This according to Fastmarkets Paper Packaging Monitor. On the heals of IP closure of 1.4 million tons of containerboard added to closures by Greif, Georgia Pacific, Cascades, and Smurfit Westrock brings a total of nearly 4 million tons removed from the market this year alone. These closures will send operating rates into the mid-nineties in 2026. We can expect price increase at these operating rates and Fastmarkets is projecting $50/ton next year.

With their business going through a high rate of growth, the founders of an Austrian candle company Looops felt that the brand’s look and feel had reached its limits. A rebranding — including a redesign of the packaging — was the next logical step. The business started small but has since grown into new heights. As production volumes grew, the founders could no longer sustain making the glass containers out of recycled wine bottles themselves. As new types of containers were needed for the candles, rebranding the whole product line became relevant. As the outer packaging is the first thing the consumer sees, it too had to communicate the quality of the product and its brand values: pure, reduced and authentic – just like the fragrances used in the candles themselves. “We wanted the new brand design to be more than just a visual impression. We wanted it to reflect Looops’ journey, the experiences we have gained over the years and how they have improved the quality of our products. The packaging as a whole — from the material, to the visuals and the tactile feel — had to illustrate this as well,” explains one of the co-founders Julia Schliefsteiner.

Pitt Plastics staff, along with the Pittsburg Chamber of Commerce Koehn Construction Services, and key city staff gathered on East Atkinson Avenue at a groundbreaking ceremony for the new facility. The expansion will result in additional jobs at a scope to be determined upon the project’s expected completion by January 2025. Pitt Plastics is an Inteplast Group affiliate company within the IBS Division. The 200,000 sq.-ft. facility will house racked, finished goods, and also encompass 14,000 square feet of office space. Currently, the existing site is 300,000 square feet and employs approximately 350 manufacturing professionals serving consumer, commercial, healthcare, and foodservice markets. Pitt Plastics General Manager Aron Jahr said that Pittsburg and the surrounding areas in Crawford County have supported the company’s growth for more than five decades.