DUBLIN — Smurfit Westrock announced it will permanently close its coated recycled board (CRB) mill in St. Paul, Minnesota, US and will discontinue production at its containerboard mill in Forney, Texas. The specialty coating facility at Forney will not be impacted. As a result, the Company’s containerboard and CRB capacity is expected to reduce by over 500,000 tons. Smurfit Westrock has also initiated consultations with local works councils in Germany with a view to permanently closing two converting facilities there. Approximately 650 employees in the US and Germany will be impacted as a result of these closures. …“While closing facilities is never an easy decision, it is based on a realistic expectation of current and future capacity needs, operating costs and an unrelenting focus on improving our business,” said Tony Smurfit, President & Group Chief Executive Officer, Smurfit Westrock.
Gross domestic product (GDP) contracted in the first quarter by 0.3%, with imported goods being a large contributor to the decline as the suppliers prepared for President Trump’s tariff proposals once he took office. NAHB estimates this should even out in the second quarter. Other economic data of note are inflation, which is still elevated but creeping downward, and the unemployment rate, which remains low but may edge up among economic uncertainty. …NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz hasn’t hit the panic button yet. And I still think that we don’t know what President Trump’s economy really is yet. It’s been policy by sledgehammer, and now they’re going to start putting the pieces back together.” NAHB Senior Officers and staff continue to actively engage with lawmakers on this and other policies, including a special BUILD-PAC Capital Club event this week featuring an interview with Sen. Tim Sheehy.
