Kent-based speciality paper and cartonboard supplier, Chapelton, has revealed that it is delighted with the progress and current sales levels from its co-operation with International Paper, which has seen the supplier stock and distribute International Paper’s new GC2 lightweight coated board product, Alaska Plus. 

Chapelton is reporting that the market is responding extremely positively to International Paper’s coated paperboard products, in particular, with Alaska Plus attracting a lot of interest from customers in the packaging sector.

In addition, the fact that an International Paper’s quick service, called ‘Kwidzyn-X-Press’ is also available from the Kwidzyn mill is being considered extremely beneficial to Chapelton’s customers. Kwidzyn X-Press allows for small order sizes from 1 tonne upwards to be sheeted within 4 days to bespoke sizes, thus corresponding to the small and fast orders from the market.

Commenting on the current performance of Alaska Plus in the UK market, Chapelton Board Business Development Director, Neil Skelton, stated, “Chapelton are very happy with the progress of our relationship with International Paper, sales of Arktika and Alaska Plus are above the levels we expected. There is particular interest in the light weighting opportunities offered by Alaska Plus and with the addition of the ‘Kwidzyn-X-Press’ service we feel that we can offer a great package to our customers.”

Neil continued, “We are looking forward to further establishing these grades in the UK market and with  International Paper’s worldwide reputation and Chapelton’s position as a leading UK supplier we are very positive about 2015 and beyond.”

The news follows the confirmation in September this year that together with fellow merchant distributor Warren, the two companies would be partnering with International Paper to stock and distribute the Alaska Plus product into the UK market.

Chapelton were confirmed as a distributor for Alaska Plus (together with Warren), earlier this year, following International Paper’s completion of its $60m modernisation project at the Kwidzyn mill in Poland, where the Alaska Plus product is produced. 

The partnership between Chapelton and International Paper was put in place to help forge and develop the new Alaska Plus product into the UK market, with the aim of developing sales of the product to the pharmaceutical, confectionery and dry food packaging sectors.

Launched in July this year, Alaska Plus is a multiply virgin fibre coated board, with a double coating on the top side and an uncoated manila back-side. It is the new lightweight version of International Paper’s Alaska GC2 coated board product, and has been developed following extensive research and development to produce a lighter basis weight product, with significant performance and printability values. The main difference of which is the strength of its lighter basis weight, with Alaska Plus being between a 6-8% lighter weight than Alaska, whilst all the other outstanding quality aspects of Alaska remain, such as production efficiency, runnability and printability.

Alaska Plus is produced at the Kwidzyn mill in Poland and is available in basis weights of 205gsm, 220gsm, 235gsm, 255gsm, 280gsm, 305gsm and 330gsm.

Together with its improved performance, Alaska Plus provides both cost saving and environmental benefits, with the weight of the packaging being reduced for whatever packaging product is being produced. This enables end users to save money by either; paying less for the same amount of folding boxes as less material will be used, which will also weigh less and cost less, or, producing more for the same cost, allowing more folding boxes to be produced for the same total cost and weight of the material.

With a lower material weight, savings are also made on waste disposal costs. Alaska Plus uses fewer resources in production, makes packaging lighter to transport and reduces waste, thereby decreasing the environmental impact of the product throughout its entire production life cycle, making Alaska Plus the perfect sustainable choice, with its great environmental attributes. Alaska Plus is FSC® (Forest Stewardship Council®) certified, with the Kwidzyn mill being FSC® Chain of Custody certified.

With a 28-year trading history and operating from a facility in Aylesford, Kent, Chapelton is a privately-owned company with turnover of around £11m. Chapelton employs a team of experienced personnel to deal with its international manufacturing clients, and handle the array of cartonboard, paper and speciality products that it stocks.