About ppd Paperproducts Design GmbH

Milan, 1990 – As a master's student at Bocconi, Thomas Halstrick was fascinated by the designs displayed by surrounding shops. He observed them and thought: Why not offer such motifs on napkins? The intuition to print on napkins was no coincidence. The long tradition in the paper industry has existed in the Halstrick family for 4 generations and began in 1903. But until Thomas' father Georg, the focus was on mass production of paper goods. Napkins were – if at all – printed classically or in a single color. So in 1991, inspired by Italy, Thomas founded Paper-products Design (ppd). He wanted to create napkins that were more than just a utility item. Rather, a design product. At their first trade fair, Thomas and designer Luca Bassi decided to do things a little differently. Amidst 300m2 of white stands of other paper giants, they kept their 12m2 stand completely black. And presented their first modern napkin designs in hanging gallery frames. Enthusiastic about the new business model, Georg Halstrick and Werner Ricker joined as partners in 1994, enabling sustainable growth. Since the death of Georg Halstrick in 2018 and the departure of Werner Ricker in 2021, Thomas Halstrick has been the sole partner. Together with his wife Alexandra Halstrick, who is responsible for product and design development, they run the company together today.Read their story