Green Bay Packaging Inc. (GBP) has announced that the first reel of paper was produced at its new paper mill in Green Bay, WI on March 11, 2021.  This milestone comes two and a half years after breaking ground. This success is the first step to reaching full production capacity.  The $500+ million investment has had a positive impact on Northeast Wisconsin’s economy and the environment. The new mill is in Green Bay at the mouth of the Fox River south of the Leo Frigo Bridge. 

“These are exciting times at Green Bay Packaging as we ramp up production on our new paper machine.  This is the single biggest project in our company’s history, and It certainly would not have been possible without the tireless efforts of our internal people and our many partners and suppliers working together to turn this dream into reality.  Not to be overlooked are the many great customers we have, without whom this project would not have been necessary or feasible,” comments Will Kress, chairman and CEO of Green Bay Packaging.

The construction and startup of the new Green Bay Mill will preserve more than 1,100 Green Bay Packaging jobs across Brown County and over 1,500 jobs in the state of Wisconsin.  This investment positions the company to continue to grow its Wisconsin workforce, while significantly increasing production capacity and product quality. In addition, the new mill will benefit the entire regional supply chain while operating as one of the most environmentally sustainable paper mills in the world. 

“The team, led by Matt Szymanski, has done an outstanding job bringing this project in on-time.  “This complex and intense project was completed on time and will play a significant role in the future of Green Bay Packaging.  The entire team did an outstanding job,” says Bryan Hollenbach, executive vice president of Green Bay Packaging. 

Green Bay Packaging furthered its long-term commitment to Northeast Wisconsin and Green Bay and partnered with local companies to design and construct the facility, driving a significant regional economic impact. Neenah-based Miron Construction served as the general contractor for the construction of the new mill. At the height of the project, there were over 1,150 workers on site daily. Through the end of February 2021, over 2.4 million labor hours had been worked to complete the project.

Voith Paper was chosen as the full-line equipment supplier for this project.  Voith Paper’s North American headquarters are located in Appleton, WI.  Green Bay Packaging’s partnership with Voith includes cutting-edge papermaking and fiber recycling technology.

“Every member of the Green Bay Packaging Mill team worked tirelessly over the past several years to bring this vision to reality,”  adds Matt Szymanski, VP of Mill Operations. “I am very proud of our team and the partnerships we forged during this project.  The chemistry that was developed allowed us to meet our startup schedule in light of a global pandemic. Voith, Miron, and our other major equipment suppliers have proven to be great partners that were committed to the success of this project, delivering a world-class paper mill.”