The plant became operational in January 2023. Credit: Progroup.
The PW14 plant produces up to 200,000tpa of corrugated board sheets. Credit: Progroup.
International Paper plans to base and domicile the combined company at Memphis, Tennessee. Credit: Jonathan Weiss via Shutterstock.com.

Progroup has constructed the second corrugated sheet feeder plant in Strykow, Poland, to bolster its market position in Central and Eastern Europe.

Referred to as PW14, the Strykow plant is the company’s 12th corrugated board sheets production facility and its third production plant in Poland.

The project involved an investment of €72m ($87.25m) and generated 50 new high-tech jobs. The investment facilitates regional growth and makes Poland one of the most important locations for the company in Central Europe.

The new corrugated sheet board plant became operational in January 2023.

Progroup’s PW14 corrugated sheet feeder plant details

The new state-of-the-art plant is spread across 27,900m² (300,313ft²), adjacent to the existing 229,000m² PW07 plant. Both the plants together have an estimated annual production capacity of 825 million square metres per year.

The PW14 production facility produces up to 200,000t of corrugated board sheets a year, including single and double-wall Next Board® corrugated broadsheets with B, C and E flutes from the fourth quarter of 2022. It produces sustainable products and incorporates different technological innovations.

Progroup’s PW14 sheet feeder plant is used to produce all common grades of corrugated board. It has a production speed of 400m/min and a working width of 3.35m. Progroup implemented innovations such as the one-man dry-end concept, a high-bay fully automatic warehouse with 15,000 storage spaces, and four storage and retrieval machines.

The corrugated sheet board facility uses electric stacker trucks for an IT-controlled flow of finished products. It is equipped with automation technology. Real-time operating data and work instructions are displayed on employees’ wearable devices resembling smartwatches.

Progroup’s sustainability practices

The new modern production plant is installed with efficient filter systems for a dust-free working environment.

The innovative sound insulation system at the facility significantly reduces noise pollution and eliminates the need for personal protective equipment.

Progroup is focused on achieving carbon-neutral recycling as part of its sustainability measures. It uses efficient combined cooling, heat and power (CCHP) to meet power needs. The CCHP plant uses waste heat from its own power generation, thus saving fossil fuels and cutting emissions.

Next Board corrugated boards consume less energy and raw materials while reducing CO₂ emissions by 26%.

The company uses high-tech machines to produce 100% recyclable corrugated sheets.

Progroup’s product portfolio

Progroup’s product offerings include containerboard (CCM), Next Board and corrugated sheet board. The Next Board and Next Fibre® products are part of the company’s next-generation product line.

The company offers a range of paper grades through the K-line and SLW-line product lines. The products are available in the form of single, double, and triple-wall corrugated boards.

Marketing commentary on Progroup

Headquartered in Landau of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, Progroup specialises in manufacturing containerboards and corrugated boards. Founded in 1991, it operates through its production facilities in six countries of Central Europe.

The corrugated sheet board plants operated by Progroup are Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified.  The company celebrated the tenth anniversary of the sheet feeder plant in Strykow in September 2019. It plans to double its production capacity by 2025 compared to 2015 by building eight corrugated sheet feeder plants, a CHP power plant, and the PM3 paper factory in Sandersdorf-Brehna, Germany.