Navigator: A world brand in the paper industry

Navigator is known as one of the top quality copier paper brands on the market. Navigator photocopy papers produced from eucalyptus wood have a softer surface compared to other photocopy papers. In this way, it uses less toner or cartridges, reduces printing costs, and extends the life of printing equipment.

Navigator Company

The foundations of the Navigator Company were laid in 1953 with the Baixo Vouga Paper Mill, which started its operations in the town of Cacia in Averio, Portugal. Located in the center of the largest eucalyptus forests in Portugal, the town of Cacia was one of the most favorable regions in Europe for paper production. The pulp produced from the eucalyptus tree at the Baixo Vouga Paper Mill, which started its operations in Cacia, had a much higher quality in terms of whiteness, smoothness and brightness than the pulp produced from other raw materials.

In 1957, the company achieved a very important success in the European paper industry and became a pioneer in the European paper industry by producing kraft paper from raw pine pulp and bleached eucalyptus pulp using the sulfate method. To meet the increasing demand, it established new facilities in 1965 to produce printing and writing paper. In 1967, it opened a new factory in the Setubal Peninsula of the Lisbon region of Portugal and increased its integrated production activities. In order to consolidate the company's power in the European market, Navigator was chosen as the retail brand and the company's name was changed to Navigator Company.

In 1976, the company reached a very important power in the world paper market. The nationalization of the paper and pulp industry as a result of the political developments in Portugal during this period opened a new page in the company's history. Backed by government funds, the company monopolized the production of pulp and printing and writing paper within the Portuguese paper and pulp industry. This monopoly also prevented the uncontrolled growth of the forestry products and paper industry in Portugal, ensuring the sustainability of forest ecosystems. Moreover, it has become a driving force not only in its sector, but also in the development of all branches of industry in Portugal and the growth of the country's industrial capacity.

The company, which increased its product range in the paper group and opened new production facilities in the 1980s, increased its export capacity with a rapid acceleration. In 1985, 42.8 percent of the company was purchased by the Wiggins Teape Group, one of the leaders of the European paper industry. In 1993, the company established two new factories in Cacia and Setubal for the production and sale of bleached eucalyptus pulp. In these factories, it started to use eucalyptus fiber containing PCC (Precipitated Calcium Carbonate, Precipitated Calcium Carbonate), an additive that enables it to produce brighter and better quality paper.

In the 2000s, the company made many investments and improved its production facilities for the production of copy paper suitable for office use. These products, which reduce printing costs and extend the life of printing equipment, showed that Navigator Company is an important player in integrated forestry and sustainable environmental policies as well as in the paper sector. The steam turbine, which was commissioned in Figueira da Foz in 2010, brought the quality of the products to a higher level. It also enabled cost reduction in the production line and further increased the competitiveness of the company.