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Sustainable solutions
One of Europe’s largest paper plate producers
Sustainability is part of Mini-Maid’s business and growth.
Silja Eisto, photo: Jussi Hellsten
F rom the first day on, growth and international- isation have been part of the operations of Mi- ni-Maid, a family-owned paper plate producer. During nearly 40 years of operation, the company has systematically pursued growth, and it now has custom- ers in just about every European country. According to CEO Mikael Grahn , the company’s sec- ond-generation entrepreneur, Mini-Maid aims to be Eu- rope’s leading private label producer. Paying attention to sustainability is part of this goal. Established in 1986, the Finnish family-owned busi- ness specialises in the production of private-label prod- ucts. Today, the facilities in Teerijärvi in Northern Os- trobothnia produce nearly 6,000,000 paper plates daily. They are tailored to retailers’ requirements, and proper- ties such as packaging size, labels and plate size are al- ways customer-specific. The market has offered plenty of growth potential, and demand has been quite stable throughout the company’s history. Despite the current uncertainty in Europe, Grahn sees growth in the future. “It looks as if chain stores want to promote their own brands. The private-label sector is increasing.” What do customers want? Sustainability and related regulation are developing quickly in Europe. Sustainability is also part of Mi- ni-Maid’s operations and is reflected in the company’s international customer base. According to Grahn, there is no doubt about the importance of sustainability, but many country-specific differences still exist in meth- ods and requirements. Grahn lists the Nordic coun- tries, Germany and France as examples of countries that
have made good progress in sustainability. Some customers specifically want products produced in Europe. The traceability of raw material is also an important consideration. However, for other customers, price is still the determining factor. “We now face a challenge especially from Asian paperboard, which is used widely in Turkey, for example. Nevertheless, we be- lieve that the new EU requirements will work in our favour,” Grahn says. The importance of certificates also differs, depending on the market. Mini-Maid’s op- erations are certified in accordance with the ISO 9001 quality management standard and the BRC global standard for food safety. Grahn also mentions PEFC and FSC® certifi- cation and the Swan label, both of which are required in the Nordic countries. “At the moment, recyclability appears to be more important than compostability. These things change – and quite quickly at that.” Amid changes, Mini-Maid aims for open- ness: “We tell our customers about new re-
Mini-Maid aims to be Europe's leading private label paper plate producer.
quirements, what our raw materials represent, and what we are doing to promote sustainability. One such thing is the fact that our plates no longer contain any plastic.” Partnerships support growth Mini-Maid produces its products from fresh fibre that meets the food safety criteria for food packaging. “We can also indicate the source of our raw material, as we purchase it from Nordic providers.”
Mini-Maid has been cooperating with Metsä Board since the 1990s. Grahn says that the Husum mill’s pa- perboard suitable for food packaging has been espe- cially important for the company in recent years. In Grahn’s opinion, excellent product quality is one of Metsä Board’s strengths. From a converter’s perspec-
tive, it is important that the quality and price of the supplier’s products are balanced. Reliable deliveries and good communication are other important aspects. “In addition to sales, we can talk to many other par- ties in the organisation. Metsä Board has done well in this respect.” •
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