What Propal does

Propal (legal name Carvajal Pulpa y Papel) is a Colombian manufacturer of paper and cardboard specializing in products derived from alternative fibers — primarily sugarcane bagasse and rice straw — rather than virgin wood pulp. Founded in 1957 by W.R. Grace and Co as Pulpaco and later associated with International Paper, the company has operated continuously for more than 60 years and today sits as a subsidiary of the diversified Colombian conglomerate Organización Carvajal S.A. It runs two integrated mills — Planta 1 in Yumbo (Valle del Cauca) and Planta 2 in Guachené (Cauca) — supplemented by the Propal Zona Franca Especial free-trade-zone facility in Cali, processing approximately 1,000,000 tonnes of bagasse annually into roughly 241,246 tonnes of pulp and 151,848 tonnes of finished paper and cardboard across offset, coated, packaging, light packaging, and specialty grades. The product portfolio spans printing/writing papers, folding-box and flexible-packaging cardboards, the unbleached Earth Pact line, Earth Pact Natural Grease Proof K12 and Propal Grease Proof K12 food-grade barrier grades, and molded-pulp food-service items (straws, conical cups) added from 2021 onward.

Underlying the platform is a non-wood pulping and papermaking process in which up to 98% of fiber input is sourced from agricultural waste streams, with the Earth Pact line eliminating bleaching chemicals and saving approximately 30% water, 70% steam, and 11% energy versus traditional white papers. Propal markets itself as a B2B supplier rather than a consumer brand: customers are paper converters producing notebooks, books, and packaging; printing houses; and food-service packaging manufacturers requiring grease and moisture barriers without plastic lamination. The company sells through a direct B2B customer portal and a distributor network that includes Dispapeles, Ofix, and Coimpresores del Oriente, with exports reaching 15+ Latin American countries. In 2023 the company reported consolidated revenue of $1,163 billion COP (~$270M USD) and exports of $416 billion COP, supported by roughly 1,200 employees and a portfolio of certifications including ISO 14001, ISEGA food-contact, Sello Ambiental Colombiano, BASC, OEA authorization, and ISO 17025 lab accreditation.

Name

Propal

Legal name

Carvajal Pulpa y Papel

Website

https://propal.com.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

1957

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Propal is a Colombian manufacturer of paper and cardboard made primarily from sugarcane bagasse and rice straw, serving B2B paper converters, printers, and food-service packaging customers across 15+ Latin American countries through two integrated mills.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Paper and Cardboard Manufacturing

NAICS

Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills (3221), Converted Paper Product Manufacturing (3222), Other Paperboard Container Manufacturing (322219), Sanitary Paper Product Manufacturing (322291)

SIC

Papers & Allied Products (2600), Paper Mills (2621), Converted Paper & Paperboard Prods (No Contaners/Boxes) (2670), Paperboard Containers & Boxes (2650)

akta.pro primary industry

Paper-Based Packaging & Single-Use Paper Products (Paper Bags, Wraps, Cartons) (CRADALAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Molded Fiber & Pulp Packaging (Trays, Clamshells, Cups) (IMAMAKAJ), Stationery & Office Paper Products (notebooks, pads, forms) (IMAMAHAG), Napkins, Tableware & Foodservice Disposables (Plates, Cups, Cutlery) (CRADALAD)

Keywords

• Sustainable paper manufacturing
• Alternative fiber pulping
• Packaging paper products
• Molded pulp packaging
• Printing and writing paper

Headquarters

HQ city

Yumbo

HQ country

Colombia

HQ region

Latin America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Paper and Cardboard Manufacturing and Sales: Manufacture and sale of papers and cardboards for printing, writing, and packaging applications. Products include offset papers, coated papers, packaging papers, natural specialty papers, and molded products. Revenue from domestic sales in Colombia and exports to 15+ Latin American countries.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Propal manufactures and sells sustainable papers and cardboards produced from alternative agricultural fibers (sugarcane bagasse and rice straw), including packaging papers and cardboards, printing and writing papers, offset paper, and molded pulp products for food service. The company operates two integrated production plants in Colombia (Yumbo and Guachené) and sells its output directly to converters and through a distributor network across Colombia and 15+ Latin American export markets.

Product overview

Propal is a Colombian paper and cardboard manufacturer specializing in sustainable packaging solutions. The company operates as a single-product platform focused on papers and cardboards made primarily from alternative fibers (sugarcane bagasse and rice straw). The product portfolio includes core offerings: Papel para Empaques (papers and cardboards for folding, flexible packaging and bags), Cartulinas para Empaques (cardboard for packaging), Papeles Livianos para Empaques (light papers for packaging), Especialidades including molded pulp products (Moldeados, Pitillos, Vasos Cónicos), and Papeles para Impresión y Escritura (fine papers for printing and writing). Sub-brands include Earth Pact (unbleached, chemical-free papers made from sugarcane bagasse) and Grease Proof K12 variants (with moisture and grease barrier properties for food service). The company also produces specialty products like Papel Offset. All products share a common sustainability focus, utilizing agricultural waste fibers and offering recyclable, repulpable, and compostable alternatives to traditional paper products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Earth Pact: Line of papers and cardboards made 100% from sugar cane bagasse, free of bleaching chemicals, with natural tone. Produces papers with approximately 30% less water, 70% less steam, and 11% less energy compared to traditional white papers.

