Major Expenditures

Atlanta-based Pratt Industries, one of the largest privately held paper and packaging companies in the US, will build its first Iowa facility in Bondurant to make corrugated packaging. The $97.6 million project includes more than $80 million in equipment and is expected to create 105 jobs. The board awarded $1.8 million in tax credits through the Business Incentives for Growth (BIG) program.

The Ontario government is investing more than $2.5 million to advance major upgrades at Thunder Bay Pulp and Paper, as well as two additional projects in Northwestern Ontario that will increase the industry's use of mill by-products and underused wood known as forest biomass.

Conifex Timber Inc., a Canadian lumber producer with a sawmill and biomass power plant in Mackenzie, British Columbia, has secured a Government of Canada loan of up to $30 million to support operations and provide additional liquidity as it works toward a recovery in the lumber market.

The project is expected to create and retain the equivalent of 220 permanent full-time jobs.

The North Carolina Railroad Company (NCRR) will invest up to $250,000 to support the construction of a new rail spur serving Atlantic Packaging's warehouse expansion in Tabor City. Once operational, the facility is expected to receive and distribute at least 480 rail cars annually.

Montreal-based Kruger is moving a proposed investment of up to $700 million at its Corner Brook Pulp and Paper complex into environmental review, advancing a plan to reposition the century-old industrial site around manufacturing, renewable energy and upgraded infrastructure.

Province earmarks $17.3 million into four biomass and mill modernization projects.

The Government of Ontario is providing GreenFirst with more than $5.9 million through the Forest Sector Investment and Innovation Program (FSIIP) to support a new sawline and the installation of a high-speed planer.

Metsä Board is investing in the finishing operations at its Kemi mill by modernising the board machine winder. The investment will be implemented during the annual maintenance shutdown in October-November 2026.

The support consists of a C$1 million non-repayable contribution and a C$19 million repayable contribution, with repayment scheduled to commence in 2031, subject to the terms of the contribution agreement.

Earlier last month, the USDA Forest Service announced over $105 million in funding for a range of projects that support the forest industry.

Empresas Copec has agreed to provide a capital commitment of $450 million to its forestry subsidiary Arauco. The board called an extraordinary shareholders' meeting for 10 September to approve the capital support agreement.

UFP Industries, Inc. announced plans to establish a new UFP Packaging manufacturing facility in Cherokee County, South Carolina, expanding its Structural Packaging capacity and strengthening its ability to serve national industrial customers with custom, value-added packaging solutions.

Kimberly-Clark Corporation is building a 50,000-square-foot pilot facility in Yuma, Arizona, representing a capital investment of over $100 million, with the project well under construction and expected to create 50 full-time jobs, according to the Greater Yuma Economic Development Corporation (GYEDC).

The new Muoto fibre packaging production line will be located within the Metsä mill site in Äänekoski, next to the existing Muoto demo plant, and it will start up in 2028.

Multi-year investment will support relief, recovery and long-term resilience across the community where the company was founded more than 150 years ago./span>

Sonoco Products Company, a global leader in high-value sustainable metal and paper packaging, announced continued investment to expand its Wood Reels manufacturing and assembly footprint to meet a surge in demand for power and communications cable packaging driven by AI data center growth and power grid modernization.

There are four parts to the project -- forestry modernization, the mill site, a wind farm and hydro generation -- and Pelley said all four are essential and work together.

First Quality Tissue Midwest is constructing a new production facility in Defiance, Ohio. The company plans to make a $985 million capital expenditure and create 407 full-time jobs with an annual payroll of $22.5 million.

Weidmann, a family-owned company based in Switzlerland that manufactures paper insulation materials for the electric transformer industry, plans to locate operations at the former Graphic Packaging International facility.

Lackawanna, New York, facility adds 50 new jobs and doubles production capacity for the brand's Surestone technology decking products

State-of-the-art facility to create 125 jobs and expand LP's growing ExpertFinish network.

The installation of the new equipment, a $15 M investment, will take place over a period of 9 months. This builds on a $14 M investment made in recent years, for a total investment of $29 M.

Stora Enso strengthens its focus on specialised pulp grades by investing EUR 19 million in fluff pulp production increase at its Skutskär production unit in Sweden. This investment will cater to the growing consumer demand for hygiene products. As a result of the ongoing change negotiations, the company has also decided to permanently close softwood pulp production on fiberline 3 (L3).

"We are excited to expand our operations in Texas. The growth of our Rockwall box plant will bring advanced technology and increased capacity directly to our customers, while complementing our existing manufacturing, recycling and transportation network across the state and region," said Pratt Industries Executive Chairman Anthony Pratt. "This expansion further drives our commitment to investing in recycling, sustainability, and American manufacturing jobs."