Kruger is pleased to announce that its affiliate Kruger Specialty Papers Holding L.P. today completed the acquisition of Domtar’s pulp mill in Kamloops, B.C.
The Kamloops facility, which manufactures northern bleached softwood kraft pulp and unbleached softwood kraft pulp, will continue to operate as usual, honouring all existing volume commitments and agreements with customers and suppliers. The mill’s 320 jobs will be maintained. In addition, Kruger intends to maintain ongoing initiatives to continue modernizing the mill.
This acquisition will also enable Kruger to secure the supply of high-quality pulp for some of its paper mills, including those in Quebec, where the company is investing about $1 billion for the construction of two state-of-the-art tissue plants.
The company also recognizes the important role that the Kamloops mill plays in the Thompson/Okanagan region and will work closely with local sawmills and wood fibre suppliers to strengthen relationships with these key partners.
“We are very happy to welcome our new Kamloops colleagues into our group and to expand our activities in British Columbia,” said François D’Amours, Kruger’s executive vice-president and CEO. “Kamloops is a world-class facility and a natural fit for Kruger considering its strong emphasis on product quality, employee safety and sustainability. Over the coming weeks, as we support and empower our Kamloops team to keep doing the great work they’ve been doing, we will also focus on strengthening relationships with the mill’s existing customers, suppliers, and business partners, as well as with the local community which we are proud to call home from now on.”
With this acquisition, Kruger is strengthening its presence in British Columbia as a major employer and provider of essential products. Taking into account its other operations, namely the Kruger Products tissue plant, in New Westminster, and Kruger Energy’s Zeballos Lake Hydro Plant, on the northwest coast of Vancouver Island, the company now has close to 700 employees in the province.
Recognized as one of Canada’s most innovative and forward-thinking industrial companies, Kruger has more than 70 years of pulp and paper making experience and a long-standing commitment to environmental protection, employee safety, responsible sourcing, and energy efficiency. It will therefore ensure that the Kamloops mill continues to uphold the highest industry standards in all these areas.
