This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback.
A variety of packaging companies, many of which make paper and plastic products, announced facility expansions or new builds to kick off the summer.
- ACR, a supplier of foodservice products including cups and bags, held a grand opening for its new 506,000-square-foot distribution center in Stockton, California. This is the company’s fifth distribution site and is intended to support volumes expansion in West Coast markets as well as shorter transit times.
- Alpla, a plastic packaging manufacturer, opened a new learning and development hub in Iowa City, Iowa. The facility will support three core areas — apprenticeship programs, technical training and leadership development — and will offer hands-on training, classroom learning and access to advanced equipment.
- Packsize opened a new 33,000-square-foot experience center in Atlanta. It’s intended for customers and partners to see demonstrations of Packsize's packaging rightsizing equipment, and visits will begin in August. The building, a former paper office and retail campus that’s more than 70 years old, is currently being renovated.
- Pratt Industries plans to expand its corrugated box plant in Rockwall, Texas, according to the Rockwall Economic Development Corp. The project is expected to bring a $90 million capital investment to nearly double the size of the facility to 736,000 square feet and create 100 new jobs. Construction and equipment installation will occur in phases on undisclosed timelines.
- Pregis opened two customer experience centers in June, in Atlanta and Los Angeles. Customers can get hands-on demonstrations of many products at the sites, which will also provide education and training for channel partners.
- Profile Films plans to build a new 97,000-square-foot facility in Grand Rapids, Michigan, nearby its existing headquarters and production facility there, according to MLive. This week, a city board approved a $5.1 million incentive for the project, which is estimated to total $53.7 million. The buildout is expected to take 18 months once construction begins, and the company aims to add 55 jobs.
- Sonoco is adding a new manufacturing line for rigid paper cans at its existing facility in West Chicago, Illinois. This will be the second such line there and will double its production capacity for paper cans. Separately, the company is upgrading a wastewater treatment system at a large metal packaging plant in Milwaukee. That system, which will introduce biogas capture and combustion, is expected to become operational in Q3.
