Manufacturing

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    Paper and paperboard production declined in 2025: AF&PA

    Containerboard capacity fell by 5.1% in 2025, but that doesn’t reflect the full impact of facility shutdowns announced last year, the American Forest & Paper Association told Packaging Dive.

    By • June 4, 2026
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    Amcor, Hilex Poly, Origin Materials announced closures in May

    Plastics were the substrate most affected by packaging company closure and layoff announcements last month.

    By • June 3, 2026
  • Flags fly at half staff outside an industrial facility with a sign that says Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co.
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    Katie Pyzyk/Packaging Dive
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    A mill town in mourning: Nippon Dynawave cleanup and questions continue

    A week after the white liquor tank implosion in Longview, Washington, all missing victims have been recovered and the community mourns the 11 people killed. Implications are emerging for paper and packaging supply chains.

    By • Updated June 3, 2026
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    Q&A

    Emerald Packaging CEO on his dual role as supplier and policy advisor

    The 63-year-old company just closed its first acquisition. CEO Kevin Kelly spoke with Packaging Dive about forgoing private equity investment and helping customers adapt to EPR.

    By • May 28, 2026
  • Exterior photo of emergency responders at a Nippon Dynawave Packaging facility in Longview, Washington
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    Mathieu Lewis-Rolland via Getty Images
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    Nippon Paper assessing impacts after deadly Washington mill implosion

    Eight deaths were confirmed as of Thursday afternoon. “We support efforts to fully understand the root cause of this incident and identify measures that can help prevent similar tragedies in the future,” AF&PA said in a statement Friday.

    By • Updated May 29, 2026
  • A TemperPack gusseted mailer made with WaveKraft material
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    Maria Rachal/Packaging Dive
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    Deep Dive

    The envelope, please: Sustainability fuels e-commerce mailer innovation

    E-commerce customers’ growing demand for mailers in place of boxes is driving packaging companies to invest in production expansions and innovations, including at Pregis, Sealed Air and TemperPack.

    By , • May 21, 2026
  • Dozens of people stand behind two people cutting a ribbon in front of a building bearing Nefab's logo.
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    Permission granted by Nefab Group
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    Mondi, Poly Craft Industries, PolyFlex announce expansions

    Paper and plastic packaging companies announced capacity expansions in the Midwest and on the East Coast.

    By • May 18, 2026
  • Industrial equipment and boxes are seen from an aerial view inside a facility that says Smurfit Westrock operation center on the wall.
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    Permission granted by Smurfit Westrock
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    Automation takes center stage at Smurfit Westrock ‘superplant’ in Wisconsin

    From pizza to industrial products, there’s a corrugated box for that at the year-old, $136 million Pleasant Prairie plant. Automation lets it use about 60% of the labor of a traditional box plant, while scale enables service to greater Chicago.

    By • May 7, 2026
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    Retrieved from Gerresheimer Glass on May 05, 2026
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    Gerresheimer Glass, Oliver, TriMas, Veritiv Visual announced closures in April

    Plus, Clearwater Paper and Graphic Packaging International announced restructurings to result in dozens of layoffs.

    By • May 5, 2026
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    Permission granted by Schneider Packaging Equipment
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    Sponsored by Schneider Packaging Equipment

    5 common bottlenecks in palletizing and how to fix them

    These are the top five palletizing bottlenecks, the solutions and the best time to address them.

    By Stephenie Felski, Sr Marketing Manager • May 4, 2026
  • The top of an aluminum can has a device that allows reclosing.
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    Permission granted by Re:Lid USA
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    Wish you could reseal your canned beverage? Now you can.

    Re:Lid USA is partnering with L.A. Libations to launch canned water with a reclosable aluminum lid. The next step is to establish a U.S. manufacturing presence for the can innovation.

    By • April 30, 2026
  • A person's hands are holding a stack of flat corrugated boxes next to a manufacturing production line.
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    Getty Images
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    Containerboard production charts steepest decline in years in Q1

    The year-over-year drop is significant but “is not unprecedented,” according to the American Forest & Paper Association. It follows the nearly 10% production capacity cuts announced in 2025, the last of which were finalized this year.

