Pratt Industries, Conyers, Ga., USA, will build a $52 million corrugated box facility in Beloit, Wis. The facility, to measure 350,000 sq. ft., will have the capacity to produce about 600 tons of recycled boxes per day and will be operational by January 2016, according to a report by Recycling Today. Pratt says the Wisconsin facility will be similar in size to the box plant the company opened in Lewisburg, Ohio, in early 2014.

The company notes that the Wisconsin box plant is its seventh major expansion initiative announced in 2014. Other projects included the groundbreaking of a $260 million recycled paper mill in Indiana, the start of two recycling facilities and a display packaging plant, the official opening of the Lewisburg box plant, and the acquisition of a display company in Tennessee.

"This is a memorable day for our company," said Pratt Chairman Anthony Pratt. "This plant will be our first ever in Wisconsin and is a perfect fit with our aggressive growth strategy to increase our manufacturing footprint and capabilities in the Midwest.

The new plant will convert corrugated container board produced at Pratt’s recycled paper mills into finished boxes for distribution throughout the Midwest and beyond.