The Combined Locks, Wis., USA, paper mill formerly home to Appleton Coated will begin doing business under the name "Midwest Paper Group." The new entity was established by Industrial Assets and Maynards after their October 2017 purchase of substantially all of the assets of Appleton Coated LLC. The company restarted the facility in December.

 

 

After the purchase, Industrial Assets took note of the highly experienced and dedicated workforce and focused on upgrading the mill’s production capabilities and fiber handling systems. "We have made a significant investment in this mill and community. We are grateful for our customers, vendors, and the team onsite which has allowed the company to continue its tradition of producing some of the highest quality paper in the industry," said Steve Mattes, CEO of Industrial Assets Corp.

"We are excited by the investment our new ownership has made, which enhances our production capabilities to grow and diversify our product offering. We remain committed to providing our legacy printing and writing and new containerboard customers with high quality products and unequalled service." said Kyle Putzstuck, president of Midwest Paper Group.

"Restarting the facility on our legacy grades while also developing new products and engaging new customers has been excellent for all involved," said John Mazuroski, head of sales and marketing. "Our dedicated employees and rich history of product development helped us meet every challenge. The strategy of merging our capabilities in printing and writing grades, together with new containerboard development, is proving successful, and we have significantly diversified our product portfolio," he added.

"The future now looks bright for the company," stated Doug Osterberg, managing director of Midwest Paper Group. "We are very grateful to our customers, suppliers, and employees who have stood with us through this process."

Midwest Paper Group’s corporate headquarters and manufacturing facility are located in Combined Locks. The manufacturing facility has an annual production capacity of 400,000 tons on three paper machines, and an adjacent coating and finishing complex with processing capacity of 280,000 tons. The company employs about 245 workers.