Paper

Kruger dedicates machine at its Trois-Rivières, Quebec, mill

Montréal-based Kruger Inc. has announced the dedication of its paper machine No. 10 (PM10) at the company’s Trois-Rivières, Québec, mill. The machine was completely rebuilt to manufacture 100 percent recycled lightweight and high-strength linerboard.

Kruger says it invested $250 million in this project. Well before work began, the company says its engineers toured many manufacturing plants in North America and Europe to find the best technology for manufacturing 100 percent recycled lightweight and high-strength linerboard “of the best possible quality.”

Commercialized as XTR, the new linerboard grades manufactured on PM10 will meet increasing demand for ultralight packaging without compromising strength, performance or environmental footprint, according to Kruger.

PM10’s annual production will total 360,000 metric tons of XTR linerboard, an exclusive product that Kruger says it is the first to manufacture in North America. An unspecified portion of that production will be used by Kruger’s packaging plants in LaSalle, Quebec, and in Brampton, Ontario, while the remainder will be sold to packaging manufacturers across Canada and the United States.

Kruger Packaging specializes in manufacturing containerboard products and corrugated packaging from 100 percent recycled fiber. The company employs approximately 800 people, including more than 600 in Québec, and operates four production sites, namely the Trois-Rivières mill, the Place Turcot containerboard mill in Montreal and packaging plants in LaSalle and Brampton.