Domtar sells Kamloops pulp mill to Montreal-based Kruger

KAMLOOPS — Employees at the Kamloops pulp mill now know who their new bosses will be.

In a news release issued Thursday (May 12), Montreal-based Kruger announced it has purchased the Kamloops pulp mill from Domtar.

Domtar was taken over by South Carolina-based Paper Excellence in 2021, with the Canadian Competition Bureau approving the sale in November. As a condition of the sale, Paper Excellence was forced to sell the Kamloops mill for competitive reasons.

“We’re very excited about the opportunities that will arise from this acquisition, not only for Kruger but also for the Kamloops Mill, B.C. wood fibre suppliers and the local community,” said François D’Amours, Executive Vice President and CEO for Kruger in a news release.

“There is a natural fit between Kruger and the Kamloops Mill, which has an impressive track record in terms of performance, sustainability, health and safety and employee engagement. Kruger has always maintained excellent relationships with its employees, customers, suppliers and communities and will make every effort to ensure a smooth and efficient transition, and to continue and strengthen these relationships.”

The acquisition is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2022.

Many of Kruger’s products will be familiar to Canadian consumers, including Cashmere and Purex bathroom tissue, Scotties’ facial tissue and SpongeTowels paper towels.

The Kamloops pulp mill opened in 1965, was sold to Weyerhaeuser in 1971 and sold to Domtar in 2007.