Sofidel America
A big start
Sofidel decides to expand its horizons, arriving in the United States, the world’s biggest market in terms of per capita consumption of tissue paper. Here the company purchases the Cellynne tissue company, subsequently renamed Sofidel America, operating in the Away-from-Home market with three production sites: an integrated plant in Florida (Haines City) and two converting ones, in Wisconsin (Green Bay) and Nevada (Henderson) – the latter moved to Las Vegas in 2018.

Moving forward
In 2014 Sofidel boosts its presence, opening a new converting plant in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and upgrading the one in Nevada.

The real boost
The Group acquires from the company Green Bay Converting Inc. a converting plant in Wisconsin (again in Green Bay) and a building in Mississippi (Hattiesburg) in order to house a new converting plant. In the same year, Sofidel takes part in the federal government program SelectUSA, a program that supports foreign investments in the US, and starts up the first American greenfield investment in Circleville, Ohio, on a 280-acre parcel that lies in an important logistic location for distribution operators. Moreover, Sofidel opens new offices in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where the American headquarters of the company has been moved.

Circleville and a strong endorsement
In June, a year after joining the program, the President of the United States of America, Barack Obama, mentioned Sofidel as an example of a SelectUSA success story with the following words: “At last year’s summit, an Italian tissue company started a conversation with folks from central Ohio, and next month they are breaking ground in the town of Circleville on a manufacturing facility that will create hundreds of jobs in a part of the American Midwest that needs them. It will be the largest private sector investment in Circleville in decades and it started right here at SelectUSA.”
Work starts on the integrated plant in Circleville in 2016 – expected to start production by the end of 2018, becoming the Group’s largest production site outright. The plant uses cutting-edge paper mill (Advantage New Tissue Technology 200 by Valmet) and converting (Constellation by Fabio Perini) technologies. The site is also pioneering in terms of automation of logistics. Systems for the automated transfer of paper reels (from the paper mill to the converting lines), and of finished products (from the converting lines to the Smart Store automatic warehouse) have been created – using LGVs, laser-guided vehicles – and complete automation of finished product handling is provided.

Major greenfield investments
In February, the first converting line starts production at the Circleville plant. In March, work starts on the Inola site, Oklahoma, where a new integrated plant will be completed by mid-2020. The plant, that lies 30 miles east of Tulsa, will serve the South-Central and Central-Western areas of the U.S.
In June, Luigi Lazzareschi is among the panelists at the 2018 SelectUSA Investment Summit in Washington D.C. Introduced by the Governor of Oklahoma Mary Fallin, he is the only entrepreneur on the stage who is recognized for a rural economic development success story, Sofidel’s investment in Inola, Oklahoma.
In October, the Group officially inaugurated its integrated production site in Circleville – Sofidel’s largest, most modern and sustainable plant to date. The plant is equipped with state-of-the-art technologies for the papermaking, converting and warehousing stages. The site has required total investments for around USD 400 million and will employ approximately 700 people once running at full capacity.

The Inola plant is operational
The first five converting lines at the new integrated plant in Inola are launched, as scheduled, between July and October, two of which were transferred from the Tulsa plant, also in Oklahoma. Additional lines, again from the Tulsa plant, have been installed, since the Tulsa plant itself was decommissioned on completion of its relocation to Inola.

The future is now
In October 2020 the Inola plant is fully operational.

Nicky
In July Sofidel America launches its first consumer brand, Nicky.

Ten years of Sofidel America
Sofidel celebrates 10 years of Sofidel America with a Family Day in each plant.

A new investment
Sofidel strengthens its production capacity with a $185 million investment in its integrated plant in Circleville, Ohio.

Another step
Sofidel acquires from ST Paper a paper mill in Duluth, in Minnesota, in the Upper Midwest. The plant has a production capacity of 65 thousand metric tons per year and has eighty employees. It is an important acquisition, allowing the Group to immediately meet the growing demand, which saw a significant upturn in 2023.

Certifications
FSC® License Number
FSC-C017535
FSC-C137952
Circleville Ohio |
Duluth Minnesota |
Green Bay Wisconsin |
Haines City Florida |
Hattiesburg Mississippi |
Horsham Pennsylvania |
Inola Oklahoma |
Las Vegas Nevada |
FSC® License Number
FSC-C017535
FSC-C137952