As a member of the York Group Companies, the York Paper Company was formed over 60 years ago (April 1st 1950) as an associate company of Universal Pyrotechnics Ltd, the foremost manufacturer of retail and display fireworks in New Zealand. The initial role for this company was to provide printed packaging for its fireworks manufacturing operation at 150 McLeod Road, Te Atatu South in Waitakere, Auckland.

Since then the company has moved on to become a leading flexographic printing company, using a variety of substrates, but primarily paper and polyethelene. Downstream activities now include contract printing, rewinding and converting operations such as printed paper bag manufacturing, Christmas, and Everyday, gift wrap printing and rewinding, printed and plain poly film and plastic bag manufacture, plus other paper and plastic conversion processes.

From the beginning, the York Paper Company has specialised in high quality, flexographic, reel to reel printing for the packaging industry and was able to win many contracts against international competition. The company is almost self sufficient with its own Pre-press facilities, including a Graphic Design service and in-house image setting and photopolymer plate production.