Clearwater Paper

Last updated
Clearwater Paper Corporation
Company type Public
NYSE:  CLW
Industry Pulp and paper
Founded2008
Headquarters,
Key people
Arsen Kitch (CEO)
Products Pulp, paperboard
Revenue$2 billion in sales
Website clearwaterpaper.com

Clearwater Paper Corporation is an American pulp and paperboard manufacturer. The company was created on December 9, 2008, via a spin-off from Potlatch Corporation and is headquartered in Spokane, Washington.

Contents

In 2024, Clearwater Paper sold its private label tissue consumer products division to focus on being a premier independent supplier of paperboard packaging products to North American converters. [1]

Following the tissue divestiture, the company operates three solid bleached sulfate mills in Lewiston, Idaho, Arkansas City, Arkansas, and Augusta, Georgia, as well as smaller converting facilities owned by Clearwater subsidiary Manchester Industries. [2]

Clearwater Timber Company

The Clearwater Timber Company was founded in December 1900 by Frederick Weyerhaeuser and John A. Humbird, who initially logged over 40,000 acres on the Clearwater River in Idaho. [3]

Clearwater Timber land holdings grew to over 236,000 acres by 1927 when the company started up a sawmill on the Clearwater River in Lewiston, Idaho. [4]

Economic conditions worsened during the Great Depression and the Clearwater Timber Company was acquired by Potlatch Forests Inc. in 1931.

Potlatch

Potlatch Forests Inc. grew its footprint nationally following World War II and expanded into manufacturing of pulp and paperboard with the startup of a mill at Lewiston in 1950. [5] [6] A second mill started up in Arkansas City, Arkansas in 1977.

Potlatch also entered tissue manufacturing in 1953 by buying a mill in Pomona, California. In 1963, Potlatch began manufacturing private label tissue products at its Lewiston mill. Potlatch started up a tissue plant in North Las Vegas, Nevada in 1993 and expanded to the Midwest in 2000 with a converting line in Benton Harbor, Michigan. [7] Potlatch consolidated its Midwest tissue converting operations in Elwood, Illinois in 2006. [8]

Spin-off from Potlatch

The spin-off from Potlatch Corporation was announced by its board of directors July 17, 2008, with the official date for the creation of Clearwater Paper being December 9, 2008. Potlatch Corporation would become a real estate investment trust (REIT) while Clearwater Paper retained Potlatch tissue and paperboard manufacturing facilities. [9]

According to the IRS, the spin-off was ruled to be a tax-free distribution of stock as Potlatch issued 1 share of Clearwater Paper stock for every 3.5 shares of Potlatch stock, with fractional shares paid in cash. Clearwater Paper stock began trading on December 17, 2008. [10]

Manufacturing divisions

From 2008 to 2024, Clearwater Paper was composed of two separate divisions—consumer products and pulp and paperboard.

Consumer products

The consumer products division manufactured and sold household tissue paper, including paper towels, napkins, bathroom tissue and facial tissue.

The division produced through-air-dried (TAD) paper towels, as well as premium and value brand towels. It made napkins in ultra, two-ply and three-ply dinner napkins, plus value one-ply luncheon napkins. The bathroom tissue produced was mostly two-ply ultra, though other types were manufactured and sold. The facial tissues produced included ultra lotion facial tissues.

As of 2024, Clearwater Paper was the largest supplier of private label toilet paper to grocery chains in the United States. [11]

Clearwater Paper sold its consumer products division to Sofidel Group in 2024 for $1.06 billion. [12]

Pulp and paperboard

Clearwater Paper's large wood pulp mill, Lewiston, 2010 Wood pulp mill, Lewiston, Idaho(7634100102).jpg
Clearwater Paper's large wood pulp mill, Lewiston, 2010

The company's pulp and paperboard segment manufactures bleached paperboard, primarily for the packaging industry. Solid bleached sulfate board is a type of paperboard that is used in the production of folding cartons, liquid packaging, plates, cups and in some commercial printing applications.

The pulp and paperboard segment also produces softwood market pulp, which is used as the primary raw material in the production of a wide variety of paper products, and slush pulp, which is sent to the Sofidel tissue manufacturing plant in Lewiston.