    By • April 28, 2026
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    Permission granted by JBM Packaging
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    JBM Packaging celebrates first graduate of in-prison training program

    While in prison, Billy Campbell trained on JBM Packaging’s manufacturing equipment, and then secured full-time employment upon his release. He joined the roughly 40% of JBM’s employees who were formerly incarcerated.

    By • April 27, 2026
  • The exterior of the Los Angeles Anheuser Busch Brewery.
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    Courtesy of Anheuser-Busch
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    Anheuser-Busch doubles US manufacturing investment to $600M

    The company’s Brewing Futures initiative includes improvements and workforce commitments at facilities across the country.

    By Laurel Deppen • April 24, 2026
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    Permission granted by CG Roxane
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    CG Roxane, Questar Solutions, Uline announce expansions

    Many of the expansions are in the central U.S., including those by Alltrista Plastics, Nextera Packaging and Tetra Pak.

    By • April 22, 2026
  • Employees working at the U. S. Steel Gary Works pig iron caster.
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    Courtesy of U.S. Steel
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    US Steel to restart Gary Tin Mill production

    Tin production has been idled at the Indiana site since late 2022. Come 2027, the mill will in part support food and beverage packaging, along with aerosol products.

    By Nathan Owens • April 17, 2026
  • International Paper's new logo.
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    Courtesy of International Paper/Cision
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    International Paper acquires North Pacific Paper Co. for $360M

    IP said Norpac’s paper mill in Longview, Washington, will complement its existing system as part of the company’s strategic transformation.

    By • Updated June 5, 2026
  • A person holds boxes of food while choosing a cylindrical container from a grocery store shelf.
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    Getty Images
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    The ‘pressure-verse’ calls for packaging strategy resets

    Packaging sustainability is an area experiencing disruption, partly due to consumer sentiment shifts. Companies should revisit business plans because focusing on demand is no longer enough, according to a McKinsey report.

    By • April 13, 2026
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    Screenshot: Google Maps

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    Clearwater Paper reduces production, employees at Arkansas mill

    The curtailment comes amid ongoing demand pressure for SBS due to an industry oversupply. The company expects to return the mill to full production at some point — if SBS markets rebalance or it converts the mill to produce CUK.

    By • April 10, 2026
  • A Matson vessel docked at a Southern California port terminal.
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    Courtesy of Matson
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    Deep Dive

    Uncertainty reigns for manufacturers seeking tariff refunds

    Only a small percentage of companies that might be entitled to refunds have sued, while others have filed administrative claims or taken no action yet. “No one really knows for certain what they should be doing,” said one attorney.

    By Jeffrey Kinney • April 7, 2026
  • The exterior of a Genpak facility in Cedar City, Utah
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    Screenshot: Genpak/YouTube

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    Genpak, Millwood, PCA led packaging layoff announcements in March

    Layoff announcements from numerous companies in March spanned Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Utah and Virginia.

    By • April 3, 2026
  • A close-up view of corrugated boxes that are banded together and stacked.
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    Getty Images
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    PCA closing full-line plant in Richmond, Virginia

    The closure is “a difficult business decision” expected to impact 110 employees come June, Packaging Corporation of America wrote in a WARN letter.

    By • April 2, 2026
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    Drew Angerer via Getty Images
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    A year into tariffs, US businesses see declining sales, plan price increases: KPMG survey

    The consulting firm found that 34% of companies are now passing on more than half of their tariff costs to customers, while 82% report a decline in foreign sales.

    By Jeffrey Kinney • March 31, 2026
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    Screenshot: Genpak/YouTube

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    Genpak to close Utah plant, affecting approximately 200 workers

    The decades-old site produces a “large volume of polystyrene containers,” prompting the food service ware manufacturer to realign its footprint “to coincide with legislative changes and consumer demand.”

    By • March 27, 2026
  • A variety of paper, plastic, glass and metal packaging on green artificial turf.
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    Packaging stocks among hardest hit by Iran war: Morningstar

    Morningstar tracked a packaging stock sell-off over a three-week period. Jefferies also noted this week that packaging manufacturers’ stocks are “significantly underperforming” the S&P 500.

    By • March 26, 2026