James Latham, one of the UK’s leading independent distributors of timber, panels, and décors, has added Garnica’s innovative Reinforced range to its fast-growing premium plywood portfolio.

Developed in response to the recent, worldwide shortages of Russian birch plywood, Garnica Reinforced is a game-changer, finally offering a viable alternative.

Crucially, the reinforced product alternates leaves of eucalyptus with Garnica’s signature poplar plies, producing near-identical levels of strength, uniformity, and workability in the finished panel. This means it can be readily substituted when birch is unavailable, with "no compromise on quality".

This makes the material suitable for a wide variety of residential, commercial, and retail applications, including: panelling, indoor furniture, kitchen cabinets, shows and exhibitions, shopfitting, and DIY.

Available in two distinctive looks, the lighter-hued Reinforced Poplar or the attractive pinkish-toned Reinforced Maple, the former is best suited for painting or covering, whilst the latter, with its unique, visually striking ‘flame pattern’ grain, is perfect for decorative purposes.

Both possess a multi-layer edge, which can be sanded and polished for an ultra-smooth finish, making them ideal for applications requiring visible edging.

Similar to Garnica’s other plywood products, Reinforced is manufactured to achieve the highest degree of finesse in a controlled environment, only using sustainable timber sourced from officially certified European forests.

Exclusive to James Latham in the UK and Ireland, the introduction of Garnica Reinforced highlights the distributor’s commitment to offering innovative solutions to overcome its customers’ contemporary challenges.

“Garnica Reinforced has disrupted the plywood market and fills the significant gap left by the sudden shortage of Russian birch ply following the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war last year," says Stuart Devoil, Group Head of Marketing at James Latham. "With near-identical performance qualities and a unique elegance, all of its own, we expect this product range to be very popular amongst the interior, fit out, and furniture-making community, and are already seeing sample enquiries flooding in from those looking for birch alternatives at a similar price point.”

Produced in a standard sheet size of 2440 x 1220 and a wide array of thicknesses, ranging from 5-17 plies, it’s available in the UK and Ireland, available through James Latham’s network of 14 depots.

www.lathamtimber.co.uk