International Paper Company is an American
pulp and paper companyThe global pulp and paper industry is dominated by North American , northern European and East Asian countries...
, the largest such company in the world. It has approximately 59,500 employees, and it is headquartered in
MemphisMemphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
,
TennesseeTennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
.
History
International Paper was incorporated January 31, 1898 upon the merger of 18 pulp and paper mills in the northeastern United States. Its first president was
Hugh J. ChisholmHugh Joseph Chisholm was a Canadian industrialist who later became a citizen of the United States. He was born in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, to parents of Scottish ancestry. His early years as an entrepreneur in the news distribution business provided a foundation for his later accomplishments...
. The first paper (newsprint) mill in the United States, at
Corinth, New YorkCorinth is the name of three places in the state of New York:*Corinth , New York, a town*Corinth , New York, located in the Town of Corinth...
where the
SacandagaSacandaga may refer to:In New York:*Sacandaga River, a tributary of the Hudson River*Great Sacandaga Lake, formerly the Sacandaga Reservoir, in the Adirondack State ParkShips:, also known as the Sacandaga...
river joins the
Hudson riverThe Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
, and built by International Paper's founder Albrecht Pagenstecher, in 1869, {see
History of Papermaking in New YorkThis article recounts key aspects in the history of papermaking in New York state.The first invention to revolutionize paper making was the fourdrinier machine invented back in 1799, in France, by Nicholas Louis Robert and perfected by Henry and Sealey Fourdrinier. The second invention was the...
} is to be demolished in 2011. The Hudson River Mill in Corinth was a major pioneer in the development of the modern paper industry in the late 19th century.As one of International Paper's largest plants in the early decades of the 20th century, the Hudson River Mill served both as the location of the Company's principal office and the place where paper workers helped to shape the direction of the industry's early labor movement. After World War II, Hudson River Mill workers developed and perfected the production of coated papers for International Paper. Shifting economic forces resulted in the Mill's closure in November, 2002.
The company logo of International Paper was designed by American graphic designer
Lester BeallLester Beall was a twentieth-century American graphic designer notable as a leading proponent of modernist graphic design in the United States.His clear and concise use of typography was highly praised both in the United States and abroad...
in 1960.
The newly formed 1898 company supplied 60 percent of all
newsprintNewsprint is a low-cost, non-archival paper most commonly used to print newspapers, and other publications and advertising material. It usually has an off-white cast and distinctive feel. It is designed for use in printing presses that employ a long web of paper rather than individual sheets of...
in the country. In 1986, it acquired the Hammermill Paper Company, in 1988 the Masonite Corporation, and in 1989 the
GermanGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
paper company Zanders Feinpapiere AG and the
FrenchThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
paper manufacturer Aussedat Rey. In 1999, International Paper purchased
Union Camp CorporationUnion Camp Corporation was an American pulp and paper company and a private owner of timberland in the United States. In 1999 it was acquired by International Paper.-Company creation:...
and in 2000 purchased
Champion International PaperChampion International Paper was a large paper and wood products producer. In 2000, the company was bought byInternational Paper. Champion had operated since the late 19th century in the USA and other countries....
. Additionally, International Paper currently owns shares in the
ChileChile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
an company
CopecEmpresas Copec is a Chilean energy and forestry company with a chain of gas stations throughout Chile.Copec started as company in 1934. The first president of Copec was Pedro Aguirre Cerda, who later became Chilean president...
.
In 2005 and 2006, International Paper undertook significant restructuring, selling over 6000000 acres (24,281.2 km²) of forestland in the U.S., along with its coated paper,
kraft paperKraft paper or kraft is paper or paperboard produced from chemical pulp produced in the kraft process.Pulp produced by the kraft process is stronger than that made by other pulping processes; acidic sulfite processes degrade cellulose more, leading to weaker fibers, and mechanical pulping...
, wood products, and beverage packaging businesses, as well as subsidiaries Arizona Chemical and New Zealand-based
Carter Holt HarveyCarter Holt Harvey Limited is an Australasian forest products company, with significant interests in wood products, pulp, paper and packaging. The company employs approximately 10,500 people across Australasia. Carter Holt Harvey's head New Zealand office is located at 173 Captain Springs Road in...
. The
coated paperCoated paper is paper which has been coated by a compound to impart certain qualities to the paper, including weight, surface gloss, smoothness or reduced ink absorbency. Kaolinite or calcium carbonate are used to coat paper for high quality printing used in packaging industry and in magazines...
business (four mills in
MaineMaine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
,
MichiganMichigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
and
MinnesotaMinnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
) were sold to
Apollo ManagementApollo Global Management, LLC is a private equity investment firm, founded in 1990 by former Drexel Burnham Lambert banker Leon Black. The firm specializes in leveraged buyout transactions and purchases of distressed securities involving corporate restructuring, special situations and industry...
and now operate as
Verso PaperVerso Paper is a pulp and paper company based in Memphis, TN. The company has paper manufacturing facilities in Jay, ME, Bucksport, ME, Sartell, MN, and Quinnesec, MI. It has approximately 3,000 employees....
