Over $100 million investment in North America

The Felix Schoeller Group is systematically implementing its growth program for North America. Starting in 2023, capacities at the company’s sites in the USA and Canada will be significantly expanded in three steps.

In the first step, a new silicone coater will be launched at the site in Pulaski, NY in mid-2023. This will enable the Felix Schoeller Group to supply the American market locally with siliconized release liners and films. In doing so, the company is relying not only on solvent-free silicone technology, but also on solvent-based silicone technology – and doing so using particularly energy-efficient and environmentally friendly technological solutions.

Further measures in the course of the capacity expansion until 2025 include, on the one hand, the expansion of the paper machine in Drummondville, Canada, from currently 32,000 tons to over 40,000 tons per year. This expansion is scheduled for completion in the fourth quarter of 2023. Secondly, the specialty paper manufacturer plans to invest in the construction of a second paper machine for the North American market. The plant will then produce up to 50,000 tons of decor papers per year. In the course of project planning, the location and details of the technical equipment will be determined. The Felix Schoeller Group is also planning further targeted investments in North America, so that local production of Releaseliner base papers will also be possible in the future. The total investment volume in the production of high-quality decor and releaseliner papers for the USA and Canada is expected to exceed 100 million US dollars.

“With the significant expansion of our product capabilities and capacities in North America, we are following the plan of consistent expansion of our local supply strategy. We are and always want to be present with our products in the markets where our customers are at home,” said Hans-Christoph Gallenkamp, CEO of the Felix Schoeller Group. The decor paper market in North America is showing consistently good momentum and will continue to grow in the coming years, partly due to population growth, the resulting demand for housing and the associated investment by the wood-based materials industry. “With the project planning of the paper machine, we are opening a new chapter in market supply in North America. In the future, we will thus be able to offer reliable supply with local service and production not only to our customers for high-quality decor papers, but also in particular to those for the release liner business,” emphasizes Michael Szidat, who as CEO of Felix Schoeller North America, as well as Technocell Canada, is responsible for the business in North and South America. “Not least, the Corona crisis has shown how important such reliable local supply is,” Michael Szidat continues.