Karst Stone Paper
Karst Stone Paper has created a sustainable paper stationery range made out of stone.
Need
In order to expand and move forward, the business needed additional finance to increase its product range.
Solution
Our Small Business Export Loan supported Karst Stone Paper to expand its product lines and inventory to meet global demands.
When Karst Stone Paper wanted to expand its sustainable paper stationery range, it turned to Export Finance Australia.
When Karst Stone Paper director and founder Kevin Garcia first encountered paper made from stone, he was fascinated by its sustainable properties – with no trees, water, bleach or acids needed to create the end product.
“It’s made from calcium carbonate, one of the most abundant materials on this planet,” he said.
Kevin found the durability of stone paper just as impressive. Originally invented to package food, the paper is completely waterproof.
“It’s also very difficult to tear – and you won’t get any paper cuts from it,” he explained. “I thought, this has amazing abilities – let's turn this into a consumer product.”
The only way for us to expand and move forward was to double down on the size of our invoicing and product ordering. Export Finance Australia was extremely important in enabling this growth.
Kevin Garcia
Founder, Karst Stone Paper
Going global
The business spread the word about its sustainable product using digital platforms like Instagram, Facebook and Google Ads, successfully marketing its stationery to more than 65 countries including the US, the UK and Europe. But entering the export market was a steep learning curve for them.
“I think a lot of people underestimate the cost of taxes, duties, import taxes and freight,” Kevin said. “I had no background in this, so had to learn on the way.”
Kevin highlighted that they also quickly discovered the value of forming strong partnerships with their supply chain to scale the business quickly. But the real challenge came when they wanted to expand the product range and needed additional finance.
“Traditional finance has always been a pain point for us – not only the amount of finance available but also the process of getting it,” Kevin explained.
So when Karst Stone Paper approached Export Finance Australia for help, they were surprised at how easy the process was.
“The application form was very streamlined and all done online,” said Kevin. “Within two weeks the funding came through, allowing us to expand our product lines and inventory, and export to more countries. It took a lot of stress off us – and off our bottom line.”
With a growing customer base for business-to-business, the future looks bright – giving Kevin the opportunity to keep doing what he loves.
“I love bringing a product to life,” he said. “I think I’ll always chase the feeling I get from creating something new that other people want to purchase.”