Network partner H&H Reeds has announced a new partnership with paper manufacturer James Cropper to directly supply Cumbrian businesses with paper products with in-built antiviral protection.

With support from Cumbria Tourism, H&H Reeds today announces an important new partnership with specialist papermaker James Cropper, who are to supply them with their unique PaperGard™ paper with antiviral protection. Offering enormous benefit to a wide range of businesses, this innovative example of Cumbrian business collaboration will provide protection on the surface of paper: a new and highly effective solution to meet the needs of a Covid-19 environment.

Together with a heritage of more than 300 years, this partnership creates synergies between James Cropper’s paper manufacturing and H&H Reeds printing operation. In doing so, Cumbrian businesses will be offered an important means of overcoming the growth and proliferation of bacteria and enveloped viruses on porous paper surfaces. Suitable for a wide range of uses, this porcelain white, uncoated paper with PaperGard protection is available in 100, 250 and 350 gms, with H&H Reeds now able to exclusively offer their customers an ability to print and brand directly on to this.

Given that restaurants, hotels, cafes, and pubs have their eyes on reopening, providing a safe alternative and more efficient solution to wiping down menus looks like an attractive option. It is anticipated that the use of this innovative self-sanitising paper will be in high demand as the country prepares to return to some degree of normality. It is set to become a profoundly important resource for establishments requiring multi-use paper – from the hospitality sector to care homes, doctors’ surgeries, or schools, for example.

Commenting on what this will mean to tourism and hospitality businesses across Cumbria Gill Haigh, Managing Director of Cumbrian Tourism, said:

“This collaboration will be of enormous benefit to so many businesses across our region, helping to provide much needed reassurance to customers. Obviously, it has been an incredibly difficult year for hospitality and tourism. As such, innovative partnerships such as this are most welcomed, which can really help enable these industries to pick themselves back up again and begin to thrive once more.”

Jonathan Nagle, Business Development Manager for H&H Reeds, commented on the new business relationship: “For H&H Reeds, having a direct supply of PaperGard paper from James Cropper, is a unique opportunity to provide local businesses with branded solutions that have in-built antiviral and antibacterial protection. Given the context of Covid-19, we are thrilled to be working with another Cumbrian business to support the local economy. This partnership creates synergies between 2 leading local companies and speaks to the potential for collaborations.

“For us, this exclusive arrangement means that we can directly provide local businesses with products at a non-prohibitive price point. For industries like hospitality and tourism, this means they can make their working environments more Covid secure without extortionate investment, while reducing microbial loads on surfaces that are commonly touched by their customers.”

“To support customers further we will provide digital branding to certify their use of James Cropper’s PaperGard protected paper, and stickers for point of sale.  This we believe will help them reassure their customers and regain confidence”

As lockdown restrictions are pulled back in time for summer, many consumers will be looking to be assured that anything they come into contact with is as safe as possible. PaperGard utilises technology that is built into the paper during manufacture, without affecting its appearance, which means that high touch areas like: menus, logbooks, stationery, hotel registers and more could be set to benefit.

Speaking about the advances in paper innovation, Richard Bracewell, Marketing Director from James Cropper said:

“Our PaperGard technology addresses the increased demand for hygienic surfaces. The silver ions present within the paper continually work to prevent the growth of the micro-organisms, effectively controlling surface contamination for the lifetime of the paper. In independent testing, PaperGard has been proven to be effective at reducing the presence of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, on the surface of paper. The viability of the viral strain is reduced by over 95% in only 15 minutes, and by 99.9% within 2 hours, thereby reducing the risk of surface transmission of the Covid-19 virus. We are delighted to be working directly with H&H Reeds, to help support Cumbrian businesses throughout the region with their printing requirements, by providing a paper with enhanced anti-viral protection.