Inland Empire Paper Company

What Inland Empire Paper Company does

Inland Empire Paper Company (IEP) is a family-owned, fully integrated pulp and paper manufacturer that has continuously operated a single mill in Millwood, Washington since 1911. The company produces more than 500 tons of lightweight paper per day across over 50 grade options, including newsprint (22.1#-32.0# basis weights), specialty papers (Hi-Brite, English Finish, Color), EMPIRE bagstock (minimum 30% post-consumer recycled content), and ARC Natural (100% recycled content with no added bleach or dyes). Its production is built on a Thermo-Mechanical Pulping (TMP) process with state-of-the-art refiners, an integrated heat-recovery system that has cut natural gas consumption by roughly 77% (500 million cubic feet annually) and CO2 emissions by more than 30,000 tons per year, fluidized-bed combustion that converts 50 dry tons/day of sludge to energy, and what the company describes as the most advanced membrane-based water treatment system in the North American pulp and paper industry.

IEP is vertically integrated upstream into 117,000-121,000 acres of company-owned and ATFS-certified timberland in northeastern Washington and northern Idaho (since the first 16,000-acre purchase in 1952), and downstream into logistics through two wholly-owned subsidiaries — Fiber Reclaim (asset-based trucking, acquired 1998) and Inland Transportation Services (freight management, launched 2016) — enabling closed-loop movement of finished paper outbound and recycled newsprint inbound. The company sources 70-90% of its fiber mix from residual wood chips purchased from Western U.S. and Canadian sawmills and processes over 45,000 tons of recycled paper feedstock annually in partnership with municipal and commercial recyclers.

IEP operates a sales-led, direct relationship go-to-market serving converters, bag makers, and paper distributors who supply end-markets including newspaper publishers, quick-service restaurant bag converters (Central America taco wrap, U.S. QSR bags), specialty printers, and packaging end-users in Taiwan and across the U.S. The company supplies over 160 customers in North America. Revenue is generated via transaction-based pricing sold by basis weight or gsm with custom product development available; pricing is not publicly disclosed. Revenue mix is concentrated in commodity-like paper sales with ancillary logistics services, and the customer base is intermediated through converters and distributors rather than direct end-consumer relationships.

Name

Inland Empire Paper Company

Legal name

Inland Empire Paper Company

Website

https://iepco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1911

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Inland Empire Paper Company is a family-owned, fully integrated U.S. pulp and paper mill operating in Millwood, Washington since 1911, producing 500+ tons daily of over 50 grades of lightweight paper — including newsprint, specialty papers, EMPIRE bagstock, and 100% recycled ARC Natural — for converters, bag makers, and paper distributors throughout North America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Lightweight Paper Manufacturing

NAICS

Paper Mills (32212), Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills (3221)

SIC

Paper Mills (2621), Papers & Allied Products (2600), Pulp Mills (2611)

akta.pro primary industry

Newsprint Paper Manufacturing (IMAMAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Recycled Paper Bags & Sacks (IMAMAKAI), Recycled Pulp Manufacturing (IMAMAKAC)

Keywords

• Lightweight paper manufacturing
• Recycled paper products
• Newsprint production
• Bag stock manufacturing
• Specialty printing paper

Headquarters

HQ city

Spokane

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Paper Products Sales: IEP manufactures and sells lightweight paper products including newsprint, specialty papers (Hi-Brite, English Finish, Color), ARC Natural (100% recycled content), and Empire Bag Stock (minimum 30% recycled content). The company supplies over 160 customers throughout North America with over 50 different paper grade options.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Inland Empire Paper Company manufactures and sells customized lightweight paper products for the communication and packaging industries, including newsprint, specialty papers (Hi-Brite, English Finish, Color), ARC Natural (100% post-consumer recycled, no bleach or dyes), and Empire Bag Stock (minimum 30% recycled content). The company is a fully integrated pulp and paper mill that owns and manages over 120,000 acres of timberland, processes more than 45,000 tons of recycled paper feedstock per year, and operates a state-of-the-art paper machine producing over 50 paper grades that can be switched on demand for converters, bag makers, and paper distributors across North America.

