23 million USD investment from Smurfit Kappa
Smurfit Kappa invests over USD23 million in Mexico's future sustainability.
Smurfit Kappa has invested USD23.5 million in upgrading its sheet plant in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, to a fully integrated corrugated plant. The investment includes a cutting-edge corrugator and a building expansion.
The new machine, which started operating last week, will have two benefits: it will reduce CO2 emissions by up to 40% and double production capacity.
Smurfit Kappa has strong partnerships in the industrial, electrical appliances, and electronics sectors in the Tamaulipas region of northeastern Mexico, where the Nuevo Laredo plant is located.
Over 200 companies that manufacture products for the US are located in the region, which accounts for 3.3 percent of the country's GDP.
Smurfit Kappa's operations in San Antonio, Texas, will be streamlined as a result of the increased capacity, as a growing demand for sustainable packaging necessitates higher production volumes.
In addition, the investment will make significant progress toward the plant's ambitious sustainability goals. Due to significantly less transportation between Smurfit Kappa's Nuevo Laredo and San Antonio plants, CO2 emissions will be reduced by up to 40%.
Speaking about the investment, Laurent Sellier, CEO of Smurfit Kappa the Americas, said: “This investment reinforces our commitment to being an important player in the growth of the Mexican market. It will also strengthen our partnerships within the sectors that drive the local economy in the Nuevo Laredo region.”
Eduardo Rubio, CEO of Smurfit Kappa North America, added: “The enhanced production capacity we now have because of this investment has strengthened our ability to meet the needs of current and indeed potential customers in the region.
Smurfit Kappa is a reliable source of high-performance, sustainable packaging, no matter how complex the product or supply chain requirements are.”
This latest investment follows on from Smurfit Kappa’s USD22 million expansion of its Culiacan corrugated plant in Northwest Mexico last year.
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