The "NAPM" is born

Paper merchanting associations opened up in Manchester, Birmingham, Leicester, Bradford and Nottingham after the Great War ended in 1918 – all playing their own role in the protection of the interests of the merchants in their territories. However it was not long before thoughts turned to a national association. Much of the work that the separate associations were doing would benefit merchants countrywide so locating the head office in the centre of London was no great surprise.

For many years the main paper merchant houses operating in the south east sited their head offices in and around Upper Thames Street where paper mill sales representatives could easily walk from one merchant to another, plying their trade. There were two major reasons for establishing a national association, one was the ever-widening scope of the paper and board industry, both in terms of supply and demand, which had developed since the turn of the 20^th century. The other was the expected huge political and economic changes which would occur following the end of the war with which only a national association could hope to deal with.

In 1920 the new association named the “National Association of Wholesale Stationers and Paper Merchants” quickly got down to business and early reports of its “National Council” show that it dealt with a wide variety of important issues including paper trade customs, insurance schemes, terms of trading, postal and telephone charges, railway carriage rates, imports from Sweden and Norway and negotiations with the mills and other organisations. The World’s Paper Trade Review dated 26^th March 1920 let it be known that the new association had been recently formed.  

Unfortunately the boom that followed after the end of the First World War ended before the fledgling association had really found its feet and inevitably there were setbacks. However during 1923 to 1924 a fresh start was made to build a lasting structure which has survived many a crisis including the disastrous recession of the 1920’s, the Second World War and the abolition of price agreements.

Up to the early 1930’s much of the association’s work was undertaken by one central committee but it became clear that this was inadequate to meet the needs of the many different interests now making up the association so the central committee gave way to a number of sections empowered to look after a particular segment of the trade.

Another highlight of the 1920’s was the part played by the association in the work leading up to the Safeguarding of Industries Act and the government’s investigation into imports. As membership expanded steady progress was made and membership was then widened to include all merchants of paper and board which consequently led to a name change in 1933 to the “National Association of Paper Merchants”.

Timeline

1903 - Formation of The Association of Wholesale Stationers in London

1906 - First Paper Trade Customs signed by the Association and the paper makers Association

1918 - Formation of associations of wholesale stationers in Manchester, Birmingham, Leicester and Bradford

1919- Formation of an association of wholesale stationers in Nottingham

1920 - Formation of The National Association of Wholesale Stationers and Paper Merchants

1924 - Association moves from 31 Lombard Street to 11 King's Bench Walk, Temple EC4

1933 - Name changed to The National Association of Paper Merchants

1936 - Kraft paper Price Agreement signed

1940 - In July the Association moves to 5 Chancery Lane, WC2 and in September the offices suffered bomb damage

1945 - Association moves to 27 Chancery Lane, WC2

1946 - A new constitution adopted based on areas and trade sections

1947 - White and Tinited Box Enamel Price Agreements come into effect

1950 - All paper licence applications and government control abolished which came into effect during the war

1952 - Featherweight Paper Price Agreement signed

1953 - In March Woodfree Paper Agreement comes into effect but in May the Monopolies Commission asks the association for information on price agreements

1955 - NAPM paper merchanting text book published for the first time

1956 - Decision taken for UK to adopt ISO A series of writing and printing paper

1962 - C. J. Thorne retires as Director after 41 years of service

1963 - Price arrangements maintenance abolished under Restrictive Trade Practices Act

1964 - Association moves to 35 New Bridge Street

1967 - Constitution changed to accommodate four divisions - Printings & Writings, Boards, Packaging and Fancy Flint & Enamel

1968 - NAPM holds first meeting with Paper Agents association

1986 - Association moves to 3 Plough Place, Fetter Lane

1988 - Association moves to 8 Leicester Square

1990 - Association moves to Chertsey and launches its Recycled Mark

2004 - NAPM leavers Chertsey and re-locates in Nottingham

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