The 115 years of Crayola show it as a globally recognized brand with a strong presence in our region, where its products are always a reference for the entire industry.

48

Lego concrete important alliance in China The decrease in sales has led the Danish manufacturer to rethink its business. In this idea, the Chinese market, with its enormous growth potential, represents an opportunity that Lego is willing to take advantage of with new products.

The redefinition comes hand in hand with an alliance with Chinese technological giant Tencent with which Lego will create games, online videos and a social media network for children in China.

Lego already had presence in the huge country and has been collaborating with education departments, state schools and suppliers of Chinese private educational centers.

“What we are looking for now with Tencent is to find more creative ways to reach children and create personalized content with Tencent, in this case, videogames,” said Jacob Kragh (picture), director of the danish group in China.

To affirm this new direction, Lego will seek to restrict the publication of Lego videos on YouTube and prevent them from reproducing in China, where they will only be available on the Tencent digital channel. In this there will be a Lego video zone, in addition to the development and operation of games licensed by the toy chain.

According to Euromonitor, Lego has a stake in the Chinese toy industry of approximately 3%, followed by Mattel (2%) and Hasbro (1%).

edding will distribute Tombow products Continuing a joint work in the European continent, edding France has just signed a distribution agreement with Tombow. The agreement applies from the beginning of April and will allow the distribution at a national level of the articles manufactured by the Japanese company. edding France and Tombow Europe, based in Germany, have been working together since 2013 and this new agreement helps to complete the edding range with the Tombow references, including adhesives, corrective tapes and other creative and hobby instruments.

The Asian brand will benefit from edding sales and marketing teams in France. “Our product ranges complement each other perfectly,” said Vincent Blanchard (picture), CEO of edding France SAS.

49

enterprises in

movement Bi-silque presented its new collection at the London Stationery Show The Portuguese manufacturer Bi-silque was present this year, for the first time, at the London Stationery Show. With the collection “significant spaces”, the producer showed how products can update personal spaces giving them meaning, style and usefulness. The visitors could also discover the different Bi-Office solutions designed to communicate hospitality, knowledge and information, with blackboards that do not neglect the creativity in the interaction of the clients. On the other hand, it also presented the best boards to support learning.

Bi-silque continues to launch new products that help its resellers grow, addressing the convergence of trends in the domestic and office markets, creating stylish solutions for the end user. “The profile of the consumer for these products is the central office and the mobile worker who wants a product with style for their walls”, communicated the commercial management of Bi-silque.

The success of Faber-Castell is a study case at Harvard It is no coincidence that a business develops successfully for more than two hundred years. If this is controlled by a family, as is the case of FaberCastell, draws even more attention. That’s why it’s a topic of analysis at Harvard University, one of the most prestigious high-class universities in the world.

Ryan Raffaelli (picture), a professor at the Harvard Business School, has become an expert on the subject, which he has researched for several years, including interviews with Anton von Faber-Castell, probably the most important CEO in its history and the one who faced the 50 years of more and greater changes in the history of the company. “This company offers a unique scenario to examine how well-established companies survive the technological upheavals over time,” says Raffaelli, who points out that one of the pillars of the German company’s success is its ability to reinvent itself when it has faced innovations and business models that threatened to displace it. It is thanks to what this professor calls “technological resurgence”, of which Faber-Castell is one of the best examples, that companies are capable of redefining themselves.

Stein’s company has survived by focusing on finding new markets and applications for its main product: the pencil, and at the same time, exploring ways to gradually adopt new technologies and markets. “In today’s world, where technologies can be replaced in months instead of years, a key ingredient of organizational reinvention is the ability to adapt to changing circumstances, abandoning certain capabilities that have defined what we do, but at the same time maintaining the fundamental essence of who we are, “added the academician.

50

Important nomination in Fellowes Beth Wright (picture), who until recently served as commercial director at Bi-silque, has been hired by Fellowes. Wright will join the senior management team of the US manufacturer in July, occupying the newly created role of vice president of strategic growth. In that position, he will be responsible for overseeing the expansion in the professional business channel and will also collaborate with existing teams to identify and implement better opportunities for customers to partner with Fellowes.

“We are delighted to welcome Beth to the Fellowes family. She represents the same values as Fellowes, while embodying the best of a capable, empowered and effective business leader. Beth’s skill sets and personality will synergistically advance our strategic growth plan, while increasing our leadership team and strengthening our future business prospects, “said John Fellowes, CEO of Fellowes Brands.

Wright added: “Fellowes has built a strong base and brand presence in our industry over the years and I am eager to add value and accelerate the company’s growth plans.”

