What NORPAC does

NORPAC (North Pacific Paper Company) is a paper manufacturer founded in 1979 and headquartered in Longview, Washington. The company operates a single integrated mill on the Columbia River with three paper machines running 24/7/365 and approximately 1 million tons of annual production capacity, supported by what the company describes as the largest wastepaper recycling facility West of the Mississippi River (commissioned 2022). Its technology stack centers on advanced thermo-mechanical pulping that uses steam rather than harsh chemicals, recycled fiber processing via a $50M+ drum pulper system, and proprietary paper formulations including the Natural Choice and Natural Choice Plus lines (the latter BLI-certified and reflecting 22% less blue light than average copy paper).

The company's product portfolio splits into two segments. The packaging segment supplies containerboard (linerboard and corrugating medium), bag grades, and kraft specialty grades made from 100% recycled fiber to corrugators, sheeters, bag makers, and converters. The graphic papers segment supplies uncoated freesheet, book papers, super brights and high brights (Norbrite brand), offset papers, and business/office papers including Natural Choice, Natural Choice Plus, and Orca copy paper to commercial printers and office customers. The company cites independently verified sustainability metrics — 92% smaller environmental impact for Natural Choice and 83% lower carbon footprint for containerboard versus industry averages — and holds FSC (C132345) and SFI (SFI-01688) chain-of-custody certifications.

NORPAC generates revenue through direct-to-customer sales of paper and packaging grades, distributing via rail, truck, intermodal, and containers from its Longview mill complemented by satellite warehouses across the United States and an extended-hours pickup model. Pricing is quote-based with publicly disclosed list pricing absent, and the go-to-motion combines an inbound "Request Sample / Get a Quote" funnel on norpacpaper.com with content marketing, social, and direct enterprise sales. NORPAC was acquired by One Rock Capital Partners from Weyerhaeuser and Nippon Paper Industries in November 2016, expanded into packaging papers and recycling in 2021–2022, and was acquired by International Paper for $360 million in June 2026, now operating within IP's packaging solutions business.

Name

NORPAC

Legal name

North Pacific Paper Company

Website

https://norpacpaper.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

NORPAC is a Longview, Washington-based paper manufacturer producing recyclable, low-carbon packaging and graphic papers. Operating three paper machines with approximately one million tons of annual capacity, it serves corrugators, converters, bag makers, and commercial printers via direct mill shipping.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Paper Manufacturing

NAICS

Paper Mills (322120), Paperboard Mills (32213)

SIC

Paper Mills (2621), Papers & Allied Products (2600)

akta.pro primary industry

Recycled Containerboard (Testliner) Manufacturing (IMAMAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Corrugating Medium (Virgin & Recycled) Manufacturing (IMAMAFAC)

Keywords

• Containerboard manufacturing
• Recycled packaging paper
• Graphic paper production
• Low-carbon kraft paper
• Thermo-mechanical pulping

Headquarters

HQ city

Longview

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Paper and Packaging Products Sales: NORPAC generates revenue through the manufacture and sale of high-quality, recyclable, low-carbon packaging and graphic papers. Products include containerboard, bag grades, kraft specialties, business and office papers, book papers, super brights, high brights, and uncoated freesheet. The company sells directly to customers across the United States and around the world.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

NORPAC manufactures and sells high-quality, recyclable, low-carbon packaging and graphic papers from its mill in Longview, Washington. The company operates three paper machines producing approximately one million tons of containerboard, bag grades, kraft specialty papers, and graphic papers (including Natural Choice, Natural Choice Plus, Orca Copy Paper, Book Papers, Super Brights, and Uncoated Freesheet) annually. The company emphasizes sustainability with what it describes as the largest wastepaper recycling facility West of the Mississippi River and an advanced thermo-mechanical pulping process.

Product overview

NORPAC (North Pacific Paper Company) is a paper manufacturing company producing high-quality, recyclable, low-carbon packaging and graphic papers from its Longview, Washington facility. The company operates three paper machines producing approximately 1 million tons annually. Its product portfolio consists of two main categories: (1) Packaging papers including Containerboard (linerboard and corrugating medium) and Bag Grades/Kraft Specialties, and (2) Graphic Papers including Natural Choice Paper, Natural Choice Plus, Orca Copy Paper, Book Papers, Super Brights & High Brights, Uncoated Freesheet, and Offset Papers. The company has expanded into 100% recycled packaging papers using wastepaper, with a $50 million recycling facility investment. Founded in 1979, NORPAC was acquired by International Paper in 2026 for $360 million.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Containerboard NORPAC linerboard and corrugating medium produced to stringent specifications for excellent product quality and performance in corrugated packaging applications, including corrugated boxes, displays, and protective packaging. Targeted at corrugators and converters.
• Bag Grades / Kraft Specialties Broad range of recycled bag papers and Kraft specialty grades meeting growing market demand for sustainable packaging solutions. Targeted at bag makers and converters producing multi-wall bags and specialty kraft products.
• Natural Choice Paper One of the most environmentally friendly paper products, made with advanced thermo-mechanical pulping process using steam rather than harsh chemicals. Reported to have 92% smaller environmental impact compared to similar papers. Suitable for high-speed printers and double-sided printing in laser and inkjet formats.
• Natural Choice Plus High-performance multi-purpose printer and copy paper powered by 100% sustainable energy, uses over a third fewer trees than standard copy paper production for 50% more output, and reflects 22% less blue light than average paper. BLI certified for consistent performance. Targeted at commercial printers, businesses, and home office users.
• Orca Copy Paper Budget-friendly, high-performance business and office copy paper for commercial, business, and home printing applications. Targets price-sensitive office paper buyers seeking standard copy paper performance.
• Book Papers Norbrite Book papers manufactured to precise calipers and shades for trade books, workbooks, and other book publishing applications. Targeted at book publishers and commercial printers.
• Super Brights & High Brights Bright, affordable, high-performing Norbrite collection of groundwood papers for various commercial printing applications requiring high brightness and print quality.
• Uncoated Freesheet NORPAC UCFS papers delivering excellent performance for demanding commercial printers requiring high-quality uncoated freesheet for a variety of print jobs.
• Offset Papers Paper products designed for offset printing applications, available for evaluation through the sample request program. Targeted at commercial printers running offset presses.

