FLORENCE, SC (WBTW) – Florence County officials announced Thursday that WestRock Company plans to invest $470 million over the next five years to upgrade its plant in Florence.
WestRock Company is a manufacturer of differentiated paper and packaging solutions. A large portion of the investment, about $410 million, will be used to install a 330” state-of-the-art kraft linerboard machine and related infrastructure that will replace three older, narrow-width paper machines. The new machines are expected to produce 710,000 tons of kraft linerboard each year.
“This investment will make our Florence mill a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, sustaining good manufacturing jobs and promoting the long-term success of the mill,” said Steve Voorhees, chief executive officer of WestRock. “We look forward to contributing to the Florence community for many years to come.”
In addition, the company plans to invest approximately $60 million over the next five years to support the new machine and other mill projects.
“Florence County is excited about WestRock and its investment in our area – one of the largest in recent history. This is a significant development for the people of Florence County,” said Florence County Economic Development Partnership Chairman Frank J. “Buddy” Brand.
When coupled with the recently-completed modern woodyard, the Florence mill will become one of the lowest cost kraft linerboard mills in North America.
“This new investment is an important step for Florence County in preserving jobs that support so many families in our community, and is evidence that companies that come to Florence stay in Florence,” said South Carolina Senate President Pro Tempore Hugh K. Leatherman.
The new linerboard machine will be housed in a building adjacent to the existing complex, and the company expects production on the new equipment, along with the shutdown of the three existing machines to occur in the first half of 2020.