Staples could prevent the merger between Essendant and SP Richards The merger of the wholesalers was, for the industry in general, an accomplished fact. This until Staples entered the race and offered $ 11.5 per share to Essendant and, to make it a difficult offer to refuse, his offer was in cash.

In the first instance, under the agreement that Essendant has with GPC, owner of SP Richards, the disputed company responded that it could not proceed with the offer. The reaction of Staples was to buy 9.9% of Essendant shares for an amount of around 34 million dollars, forcing the distributor to reconsider. GPC, the main affected with this surprising move, raised its offer to $ 12 per share, reaffirming its conviction to provide not only the best offer but also the best projection for the company in dispute.

A purchase of Staples, according to analysts, would have Essendant - oficinas centrales better chances in a possible review of the operation by antitrust authorities. The result, which is difficult to predict, will depend on any offer and additional counter-offer, but ultimately, the Essendant board of directors should recommend a course of action that it considers is best for its shareholders. As things stand, the Essendant board continues to recommend the transaction with GPC, considering Staples’ move as hostile.

51

enterprises in

movement

Amazon’s physical libraries define the future To take a stroll through the future of physical bookstores just take a walk through the stores that Amazon has in the United States. They mix technology with traditional wood environment, excellent location, low density of merchandise and assortment defined with the help of advanced sales analytics and customer valuations.

The stores, on the other hand, offer special prices to members of their Prime service, strengthening their loyalty. Locals do not exaggerate with the number of exhibits displayed - typically around 3,000 - which facilitates a clearer and more efficient visual merchandising. The books can be seen frontally and the space dedicated to separate each of the titles provides an aid in the search of what is sought.

They also have the specific opinions and comments made by other digital clients, which are reproduced individually on the shelves of the store, thus providing genuine help among the readers.

The books are not labeled with retail price at individual level since the members of the Prime service enjoy succulent discounts (25% or more).

The children’s reading segment is deliberately over-dimensioned to provide interaction possibilities that do not exist online.

The Village of Tendence: a live example of how to increase billing The products with special staging are true magnets in the retail establishments. To illustrate this, eight well-known brands will be shown in Tendence, the most important consumer goods fair in Germany, how a business can increase its turnover through the appropriate mix of products.

Brands such as Cedon, Designimdorf, Donkey Products, Gift Company, Good old friends, Nogallery, Paperproducts or Werkhaus, will demonstrate in the Village of Tendence -in pavilion 11- how the design of a point of sale can transform interest in purchase intention. “The Village is made up of eight strong brands, full of ideas and with new collections, which meet in one place. In this way we allow visitors to take a short break from the hustle and bustle of the fair, present our new products and encourage interactive exchange between customers and companies, “explained Tobias Pommerich, marketing director of Paperproducts Design GmbH. Tendence will run from June 30 to July 3, 2018, at the usual Exhibition Center in Frankfurt, Germany.

52

Schneider gets two important prizes The constant innovations, which are developed under the quality standards that characterize the German brand, have led Schneider to obtain different awards in its long history. While all are important, particularly those recently obtained stand out.

In recognition of its career, Schneider received the “Markenpreis der deutschen Standards” award (award for example brands of German standards) and was chosen, therefore, as the “Brand of the century” of the ballpoint pen sector, placing itself within the exclusive group of the strongest brands in Germany.

On the other hand, the brand ambassadors of the famous German Brand Institute, nominated the company Schneider for the “German Brand Award”, where it was the winner in the category “Industry Excellence in Branding - Office & Stationery”.

The jury was composed of independent business experts, the academy of the German Brand Institute and several experts from different consultancies, services and agencies.

Schneider is a leading international brand in writing tools. All its products are characterized by quality, writing comfort and convenience for daily use. The production and development of the products take place exclusively in Germany. In this way, maximum product quality and compliance with the demanding German environmental and social regulations is guaranteed.

Aurelius achieves sales record with Office Depot Europe An auspicious future is presented for Aurelius, the investment group that bought Office Depot Europe last year. According to the figures just published, their sales in that continent would have grown significantly.

The group’s turnover increased by 100% in the year following the purchase of the chain and in 2017 revenues reached 4,000 million euros. This occurs for the first time in the history of this group. Aurelius acquired Office Depot’s European operations in early 2017. The company recently announced that its change strategy for Office Depot will include cost reduction and the expansion of electronic commerce.

Office Depot has subsidiaries in Germany, Austria, Belgium, Slovakia, Spain, France, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, Sweden and Switzerland.

53

54

ACCO balances its performance With a balanced performance in the first quarter, ACCO reaffirms its international presence boosted by the behavior of Pelikan Artline and Esselte, its latest acquisitions.

Not long ago, a decline in sales and a drop in operating profits in North America would had meant a poor result.

