Green Bay Packaging orders equipment for new mill

Containerboard and packaging producer Green Bay Packaging has announced a contract award that tasks Voith with providing packaging production line equipment at the mill company’ new location under construction in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

The equipment includes a 300-inch-wide production line for testliner; an effluent treatment plant; Voith’s BlueLine stock preparation system; an XcelLine paper machine with a design speed of 3,940 feet per minute; and a VariFlex Performance winder.

“[By] partnering with a family-owned company whose North American headquarters is in Appleton, Wisconsin, Green Bay Packaging is advancing its commitment to positively impacting the local economy and becoming a more sustainable producer,” says Will Kress, president and CEO of Green Bay Packaging. “We appreciate Voith’s ability to get this advanced paper machine fully operational on a condensed timeline to help meet our customer demands,” he adds.

“Voith is proud of this historic project, and we are eager to continue our strong partnership with Green Bay Packaging,” comments Martin Jauch, president of Voith Paper North America’s Business Line Projects.

Green Bay Packaging announced in June 2018 that it planned to replace its 71-year-old Green Bay paper mill with what it calls a new “state-of-the-art” facility that will cost some $500 million. When it made the announcement, the company said the new testliner mill will be the first new paper mill in the state of Wisconsin in more than 30 years.            

“The decision to build the new 300-inch, 100-percent-recycled paper machine in Green Bay [will] more than double Green Bay Packaging’s paper production capabilities,” remarked Bryan Hollenbach, executive vice president of Green Bay Packaging at the time of the announcement.

The Green Bay mill use both old corrugated containers (OCC) and mixed paper as fiber supply, according to the firm. “We believe it will be one of the most environmentally friendly mills in the country,” said Matt Szymanski, vice president of mill operations, as part of the June announcement.