B&F are New Zealand’s largest 100% owned and operated print supply company. We’re proud of our heritage and our proven commitment to local needs and creativity.
We bring over 90 years of experience to meet the needs of our current clients throughout New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. We carry a complete range of printer papers, boards, synthetics, laminates and self-adhesives sourced from over 20 different countries worldwide, and our extensive range of specialty paper is second-to-none.
We have built relationships with some of the leading paper producers in the world so that we can continue adding new print options that offer sustainability and creativity, whilst still guaranteeing quality and value.
B&F is a family business, which was founded in 1931 when Charles Tripp purchased an existing paper merchant. To represent the source of the paper it imported, Charles changed that company’s name to British and Foreign Papers Ltd.
In 1946 his son, Ken, returned from service as an officer in the Royal Navy to join the company and continued its growth trajectory.
The third generation of Tripps, Barry, returned from the UK to join the business in 1974, becoming Managing Director in 1987. Barry ultimately handed that title over to his daughter, Penelope, the company’s current Managing Director.
B&F’s growth took off in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s after Ken’s visits to international paper merchants. Exports to the Pacific Islands began, and expansion into purpose-built premises and the lower half of the North Island.
In 1989, the company transitioned to become ‘B&F Papers’, reflecting common parlance. The New Zealand company now sourced a large proportion of paper from New Zealand Forest Products Ltd.
In 1993, the company expanded to Christchurch, followed by national distribution in 1998. In 2014, the Palmerston North branch was relocated to Wellington.
In 2016 B&F bought an Atlas Titan slitter rewinder and expanded into the roll label space, now a significant part of the business.
As the company has continued to grow, the Auckland warehouse was extended for a second time (2011 and 2018). The company continues to focus on new avenues for growth, buying the Wellington premises in 2023/24.
We are continually looking at new ways to diversify our revenue and customer base by expanding our packaging range and investing in equipment.
B&F are committed to supporting and giving back to the local community by supporting the following causes and events.
Established in 1997 as a charitable trust, the Police Managers' Guild Trust provides straightforward, useful information that helps people avoid becoming victims of crime and works toward a safer community for you, your families and your businesses.
B&F is a proud sponsor of the Auckland Philharmonia. If you aren't already aware of who they are, click here to check out their website.
B&F is happy to provide the substrate for the labels used by Will & Able, New Zealand's only range of eco-friendly cleaning products creating jobs for New Zealanders with disabilities.
As sponsors of the Pride in Print Awards we are proud to join in showcasing New Zealand printing excellence and celebrating the passion and pride of the New Zealand print industry.
B&F is committed to being an environmentally responsible company. That commitment is reflected in the products we offer, and the way we operate.
It starts with our core business – paper. B&F has a full range of environmentally sound papers. We try to ensure that you are aware of the environmental credentials (such as FSC or PFAS-free) of your paper, so that you can make informed choices. All of our spec sheets outline how our products meet different environmental standards, but if you need any advice on picking the best environmental option for your project, just ask your B&F rep.
Our Forest Stewardship Council®(FSC®) certification is one further major step we have taken to provide you with papers that have been sourced from well managed and responsible forests.
Our warehouses in Wellington, Christchurch and Auckland have been built with an emphasis on natural lighting and water conservation.
We go to great lengths to recycle our paper off-cuts, and ream and pallet wrapping, and all of our pallets are returnable and re-used multiple times
Paper is the ultimate regenerative and recyclable product. Paper technology today means that water is recycled and re-used within mills, minimising net consumption: some producers require very little water at all (e.g. Rockstock).
Forests that produce the majority of the world's paper – and certainly the paper products that B&F stock – are under careful and considered guardianship. There is also a range of other environmental and social standards that govern the industry.
To bust some of the myths about paper, check out Two Sides.