Sonoco To Invest $40M In Expansion Of VA Mill
cy of our products while increasing capacity that supports long-term growth.” Construction is expected to begin in early 2027. The first phase of the project will focus on enhancing sheet formation, profile control, density and cleanliness while expanding the mill’s production capabilities. A second phase, targeted for completion by the end of 2028, will include investment in pulping operations, water systems, automation and employee experience improvements.
Hartsville, South Carolina based Sonoco Products Com- pany, a producer of uncoated recycled paperboard (URB) in North America, has announced its plans to invest $40 million over the next two years to modernize and expand production of its Richmond, Virginia paperboard mill. The investment will enhance the mill’s manufacturing capabilities, improve product quality and operating effi- ciency and increase annual production capacity by approx- imately 9,000 tons. The Richmond mill is a strategic asset within Sonoco’s integrated URB system, supplying paper- board used in the Company’s iconic paper can packaging and producing lightweight Tan Bending Chip (TBC) grades for a diverse customer base. “Richmond has long played an important role in sup- porting our Consumer and Industrial packaging business- es with quality paperboard that delivers value to our cus- tomers,” said Howard Coker, Sonoco’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “This investment demonstrates our commitment to strengthening Sonoco’s paperboard system through tar- geted, high-return projects that enhance efficiency, im- prove product performance and positions us to meet growing customer demand. By adding state-of-the-art ca- pabilities, we will further improve the quality and consisten-
The project will be executed with minimal production disruption, allowing the mill to maintain its current annu- al output of approximately 120,000 tons throughout con- struction. Sonoco’s Industrial Paper Packaging segment is North America’s largest producer of URB, operating 10 mills and 16 paper machines across the United States and Canada. Together, these facilities produce approximately 1.2 mil- lion tons of high-quality heavyweight and lightweight TBC paperboard annually, supporting a broad range of pack- aging applications and end markets.
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8 November 9, 2026
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