International Paper And Pixelle Sold Their Assets in Europe And North America, Respectively

International Paper and Pixelle sold their assets in Europe and North America, respectively

Paper giant International Paper and specialty paper producer Pixelle Specialty Solutions recently announced divestitures, both of which are expected to close in the second quarter of 2025.

International Paper announced on April 14 that it had entered exclusive talks with Germany's PALM Group for the sale of five of its corrugated box mills in Europe. The move is an established condition of International Paper's acquisition of DS Smith and is intended to meet the European Commission's antitrust requirements.



The five factories include three in Normandy, France, a carton plant in Saint-Amand, a carton plant in Mortagne and a sheet plant in Cabourg; 1 carton factory in Ovar, Portugal; and 1 carton factory in Bilbao, Spain. The transaction is expected to close by the end of the second quarter of 2025 upon completion of the necessary labour consultation and regulatory approvals. Andy Silvernail, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of International Paper, said he was pleased to have found PALM Group as the right buyer and thanked the relevant team members for their contributions.

This follows Pixelle Specialty Solutions, Inc., which announced on April 4 that it had reached a definitive agreement to sell its paper mill in StevensPoint, Wisconsin, to Ahlstrom. The plant has two paper machines with an annual production capacity of about 210,000 tons of specialty paper, including coated flexible packaging paper, release paper substrate and thermal paper.

Pixelle said the move will allow it to focus more on providing high-end food and consumer packaged solutions to North American customers. Konraad Dullaert, Executive Vice President of Food and Consumer Packaged Goods at Ahlstrom, commented that the acquisition of the Stevens Point facility is an important step in strengthening its technology offerings and expanding its market reach. The transaction is also expected to close in the second quarter of 2025, subject to regulatory approvals and closing conditions.

Both divestitures reflect a strategic realignment of paper companies. International Paper sold its European corrugated box mill to successfully complete its acquisition of DS Smith, while Pixelle further focused its core business by selling specialty mills.