International Paper plans to invest approximately $300 million to convert its No. 15 paper machine at the Riverdale mill in Selma, Alabama, from uncoated freesheet to high quality whitetop linerboard and containerboard. The conversion is targeted to be completed by mid-year 2019. The investment will add 450,000 tons of annual capacity, with flexibility to shift between containerboard products, as the company says in the press release received by Lesprom Network.
Converting Riverdale No. 15 will position International Paper to grow its Industrial Packaging business, continue to provide attractive jobs to Riverdale team members and remain a significant supplier of uncoated freesheet in North America.
As a result of the machine conversion, the company will reduce its annual uncoated freesheet capacity by 235,000 tons. The remaining machine at the Riverdale mill will continue to produce uncoated imaging paper products.
International Paper is a leading global producer of renewable fiber-based packaging, pulp and paper products with manufacturing operations in North America, Latin America, Europe, North Africa and Russia.
