The paper manufacturing industry began in New York State during the early 18th century, utilizing linen and cotton rags as primary sources of fiber in the manufacturing process. New York led the way in innovation by introducing the first wood-based paper-making factory, and as they say, the rest is history.
Our work with paper manufacturing began in the 1980’s with a 250,000 SF facility for Southern Container Corporation, now WestRock, a national supplier of paper and packaging products. A time later, and over the span of 6 years, VIP designed and built roughly 850,000 SF of manufacturing space for Solvay Paperboard, also now WestRock.
Burrows Paper Corporation first entered the market in 1916 with a single paper mill in Little Falls, NY. Today, Burrows operates domestically and abroad with its corporate headquarters still operating in Little Falls. VIP Structures has been part of Burrows’ history since 1993 when they hired our team to complete a 50,000 SF pulp mill, which solidified Burrows’ status as a fully integrated paper manufacturer.
In 1998 VIP’s team completed an office/warehouse addition for Felix Schoeller North American, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Germany-based Felix Schoeller Group. Their Pulaski plant converts, packs and distributes inkjet papers and specialty products across North America, and is one of the largest private companies in Oswego County.
In 2003 our team was brought on board to complete an expansion project for FiberMark in Lowville, NY, a global company with offices in the US and the UK. This 88,000 SF project was completed in just 5 months and enabled FiberMark to continue operations without interruptions.
VIP was back at it again in 2013 with the completion of a 450,000 SF Greenpac containerboard mill facility for Norampac, a division of Cascades Inc., in Niagara Falls, NY. Founded in 1964, Cascades produces, converts and markets packaging and tissue products that are composed mainly of recycled fibers. We designed the building envelope and office areas and constructed the foundations, building superstructures and building systems to support the multi-story manufacturing process.
When working on a multi-story paper mill building, we learned that some key factors include: extremely heavy industrial floor loading (450 lbs/SF), large material-handling cranes (100 ton cranes at Greenpac), and harsh wet environments that require corrosion resistance and ease of washability.
