The plant is located next to the company’s corrugated cardboard factory in Valparaiso, Ind. The project was originally announced in fall of 2013. It’s the fourth North American mill for Pratt.
According to the Chicago Tribune, the 250,000-square-foot paper mill required a $260 million investment from the company and will create 100 permanent jobs.
The mill has been ramping up production since initially opening for operation in October. Its production capacity is 370,000 tons per year, and it consumes primarily mixed paper.
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence and Anthony Pratt, the company’s global chairman, both spoke at the opening of the plant.
“Welcome to the world’s largest and most environmental paper mill,” Pratt was quoted as saying by the Tribune. “We believe in America. We believe in American manufacturing and we’re here to stay.”
Pratt bills itself as America’s fifth-largest corrugated packaging company and the biggest privately held recycled paper and packaging company.