Iggesund Expands Presence in North America

 

Iggesund Paperboard, Sweden, reports that it is expanding distribution in the U.S., making its flagship product Invercote available coast to coast. Increasing interest in Invercote’s unique properties from brand owners on the West Coast, and some key new business acquisitions made expanding west a natural next step, the company pointed out in a release this week.

Iggesund said that it has established an inventory position and sheeting capabilities in Pomona, Calif., USA, with the objective of making Invercote readily available for quick-turn market demand. The primary goal is to be able to serve the commercial print and packaging cluster in California and beyond.

 

 

"We’ve been in the U.S. for more than 30 years, but our distribution footprint has been concentrated on the east coast," explained Rickard Österlindh (photo), president of Iggesund Americas. "Now is the time to increase our presence on the West Coast, where we know there is a density of brand owners who will appreciate the quality level we offer with Invercote."

Iggesund will focus its sales and marketing efforts on premium packaging and graphical print applications, building on the foundation of offset and digital print business recently established through a network of merchant distributors.

"Invercote’s unique attributes truly distinguish it from other products in the marketplace, and as such, Iggesund will seek to identify applications where those properties add value. That’s why we’re also reinforcing our U.S. sales organization by recruiting people who can help increase sales both in areas where we had no previous presence and those where we already have a position," Österlindh emphasized.

"Invercote is a niche product in the U.S. Unlike domestically produced paper and paperboard grades, Invercote’s is manufactured using a multi-layer construction, which means that it will not crack on the fold; neither with nor against the grain. This is an incredibly powerful selling point, which is further strengthened by a second-to-none environmental sustainability platform," commented Neal Haussel, sales director and marketing manager, U.S.

Haussel added that "we are pleased to formally announce the addition of Paige Brinkley to the Iggesund sales team to help us develop brand recognition on the West Coast, and deliver Invercote’s unique proposition to that heretofore untapped market. Paige brings a long history of working both in fine paper and board markets and has an extensive background working on the West Coast."

Enhanced distribution from coast to coast in the U.S. is just one step in Iggesund’s overarching effort to become a unified global entity by strengthening its service platform outside of Europe. In step with that effort, the company has launched a broader service concept, which emphasizes the resources and support functions offered to existing and potential customers. Care by Iggesund includes the fast, easy ordering of samples and inspirational materials, product safety information and certificates, and access to the analytical services of Iggesund’ s accredited Laboratory for Sensory and Chemical Analyses. Iggesund’ s environmental documentation is also part of the Care by Iggesund campaign, serving as a guarantee that customers will not have any unpleasant surprises regarding the origins of forest raw material.

Iggesund’ s service offering encompasses everything associated with Invercote – from technical support in local markets to the paperboard expertise the company offers in the form of a wide range of reference materials.

"We don’t just want customers to buy our paperboard," Rickard Österlindh concludes. "We want them to get the most out of the products we produce by making a resource base of knowledge available to them. All our documentation, together with an experienced team of local market technicians exists to ensure that."