US manufacturer Green Bay Packaging is investing more than $1bn to expand and modernise its Morrilton facility in Arkansas, US.

The expansion plan also includes the acquisition of approximately 300 acres of land for future investments, potentially more than doubling the mill’s current production capacity.

The multiyear initiative will enhance the infrastructure of the Arkansas Kraft facility, including the replacement of key process components such as the site's recovery boiler and biomass boiler.

An electric turbine generator will also be installed to reduce scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions.

The project is expected to create 35 new jobs, adding to the company’s existing workforce of over 620 employees in Conway County.

Green Bay Packaging will recruit for roles such as operators, mechanics, electricians, and engineers.

The company operates multiple facilities in Central Arkansas, including two in Plumerville, one in Conway, and another in Morrilton, alongside the Arkansas Kraft Division Campus.

Green Bay Packaging mill operations vice-president Matt Szymanski said: “We are excited to officially break ground on Project PowerPack.

“This project reflects our ongoing commitment to quality and sustainability, as well as our dedication to our employees, customers, and the communities in which we live and work.”

In 2024, six US counties: Conway, Pope, Faulkner, Johnson, Saline, as well as the City of Morrilton, collaborated with the Arkansas Department of Transportation to relocate Highway 113, enabling the project to proceed.

Arkansas governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders said: “Thank you, Green Bay Packaging, for the important service you have provided for over 50 years in Arkansas, the hundreds of jobs you provide for our state, and for your over $1bn investment - representing the largest capital investment project in Central Arkansas’ history.”

Last month, Green Bay Packaging selected ANDRITZ to supply a recovery boiler, evaporation facility, and power boiler for its pulp mill in Morrilton.