26 May 2023

APRIL Group’s flagship brand PaperOne™ interviews our valued partners to learn more about their industry insights into the pulp and paper business.

Continuing the Legacy of a Century-old Business

Delivering outstanding solutions since 1912, Korab International has been in the pulp and paper industry for more than 100 years! And Ms Beti Barokas, Head of Purchase and Sales Operations, has been with the company for a quarter of that time. In this May feature, Ms Barokas sheds light on what has kept the partnership between APRIL Group and Korab International going strong even after 18 years.

Nice to meet you, Ms Barokas. Could you share with us what Korab International does?

We are a 111-year-old trading house in paper and pulp, headquartered in Sweden. Korab International operates worldwide, with offices across Vancouver, Washington, and more. While our Swedish counterpart trades internationally to more than 20 countries, our Istanbul office retails all kinds of paper products to the Turkish market, from softwood and hardwood pulp, fluff pulp to fine paper, specialty paper, and folding box board. The list goes on.

We heard you’ve been working here for 24 years! That’s amazing. What do you enjoy most about your work?

Being responsible for Purchase and Sales Operations means I have to work with cross-functional teams to develop goals and optimise the sales process. Given how dynamic the paper and pulp industry is, this requires us to stay nimble and adaptable as we evolve according to the times. Along with the fact that I get to interact with people at work, this is what I love most about my job—the contributions that I can make, and the challenges that come with it. Every day presents new challenges that, once overcome, go toward strengthening the business’ reputation.

We’re still trying to wrap our heads around Korab International’s 100-year legacy! Has PaperOne helped to uphold this reputation in any way?

Definitely. This is why we’ve been in partnership with APRIL Group for the past 18 years. The organisation’s care for the environment, dedication to community education, and ambition for investment and growth, have been the perfect match for Korab’s professional goals, financial abilities, market knowledge, as well as our vision for the industry. Furthermore, we are very impressed with its flagship paper brand’s products, customer service, and partner engagement initiatives. Thank you PaperOne for organising events like the annual sales channels meetings, informative presentations, and enriching programmes for us partners!

Which PaperOne products do you sell?

In cut-size, we purchase PaperOne All Purpose and PaperOne Copier. In offset, we purchase Premium Print Offset.

Do you also use any PaperOne products in your business?

Yes. Apart from everyday office printing, we also use PaperOne paper for printing manuals. The high whiteness, high thickness, and sharp images with no smudges make it a premium product that we’re proud to associate with.

Finally, we are curious to hear your thoughts on the future of the paper and pulp industry…

I believe that diversifying the product portfolio to include products related to packaging, specialty products, and more, is essential in the way forward. As such, collaboration is key. It’s all about finding the right partners as a productive collaboration requires common visions, targets, and principles. That is why we really appreciate and are aligned with APRIL Group’s and PaperOne’s continuous commitment to innovation and sustainability.

Thank you for sharing your time with us, Ms Barokas. We are glad to be a part of your company’s 100-year-old legacy. Here’s to many more successful years of partnership between PaperOne and Korab International.