Sinclairs

What Sinclairs does

Sinclairs is a UK-based B2B manufacturer of paper stationery products, founded in 1837 and headquartered at Silvine Works in Otley, West Yorkshire. The company operates a single manufacturing facility producing thousands of stationery items each week across four owned brands: Silvine (over 750 SKUs including memo books, refill pads, duplicate books, and casebound notebooks), Silvine Originals (heritage classic notebooks), Artgecko Sketchbooks (launched 2016, 10 ranges and 55+ products across 9 paper types), and Pink Pig (handmade artisan sketchbooks with over 7,000 configuration options). In addition to owned brands, Sinclairs runs a private label manufacturing service for retail and wholesale customers. Core technology is traditional print finishing and paper converting, augmented by on-site solar generation (695 kW system producing over 475,000 kWh in 2024), biomass boilers, and paper banding machinery replacing plastic packaging. The company cites FSC, ISO 14001, and ISO 9001 certifications as core compliance credentials, alongside an 80% reduction in Scope 1+2 emissions over five years.

Name

Sinclairs

Legal name

Sinclairs

Website

https://sinclairsproducts.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1837

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Sinclairs is a privately held UK manufacturer of paper stationery, founded in 1837, producing notebooks, memo books, and sketchbooks under the Silvine, Silvine Originals, Artgecko, and Pink Pig brands for retail, wholesale, and distributor customers worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Paper Stationery Manufacturing

NAICS

Doll, Toy, and Game Manufacturing (339930)

SIC

Blankbooks, Looseleaf Binders & Bookbindg & Relatd Work (2780)

akta.pro primary industry

Stationery & Office Paper Products (notebooks, pads, forms) (IMAMAHAG)

Keywords

• Paper stationery manufacturing
• Notebooks and memo books
• Sketchbook production
• Private label stationery
• FSC certified paper products

Headquarters

HQ city

West Burton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Paper Stationery Product Sales: Manufacture and sale of paper stationery products including notebooks, memo books, refill pads, duplicate books, casebound notebooks, and sketchbooks under owned brands (Silvine, Silvine Originals, Artgecko Sketchbooks, Pink Pig) and private label
2. Private Label Manufacturing: Custom/private label stationery product manufacturing for customers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Sinclairs is a British manufacturer of paper stationery products, producing notebooks, memo books, refill pads, duplicate books, casebound notebooks, and sketchbooks under owned brands (Silvine, Silvine Originals, Artgecko Sketchbooks, Pink Pig) and as private label products. The company manufactures in Otley, West Yorkshire, with over 1,000 metres of warehousing, and supplies retail, wholesale, and distributor customers in the UK and internationally.

Product overview

Sinclairs is a world-class British manufacturer of paper stationery producing multiple brand portfolios. The company operates as a unified manufacturer with three primary sub-brands: Silvine (quality everyday stationery with 750+ products), Artgecko Sketchbooks (sketchbooks launched 2016 with 55+ products), Silvine Originals (heritage classic notebooks), and Pink Pig (artisan hand-made sketchbooks with 7,000+ options). Beyond their owned brands, they also produce private label stationery products, making them a trusted partner for retail, wholesale, and distributor customers worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Silvine: Over 750 products including memo books, refill pads, duplicate books, and professional casebound notebooks - quality everyday British made paper stationery.
• Silvine Originals
• Artgecko Sketchbooks
• Pink Pig

