Sofidel, involved in the manufacture of tissue paper for hygienic and domestic use, has initiated a new greenfield investment in Inola, Oklahoma, US, to build an integrated plant that includes both the paper mill and converting lines.
This will be the group’s second greenfield investment in the US. The first plant is being established in Circleville, Ohio, which will become fully operational by the end of 2018.
Two tissue technology machines, for a combined output of 120,000 tonnes a year, will be installed in Inola, along with the converting lines, to produce the toilet tissue and towels.
The group will invest $360m over three years (2018-2019-2020) to establish the plant that will combine sustainability and technological innovation.
Sofidel Group CEO Luigi Lazzareschi said: “I’m pleased to be able to announce this new greenfield investment, the second in America, following the one in Circleville, Ohio.
“The purpose of this new investment is to make a significant contribution to our growth in the US, one of the most important markets for our Group.
“We’re going to build a state-of-the-art integrated plant in Inola to serve the south-central and central-western US, a market where we’ve had a presence since 2012 and where we’ve grown quickly, year after year.”
Work on the plant will begin in March 2018 and will be completed by mid-2020.
The converting production lines and warehouse will be operational by mid-2019.
The new plant will employ 300 full-time workers.
As part of its commitment to sustainable manufacturing, Sofidel is taking specific measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect water resources. It also procures pulp certified by independent third parties with forestry certification schemes.
Sofidel, headquartered in Italy, is present in the US market since 2012 when it purchased Cellyne Holdings and renamed it Sofidel America.
Since then, the group has established production plants in Green Bay (Wisconsin), Haines City (Florida), Henderson (Nevada), Tulsa (Oklahoma) and Hattiesburg (Mississippi), and the American headquarters in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
