It will be stocked, with immediate effect, at Warren’s warehouse distribution centre, while Chapelton will provide the necessary stocking arrangement as individual contracts are developed.

IP believes that the move will greatly enhance its ability to introduce and grow sales of its folding box board (FBB) products into the UK marketplace.

Alaska Plus, which was launched in July, is a multi-ply 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 IP’s Alaska GC2 coated board product.

It offers high brightness, gloss and smoothness and can be used for pharmaceutical healthcare and beauty care as well as confectionery product packaging.

Alaska Plus is available in grammage weights of 205gsm, 220gsm, 235gsm, 255gsm, 280gsm, 305gsm and 330gsm. The product is FSC certified while the Kwidzyn mill in Poland, where it is produced on a PM4 board machine, is FSC Chain of Custody certified.

“We are extremely pleased to have partnered with two excellent merchant distributors such as Chapelton and Warren, who will assist us in developing the Alaska Plus product in the UK and Irish markets,” said IP's sales manager for coated boards Antony Mackie.

“We look forward to working with them and establishing Alaska Plus as a recognised brand name when it comes to high-quality packaging applications.”