Green Bay Packaging to invest over US$1B in Arkansas facility expansion

USA – Packaging manufacturer Green Bay Packaging is set to invest more than US$1 billion to expand and modernize its Morrilton facility in Arkansas, marking the largest capital investment project in Central Arkansas’ history.

The ambitious, multiyear expansion will include the acquisition of 300 acres of land to support future growth, with the potential to more than double the mill’s current production capacity.

Key infrastructure upgrades will target the Arkansas Kraft facility, including the replacement of the recovery and biomass boilers and the installation of an electric turbine generator aimed at reducing Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions.

The project will create 35 new jobs, adding to Green Bay Packaging’s current workforce of over 620 employees in Conway County. New positions will include operators, mechanics, electricians, and engineers.

“We are excited to officially break ground on Project PowerPack,” said Matt Szymanski, Vice President of Mill Operations.

“This project reflects our ongoing commitment to quality and sustainability, as well as our dedication to our employees, customers, and the communities in which we live and work.”

To facilitate the expansion, six counties — Conway, Pope, Faulkner, Johnson, and Saline, along with the City of Morrilton — collaborated with the Arkansas Department of Transportation in 2024 to relocate Highway 113.

Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders praised the investment, stating, “Thank you, Green Bay Packaging, for the important service you have provided for over 50 years in Arkansas, the hundreds of jobs you support, and for your over \$1 billion investment.”

In a related move, Green Bay Packaging has awarded a major supply contract to ANDRITZ, which will provide a recovery boiler, a lamella evaporation facility, and a biomass-fired power boiler for the Morrilton pulp mill. The new equipment is slated for commissioning in late 2027.

The recovery boiler will feature Smart Smelt Spout Robots, advanced automation, and digital monitoring systems.

The biomass boiler will incorporate EcoFluid bubbling fluidized bed design technology to enhance energy efficiency and sustainability.

Jonathon Gates, Director of the Morrilton mill and capital project management, said, “The ANDRITZ team has shown exceptional commitment to fostering collaboration and developing futureproof solutions for this project.”

Jarmo Kaila, Senior Vice President of Pulp and Power at ANDRITZ North America, added, “We are honoured to be selected for this major modernization. Our solutions will help improve the mill’s safety, reliability, and scalability for future capacity growth.”

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