Product overview

Inland Empire Paper Company is a family-owned pulp and paper mill manufacturer offering over 50 different lightweight paper grades for the communication and packaging industries. The product portfolio consists of Newsprint (various weights for newspapers and coupon mailers), Specialty Papers (Hi-Brite, English Finish, and Color grades for specialty printing), ARC Natural (100% recycled content paper for packaging and writing), and Empire Bag Stock (recycled-content bagstock for QSR and retail bags). The company also operates Inland Transportation Services (freight logistics management) and Fiber Reclaim (asset-based trucking) divisions. IEP provides custom product development and R&D capabilities to meet specific customer needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Newsprint Standard newsprint paper available in various weights from 22.1# to 32.0#, used by newspaper publishers and commercial printers for daily and weekly newspapers, coupon mailers, and booklets.
• ARC Natural All Recycled Content Natural paper made from 100% Post-Consumer Waste without added bleach or dyes, available in weights from 24.6# to 30.0#. Used for packing paper, wrapping paper, and writing paper by converters seeking environmentally responsible 100% recycled sheets.
• Empire Bag Stock Groundwood alternative to Kraft in the flexible packaging market, made with at least 30% Post-Consumer Waste. Offers high-quality printability for QSR bags, take-out bags, merchandise bags, and envelopes.
• Specialty Papers Specialty paper product line including Hi-Brite (various brightness grades 65-80), English Finish (higher-calendered surface for specialty printing), and Color papers (Peach, Yellow, Pink). Used for event pamphlets, fliers, inserts, tray liners, and wrapping paper.
• Fiber Reclaim Trucking Services Asset-based trucking company (subsidiary of IEP) operating primarily in the Western United States and Canada. Specializes in transporting paper products and returning with recycled newsprint, offering dry van, reefer, flat deck, and specialty deck equipment.
• Inland Transportation Services Freight management and logistics services company operating as part of Inland Empire Paper's transportation group. Provides comprehensive logistics management programs for customers.
• Waste Paper Recycling Buyback Program Recycled newsprint buyback program offering waste paper collection, storage, handling, baling, and logistic services for hauling. Processes over 45,000 tons of recycled paper feedstock annually for use in ARC Natural and Empire Bag Stock manufacturing.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced natural gas consumption by approximately 77% (500 million cubic feet annually)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 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 core.

• Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIEP is committed to the 14 principles of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative. The company participates in the SFI Fiber Sourcing Program and is an active member of research groups dedicated to improving forest health. IEP complies with SFI standards for sustainable forestry practices.
• American Tree Farm System (ATFS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIEP has been certified in the American Tree Farm System since 1958. ATFS promotes responsible and sustainable forest management on private forests and meets strict third-party verification and auditing standards. IEP timberlands are managed for multiple uses including water, wildlife, wood, and recreation.
• Sawmills (Western US and Canada)coreOthersIEP purchases residual wood chips from sawmills in the western United States and Canada. These wood chips are the byproduct of sawmills cutting logs into boards and building materials, making up 70-90% of the paper fiber mix.
• Recycling Partners (Municipal and Commercial)coreOthersIEP works with recycling partners including municipal solid waste management programs and commercial recyclers to source waste paper (old newspapers, telephone books, magazines, office waste) for recycling into paper products. IEP processes over 45,000 tons of recycled paper feedstock annually.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Resolute Forest Products: Large North American pulp and paper producer with newsprint, specialty, and tissue capacity. Comparable in the newsprint and groundwood specialty segments, though much broader in scale and product range.
• Domtar (Paper Excellence): Major North American pulp, paper, and absorbent hygiene products manufacturer (now owned by Paper Excellence). Comparable in pulp and paperboard/specialty mix but operates at a much larger, diversified scale.
• Glatfelter (Magnera): Specialty nonwoven and paper manufacturer (now combined with Berry's Health, Hygiene and Specialties to form Magnera). Comparable in specialty engineered paper materials serving converting customers, though broader portfolio.
• Catalyst Paper (Paper Excellence): Canadian pulp and paper producer (now part of Paper Excellence) with multiple mills producing newsprint, specialty, and packaging papers. Comparable in pulp integration and product mix overlap, but materially larger and more diversified than IEP.
• Smurfit Westrock (containerboard/paper): Global paper-based packaging giant (post Smurfit Kappa–WestRock merger). Adjacent comparable as a major fiber-based packaging supplier competing with recycled-content bag stock and flexible packaging substrates that IEP's Empire product targets.

Direct peers

• Ponderay Newsprint Company: Usk, Washington newsprint mill producing standard newsprint grades for publishers in the Western US. Comparable to IEP as a regional single-mill newsprint producer with similar customer end markets.
• Twin Rivers Paper Company: Specialty and lightweight paper producer focused on packaging, label, and publishing grades. Highly comparable in lightweight groundwood specialty production, recycled-content focus, and mid-scale private ownership.
• Pixelle Specialty Solutions: Specialty paper manufacturer producing label, release liner, flexible packaging, and printing papers. Comparable in specialty-grade mix and packaging customer base, though larger and multi-mill.
• North Pacific Paper Company (NORPAC): Longview, Washington-based newsprint manufacturer operating a single large paper machine in the Pacific Northwest. Closely comparable to IEP in geography, single-mill newsprint focus, and customer base among West Coast publishers and converters.

Regional players

• Kruger Products (Cascades): Canadian tissue and paper products manufacturer serving North American consumer and away-from-home markets. Adjacent comparable in paper converting and North American distribution, but tissue-focused rather than newsprint/groundwood.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Inland Empire Paper Company