Sofidel, one of the global largest tissue (paper for hygienic and domestic use) production players, announced a major new stage in its journey of international growth, initiating a new greenfield investment in the United States to build an integrated plant - i.e., including both the paper mill and converting lines - in Inola, Oklahoma, around 30 miles east of Tulsa.
This is the Group's second greenfield investment in the United States, with the construction of a brand new plant, starting from the laying of the foundation stone.
Two tissue technology machines, for a total output of 120,000 metric tons a year, will be installed in Inola together with the corresponding converting lines to make the finished product (toilet tissue and towels).
The overall investment will amount to 360 million dollars over three years (2018-2019-2020), resulting in a plant that will combine sustainability and technological innovation.
"I'm pleased to be able to announce this new greenfield investment, the second in America, following the one in Circleville, Ohio. The purpose of this new investment is to make a significant contribution to our growth in the United States, one of the most important markets for our Group" commented Luigi Lazzareschi, CEO of the Sofidel Group. "We're going to build a state-of-the-art integrated plant in Inola to serve the South-Central and Central-Western United States, a market where we've had a presence since 2012 and where we've grown quickly, year after year."
Work on building the plant will begin in March 2018 and will be completed by mid-2020, while the converting production lines and warehouse will already be up and running by mid-2019. Once fully operational, the new plant will employ 300 full-time workers.
Sofidel is a family-run company owned by Stefani and Lazzareschi families, and is the second biggest player in Europe today, and sixth worldwide, in tissue paper manufacturing, with a turnover of 1,842 million euros (2016) and a production capacity of more than 1 million metric tons a year.
Headquartered in Italy, Sofidel is present in the US market since 2012, when the company purchased Cellyne Holdings Inc. company, subsequently renamed Sofidel America. Since then, Sofidel has grown its operations in the country, with production plants in Green Bay (Wisconsin), Haines City (Florida), Henderson (Nevada), Tulsa (Oklahoma) and Hattiesburg (Mississippi), and the American headquarters in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Moreover, by the end of 2018, the new integrated plant in Circleville, Ohio - resulting from the first greenfield investment of the Group in the United States - will become fully operational,
Sofidel's commitment to sustainable manufacturing, highlighted by its participation in the WWF Climate Savers programme, is demonstrated by specific measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and safeguard water resources, as well as by the procurement of pulp certified by independent third parties with forestry certification schemes.
The Sofidel Group
The Sofidel Group is one of the leading manufacturer of paper for hygienic and domestic use worldwide. Established in 1966, the Group has subsidiaries in 13 countries - Italy, Spain, the UK, France, Belgium, Germany, Sweden, Poland, Hungary, Greece, Romania, Turkey and the USA - with more than 5,500 employees, a consolidated turnover of 1,842 million Euros (2016) and a production capacity of over one million tonnes per year (1,058,000 tonnes in 2016). "Regina", its most well-known brand, is present on almost all the reference markets. Other brands include: Softis, Le Trèfle, Sopalin, Nouvelle, Thirst Pockets, KittenSoft, Nalys, Cosynel, Yumy, Soft & Easy, Volare, Onda, Lycke, Forest, Nicky, Papernet. A member of UN Global Compact and the international WWF Climate Savers programme, the Sofidel Group considers sustainability a strategic factor with regards to growth and is committed to promoting socially and environmentally responsible development.