2 June 2005

UK paper merchants respond to Finnish ''lock out''

Reading about the ‘lockout’ in Finland’s paper mills, the BPIF contacted its paper merchant members to give their advice to printers. Martyn Eustace, Chief Executive of Premier Paper is confident that whilst some people will inevitably be experiencing problems, this is the minority: “The vast bulk of commercial printers won’t experience any problems as a result. Wood-free coated grades in both sheets and reels are in plentiful supply, and if problem in Finland persist, they can be sourced from elsewhere. The problem arises in publication grades, mechanical grades and packaging grades – a large proportion of which come from Finland. Most requirements are currently being met from stocks which have been laid down, however if the strikes continue for many more weeks there will be some serious problems of supply in these areas.” Bruce Munro, National Sales Director at Antalis adds: “Antalis understands that the current industrial action in Finnish mills is likely to continue for some time, possibly until the end of June, therefore as time progresses it is inevitable that there will be a negative impact on availability of reel and sheet materials for printers. Antalis is a stockist merchant and is in a strong position to maintain supplies to its printer customers throughout this period, we are not reliant on one supplier in any particular product category and neither are we reliant on supplies from Finnish mills. Our first priority is to support our existing customers and honour the commitments they have made to us, working hard to ensure that there is no disruption to their businesses in what will become a difficult period.” If a BPIF member has a particular concern or comments on this issue please don’t hesitate to contact Cicely Brown on 020 7915 8368 or email [email protected].