Sonoco Begins Rebuilding Molded Wood Plug Operations; Invests 4.6M in New Manufacturing Facility

Sonoco SON has begun rebuilding its molded wood plug operations, which were lost to fire in November 2010, in Hartselle, Alabama, and expects to be back in production late this summer, according to James Harrell, vice president, North America Converting. Molded wood plugs are used in tubes and cores primarily for the paper industry. Sonoco is investing $4.6 million in the new manufacturing facility, which will be located in an existing building next to Sonoco's Hartselle nailed wood/plywood reels facility. The facility location also offers a team focused on the manufacture of wood products and an on-site source of wood chips, Harrell said.