Blue Ridge Paper Company

Blue Ridge Paper Products is one of America's largest producers of gable-top juice and milk cartons in addition to a variety of papers for other uses. The North Carolina manufacturer operates a pulp and paper mill, a plastic-coating extrusion facility, and four packaging plants employing more than 2000 workers.

From its corporate headquarters and original manufacturing base in the Canton, North Carolina, Blue Ridge Paper makes a wide range of paper, board, and packaging products. Its paper products include envelope, covering kraft, forms, offset, and specialty papers. The company's paperboard includes polycoated and uncoated versions. Blue Ridge Paper Products also makes gable top and folding forms of packaging.

The paper manufacturer is 45% owned by its employees through an employee STOCK ownership plan ESOP. US private equity fund KPS Special Situations owns the balance. The company also has operations in Georgia, Iowa, Ohio, and Virginia.

Recent History

Blue Ridge has posted losses for the last five years. According to filings with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, the unlisted company incurred a net loss of $US1.4 million in 2006, an improvement on a $US20.7 million loss in 2005.

On 28 March 2007 it was reported that the company had entered into talks with New Zealand billionaire Graeme Hart AbOUT a possible sale of the company to Mr Harts investment company Rank Group. Blue Ridge said in a statement that the takeover talks were "preliminary" and "there can be no assurance that a definitive agreement will be reached". Analysts estimate Blue Ridge could be worth between $US400 and $US450 million based on a multiple of less than one times annual sales. The company posted a 12 per cent rise in net sales to $US571 million in 2006. Mr Hart is already ACTIVE in the paper and packaging sector, bidding US$2.3 billion for Swiss packaging group SIG in February 2007, which he seeks to add to Carter Holt Harvey and the US-based Evergreen Packaging.

On June 15, 2007, BRPPI issued a press release announcing that it had been purchased by the Rank Group for $338 million (USD). The acquisition passed US federal Anti-Trust review on July 2, 2007.

Environmental Issues

The history of the paper mill in Canton, North Carolina has been a tumultuous one. The Pigeon River, the mill's water source, has been the topic of many studies and debates concerning levels of pollutants, mainly dioxin.

In late 1996 Blue Rigde Paper had a major operational change. They switched from a liquor process to bleach process. This was to stop the pollution they were causing to the Pigeon River. The sulfates put into the air from bleach is a neorotoxin. In 1997 locals to the area reported a steady rise of health problems (such as asthma) and the [...] rate spiked. Health problems and suicides have risin steadily sinc the operational change.

For more information, articles and facts/opinions, visit the Pigeon River article.

External links

• http://www.blueridgepaper.com
• 2005 report on toxic air pollution levels from Blue Ridge Paper Products

See also

• Pulp and paper industry
• Paper
• Canton, NC
• Haywood County, North Carolina