Kruger has announced a $333 million investment marking its entry into the nonwovens sector and advancing its long-term portfolio diversification strategy.
This new division will focus on manufacturing some of the industry's most sustainable materials for a broad range of wipe applications. Central to this major project is the installation of the first production line of its kind in Canada, to be built on Île-de-la-Potherie in Trois-Rivières, adjacent to Kruger's Wayagamack paper mill, with commissioning scheduled for 2028.
This project was made possible with the support of both levels of government, including a $35 million contribution from the Government of Canada through the Strategic Response Fund (SRF), as well as a $35 million loan from Investissement Québec, acting as financial agent for the Government of Québec, along with a $5,025,000 equity investment in Kruger Pulp and Paper Limited Partnership Holding. Investissement Québec is also investing an additional $25 million from its own funds.
The project will result in the creation of 56 new permanent jobs, bringing total employment at the Île-de-la-Potherie site to over 340 employees, and close to 700 employees across Trois-Rivières, where Kruger will now count three manufacturing sites.
Over nearly two years, the construction work and equipment installation will require approximately 540,000 person-hours and generate significant economic benefits for the region, with direct spending estimated at more than $200 million and nearly 500 direct and indirect jobs created.
The new hybrid technology production line will be unique in Canada, combining wet-laid and dry-laid forming processes to develop ultra-high-performance, versatile nonwoven materials suitable for a broad portfolio of wipe applications. Manufactured without plastic fibres or chemical binders, these materials will help redefine standards in a market still largely dominated by products that contain plastic.
