Cascades Inc. (CAS), a North American leader in the recovery, manufacturing and converting of green packaging and tissue paper products, announces the installation of a new state-of-the-art converting line in its Candiac plant for the manufacture of high-quality paper towels. In addition, Cascades will upgrade two converting lines in Candiac and Kingsey Falls that will also produce high-end tissue products. The start-up of the new line in Candiac is planned for July 2015, while the improved converting lines are scheduled to begin production in the first quarter of 2016. This $25 million investment will create 10 new jobs and consolidate the 200 existing ones at the Candiac plant.
Jean Jobin, Cascades Tissue Group's President and COO stated: "This major investment in Quebec is part of our plan to modernize Cascades' assets to produce higher quality tissue products more efficiently. In addition, this investment will allow us to better serve our customers by making us more competitive while opening new market opportunities."
The new converting line will be Cascades Tissue Group's most productive line. It will enable a more efficient production of higher quality paper towels and the addition of new formats. The total annual capacity for the new line is approximately 3.5 million cases. It will produce high-quality paper towels for the retail and away-from-home markets.
"As part of its strategic plan, Cascades has chosen to focus its investments in growth areas of the future: the tissue paper and packaging sectors. The new converting line will be paired with the paper machine that was upgraded in 2011 to install the new and innovative Atmos® technology. The investment follows on the heels of our strategic deployment in the Southeastern United States and on the West Coast, where we are aiming to further strengthen our position on the North American tissue market", added Mario Plourde, President and CEO of Cascades Inc.
"Innovation and modernization drive the growth of our companies, and are important levers for prosperity in Québec. Our government is delighted with this project, which is a wonderful example of the incorporation of innovative technologies into the Québec manufacturing sector," explained Jacques Daoust, Minister of the Economy, Innovation and Exports.
Cascades Tissue Group, a division of Cascades, is the largest tissue paper manufacturer in Canada, and the fourth largest in North America. The Candiac and Kingsey Falls mills manufacture bathroom tissue, paper towels, table napkins and facial tissues for the Canadian and American retail and away-from-home markets.
Founded in 1964, Cascades produces, converts and markets packaging and tissue products that are composed mainly of recycled fibres. Cascades employs almost 11,000 men and women, who work in more than 90 production units in North America and Europe. With its management philosophy, half a century of experience in recycling and continuous efforts in research and development as driving forces, Cascades continues to deliver the innovative products that customers have come to rely on. Cascades' shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol CAS.