This time, however, although sales for the entire company fell by 4%, ACCO managed to increase the adjusted operating profit by almost 30%.

This was largely due to the positive impacts of the Esselte acquisition: the UK market experienced doubledigit growth and seems to be enjoying a new momentum under the inherited management of the acquired company.

Additionally, the Kensington brand benefits from the distribution network of Esselte in continental Europe and increased 20% year-on-year in the quarter.

The performance of the international division of ACCO was described as “mixed” by the general manager, Boris Elisman. Australia is still being affected by some integration problems of Pelikan Artline and Mexico recorded a surprise drop in sales, possibly due to the accumulation of inventories in the channel during the fourth quarter. Brazil, on the other hand, continues to produce good results. Sales and profits increased during the quarter after a solid school season. The North American division of ACCO continues to be affected by inventory reductions in its wholesale and retail customers. These decreases so far are not offset by the increases derived from electronic commerce.

Office Depot launches cloud services platform for small businesses Office Depot launched BizBox, a new service platform that provides small businesses with access to the basic services needed to start and grow their businesses.

The cost of the services starts in $99 per month and includes everything from inventory control to website design, through a series of marketing and customer control tools.

The new platform is the result of the acquisition of CompuCom Systems

by Office Depot and is an important part of the company’s strategic transformation from a traditional office products retailer to a broader business services platform.

“Office Depot has been a partner and resource for small business owners since 1986. We have the ability to reach nine million small business customers through our contact points throughout the country. Linking this deep experience with CompuCom’s world-class IT services will help solve customer problems in a way that few are doing now, “said Gerry Smith (picture), CEO of Office Depot, Inc. “The BizBox platform is an essential element of our commitment to innovation. We are full of energy to expand a business ecosystem of services, products and technology that is based on our legacy of helping small business owners succeed in a modern economy”, he added.

55

enterprises in

movement

Pilot: Writes less but with better writing instruments As reported by different researches, the tendency in the developed world is to write less. Large manufacturers have published sales figures that demonstrate this direction of the industry.

This decrease is justified with the increasingly frequent use of electronic devices, a fact that cannot stop worrying an industry that moves more than 8,000 million dollars each year. Companies like Pilot recognize the phenomenon but they make a very important precision: the trend basically affects the economic writing instruments. For this reason, the manufacturer reinforces its presence in specialized stores, building a solid brand positioning.

“Pilot in general does not decay because in many countries it is an aspirational brand. What drops are the sales of cheaper pens. But, even so, we do not see possible that the industry disappears, because there will even be other trends and the high range will remain. It’s about writing less, but writing well, “said Hugo Quishpe (picture), CEO of Pilot for Colombia.

The Pilot proposal is optimistic and even plans to surpass BIC in five years globally. In Colombia in particular, the Japanese brand intends to sell 3,000 million pesos in pens this year. “Pilot’s experience in South America is very good. We had three important markets that were Brazil, Peru and Chile and we wanted to replicate that experience in Colombia. In 2007 we entered the market as representatives of the brand, after two companies commercialized it in the 90s but, with some problems and without much success, “Quishpe added.

edding receives a prize for the best product In the last celebration of the London Stationery Show, edding won the award for the best new product. The distinction was obtained by its Color Happy Big Box set in the Arts and Crafts category. The award-winning product was widely praised for its features and innovative design. In the exhibition, one of the most important in Europe, edding worked with Hahnemuhle in its creative handlettering workshops. They showed the characteristics and benefits of Color Happy, both to distributors and artists.

“We are delighted to have won this coveted award, it is a testament to the great work and fantastic dedication that everyone involved in edding has put into developing and bringing this product to market. It’s great to see industry that experts gathered in the judging panel recognized that effort, “said Andy Gutteridge, marketing director and Strategy at edding UK.

56

Rewritable notebooks for nature lovers The producer Edutainment Publishers - based in Hyderabad, India offers Paper Mill, a notebook that can be erased and rewritten.

This alternative, being reusable, contributes to using fewer trees in the production of notebooks. As if this were not enough argument, the brand produces all its notebooks with recycled paper, based on an innovative initiative of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur. The offer includes simple notebooks, redaction notebooks, combined notebooks and drawing books.

In order to use these notebooks you should use a gel pen or sketch pen but not conventional pens. When using this type of inks it can be erased only by rubbing with a damp cloth. The pages are thick, resistant and can also be written and rewritten on the covers. In addition, and it is an interesting advantage, all the notebooks are completely waterproof.

The response in terms of sales has been very good, although the notebooks were made available to the public just a few months ago.