Products and services

• Silvine A high-quality everyday British-made paper stationery brand offering over 750 products including memo books, refill pads, duplicate books, casebound notebooks, and professional journals, supplied to retail, wholesale and distributor customers.
• Artgecko Sketchbooks Britain's fastest growing sketchbook brand since launch in 2016, offering 10 ranges with over 55 products and 9 paper types, exported globally to markets including Australia and New Zealand, targeted at art students, teachers, and creative professionals.
• Silvine Originals Heritage classic notebook brand reinvented from archive samples, featuring iconic designs traditionally used by carpenters, builders, designers, butchers and shopkeepers, engineered to meet the needs of modern users.
• Pink Pig (Artisan Sketchbooks) Artisan sketchbooks handmade in Yorkshire with over 7,000 configuration options to choose from, using highest quality papers at affordable prices, recognized by art students and teachers globally as a symbol of quirky uniqueness and quality.
• Private Label Stationery Manufacturing Custom and private label stationery product manufacturing service for retail, wholesale, and distributor customers seeking their own branded paper stationery, leveraging Sinclairs' production capabilities, quality systems, and FSC-certified supply chain.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% carbon footprint reduction over 5 years (101.07 tonnes CO2 in 2024)
• +3 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFSC Chain of Custody Certification ensuring all paper and board materials are sourced from responsible and sustainable sources. The company prides itself on FSC certification as fundamental to their sustainability commitments. Only sources paper & board materials from sustainable and accredited sources where mills have clear re-forestry plans or utilise reclaimed materials.
• SedexminorOthersContinued membership of Sedex to analyse and report sustainability practices with trading partners.
• Otley 2030 / Leeds Climate CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupport and respond to Otley 2030 to help them realize their goal to make Otley a carbon-zero, sustainable and fair town by 2030. Otley 2030 works in association with Leeds Climate Commission, the first Climate Commission in the UK.
• Yorkshire Dales Millennium TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate Sponsor of Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust who help care for the Yorkshire Dales including woodland restoration. Supports nature and biodiversity protection aligned with the company's Life on Land sustainability commitments.
• Yorkshire Wildlife TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate Sponsor of Yorkshire Wildlife Trust who help protect wildlife and wild places. Supports ecosystem health protection and biodiversity increase commitments.
• Wharfedale Men's ShedminorOthersDonated funds to help them build new premises. This charity promotes well-being, mental health, friendship, community, a sense of purpose, and the learning of practical skills in a workshop environment.
• Gambian Schools TrustminorOthersRegularly work with the Gambian Schools Trust to donate pallets of exercise books to school children in The Gambia. Supports quality education and global charitable initiatives.
• Otley Museum and Archive TrustminorOthersProvide storage and workroom for Otley Museum and Archive Trust as part of community support initiatives.
• Wildlife Friendly OtleyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSigned up to the Wildlife Friendly Otley pledge to encourage and protect wildlife. Helps encourage wildlife at company sites through planting wildlife friendly plants and trees, installing owl, kestrel and swift boxes.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Daler-Rowney: UK-based art materials manufacturer producing sketchbooks, pads, paints and brushes for artists and students. Comparable as a UK manufacturer supplying art and education channels with sketchbook products that overlap Sinclairs' Artgecko and Pink Pig ranges, though broader into paints and brushes.

Direct peers

• Moleskine: Iconic notebook and stationery brand offering classic hardcover notebooks, planners and writing tools globally. Comparable as a heritage-driven, premium-priced paper notebook manufacturer with retail and wholesale distribution, though positioned in a more premium consumer segment than Silvine.
• Rhodia (Clairefontaine): Practical premium notebook and pad brand owned by Clairefontaine. Comparable as a directly competing paper notebook brand in the wholesale and retail channels where Sinclairs' Silvine and Artgecko ranges also compete.
• Leuchtturm1917: German manufacturer of numbered notebooks, journals and planners with strong international retail presence. Comparable as a heritage paper stationery manufacturer with a global brand and similar product architecture (numbered notebooks, refill systems, sketchbooks).
• Clairefontaine: French manufacturer of premium notebooks, pads and paper stationery under the Clairefontaine and Rhodia brands. Directly comparable as a B2B manufacturer of paper stationery products targeting both consumer and professional/wholesale channels with sustainability-focused product lines.
• Seawhite of Brighton: UK-based manufacturer of art pads, sketchbooks and paper stationery products. Directly comparable as a British paper stationery manufacturer serving art, education and retail channels with sketchbook and pad product lines similar to Artgecko and Silvine.
• Midori: Japanese maker of premium paper notebooks (MD Paper), memo pads and stationery accessories. Comparable as a premium paper stationery manufacturer targeting art, writing and lifestyle consumers with specialty paper products analogous to Artgecko and Pink Pig.

Broad incumbents

• Exacompta Clairefontaine Group: Parent group of Clairefontaine and major European stationery manufacturer offering filing, office supplies and school stationery. Comparable as a broader incumbent in the European paper stationery and office products market, operating at greater scale and category breadth than Sinclairs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Sinclairs_GB
• Facebookfacebook.com/SinclairsOtley
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sinclairs-otley

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sinclairs