A 25% increase in facial tissue production at the Richelieu Plant in Gatineau
GATINEAU, QC, March 5, 2024 /CNW/ - Kruger Products Inc., a company in which KP Tissue Inc. (TSX: KPT) has a limited interest, today announced a major increase in its production of Scotties® facial tissues at its Richelieu Plant in Gatineau, Québec. The announcement was made in the presence of Christopher Skeete, Québec Minister for the Economy; Suzanne Tremblay, the Member of the National Assembly for Hull, and Michel Manseau, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Consumer Products – Canada, Kruger Products.
Through this expansion project, which received investments totalling $14.5 million and created 16 jobs, Kruger Products commissioned a new facial tissue converting line at its Richelieu Plant in November 2023. The additional equipment will increase the production of facial tissue by 25%.
Another component of the project will be rolled out at the Laurier Plant, also in Gatineau, where new equipment will collect tissue production residues. With a view to the circular economy, the residues will be repulped for the manufacture of value-added projects. This component, which is expected to be completed in June 2025, will also enable the Laurier and Richelieu Plants to increase their productivity.
Investissement Québec provided support for the project in the form of a $7.27-million loan granted under the ESSOR program.
"I congratulate everyone who contributed to the installation of our new converting line at the Richelieu Plant, on time and on budget. Ultimately, our recent investments and our new converting line in Gatineau will allow us to increase our facial tissue capacity by 2.2 million cases annually by providing high quality products and diverse capability to respond to the increase in demand observed in the North American market."
- Michel Manseau, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Consumer Products – Canada, Kruger Products
"This investment will help Kruger Products to produce more in Québec, and that's what makes me particularly proud. When we support our companies in their modernization and expansion, we strengthen Québec's assets and ensure that we are always more competitive."
- Christopher Skeete, Québec Minister for the Economy, Minister Responsible for the Fight Against Racism and Minister Responsible for the Laval Region
"We support companies so that they can not only become more efficient, but also reduce their environmental footprint. This project will enable Kruger Products to make better use of its resources, with a view to increasing productivity and the circular economy."
- Suzanne Tremblay, Member of the National Assembly of Québec for Hull
Since 2018, Kruger Products has invested more than $1 billion in state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities to meet consumer needs. The new converting line in Gatineau consolidates our Richelieu Plant as a centre of excellence in facial tissue manufacturing and is part of a broader objective to expand the Company's activities in North America.
As a leader in the facial tissue category, Kruger Products has ten plants in North America with significant capacity to supply facial tissue to the market under the Scotties® and Bonterra™ brands in Canada and White Cloud® in the United States.
About KP Tissue Inc. (KPT)
KPT was created to acquire, and its business is limited to holding, a limited equity interest in Kruger Products, which is accounted for as an investment on the equity basis. KPT currently holds a 12.9 % interest in Kruger Products. For more information visit www.kptissueinc.com.
About Kruger Products
Kruger Products is Canada's leading manufacturer of quality tissue products for household, industrial and commercial use. Kruger Products serves the Canadian consumer market with such well-known brands as Cashmere®, Purex®, SpongeTowels®, Scotties®, White Swan® and Bonterra™. In the U.S., Kruger Products manufactures the White Cloud® brand, as well as many private label products. Kruger Products has approximately 2,800 employees and operates ten FSC® COC-certified (FSC® C-104904) production facilities in North America. For more information visit www.krugerproducts.ca.
Forward Looking Statements
Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the projected increase in production capabilities of the Richelieu Plant, increases in facial tissue case output and market demand for facial tissue products. The forward-looking statements are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by KPT or Kruger Products. Although KPT and Kruger Products believe that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking information is based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements since no assurance can be given that such expectations and assumptions will prove to be correct.
Many factors could cause Kruger Products' actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements or future events or developments (which could in turn affect the economic benefits derived from KPT's economic interest in Kruger Products), to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, those factors which are discussed in the "Risk Factors – Risks Related to Kruger Products' Business" section of the KPT Annual Information Form dated March 9, 2023, available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.
The forward-looking information contained herein is made as of the date of this press release and KPT undertakes no obligation to publicly update such forward-looking information to reflect new information, subsequent or otherwise, unless required by applicable securities laws.
SOURCE Kruger Products
Marie-Claude Tremblay, Manager, Corporate Communications, 514 297-1364, [email protected]
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