BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sappi North America Inc., a leading producer and supplier of diversified paper, packaging products and pulp, announced today it received a $1 million grant from the Maine Technology Institute’s Forestry Recovery Initiative to improve productivity and reduce energy in its Somerset Mill.
The grant funds will be used to improve Sappi’s pulp yield in the Somerset Mill, specifically through a new chip treatment process that will improve productivity, lower energy consumption, and reduce the use of pulping chemicals in Sappi Mills.
"Our team is excited to be a recipient of this grant, and we are especially thankful to the state of Maine and Governor Mills for supporting Maine’s forestry industry," said Mike Haws, President and CEO of Sappi North America. "With robust demand for paper and packaging products, we at Sappi are continuously looking for the most innovative processes to create sustainably made products. Not only will the grant facilitate improved productivity, but it will also support the long-term viability of the Skowhegan and Westbrook mills.”
The Forestry Recovery Initiative deploys grants to help Maine loggers, foresters, lumber yards, and other members of Maine's forest products sector recover financial loss caused by the pandemic, develop new wood products, and upgrade infrastructure to strengthen supply chains and sell products to new markets. It is part of a three-phase initiative in Maine to allocate a $20 million award from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to mitigate damage caused by the pandemic.
Sappi supports more than 3,300 jobs in Maine and contributes to the innovation economy and entrepreneurial community by partnering with the University of Maine for pulping and forestry research as well as product prototyping. The University of Maine will be a key partner in Sappi’s project.
To learn more about Sappi North America, please visit www.sappi.com.
About Sappi North America, Inc.
Sappi North America, Inc., headquartered in Boston, is a market leader in converting wood fiber into superior products that customers demand worldwide. Our four diversified businesses – high-quality Graphic Papers, Dissolving Pulp, Packaging, and Specialty Papers deliver premium products and services with consistent quality and reliability. Our high-quality Coated Printing Papers are used for premium magazines, catalogs, books, direct mail and high-end print advertising. We are a leading manufacturer of Dissolving Pulp, which is used in a wide range of products, including textile fibers and household goods. We deliver sustainable Packaging and Specialty Papers for luxury packaging and folding carton applications with our single-ply packaging brands and for the food and label industries with our specialty papers. We are one of the world's leading suppliers of Casting and Release Papers with lines for the automotive, fashion and engineered films industries.
Sappi North America is a subsidiary of Sappi Limited (JSE), a global company headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, with more than 12,000 employees and manufacturing operations on three continents in seven countries and customers in over 150 countries. www.sappi.com
