The State of Paper in Wisconsin
Since its peak around the year 2000, the paper industry in Wisconsin has felt the impact of the digital market on the usage of paper. This created a lower demand for books, newspapers, and magazines, but an increased demand for boxes and corrugated paper for shipping goods online.
Wisconsin is the leading producer of paper products in the United States. At its peak, the Wisconsin paper industry had around 52 mills and provided our state with 52,000 jobs.
Since 1994, however, 15 mills have closed and nearly 20,000 jobs have been lost.
Our Future at Home
Green Bay Packaging Inc. is proud to announce plans to build a new paper mill and reinvest in Green Bay and Brown County.
“We will be replacing our current, 71-year-old Paper mill in Green Bay with a new, state of the art facility on the same location. Our investment in this mill will be the largest business development project in Brown County history. This new facility will also be the first new paper mill in Wisconsin in over 30 years, bringing new technology that will result in cutting edge efficiencies in both production and the environment.”
Green Bay Packaging has made it clear that they would like the new mill to remain located in Green Bay to further its commitment to Wisconsin, but the company could logistically move its mill operation to a different state within the Midwest.
Green Bay Packaging currently has 1,534 full-time employees in Wisconsin, 1,100 of which are employed in Brown County. The company has paid over $500 million in wages to its Wisconsin employees over the last five years. Those wages are consistently being reinvested into our local communities through taxation, real estate, and leisure.
Green Bay Packaging has added 387 new Wisconsin employees over the last five years, which resulted in a 33.68% growth in the company’s employment within Wisconsin.
It is estimated that the proposed mill would add about 200 full-time employees in Wisconsin
The company’s proposed new mill would not only add jobs directly at Green Bay Packaging, but the $500 million investment would positively impact other industries across Northeast Wisconsin. Building a new mill at Green Bay Packaging’s Green Bay location would require an additional 1,000 construction jobs right here in Brown County. These are primarily good paying, skilled-labor jobs.
Green Bay Packaging also believes this $500 million investment will result in a 50+% increase in the company’s commerce out of the new facility. This means more trucks will be needed to transport the company’s products and raw materials. Transportation is a vital industry to Wisconsin’s economic standing. Healthy paper, construction, and transportation industries results in a healthy Wisconsin economy.
The Green Bay Packaging Mill will expand their production capabilities which will have a great economic benefit for this area. But while they do that they're going to be doing it an environmentally sustainable way.
Our last facility-wide coal burner will be replaced with modern gas boilers that burn cleaner and will reduce sulfur dioxide and particulate matter emissions by over 90%. We will begin operating within a reclaimed water system, meaning that we will not draw water from, nor discharge water into the Fox River ever again.