“We sell these notebooks at events that promote initiatives that are environment friendly. But most importantly, the notebooks are available at Amazon and Flipkart” said Sumanth B, managing partner of the publisher. Completing its offer of rewritable products, the company will put on sale in the first half of this year its first digital notebook; it will have 40 pages and will be connected to Google Drive.

Pelikan: 180 years of successful global presence With almost two centuries of life - it was founded in 1838 - Pelikan is within that select group of brands that it is enough just to name them to evoke products that have generated a deep satisfaction in users of all ages.

It was Carl Hornemann, a German chemist, who conceived the dream that would become the brand of the pelican. Today, the name of Pelikan crosses geographies, languages, nations, personalities, dreams and generations and constitutes an example of quality and commitment in the countries where it has presence.

“Having a solid base of values, tradition and pride has been and will continue to be the essence of the 180-year Pelikan,” said Claudio Esteban Seleguan (picture), CEO of the Pelikan Group.

“We are a socially responsible company for an endless number of activities carried out systematically. We have been certified under ISO 9001 quality standards and ISO 4001 environmental management”, he added.

Nowadays more than 12,000 Pelikan goods with their Pelikan, Herlitz, Susy Card and Geha brands are present worldwide through their subsidiaries and representatives in Germany, Argentina, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Hungary, Czech Republic , Slovakia, Bulgaria, Romania, United Arab Emirates, Japan, Taiwan, Malaysia, Mexico, Colombia and Poland, these last three countries have production centers with around 1,500 employees, of which 450 are from Pelikan Mexico.

57

enterprises in

movement Paperworld announces important changes for 2019

Paperworld 2019 will sharpen its focus on innovative office and stationery trends with a new concept of exhibition spaces.

Facilitating the tour, Hall 3.1 will become a comprehensive stationery platform in 2019. This means that visitors will find products for the stationery trade all together in the same exhibition hall. In the same line, the Remanexpo product group, with consumables and OEM components and printers, as well as hardware, software and remanufactured printer materials, moves from Hall 6.0 to Hall 5.1 in 2019 and will be at the Via Mobile level. Therefore, it will be directly linked to the main flow of visitors at the fair and will be easily accessible to visitors.

Hall 3.0 will continue to focus in office supplies, furniture and office equipment, presentation and organizational assistance, calendars, notebooks, paper, coating materials, work equipment and promotional items.

Hall 4.0 will be occupied by writing and drawing tools. This provision will show writing and drawing articles designed primarily for young people and will complement school supplies such as backpacks, pencil cases, exercise books, blocks, folders and licenses.

The international supply (office and stationery) for bulk buyers remains in pavilions 1.1, 1.2 and Forum 0. This segment grew in 2018 so it will reoccupy Forum 0 in 2019.

“Paperworld has a successful approach with a concept for its exhibition areas and transparent product layout. Now, we aim to build on this and create more space for new exhibitors. At the same time, restructuring opens up new perspectives that are decisive for new ideas and result in valuable business contacts, “said Michael Reichhold (picture), director of Paperworld.

New leader of exports in Pēbēo Pebeo, the French manufacturer of products for fine arts and creative leisure, named Pedro Gálvez (picture), as its new commercial manager for Latin America. This executive with more than 20 years in the field of school and office products, came as CEO of Canson Chile, to later perform the general direction of the subsidiary of Pebeo in the same country since 2015.

Gálvez replaces Alain Andreu, a direct friend of this Magazine and remembered in the Region for his successful career of more than 3 decades, in which he sowed markets and cultivated affections.

“This important challenge for my professional career - explained Pedro Gálvez - implies strengthening the Pebeo brand in a very competitive market with a great future for growth in the categories we lead” The French firm, which is preparing to celebrate next year’s first century of existence, is led by Jacques Joly, who with extensive experience in the international market of plastic arts, aims to accelerate the penetration of the brand abroad and especially in Latin America.

58

“Rich & Smooth Colours”

• Vibrant colour palette.

• Provides unlimited fun and excitement.

• High quality colours ensure smooth and easy application.

• Use colours any way – individually or mixed together with a brush or a sponge to create your own unique look.

Wanted DISTRIBUTORS / IMPORTERS

Hindustan Pencils Pvt. Ltd., India, 510, Himalaya House, Mumbai- 400 001 www.hindustanpencils.com

NEW PROFESSIONAL TRODAT™ 4.0. STRONGER. CLEANER. FASTER.

MORE ERGONOMIC The smart combination of polished stainless steel and high quality makes the new Trodat Professional 4.0 a featherweight among metal stamps. The strong metal construction provides the highest stability and resistance. At the same time it convinces with its reduced size and with the most limited weight possible.

This way, frequent stamping is an easy task that does not require any effort.

CREATING ORIGINALS

PROFESSIONAL™ 4.0 www.professional.trodat.net