Products and services

• Papel para Empaques White and natural papers and cardboards for manufacturing folding packages, flexible packages, and paper bags, including special-purpose papers. Sold to packaging converters in Colombia and Latin America.
• Cartulinas para Empaques Cardboard products designed for packaging applications, including folding boxes and containers, supplied to packaging converters.
• Papeles Livianos para Empaques Light-weight papers designed for packaging applications, including bags and flexible packaging, supplied to converters.
• Especialidades (Pulpa Moldeada, Pitillos, Vasos Cónicos) Molded pulp specialties including straws (pitillos) and conical cups, expanding sustainable food-service packaging options as alternatives to plastic disposables.
• Papeles para Impresión y Escritura Fine papers for printing and writing applications, supplied to printing houses and stationery manufacturers.
• Papel Offset Offset paper designed for commercial printing applications, supplied to printing houses and converters.
• Earth Pact Sub-brand line of papers and cardboards made 100% from sugarcane bagasse without bleaching chemicals, featuring a natural tone and reduced water/steam/energy footprint versus traditional white papers.
• Earth Pact Natural Grease Proof K12 Natural-tone greaseproof cardboard with moisture and grease barrier properties for food-service applications; recyclable, repulpable, and compostable alternative to polyethylene-extruded cardboards.
• Propal Grease Proof K12 Greaseproof cardboard with moisture and grease barrier properties for food-service applications; recyclable, repulpable, and compostable alternative to polyethylene-extruded cardboards.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 98% of fibers from alternative sources (2023-2024 records)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• KPMGminorOthers · 27 August 2021KPMG administers Propal's Ethics Line since August 27, 2021. KPMG is an international firm providing audit, legal and tax advisory, and business and financial advisory services in 156 countries.
• PapelcolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1989Acquired by Propal in 1989. Located in Caloto, Cauca, Papelcol's facilities now house Planta 2. This acquisition positioned Propal as having one of the most modern and largest fine paper mills based on sugarcane bagasse in the world.
• International Paper CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1957Initial strategic partnership formed in 1957 when Pagraco associated with Internacional Paper Company to create Productora de Papeles S.A. (Propal). International Paper provided technical guidance and operational expertise, including industrial safety advisory services. Partnership ended in 1995 when Propal shares were transferred to Fundación Antonio Restrepo Barco.
• Organización Carvajal S.A.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1904Parent organization and part of the Carvajal group. Propal is a Colombian company belonging to Organización Carvajal S.A. Carvajal led the recapitalization of Propal in 1995 after the International Paper partnership ended, with support from Instituto de Fomento Industrial. Propal changed its legal name to Carvajal Pulpa y Papel in 2010 as part of organizational restructuring.
• DispapelesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorColombian distributor of paper and office supplies. Listed as an allied distributor on Propal's website.
• OfixminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorColombian office supplies distributor. Listed as an allied distributor on Propal's website.
• Coimpresores del OrienteminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional printing industry association/distributor in Eastern Colombia. Listed as an allied distributor on Propal's website.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Klabin: Brazilian integrated paper producer specializing in kraftliner, packaging papers, and corrugated boxes. Directly comparable to Propal as a Latin American paper and packaging manufacturer serving CPG and industrial customers, with a broader product portfolio.
• CMPC (Empresas CMPC): Chilean pulp and paper group producing market pulp, tissue, packaging, and paper products across Latin America. Closely comparable to Propal in geography, product breadth, and focus on sustainable forestry/alternative fiber initiatives.

Emerging players

• Pactiv Evergreen: North American foodservice and food-merchandising packaging producer with a growing paper-based and molded-fiber portfolio. Comparable as a competitor in the sustainable foodservice packaging category that Propal's Grease Proof and molded pulp lines target.

Broad incumbents

• Stora Enso: Nordic-European renewable packaging, biomaterials, and paperboard major. Comparable in molded fiber and paperboard packaging offerings — including food-service applications — that overlap with Propal's Earth Pact and molded pulp lines, though with a European base and larger scale.
• Mondi: European integrated paper and packaging group with growing presence in the Americas. Comparable as a sustainable paper-packaging producer, though geographically anchored in Europe/EMEA rather than Latin America.
• Suzano: Brazilian-listed global leader in hardwood pulp and a growing player in paper and packaging. Comparable as a Latin American pulp/paper manufacturer with international reach, though materially larger and more pulp-focused than Propal's converted paper mix.
• Smurfit Kappa: Global paper-based packaging leader with significant operations across the Americas, including Latin America. Comparable as a competing sustainable packaging supplier to multinational CPGs, though with global scale that materially exceeds Propal.
• International Paper: Global paper and packaging major and Propal's historical partner (1957-1995). Comparable in core paper and packaging manufacturing, but with a global multi-region footprint and far larger scale than Propal's two-plant operation.
• Kimberly-Clark: Global personal care and tissue products company with Latin American operations. Adjacent comparable as a large-scale sanitary/tissue paper converter that competes for institutional and foodservice tissue volumes overlapping with the broader Latin American paper category Propal serves.

Regional players

• Celulosa Argentina: Argentine producer of virgin and recycled pulp, paper, and corrugated packaging. Comparable as a Southern Cone integrated paper manufacturer serving similar food, beverage, and CPG packaging customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cpulpaypapel
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@propaloficial
• Facebookfacebook.com/CarvajalPulpaYPapel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/propal
• Instagraminstagram.com/propaloficial
• TikToktiktok.com/@propaloficial

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Propal