ACTIVITY
Paper & packaging · Industrial intelligence

Global Activity

Global Activity

Last meaningful update:

Evidence period: –

Activity overview

Across global paper and packaging operations, manufacturing sites have advanced conversions, machinery installations, and structural upgrades. In the United States, Dart Container scaled molded fiber manufacturing to full operational capacity in Lancaster, while Packaging Corporation of America completed and opened a new 275 million dollar corrugated mega-plant in Ohio. Concurrently, European and Latin American facilities recorded targeted energy transformations and fleet additions, such as Papeco replacing natural gas with a thermal storage setup in France and Smurfit Westrock acquiring packaging units in Chile.

Pulp lines and paperboard machine rebuilds also marked activity in Asia and South America. In China, Sun Paper ramped up its PM47 packaging machine in Yanzhou to 1,400 meters per minute shortly after commissioning, while in Brazil, CMPC increased drying line capacity to 6,100 tonnes per day at its Guaíba mill. Equipment suppliers simultaneously deployed automated converting systems across regional hubs, reflecting operational realignments in both primary board manufacturing and finished converted packaging.

What changed

  1. · Completed · Packaging Corporation of America · Ohio

    Packaging Corporation of America opens 275 million dollar plant in Ohio

    Packaging Corporation of America has commenced operations at its new $275 million, 550,000-square-foot box plant in Ohio a month ahead of schedule.

  2. · Completed · Voith / Sun Paper · Yanzhou

    Sun Paper ramps up PM47 packaging machine in Yanzhou

    Voith and Sun Paper have successfully ramped up the new PM47 packaging machine in Yanzhou to 1,400 m/min just ten days after its initial startup.

  3. · Completed · Smurfit Westrock / CMPC · Chile

    Smurfit Westrock acquires CMPC containerboard business in Chile

    Smurfit Westrock expands its Latin American footprint by acquiring CMPC's containerboard and corrugated business in Chile for $420 million.

  4. · Completed · CMPC / Valmet · Guaíba

    CMPC expands pulp drying capacity at Guaíba mill

    CMPC's Guaíba mill in Brazil has successfully increased its Line II pulp drying capacity to 6,100 Adt/d following a major technological upgrade by Valmet.

  5. · Presented · Papeteries du Cotentin / Epyr / Energy Pool · Orval-sur-Sienne

    Papeco replaces natural gas with thermal storage at Orval-sur-Sienne mill

    Papeteries du Cotentin (PAPECO) is replacing all natural gas at its Orval-sur-Sienne mill with a 35 MWh thermal storage system provided by Epyr and Energy Pool.

  6. · Completed · Dart Container · Lancaster

    Dart Container reaches full capacity for molded fiber in Lancaster

    Dart Container's Lancaster facility has reached full operational capacity, producing molded fiber trays and bowls at an industrial scale for the US market.

Companies in motion

  • CMPC

    CMPC's Guaíba mill in Brazil has successfully increased its Line II pulp drying capacity to 6,100 Adt/d following a major technological upgrade by Valmet.

  • Dart Container

    Dart Container's Lancaster facility has reached full operational capacity, producing molded fiber trays and bowls at an industrial scale for the US market.

  • Energy Pool

    Papeteries du Cotentin (PAPECO) is replacing all natural gas at its Orval-sur-Sienne mill with a 35 MWh thermal storage system provided by Epyr and Energy Pool.

  • Epyr

    Papeteries du Cotentin (PAPECO) is replacing all natural gas at its Orval-sur-Sienne mill with a 35 MWh thermal storage system provided by Epyr and Energy Pool.

  • Packaging Corporation of America

    Packaging Corporation of America has commenced operations at its new $275 million, 550,000-square-foot box plant in Ohio a month ahead of schedule.

  • Papeteries du Cotentin

    Papeteries du Cotentin (PAPECO) is replacing all natural gas at its Orval-sur-Sienne mill with a 35 MWh thermal storage system provided by Epyr and Energy Pool.

  • Smurfit Westrock

    Smurfit Westrock expands its Latin American footprint by acquiring CMPC's containerboard and corrugated business in Chile for $420 million.

  • Sun Paper

    Voith and Sun Paper have successfully ramped up the new PM47 packaging machine in Yanzhou to 1,400 m/min just ten days after its initial startup.

  • Valmet

    CMPC's Guaíba mill in Brazil has successfully increased its Line II pulp drying capacity to 6,100 Adt/d following a major technological upgrade by Valmet.

  • Voith

    Voith and Sun Paper have successfully ramped up the new PM47 packaging machine in Yanzhou to 1,400 m/min just ten days after its initial startup.

Connected developments

North American containerboard and molded fiber manufacturing capacity expansions

Packaging Corporation of America opened a newly constructed corrugated containerboard converting mega-plant in Ohio, while Dart Container brought its dedicated molded fiber manufacturing site in Pennsylvania to full operational volume. Both projects represent domestic packaging manufacturing expansions completed in the United States, although the evidence does not establish any joint supply ties or shared raw material channels between the two producers.

South American industrial reallocations and mill line enhancements

CMPC underwent distinct asset movements in South America, implementing a Valmet upgrade to raise daily pulp drying capacity to 6,100 tonnes at its Guaíba mill in Brazil while divesting its Chilean containerboard and corrugated operations to Smurfit Westrock for 420 million dollars. These recorded developments involve CMPC's industrial footprint across two countries, though the evidence does not state whether the proceeds from the Chilean asset sale funded the Brazilian operational upgrade.

Activity analysis

Operational adjustments across mill networks show a dual focus between energy substitution and high-speed processing assets. In Europe, Papeteries du Cotentin engaged thermal energy systems to remove natural gas reliance at Orval-sur-Sienne, paralleling heavy equipment installations like high-speed containerboard manufacturing in Yanzhou by Sun Paper and drying capacity expansions at CMPC's Guaíba mill. These site-level changes demonstrate continuous updates to baseline thermal infrastructure alongside mechanical throughput upgrades.

Downstream converting demonstrates significant capital deployment in newly constructed plants and automated machinery lines. Packaging Corporation of America consolidated regional production through a purpose-built 275 million dollar corrugated facility in Ohio, whereas Dart Container focused on ramping industrial-scale molded fiber trays and bowls in Pennsylvania. Meanwhile, international corporate transactions, such as Smurfit Westrock's 420 million dollar containerboard acquisition in Chile, illustrate direct structural reallocations of operational assets.

Explore regional Activity

Original The Paper reports