Facilities

Consumer products

In 2008, Clearwater Paper had three manufacturing and converting facilities in Lewiston, Idaho, North Las Vegas, Nevada, and Elwood, Illinois. The company's facility at Shelby, North Carolina, officially started up in December 2012, producing its first private label through-air-dried (TAD) finished roll and converted tissue paper product to compete with national TAD tissue brands. In the same year, Clearwater Paper also completed upgrades to its North Las Vegas facility, allowing the facility to produce TAD ultra-bathroom tissue and household towels.

In late 2010, the company acquired Cellu Tissue Holdings, Inc., headquartered in Alpharetta, Georgia, which increased its tissue manufacturing presence in the eastern United States and Canada. [13] With the acquisition of Cellu Tissue Holdings, Inc., Clearwater Paper added consumer products facilities at: East Hartford, Connecticut; Ladysmith, Wisconsin; Neenah, Wisconsin; Menominee, Michigan; Central Islip, New York; Natural Dam, New York; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Thomaston, Georgia; Wiggins, Mississippi; and St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada.

From 2013 to 2021, Clearwater Paper closed or divested former Cellu Tissue facilities:

Clearwater Paper sold its four consumer products facilities in Lewiston, Idaho, North Las Vegas, Nevada, Elwood, Illinois, and Shelby, North Carolina, to Sofidel Group in 2024. [20]

Pulp and paperboard

In 2008, Clearwater Paper operated two pulp and paperboard mills in Lewiston, Idaho, and Arkansas City, Arkansas.

In November 2011, Clearwater Paper divested the sawmill in Lewiston, Idaho, to Idaho Forest Group of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. [21]

In 2016, Clearwater Paper acquired Manchester Industries, a paperboard sales, sheeting and distribution supplier to the packaging and commercial print industries, headquartered in Richmond, Virginia. [22]

In 2024, Clearwater Paper acquired the Augusta, Georgia solid bleached sulfate paperboard mill from Graphic Packaging. [23]

Environmental policies

Clearwater Paper's manufacturing locations adhere to the chain of custody standards set by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification. [24]

Clearwater Paper's products include Candesce, which is sold for use in premium lines of coated folding carton as well in commercial printing, carded packaging, and liquid packaging applications. Clearwater's Ancora is a high-end coated, double-side bleached white paperboard. Clearwater Paper was the first North American solid bleached sulfate manufacturer to offer FSC certification across its product lines. [25]

Clearwater Paper also produces NuVo, a paper cup product with up to 35% post-consumer fiber content, and ReMagine, a folding carton and blister pack product available in grades with 10% or 30% post-consumber fiber content. [26]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lewiston, Idaho</span> City in Idaho, United States

Lewiston is a city and the county seat of Nez Perce County, Idaho, United States, in the state's north central region. It is the third-largest city in the northern Idaho region, behind Post Falls and Coeur d'Alene, and the twelfth-largest in the state. Lewiston is the principal city of the Lewiston, ID-WA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Nez Perce County and Asotin County, Washington. As of the 2020 census, the population of Lewiston was 34,203, up from 31,894 in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corrugated fiberboard</span> Composite paper material

Corrugated fiberboard, corrugated cardboard, or corrugated is a type of packaging material consisting of a fluted corrugated sheet and one or two flat linerboards. It is made on "flute lamination machines" or "corrugators" and is used for making corrugated boxes. The corrugated medium sheet and the linerboard(s) are made of kraft containerboard, a paperboard material usually over 0.25 millimetres (0.01 in) thick.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kimberly-Clark</span> American multinational personal care corporation

Kimberly-Clark Corporation is an American multinational consumer goods and personal care corporation that produces mostly paper-based consumer products. The company manufactures sanitary paper products and surgical & medical instruments. Kimberly-Clark brand name products include Kleenex facial tissue, Kotex feminine hygiene products, Cottonelle, Scott and Andrex toilet paper, Wypall utility wipes, KimWipes scientific cleaning wipes and Huggies disposable diapers and baby wipes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pulp (paper)</span> Fibrous material used notably in papermaking

Pulp is a fibrous lignocellulosic material prepared by chemically, semi-chemically or mechanically producing cellulosic fibers from wood, fiber crops, waste paper, or rags. Mixed with water and other chemicals or plant-based additives, pulp is the major raw material used in papermaking and the industrial production of other paper products.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgia-Pacific</span> American wood pulp and paper company

Georgia-Pacific LLC is an American pulp and paper company based in Atlanta, Georgia, and is one of the world's largest manufacturers and distributors of tissue, pulp, paper, toilet and paper towel dispensers, packaging, building products and related chemicals, and other forest products—largely made from its own timber. Since 2005, it has been an independently operated and managed subsidiary of Koch Industries. As of fall 2019, the company employed more than 35,000 people at more than 180 locations in North America, South America and Europe.

