The nanocellulose joint venture of Domtar and FPInnovations will be named CelluForce, the partners announced in early June. Construction of the NCC production facility is underway at Domtar's Windsor, Que., pulp and paper mill, and will be completed in the fourth quarter of this year. The companies expect to be producing NCC in January 2012.
The joint venture, launched last year, will be led by Jean Moreau, a former vice-president finance with Domtar. CelluForce already has about 30 employees, and a headquarters in Montreal.
"The name CelluForce reminds us that one of the main characteristics of the nanocrystalline cellulose is the great strength it provides to the materials to which it is added, but the name also represents the strength of our relationships with our shareholders, our partners and out customers, which is one of the company's core values," explains Moreau.
He notes that the new venture differs from traditional pulp and paper products because the end product will be marketed as a chemical. "The input is pulp, the output is NCC, which is a specialty chemical ingredient."