British master papermaker, James Cropper, has announced the official online release of The Last Mill Standing, an in-depth documentary filmed during a period of significant transformation at the company
British master papermaker, James Cropper, has released The Last Mill Standing, a new documentary offering an exclusive look inside its historic Burneside Mill in the Lake District as the 180-year-old manufacturer embarks on a new chapter in its history.
The documentary, directed by Jonathan Pert and created in association with the video arm of Print Monthly, is available to view online via a dedicated website.
Filmed during a period of significant transformation, The Last Mill Standing takes viewers from candid boardroom conversations to the unpredictable realities of the factory floor.
The film covers machinery breakdowns, production pressures, and difficult commercial decisions alongside showcasing the humour, camaraderie, and expertise of James Cropper and its team.
Speaking in the documentary, Paul Barber, managing director of Paper and Packaging at James Cropper, says: "We were the inventors of coloured paper going back 180 years ago, and we are the pioneers of colour in today's market.
“Manufacturing matters, and we're one of the last remaining mills of our kind in the UK. I'm here for the long term. We're going to develop this business and drive it forward. Watch out, because James Cropper's coming back."
The documentary captures a range of key moments in James Cropper’s recent history including the development of Coloursource, a new paper offering brought to market in just six weeks following the unexpected loss of a major customer.
Beyond the commercial decisions, viewers can discover the complexity behind the company’s specialist material production.
From the chemistry of colour matching and the precision of specialist papermaking to the engineering required to maintain machinery that has operated for decades, the film reveals the expertise behind papers used in luxury packaging, design, and creative applications around the world.
The documentary also explores the close relationship between James Cropper and the village of Burneside, where generations of families have worked at the mill. In one memorable scene, viewers discover the village's historic "triangle of life" formed by the church, school, and mill within its grounds, revealing just how deeply the business is woven into the community.
During the documentary, sixth-generation chairman Mark Cropper, whose family has been associated with the mill since 1845, speaks about his ongoing fascination with papermaking: "The bit that I love the most is just the magic of its making. The fact that you can take fibres suspended in water and, through this natural process, create a sheet of paper is extraordinary.
"We've been doing this for a very long time, and we've taken it to the cutting edge of what you can actually do with fibres. We've got world-class materials, world-class products, and world-class customers."
The Last Mill Standing is available to view today at https://lastmillstanding.com/
