How Blake Continues to Innovate the Paper Products Industry

This month as part of our brand spotlight series, we’re going to be taking a look at Blake and how they continue to dominate the paper products industry.

Did you know that Blake was born from a room in an attic? Today, Blake produces over 2 billion paper products every year and is still proud of its humble, intergenerational beginnings. Recently, they have just celebrated their 25th birthday, so we thought it would be an ideal moment to shine the spotlight on them.

As part of our monthly brand spotlight series where we look at the companies shaping the future of the office stationery industry, today we are looking at Blake, their history, values and legacy within the paper world. Read on to find out more about Blake, and how they continue to shape the paper industry with envelopes, packaging and colourful, environmentally conscious paper products.

A Short History of Blake Envelopes

Blake initially began as a waste paper business, started by a man called Tom in 1967 back when recycling wasn’t as cool as it is today. He realised how the world was changing and saw the potential for a waste paper business. This was traded as Clarence Paper in 1973 and laid the groundwork for what would go on to become Blake. Tim, Tom’s son grew up watching his Dad work and saw an opportunity to grow the business. He saw the world’s new demand for high quality paper, borrowed some money and started to sell.

The business grew and grew and Michael, Tim’s son, watched his Dad’s success and once he had his driver’s licence, hand delivered paper orders to customers. The foundations of Blake’s core values: choice, flexibility, service, and new ideas were formed then and are what still drives the company today.

Later on, Michael bought a container full of envelopes on a whim and was determined to expand the business in new directions. Blake as we know it today officially launched in 2000 and was named after Michael’s son, Blake. Michael radically changed the traditional envelope to include choice and creativity as well as maintaining the popularity of the brightest white, eco-friendly envelopes.

Today, Blake has over 14,000 products, and 400 are completely original. 1 in every 8 envelopes used in the UK is Blake - which is a testament to how successful this family-run, generational enterprise really is.

The Vision Behind Blake

Blake is a family-run business with generations of history of innovation, creativity and leadership. Since their conception in 2000, at the dawn of a new century, they have prioritised choice, flexibility, service and always, new ideas. Taking the traditional envelope, Blake has transformed it into every new generation with their range of colours, formats and now, eco-friendly options.

The brightest white envelopes will always be there, alongside an array of bold, bright colours which help people to express themselves and stand out from the crowd. Blake is always innovating and bringing out new paper products to shape the next generation and meet the demands of sustainable business across the world.

Not Just Blake Envelopes

Today, Blake is known for reliable, bold, high quality envelopes available in a huge range of sizes - but this is just the tip of the iceberg. With a huge range of paper products under their belt, Blake is making a serious impact on the industry. From kraft mailing bags, boxes, high protection wraps and even bespoke packaging - Blake is making a real difference in the paper packaging industry.

As well as having an extensive range to choose from, Blake even has a plastic-free range that includes Eco Padded Mailers as part of the VITA™ range and lots more. From miniature envelopes to classic A4 sizes available in every colour of the rainbow, Blake is continuing to redefine the traditional envelope to make sure it’s fit for the modern world and the new generations to come.

Influence on the Office Stationery Industry

It’s hard to put into words just how much influence Blake has had on the office stationery industry. To say they are leaders in paper products is an understatement, but they continue to be the number one choice brand for multinational companies like ASOS and Victoria Beckham all the way to the stationery lover at home who still loves to send their loved ones a special handwritten note on their birthday.

From humble beginnings to decades of experience creating bold, innovative paper products that take the world by storm, it’s safe to say that Blake’s influence is enormous, and will continue to be important in the future as sustainability becomes the new norm but paper is here to stay.

Loved Throughout the World

Creative expression meets sustainability - blended with unique, innovative products that redefine the traditional paper products industry. That’s where Blake sits. Loved by huge multinational companies, right down to the everyday customer who still has an appreciation for stationery, Blake is loved throughout the world.

Blake is one of the UK’s largest suppliers of envelopes and postal packaging, with 1,500 products across various categories. But they are truly global too - as Blake distributes to over 45 countries worldwide. Despite the threat of the shrinking envelope market, Blake has continued to innovate and launch new products such as their packaging range - which have been hugely successful. It’s safe to say they are very much here to stay.

Explore our wide range of Blake Envelopes and packing materials today. If there is a Blake product you cannot find, please get in touch with our team who will be more than happy to help.