Reflex Premium Papier

Reflex Premium Papier is a German specialty paper manufacturer based in Birkesdorf, a district of Düren in North Rhine-Westphalia. The mill traces its origins to 1857, when Felix Heinrich Schoeller received a concession to convert a rolling mill acquired from the Hoesch family into a paper factory. Located on the Rur river, whose soft water is prized for papermaking, the operation grew into a significant producer of high-quality writing and specialty papers. For much of the 20th century it was owned by the Schoeller family, then acquired by the Zanders family of Bergisch Gladbach in 1965. Through Zanders' parent company Gohrsmühle, the Reflex mill became part of the Finnish paper group M-real in 2001, operating as M-real Zanders GmbH Reflex. In early 2012 the Düren mill was sold to Hahnemühle FineArt GmbH, which aimed to become one of Europe's leading premium paper manufacturers. After Hahnemühle's own insolvency in July 2013, the business was taken over on 1 February 2015 by a family consortium together with the paper processor May+Spies, and it continues as Reflex GmbH & Co. KG. Today Reflex focuses on premium, scented, transparent, technical, and label papers, alongside a broad portfolio of artist and design papers. Its product range includes watercolour papers such as Da Capo (classic, 100% cotton, and 100% recycled), drawing papers like Durex and Drawing, mixed-media grades Fine Felt and Grain C, illustration boards such as Art Board and Bristol, and specialty surfaces including Acrylic, Oil, Torchon, and Sketching. For corporate communication and packaging, Reflex offers recycled design paper Coffee, translucent Ibo, elegant Melo, robust Efalin cover material, and natural label paper Trevi. The Zeta line is presented as a paper story, reflecting the brand's emphasis on creative and tactile qualities. The company operates four paper machines with an annual capacity of around 25,000 tonnes of specialty papers. Its website serves as a product finder and brand showcase, organised into categories such as Art and Corporate Communication. Reflex markets its papers to artists, designers, printers, and industrial converters, with sales across Germany, Europe, and worldwide markets. The brand's positioning rests on German papermaking heritage, premium quality, and a wide choice of textures and finishes for both traditional and digital printing techniques.

The Reflex paper mill was established in Birkesdorf, near Düren, on the Rur river. On 30 October 1857, Felix Heinrich Schoeller (1821–1893) received the concession to convert a rolling mill acquired from the Hoesch family into a paper factory. The site's soft river water was well suited to papermaking. Ten years later Schoeller added a pulp mill, which was at times managed by his son Felix Hermann Maria Schoeller and operated together with the main works as an open trading company (Offene Handelsgesellschaft). After Felix Heinrich Schoeller's death, his sons Guido (1850–1898) and Heinrich (1851–1924) took over, followed by Heinrich's sons Alfred (1879–1963) and Herbert (1885–1956), and later by Manfred Schoeller. Before the Second World War, the mill was the only one in the Düren area that produced its own cellulose for high-quality writing paper and similar products. Afterwards it specialised in specialty papers, including premium and digital imaging papers as well as carbonless copy papers (SD). On 1 January 1965, the Zanders family under Johann Wilhelm Zanders of Bergisch Gladbach purchased the Reflex paper factory in Düren from the Schoeller family. Over the years the plant was continually expanded, and through the parent Zanders Gohrsmühle operation in Bergisch Gladbach the company came under the Finnish paper manufacturer M-real in 2001. As M-real Zanders GmbH Reflex, the Düren mill was a branch of M-real Zanders GmbH, headquartered in Bergisch Gladbach, until the end of 2011. Around the turn of the millennium the business fell into the red, and the workforce was reduced from about 750 to 470 employees by October 2007. Annual sales in 2006 were around EUR 150 million. In 2010 Metsä Tissue, which also operates the Hochkoppelmühle in Untermaubach, bought paper machine 5 along with associated buildings and the power plant; the machine, previously used for fine papers, was converted at a cost of EUR 30 million to produce baking and cooking papers. Metsä Tissue holds about 20,000 tonnes of the roughly 50,000-tonne annual European market volume for such papers. According to reports in the Bergische Landeszeitung, Dürener Zeitung, and Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger of 14 January 2012, M-real Zanders sold the Düren Reflex mill to Hahnemühle FineArt GmbH. With the acquisition, the Hahnemühle group aimed to become one of the leading premium paper manufacturers in Europe with worldwide sales markets, and invested a seven-figure sum in restructuring. Nevertheless, the company had to file for insolvency in July 2013. On 1 February 2015, the operation was taken over out of insolvency by a family consortium and the paper processor May+Spies. Since the Hahnemühle takeover in early 2012, the focus has been on premium, scented, transparent, technical, and label papers. Today the mill runs four paper machines producing around 25,000 tonnes of specialty papers annually.

• 2015

  A family consortium and May+Spies take over the operation on 1 February.

• 2013

  The company files for insolvency in July.

• 2012

  Hahnemühle FineArt GmbH acquires the Düren Reflex mill from M-real Zanders.

• 2010

  Metsä Tissue buys paper machine 5 and converts it for baking and cooking paper production.

• 2007

  Workforce reduced to 470 employees (as of October 2007).

• 2006

  Annual sales reach around EUR 150 million.

• 2001

  Through Zanders Gohrsmühle, the company becomes part of Finnish paper manufacturer M-real.

• 1965

  Zanders family purchases the Reflex paper factory from the Schoeller family.

• 1867

  Schoeller establishes a pulp mill alongside the paper factory.

• 1857

  Felix Heinrich Schoeller receives concession to convert a rolling mill into a paper factory in Birkesdorf.

Premium German specialty paper brand for artists, designers, and industrial applications, emphasising heritage, tactile quality, and a broad range of surfaces.

• Da Capo

  Classic watercolour paper, also available in 100% cotton and 100% recycled versions.

• Durex

  Drawing paper marketed as the number one drawing paper.

• Zeta

  Paper line presented as 'The paper story'.

• Coffee

  Recycled design paper.

• Gohrsmühle

  Premium and elegant paper.

• Ibo

  Translucent creative paper.

• Melo

  Elegant creative paper.

• Efalin

  Robust cover material.

• Trevi

  Natural label paper.

• Fine Felt

  Fine-structured mixed media paper for wet and dry techniques.

• Grain C

  Grainy mixed media paper for wet and dry techniques.

• Acrylic

  Rough art board for acrylic painting.

• Oil

  Linen-surface paper for oil paints.

• Sketching

  Grainy sketching paper.

• Torchon

  Cotton-containing paper.

• Translucent

  Naturally transparent paper.

• Art Board

  Illustration board.

• Bristol

  Smooth illustration paper.

• Drawing

  Rough drawing paper.

• Layout

  Illustration paper.

• Elefantenhaut

  Specialty paper.

• Fortitudo

  Paper for indoor and outdoor use.

• Micropack

  Paper with barrier properties.

• Bespoke

  Custom paper: 'Our paper. Your ideas.'

1. 1Reflex official websitereflex-paper.com
2. 2Reflex – Zeta product pagereflex-paper.com
3. 3Reflex Premium Papier – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org
4. 4Reflex Premium Papier – Wikidatawikidata.org