Cordier had been family-owned since 1836 and was managed by the Cordier family until the year of its acquisition in 2006 by specTra and US financial investor Strategic Value Partners (SVP).

Cordier Spezialpapier manufactures technical and graphic specialty papers with annual sales of approximately €55 million at the time (2019).

In graphic papers, Cordier mainly produced wood-free works papers for high-quality hardcover books.

In technical papers, Cordier was the market leader for so-called Vulkan Fiber papers, which serve as base papers in the production of grinding wheels, and also manufactured the marbled cover and inner layer paper of office folders, wallpaper tile, special papers for battery manufacturers (battery separators), etc..

In addition, Cordier manufactured from so-called rags (cuttings from industrial waste from the cotton-processing textile industry) or new pulps. Through a globally unique production process, special fibers for the production of new textiles were developed from these textile wastes with an international group from the fiber industry.

In April 2013, the shareholders of specTra acquired all shares in Cordier from Strategic Value Partners.

Nikolaus Benecke was responsible for the position of CEO as managing director since and until June 2019. The restructuring and strategic realignment succeeded in the following years with the company’s employees.

In December 2017, Cordier was sold to the Dutch Value Enhancement Partners (VEP).