Quantifiable outcome

• 83% lower carbon footprint than industry average for containerboard (200 kg CO2e/admt vs 1,200 kg industry average)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Lower Columbia School GardensminorOthersNORPAC's Natural Choice Copy paper team partnered with Lower Columbia School Gardens to support their efforts in cultivating values of lifelong learning, sustainability, health, and community. Each ream of paper sold supports this program.
• One Tree PlantedminorOthersA percentage of every purchase of Natural Choice Plus paper is donated to One Tree Planted to help fund global reforestation efforts.
• American Red CrossminorOthersNORPAC has hosted regular blood drives since 2004, collecting 3,133 pints of blood with potential to save 9,399 lives. In 2020, NORPAC received the 'blood drive recruiter award' for having the most donors in Washington state.
• United WayminorOthersNORPAC has a large group of employee volunteers that lend helping hands for volunteer projects supporting local non-profits and community organizations, along with financial donations and supplies.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Packaging Corporation of America: PCA is one of the largest U.S. producers of containerboard and corrugated packaging, operating multiple integrated paper mills. Like NORPAC, PCA manufactures linerboard and corrugating medium for sale to converters and operates an integrated mill-converter model, making it the closest publicly traded comparable for production economics and end-market exposure.
• Smurfit Westrock: Smurfit Westrock is the world's largest containerboard and corrugated packaging producer following the 2024 combination of WestRock and Smurfit Kappa. It competes head-to-head with NORPAC on linerboard, kraft specialties, and graphic-paper-adjacent grades for the same corrugator, sheeter, and converter customer base.
• Domtar (Paper Excellence): Domtar produces uncoated freesheet, specialty printing and writing papers, and pulp from multiple North American mills. NORPAC's graphic papers portfolio (Natural Choice, Orca, book papers, uncoated freesheet) competes directly with Domtar's office and printing-paper SKUs in B2B and commercial print channels.
• Cascades Inc. Cascades is a North American-focused recycled containerboard and tissue producer with mills in Canada and the U.S. Its recycled containerboard and specialty packaging grades compete head-to-head with NORPAC's linerboard, corrugating medium, and kraft specialties for the same corrugated and bag-making customers.
• Graphic Packaging: Graphic Packaging is a major U.S. producer of paperboard packaging, particularly folding cartons and recycled paperboard. Its recycled paperboard SKUs overlap with NORPAC's containerboard and kraft specialty grades, especially for converters serving CPG and food-service end markets.
• Clearwater Paper: Clearwater Paper is a smaller North American specialty paper and pulp producer focused on private-label tissue, paperboard, and bleached paperboard. Its paperboard and pulp operations are comparable to NORPAC's mid-scale mill economics and exposure to specialty/end-use rather than commodity markets.

Broad incumbents

• International Paper: International Paper is the acquirer of NORPAC and the largest U.S. integrated pulp-and-paper / containerboard producer, with broad product lines including containerboard, corrugated packaging, and pulp. As NORPAC's new parent, IP is the natural strategic comparable for paper-machine economics, customer relationships, and capital allocation benchmarks.
• Mondi Group: Mondi is a European-listed integrated pulp, paper, and packaging group with containerboard, kraft paper, and uncoated fine paper operations. It is a meaningful comparator for NORPAC's mix of containerboard/kraft specialties and graphic papers, particularly for European-routed export volumes.
• Sonoco Products: Sonoco is a diversified global packaging company with paper-based industrial and consumer packaging. While broader than NORPAC, it overlaps in paper-core, paperboard, and recycled-content packaging applications for converters and CPG end markets.
• Greif Inc. Greif is a global industrial packaging producer with paper-based products including containerboard, kraft paper, and corrugated sheets. Its mill system and recycled-fiber operations provide a useful comparison for NORPAC's converted-product economics and fiber sourcing strategy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/NORPACLongviewWA
• Xx.com/norpac18

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about NORPAC