Smurfit Westrock Announces Capacity Reductions, Closures
career transition assistance and relocation opportunities where possible. “While closing facilities is never an easy decision, it is based on a realistic expectation of current and future ca- pacity needs, operating costs and an unrelenting focus on improving our business,” said Tony Smurfit, President & Group Chief Executive Officer, Smurfit Westrock. “We are very grateful for the significant contributions made by the teams at these locations over the years and we will do all we can to support them throughout this process.” Greif To Close Los Angeles Paperboard Mill Delaware, Ohio based Greif, a global leader in industrial packaging products and services, announced it will per-
Dublin, Ireland based Smurfit Westrock announced it will permanently close its coated recycled board (CRB) mill in St. Paul, Minnesota, and will discontinue production at its containerboard mill in Forney, Texas. The specialty coating facility at Forney will not be impacted. As a result, the com- pany’s containerboard and CRB capacity is expected to be reduced by over 500,000 tons. Smurfit Westrock has also initiated consultations with local works councils in Germany with a view to perma- nently closing two converting facilities there. Some 650 employees in the US and Germany will be impacted as a result of the closures. The company said they will pro- vide support to employees during the transition including
manently close the paperboard mill in Los Angeles, California as part of its previously announced optimization efforts. The Los Angeles mill is expected to cease opera- tion in June 2025. The mill, which produces both coated recycled paperboard (CRB) and uncoated recycled paperboard (URB) is expected to remove 50,000 tons of CRB and 22,000 tons of URB capacity from the market and will end Greif’s coated paperboard pro- duction on the West Coast. “Closing this facility was not an easy decision, especially knowing the effect it has on our team members, their families, and the surrounding community,” said President and CEO Ole Rosgaard. “I want to sincerely thank our Los An- geles colleagues for their hard work and commitment over the years. As we move forward, our focus is on providing mean- ingful support, including severance bene- fits and career transition resources, to help them through this change.” Approximately 72 positions will be im- pacted. Closing the Los Angeles Mill is a result of increased costs and limited inte- gration opportunities. “We remain confident in the strength of our business and its long-term poten- tial. This is a strategic decision intended to strengthen our focus in key markets while enhancing the performance of both our existing mill network and broader business portfolio,” said Rosgaard. Greif produces steel, plastic and fiber drums, intermediate bulk containers, re- conditioned containers, containerboard, corrugated sheets and products, uncoated recycled paperboard, tubes and cores.
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May 12, 2025
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