Although the firm has been present in Europe for the past five years, a Surrey-based UK office, run by managing director Simon Scott, has only been operating since mid-2004.

"We are looking to expand our existing customer network and reach new customers," said chief executive Matt Dawley.

Dawley said that many customers had been taken aback by the decision to extend lockouts at mills. He said this had resulted in calls to the company's US and UK sales offices.

"Our North American mills are being inundated," he said. Along with its associations with almost all North American mills, the firm also has connections with many European and Asian mills. Supply into the UK market was no longer an issue. Dawley said that container ships can have a transport time of between seven and eight days.
From receipt of orders, Dawley said paper could be with customers within two to three weeks.

The aim he said was for the Graphic Communications business to grow "significantly" within Europe.
The firm has four sales staff in its UK office, with plans to expand this as customer levels grow.

Graphic Communications has global sales of 549m ($1bn), and is a subsidiary of 3.2bn turnover company Unisource Worldwide.

By Andy Scott