PotlatchDeltic Corporation is an American diversified forest products company based in Spokane, Washington.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paperboard</span> Thick paper-based material

Paperboard is a thick paper-based material. While there is no rigid differentiation between paper and paperboard, paperboard is generally thicker than paper and has certain superior attributes such as foldability and rigidity. According to ISO standards, paperboard is a paper with a grammage above 250 g/m2, but there are exceptions. Paperboard can be single- or multi-ply.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cascades (company)</span> Canadian packaging company

Cascades Inc. is a Canadian company that produces, converts, and markets packaging and tissue products composed mainly of recycled fibres. Cascades employs around 10,000 people in more than 70 operating units in North America. It was founded in 1964.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paper recycling</span> Process by which waste paper is turned into new paper products

The recycling of paper is the process by which waste paper is turned into new paper products. It has a number of important benefits: It saves waste paper from occupying homes of people and producing methane as it breaks down. Because paper fibre contains carbon, recycling keeps the carbon locked up for longer and out of the atmosphere. Around two-thirds of all paper products in the US are now recovered and recycled, although it does not all become new paper. After repeated processing the fibres become too short for the production of new paper, which is why virgin fibre is frequently added to the pulp recipe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tissue paper</span> Lightweight paper or, light crêpe paper

Tissue paper, or simply tissue, is a lightweight paper or light crêpe paper. Tissue can be made from recycled paper pulp on a paper machine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paper</span> Material for writing, printing, etc.

Paper is a thin sheet material produced by mechanically or chemically processing cellulose fibres derived from wood, rags, grasses, herbivore dung, or other vegetable sources in water. Once the water is drained through a fine mesh leaving the fibre evenly distributed on the surface, it can be pressed and dried.

Deinking is the industrial process of removing printing ink from paperfibers of recycled paper to make deinked pulp.

Holmen Iggesund is a premium paperboard company, part of the Holmen Group. Holmen is one of the largest forest owners in Sweden which bases its business in the forest industry and the pulp and paper industry. Holmen's main products are paperboard for consumer packaging and graphical applications, printing paper for magazines, direct mail, books and newspapers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liquid packaging board</span>

Liquid packaging board is a multi-ply paperboard with high stiffness, strong wet sizing and a high barrier coating, e.g. plastic. Only virgin paper fibers are used. The barrier coating must hold the liquid and prevent migration of air and flavors through the paperboard.

Kruger Inc. is a Canadian private company which manufactures publication papers, lumber and other wood products, corrugated cartons from recycled fibres, green and renewable energy, and wines and spirits. Kruger Inc. operates facilities in Québec, Ontario, British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador, and the United States. KP Tissue, Inc. is a separate, publicly traded holding company, headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Environmental impact of paper</span>

The environmental impact of paper are significant, which has led to changes in industry and behaviour at both business and personal levels. With the use of modern technology such as the printing press and the highly mechanized harvesting of wood, disposable paper became a relatively cheap commodity, which led to a high level of consumption and waste. The rise in global environmental issues such as air and water pollution, climate change, overflowing landfills and clearcutting have all lead to increased government regulations. There is now a trend towards sustainability in the pulp and paper industry as it moves to reduce clear cutting, water use, greenhouse gas emissions, fossil fuel consumption and clean up its influence on local water supplies and air pollution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cardboard</span> Heavy-duty paper of various strengths

Cardboard is a generic term for heavy paper-based products. The construction can range from a thick paper known as paperboard to corrugated fiberboard which is made of multiple plies of material. Natural cardboards can range from grey to light brown in color, depending on the specific product; dyes, pigments, printing, and coatings are available.

