LONDON, November 16, 2016
Revolutionary adhesive napkin company Gant Innovations are celebrating this week after claiming the title Business Worldwide Magazine (BWM) Company of the Year: Tissue and Hygiene Industry Award.
The Leicester-based firm’s efficient, quality and cost-effective solution to a long term problem within their sector saw them achieve a partnership deal with a huge multi-national adhesive company. As a result their product is the first adhesive paper napkin manufactured without silicone tape or reinforcement.
The adhesive paper napkin remains on the user’s lap or clothing when eating and has led to numerous discussions with interested companies in the fields of dental and medical practice, as well as nursing homes, janitorial product, tissues, children’s bibs, automotive and precision engineering wipes. In an independent survey commissioned by the company around 75 per cent of users described the new adhesive napkin as “excellent,” with a further 59 per cent confirming they would purchase the napkin if available.
“Winning this award has put a seal on what we’ve been attempting to achieve for the past six years,” said company MD Gail Shaw. “We’re delighted and hope it’s just the start of what will prove to be an incredibly busy and successful future for the company.”
No tape or reinforcement is necessary for the napkin to work since the adhesive solution activates the minute the napkin is opened. It can also be removed and re-used at a later date. The GANTIK™ product was launched at the Barcelona trade fair in the spring of 2015 and is surging ahead in popularity within the Tissues and Hygiene market, which was valued at around €5 billion earlier this year.
Shaw came up with the idea for an adhesive napkin after watching a TV programme where diners were obviously having difficulty getting napkins to remain put.
“Having watched this awkwardness, and the inappropriate method of keeping a paper napkin in place, it made me think how much cleaner and easier it would be to have a napkin which you could just open and have it stick to you,” she said. “It seems others obviously shared my view.”
A spokesman for BWM praised Shaw and the Gant Innovations concept.
“In a world full of entrepreneurs it’s only the exceptional products which really make it through to the mainstream and Gant’s adhesive napkin we are positive will be one of them,” he said.
“We were really impressed both by the technology itself and all the years of research and dedication that went in to taking this from a concept to a market-ready product. The company is undoubtedly a deserving winner of our Company of the Year Award for their sector.”