Kruger announced today a $333-million investment to enter the nonwovens sector by manufacturing biodegradable and compostable materials for wipe applications.
Central to this strategy is the installation of what the company calls the first production line of its kind in Canada, which will combine wet- and dry-laid forming processes to develop high-performance materials without plastic fibres or chemical binders. The line’s nonwoven materials will use 100% natural ingredients, including wood fibres from responsibly managed forests, primarily within Canada.
The line will be built at Île-de-la-Potherie in Trois-Rivières, Que., adjacent to Kruger’s Wayagamack paper mill. Commissioning is scheduled for 2028 and Jean‑François Cartier will serve as the site’s general manager (GM).
The project is expected to create 56 new permanent jobs, bring total employment at the Île-de-la-Potherie site to more than 340 employees and across Trois-Rivières—where Kruger will now run three manufacturing sites—to nearly 700 employees.
Project financing includes $35 million from the federal government through its Strategic Response Fund (SRF) and a loan of $35 million, an equity investment of $5 million and an additional $25 million from Investissement Quebec.
“With this project, Kruger Wayagamack reaffirms its leadership in the forest products industry by investing in innovation and advanced technologies,” says Caroline Desrochers, MP for Trois‑Rivières.