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Kruger dedicates PM10 linerboard machine in Trois-Rivières

Oct. 24, 2017 – Kruger today officially dedicated Paper Machine No. 10 (PM10), which was completely rebuilt to manufacture 100 per cent lightweight and high-strength linerboard at its Trois-Rivières Mill in Quebec.

The $250-million investment went toward a full rebuild of the PM10 for “optimal results,” says Kruger, noting that before work got under way, Kruger engineers toured manufacturing plants in North America and Europe to find the best technology for manufacturing 100 per cent recycled lightweight and high-strength linerboard.

Commercialized as XTR, the new linerboard grades manufactured on PM10 will help meet increasing demand for ultra-light packaging without compromising on strength, performance or environmental footprint, adds Kruger.

PM10’s annual production will total 360,000 metric tonnes of XTR linerboard, an exclusive product that Kruger says it is the first to manufacture in North America. A portion of the production will be used by Kruger’s packaging plants in LaSalle, Que., and Brampton, Ont., while the remainder will be sold to packaging manufacturers across Canada and the United States.

Announced jointly by Kruger and the Government of Québec in September 2015, the project required some 500,000 hours of work over a 20-month period that ended in the spring when the machine entered its start-up phase. The project also consolidated 270 jobs at the Trois-Rivières Mill, in addition to the Mauricie region and Québec. More than 80 local businesses were involved in the project. Of the total budget, approximately $40 million were spent with local suppliers and $60 million with suppliers elsewhere in Quebec.

Founded in 1904, Kruger is a producer of publication and specialty papers, tissue products, containerboard and packaging made from recycled fibres, renewable energy, cellulosic biomaterials, and wines and spirits.