Italian tissue giant Sofidel is to further strengthen its presence in the American market after announcing plans to invest $185m at its integrated plant in Circleville, Ohio.
The project involves the construction of a new building to house the site’s third Valmet DCT 200 TM, which is due to come into operation in the third quarter of 2025 with a production capacity of 70,000 metric tons per year.
Two Valmet Advantage NTTs tissue paper machines are already in operation at the plant.
Sofidel said the investment is in response to increase customer demand for tissue products in the American market, and once up and running it will increase the site’s total production capacity to over 200,000 metric tons per year, making it the company’s largest site globally.
Luigi Lazzareschi, Sofidel Chief Executive, said: “Last year, we celebrated our first ten years on the US market: ten years of development and growth.
“Thanks in part to the close-knit and capable US team and our excellent relationships with institutions, from the state of Ohio to the local communities that have always supported us, we open our second decade of operations in the United States with this new investment in the Circleville plant.
“Today Sofidel America has production sites in six states and this operation will enable us to further meet the growing demand from our customers and continue to fuel our growth in this country.”
Located on a 280-acre site, the Ohio plant was Sofidel’s first greenfield investment in America.
