A hotspot in Upper Bavaria: the Gmund Paper Mill

The idyllic town of Gmund is not only an attractive tourist destination: Its name is also globally synonymous with the renowned paper mill in the Mangfall Valley. The Mangfall river flows past the company’s premises and through its midst as a source of hydropower. The bucolic location and the burbling sound of the water almost make you feel as though you had stepped out of time. The factory building too has a rustic Bavarian atmosphere and feels as though it were somehow enchanted. Paper has been produced here since 1829, but nothing at the site is out-of-date. Visitors who cross the threshold enter a modern industrial plant with several production halls and multiple storeys. The company obviously places just as much importance on sustainability and ecology as on the aesthetics and sophistication of its products.

Florian Kohler, who heads the family business in the fourth generation, is a slender man with a quick stride and a firm handshake. His office’s furnishings include a small, antique cabinet with framed family pictures and a modern conference table. “As the location of our headquarters, the town of Gmund is also in our DNA”, Kohler explains. “Our 130 employees live the mill’s uncompromising quality and service standards every day – to make our global customers even more successful!” In the 19th century, the company’s predecessor was a purveyor to the Bavarian royal court. Now the mill continues to supply today’s biggest names, which include BMW, Microsoft and adidas. But that’s not all: Medium-sized companies likewise appreciate the value of paper and use it to specifically convey their messages. “Gmund papers can be used to communicate very differentiated meanings. Paper evokes many associations that brands can use skilfully”, explains Axel Schreiner, Global Sales Director at Gmund Paper Mill. Schreiner relies on logical reasoning to promote sales: “Customers who opt for our papers gain added value and can use our expertise to position their products more successfully on the market.”

In just a few years’ time, Gmund Paper Mill’s design collections have conquered the global market for high-quality print communication, exclusive packaging, brochures and annual reports. 75 per cent of Gmund’s papers are exported. In addition to Europe, the principal sales markets are Asia, the USA and the Middle East.

Gmund Paper Mill also won over its customer BMW with the fact that Gmund’s generate own turbines half of the electrical energy needed for paper production. This fits in with the climate-friendly image of BMW’s new automobile. Ecological thinking and sustainable manufacturing are top priorities at Gmund. Florian Kohler knows what a fantastic environment the mill is located in and he does everything he can to preserve it: “We feel deep affection for our homeland and we are proud of our location, so we naturally act with keen environmental awareness.” Gmund Paper Mill is more strongly committed to environmental protection than any other competitor in the paper industry. And Gmund’s ecological commitment is recognised worldwide. Only in Gmund is the process water treated with the help of ozone and without chemicals so it can be returned to the production process up to seven times. Waste is collected separately and sent for recycling. The company’s own facilities generate up to 75 per cent of the required electricity via hydropower, solar energy, and combined heat and power – entirely CO2-free. And, of course, all of Gmund’s papers are FSC® certified.

Gmund Paper Mill is much more than just a paper factory. Gmund not only helps big brands to gain a competitive edge, but has developed behind the scenes into a so-called “love brand” and has long since entered the stage as a big brand in its own right. The mill is synonymous with design expertise. Fans from around the globe follow and like the brand on social media channels. And anyone who has the chance to take a look at the production halls on Lake Tegernsee will be amazed by the modern high-tech facilities and marvel at the many colourful rolls of paper in the warehouse. Customers who use Gmund papers have something to say. The logo alone conveys quality and value. “We are consistently committed to ongoing innovation”, says Marketing Director Gabriele Bellendorf. She and her team meticulously burnish Gmund Paper Mill’s public image. Here, too, the company’s values are put into practice and the motto is: Don’t Stand Still! “We at Gmund drive in the fast lane. It’s okay to take a quick glance at the rear-view mirror, but it’s far more important to keep moving forward”, says Kohler, emphasising the company’s philosophy.

With a nearly inexhaustible range of potential combinations of colour, texture, material and finishing, Gmund Paper Mill offers a mind-boggling total of 110,000 paper variants. One or two new collections are added every year, collaboratively developed by the company’s head and its laboratory, marketing and sales teams. The crew is small, but does plenty of travelling. “Our innovations repeatedly surprise the paper industry. We set ourselves the challenge of making the impossible possible. Through years of research and complex manufacturing processes, we create perfect design papers from natural materials that are typically considered impossible to process. Our inspirations come from nature and travel”, Florian Kohler says. Gmund customises its papers to meet special requirements such as an unusual colour, an uncommon weight or a unique texture. Many brand professionals come to Lake Tegernsee to seek advice from our paper and colour experts. “We serve as sparring partners for our customers. We work together with them to develop customised solutions for sustainable and, above all, individual brand presentations. An unconventional paper often provides the decisive differentiating feature and triggers a buying impulse”, Kohler explains.
Many customers accordingly depart from Gmund with future bestsellers tucked into their briefcases. The wealth of input continues to reverberate when they step out the door and return to the tranquil surroundings of the Bavarian Oberland with its carved balconies, gabled roofs and tinkling cowbells. While inside the walls of our modern paper factory, they had almost forgotten where they actually are.