Valmet to Conduct Extensive PM 1 Rebuild at Sappi’s Somerset, Maine, Mill

As reported in last week’s Over the Wire, Sappi North America, Boston, Mass., USA, has announced a $165 million capital project to expand its manufacturing capabilities and flexibility to include a variety of consumer packaging products. This investment in PM 1 at the company’s Somerset Mill in Skowhegan, Maine, establishes a strong platform for growth in paper-based packaging while maintaining Sappi's leadership position in the graphic paper market, increasing annual production capacity at this mill to almost 1 million tpy.

Valmet, Finland, reported this week that, in regard to Sappi’s announced project, it will conduct an extensive rebuild of the Somerset’s Mills PM 1 to produce both coated paper and a variety of consumer packaging products. Startup of the rebuilt machine is scheduled for early 2018. The value of the order will not be disclosed, but according to Valmet, the value of an order of this type is typically EUR 60-70 million.

"Valmet has been a long-standing technical resource and solutions-oriented equipment supplier to Sappi. Working together, we recognized the manufacturing potential of PM1 at Somerset and, with Valmet's collaborative technical support, will further advance Sappi North America's diversification into packaging," said Mark Gardner, president and CEO of Sappi North America.  

"We are very happy to have been selected by Sappi North America for this important project. In many ways, this project represents the strong and mutual commitment that has been established between Sappi and Valmet based on the good results achieved together during the previous projects. We look forward to strengthening our relationship further while working hard to help Sappi reach their project goals and business objectives," noted Valmet's Dave King, area president, North America. 

PM1, currently producing woodfree coated paper grades (WFC), will be rebuilt using some of the most advanced packaging manufacturing technology to produce a variety of both packaging and coated paper products.

 

Valmet's delivery will include a number of modification and new machine parts in the existing machine to meet the requirements of the new packaging grades. 

Sappi North America is a subsidiary of Sappi Ltd., a global company headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa. It has more than 12,000 employees and manufacturing operations on three continents in seven countries. Sappi North America has three mills and more than 2,100 employees, and it produces printing and packaging papers, release paper, and dissolving wood pulp.

 

 

In photo above are members of sales and project teams from both Sappi and Valmet.