. The kraft paper business (composed of a kraft paper mill in
Roanoke RapidsRoanoke Rapids is a city in Halifax County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 16,957 at the 2000 census. It is the principal city of the Roanoke Rapids Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
,
North CarolinaNorth Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
and a dunnage bag plant in
FordyceFordyce is a city in Dallas County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 4,799 at the 2000 census.The city is the county seat, home to the 1911 Dallas County Courthouse .-Geography:...
,
ArkansasArkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
) was sold to
KapstoneKapStone Paper and Packaging is an American pulp and paper company based in Northbrook, IL.The company has Kraft paper manufacturing facilities in Roanoke Rapids, NC and North Charleston, SC as well as a lumber mill in Summerville, SC...
Paper and Packaging and operates as Kapstone Kraft Paper. The beverage packaging business, now called Evergreen Packaging, was purchased by
Carter Holt HarveyCarter Holt Harvey Limited is an Australasian forest products company, with significant interests in wood products, pulp, paper and packaging. The company employs approximately 10,500 people across Australasia. Carter Holt Harvey's head New Zealand office is located at 173 Captain Springs Road in...
, following the purchase of CHH by
Graeme HartGraeme Hart is a New Zealand businessman reported to be the richest person in Australasia with a personal fortune of NZ$8.8 billion according to the 2009 Forbes rich list. The 2007 September 22–28 issue of the New Zealand Listener listed Hart as being the 29th most powerful New Zealander...
. International Paper sold the Wood Products division of the company to
West Fraser TimberWest Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. is a Canadian forestry company based in Quesnel, British Columbia. In 2006 it became the second largest lumber producer in North America.West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. is a member of the Forest Products Association of Canada....
Inc., out of Vancouver,
British ColumbiaBritish Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. This included 13
sawmillA sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
s, making West Fraser the second largest producer of lumber in North America, next to Weyerhaeuser Company.
Products and corporate structure
International Paper is the largest producer of plastic lids and
paper cupA paper cup is a cup made out of paper and often lined with plastic or wax to prevent liquid from leaking out or soaking through the paper. It may be made of recycled paper and is widely used around the world.-History:...
s, manufacturing for the fast-food giants
McDonald'sMcDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
,
Wendy'sWendy's is an international fast food chain restaurant founded by Dave Thomas on November 15, 1969, in Columbus, Ohio, United States. The company decided to move its headquarters to Dublin, Ohio, on January 29, 2006. It has been owned by Triarc since 2008...
,
SubwaySubway is an American restaurant franchise that primarily sells submarine sandwiches and salads. It is owned and operated by Doctor's Associates, Inc. . Subway is one of the fastest growing franchises in the world with 35,519 restaurants in 98 countries and territories as of October 25th, 2011...
and coffee giant
StarbucksStarbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...
. The Wood Products division of International Paper was sold in 2007 to West Fraser Timberland Inc., a company headquartered in Vancouver. The company currently produces printer and copier paper,
envelopeAn envelope is a common packaging item, usually made of thin flat material. It is designed to contain a flat object, such as a letter or card....
s, corrugated packaging and
shipping containerA shipping container is a container with strength suitable to withstand shipment, storage, and handling. Shipping containers range from large reusable steel boxes used for intermodal shipments to the ubiquitous corrugated boxes...
s, consumer packaging for
cosmeticsCosmetics are substances used to enhance the appearance or odor of the human body. Cosmetics include skin-care creams, lotions, powders, perfumes, lipsticks, fingernail and toe nail polish, eye and facial makeup, towelettes, permanent waves, colored contact lenses, hair colors, hair sprays and...
, home entertainment and other retail markets, and food service packaging. It also owns xpedx, a large North American distribution and logistics company.
International Paper is a former
Dow Jones Industrial AverageThe Dow Jones Industrial Average , also called the Industrial Average, the Dow Jones, the Dow 30, or simply the Dow, is a stock market index, and one of several indices created by Wall Street Journal editor and Dow Jones & Company co-founder Charles Dow...
component, listed in the index from July 3, 1956 to April 7, 2004. It was one of three components to be dropped in the 2004 change, together with
AT&TAT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
and
Eastman KodakEastman Kodak Company is a multinational imaging and photographic equipment, materials and services company headquarted in Rochester, New York, United States. It was founded by George Eastman in 1892....
. Beginning February 1, 2007 the sale of the beverage packaging division was completed as
New ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
billionaire
Graeme HartGraeme Hart is a New Zealand businessman reported to be the richest person in Australasia with a personal fortune of NZ$8.8 billion according to the 2009 Forbes rich list. The 2007 September 22–28 issue of the New Zealand Listener listed Hart as being the 29th most powerful New Zealander...
won the bid with nearly an 800 million dollar purchase. The division now operates under the Evergreen label. On Monday March 17, International Paper, announced it is buying the containerboard unit of
WeyerhaeuserWeyerhaeuser is one of the largest pulp and paper companies in the world. It is the world's largest private sector owner of softwood timberland; and the second largest owner of United States timberland, behind Plum Creek Timber...
Co. for $6 billion in cash. In October 2007, International Paper formed a joint venture with Ilim Holding, Ilim Group, the alliance in the Russian forest sector.
External links