Kruger Starts up 30,000-ton/yr Tissue Machine at Crabtree Plant

Announced jointly by Kruger Products and the Government of Québec in July 2016, the $55-million investment to purchase and install PM 8 received a $39.5-million loan from Investissement Québec, which is acting as an agent of the Government of Québec in this project. Kruger Products also received support from the Joliette RCM and the Municipality of Crabtree – through the Fonds de développement des territoires – Fonds d’aide aux entreprises volet 2 (Territories Development Fund – Business Assistance Fund, stream 2) – to complete this investment. The Company also took the opportunity to reveal its recent acquisition of a new $12-million winder.

This new, more efficient machine manufactures paper products for the away-from-home market and will enable the Crabtree Plant to boost its annual production by 29%. The Crabtree Plant now has plenty of room to grow over the coming years.

"I am very proud to acknowledge the outstanding work done by all the teams that brilliantly took up the challenge to complete this large-scale project within a very tight timeline. I would also like to point out that the start-up was a success because of the importance given to health and safety throughout the construction phase," said Mario Gosselin, CEO of Kruger Products L.P.

PM 8 will manufacture 30,000 metric tons/yr of paper products for the away-from-home market, which includes restaurants and hotels, businesses and institutions. This project, which represents an investment of $67 million, including the paper machine and the purchase of a new winder, required 180,000 hours of work over eleven months.