Greif has revealed plans to withdraw from coated recycled paperboard (CRB) by shutting its Sweetwater paperboard facility in Austell, Georgia, US.
Operations are due to end before the close of the calendar year.
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The move aligns with a wider effort to concentrate investment on operations where it holds a leading market role and sees a defined route to long-term value creation.
Around 90 employees are expected to be impacted.
The company said it will offer severance arrangements, career transition assistance and additional support for those affected.
Greif president and CEO Ole Rosgaard said: “This is a difficult decision because of the impact on our colleagues, their families, and the surrounding community.
“Our Sweetwater team has worked hard to serve our customers and improve the performance of the mill. We are grateful for their commitment, professionalism, and many contributions to Greif.”
Sweetwater manufactures coated recycled paperboard, uncoated recycled paperboard (URB) and paper used for gypsum facing and backing.
Greif attributed the decision to the site’s operating setup, its limited connection to the rest of the company’s network and an unfavourable cost position.
According to the company, these factors have made it difficult to build a “sustainable competitive” footing.
Once closed, the facility’s output, approximately 120,000tpa, will be removed from capacity.
Greif said it is engaging with URB customers to manage the changeover and aims to continue supplying them through its wider North American URB mill system.
Greif senior vice-president and sustainable fibre solutions general manager Gaylord Benner said: “Closing Sweetwater will strengthen the overall performance of our mill network while our investments in our URB network will direct capital toward assets that are well positioned to serve our customers and support profitable growth.”
Separately, the company raised prices in June for all URB grades by $60 per short tonne.
It also said tube, core and protective packaging items will rise by at least 6.5%. The URB pricing change applied to new orders and deliveries from 6 July 2026.
