Sappi North America has announced the commercial start-up of its modernized Paper Machine No. 2 (PM2) at the Somerset Mill in Maine.
Known as Project Elevate, this $500 million initiative represents the largest machine rebuild in the company’s history.
The PM2 conversion, which began in 2022, has doubled the machine’s production capacity. Once fully ramped up, it will produce 470,000 metric tons of solid bleached sulfate (SBS) paperboard annually. This premium material serves a wide range of applications, including folding cartons, food service packaging, and beverage containers.
“This is the most significant rebuild we’ve ever completed, all while keeping the mill operational,” said Michael Haws, President and CEO of Sappi North America. “The success of this project is above all due to our teams’ commitment and precision.”
The upgraded PM2 now produces a full range of SBS grades, from cup stock to folding carton board. Products are already reaching customers, according to Kirk Ross, Vice President of Manufacturing, who emphasized that the additional capacity positions Sappi to respond to rising demand with greater speed, consistency, and flexibility.
Project Elevate follows Sappi’s earlier rebuild of PM1 in 2018, reflecting the company’s ongoing strategy of modernizing its manufacturing assets. “This development strengthens our global packaging portfolio and our focus on fiber-based, low-impact solutions,” said Steve Binnie, CEO of Sappi Limited.
With PM2 operational, Sappi reinforces its leadership in premium SBS paperboard production amid growing demand for sustainable packaging solutions.
Sappi North America, headquartered in Boston, is a subsidiary of Johannesburg-based Sappi Limited. The company transforms wood fiber into specialty papers, sustainable packaging, graphic papers, and pulp, operating mills across the U.S. and Canada, including sites in Maine, Minnesota, and Quebec.
