Someone said to me recently “The forestry industry is ‘investing’, it’s just not investing here.” That is certainly the case.
UPM Raflatac celebrates the opening of its new North American pressure sensitive labelstock manufacturing facility in Dixon, Illinois, approximately 100 miles west of Chicago. The new USD 100 million (EUR 70 million) facility will offer UPM Raflatac’s full product range of paper and film label products and features the company’s latest proprietary technical solutions in both the coating and finishing areas.
UPM closed its New Brunswick plant but is opening cellulosic biofuels facilities, paper mills, other value added wood products manufacturing all over the place. Including Illinois.
I am not naive. But I think that New Brunswick officials should have a candid discussion with UPM as to what are the roadblocks to investing here. Maybe they are insurmountable – but I hope they have asked the question.