Smurfit-Stone Opens New High-Tech Plant

Published: November 05, 2008

CREVE COEUR, MO & CHICAGO, IL | Smurfit-Stone celebrates the opening of its new Chicago-area container plant located in New Lenox, IL. Claimed one of the most modern corrugated container manufacturing facilities in the industry, the plant will employ approximately 145 people and serve companies in the pizza, oil and lubricants, laundry detergent and household goods, food products, cooking oils, and healthcare products industries.

The New Lenox facility is a high-volume and high-efficiency operation that can produce as much as 2.4 billion sq ft of corrugated board annually. The design, development, and manufacture of products made in New Lenox are supported by Smurfit-Stone Image Pac, the company’s display and graphics business unit. Smurfit-Stone president and COO Steve Klinger said, “By combining our design expertise with our manufacturing network, Smurfit-Stone Image Pac creates one of the industry’s largest display and graphics manufacturing and distribution systems. New Lenox and Smurfit-Stone Image Pac are teaming up on a number of products and services for our customers, including our pizza program.”

Smurfit-Stone’s pizza program serves national chains, regional chains and neighborhood pizza businesses by creating consistent, quality and high-graphics boxes, in addition to warehousing and distribution services.
The New Lenox plant was designed to be a flexible and efficient facility, equipped with a 110-in. BHS corrugator, a Mitsubishi Evol flexo folder/gluer, two Martin flexo folder/gluers, three Martin rotary die-cutters, and is 100% conveyor operated.

The process boiler is a high-efficiency 500 hp unit with a low NOX burner, and throughout the plant is high-efficiency fluorescent lighting. Other environmentally friendly features include a zero-discharge scrap handling system.

To celebrate the New Lenox plant opening and support its commitment to sustainability, the environment and mitigating climate change, Smurfit-Stone announced the donation of 1,000 seedlings to the Village of New Lenox. Visit: www.smurfit-stone.com/.