The Sappi paper mill in Skowhegan has completed a $500 million expansion of one of its paper machines, converting it from making coated paper to paperboard packaging.
The upgraded machine is 900 feet long and three stories tall, and will double its previous output.
Kirk Ross is the vice president of manufacturing for Sappi North America.
"Sappi really is standing unique in the state of Maine, in this business, in that we're reinvesting for the future, and we're not allowing our assets to decline with markets and age, but we're continually renewing them," he said.
Sappi started printing products with the machine this spring and will ramp up production to full volumes through next year.
The three-year project follows the conversion of another paper machine in 2018.
Ross said the company is committed to the future of the mill, and reinvesting in new technology.
"Sappi has the most modern assets in this packaging business, and the Somerset mill in particular is one of the largest integrated pulp and paper mills in the north in North America," he said.
Ross said the company is invested in meeting the growing demand for sustainable packaging.
Sappi is one of Maine's largest employers, with 780 workers at the mill in Skowhegan and more than 400 workers in southern Maine.