Essity AB is a Swedish hygiene and health company, with its headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden. The products portfolio contains one-use products such as tissue paper, baby diapers, feminine care, incontinence products, compression therapy, orthopedics and wound care. Essity was a part of the hygiene and forest products company SCA until 2017, when the company spun off the hygiene operations that became listed as a separate company on Nasdaq Stockholm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nibong Tebal Paper Mill</span> Malaysian multinational pulp and paper company

Nibong Tebal Paper Mill Holdings Bhd. is a Malaysian multinational pulp and paper and consumer goods company and is one of the world's largest paper manufacturer. Headquartered in Nibong Tebal, Penang, the company produces more than 100 types of tissue papers and has a capacity to produce 250 tons of tissue paper per day. Nibong Tebal Paper Mill has a strong presence not only in Malaysia, but also in Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam.

References

  1. "Clearwater Paper Company History". clearwaterpaper.com. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
  2. "Clearwater Paper Locations". clearwaterpaper.com. 2024-12-09. Retrieved 2024-12-09.
  3. "Lumbermen In Idaho". Idaho State University. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
  4. "Lumbermen In Idaho". Idaho State University. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
  5. "Huge pulp mill on schedule, president says". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). July 18, 1950. p. 12.
  6. "New pulp mill and bridge nearly done at Lewiston". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). July 28, 1950. p. 5.
  7. "Big Expansion Set For N. Las Vegas Tissue Plant". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
  8. "Potlatch Consolidates Midwest Tissue Converting at Elwood, Illinois; Benton Harbor, Michigan Converting Line to Close". Potlatch Corporation. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
  9. "Potlatch Board Approves Spin-off of Pulp-Based Businesses". investors.potlatchdeltic.com. July 18, 2008. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
  10. "In brief: Clearwater Paper now separate from Potlatch". The Spokesman-Review . December 17, 2008. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  11. "Toilet Paper Shortage 2024 Port Strike Unlikely". Springfield News-Leader. 2024-10-03. Retrieved 2024-12-09.
  12. "Clearwater Paper Announces the Sale of its Tissue Business". Clearwater Paper. 2024-11-01. Retrieved 2024-12-09.
  13. "Clearwater Paper Completes Acquisition of Cellu Tissue". Paper Age.com. December 27, 2010. Retrieved November 9, 2011.
  14. "Clearwater Paper to Close Thomaston GA Tissue Converting Facility". Clearwater Paper. 2013-03-06. Retrieved 2024-12-09.
  15. "Clearwater Paper to Close Long Island Tissue Converting Facility". Clearwater Paper. 2014-02-17. Retrieved 2024-12-09.
  16. "Dunn Paper Acquires Specialty Mills from Clearwater Paper". Dunn Paper. 2014-12-30. Retrieved 2024-12-09.
  17. "Clearwater Paper to Close Oklahoma City Tissue Converting Facility and Restructure Neenah Mill". Clearwater Paper. 2016-11-29. Retrieved 2024-12-09.
  18. "Clearwater Paper Announces Closure of Ladysmith Wisconsin Facility To Dunn Paper". Clearwater Paper. 2018-08-21. Retrieved 2024-12-09.
  19. "Clearwater Paper Announces Closure of Neenah Wisconsin Facility". Clearwater Paper. 2021-06-01. Retrieved 2024-12-09.
  20. "Sofidel Finalizes the Acquisition of the Tissue Division of Clearwater Paper Corporation". Sofidel. 2024-11-01. Retrieved 2024-12-09.
  21. "Clearwater Paper Completes Sale of Lewiston Sawmill". Clearwater Paper. 2011-11-28. Retrieved 2024-12-09.
  22. "Clearwater Paper Acquires Manchester Industries". Clearwater Paper. 2016-12-16. Retrieved 2024-12-09.
  23. "Clearwater Paper Announces Closing of the Augusta Paperboard Manufacturing Facility Acquisition". Clearwater Paper. 2016-12-16. Retrieved 2024-12-09.
  24. "Paperboard Products". December 24, 2024. Retrieved December 24, 2024.
  25. "Paperboard Product Catalog" (PDF). December 24, 2024. Retrieved December 24, 2024.
  26. "Clearwater Paper Corporation - Paperboard Products". December 24, 2024. Retrieved December 24, 2024.