Cascades investing $4.5 million in Quebec plants

Packaging supplier Cascades Inc. is spending $4.5 million in what it calls “strategic investments” in its Plastiques Cascades plant in Kingsey Falls, Que., and its Cascades Inopak plant in Drummondville, Que.

Both of these plants specialize in the manufacture of packaging for fresh food made from recycled plastic.

“The investments announced today are directly in line with our strategic plan to focus our investments on two major sectors: packaging and tissue products,” Cascades president and CEO Mario Plourde said in a statement. “The goal is to increase the company’s market share in the food packaging sector, by continuing to propose innovative products that ensure an optimal shelf life for food and reduce our environmental footprint,”

At the Plastiques Cascades plant in Kingsey Falls, a $3.5 million investment will be used to replace a thermoforming line, add a pre-padding solution to the production line and install automated packaging lines. And at the Cascades Inopak plant in Drummondville, a $1 million investment will be used to install a new thermoforming line.

The Plastiques Cascades and Cascades Inopak plants are part of the Cascades Specialty Products Group. The plastics plant in Kingsey Falls produces polystyrene food trays with 25 per cent recycled content used in the packaging of fresh food products such as meat, poultry and seafood. Cascades Inopak manufactures food packaging products and consumer goods made from polyethylene terephthalate with a minimum of 60 per cent post-consumer recycled content.

Founded in 1964 and headquartered in Kingsey Falls, Cascades produces, converts and markets packaging and tissue products that are composed mainly of recycled fibres. The company employs close to 11,000 employees, who work in over 90 production units located in North America and Europe.