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IP Eyes Salt Lake City to Build New Sustainable Packaging Facility

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Key Takeaways

  • IP plans a new sustainable packaging facility in Salt Lake City to expand U.S. operations.
  • The Waterloo plant, IP's largest greenfield box site, will begin operations in late 2026.
  • IP expects to outpace 3-4% market growth, driven by e-commerce and sustainable packaging trends.

International Paper (IP - Free Report) has announced plans to explore the development of a new sustainable packaging facility in Salt Lake City, UT.  This initiative is part of IP’s broader strategy to expand its manufacturing footprint across the United States. 

If finalized, this new facility will mark International Paper’s foray into the Salt Lake City market. The facility will feature cutting-edge technology and equipment and help IP deliver innovative and sustainable packaging solutions to a growing customer base in the western United States. Further details, such as capital investment and facility size, will be shared at a later stage.

Waterloo Plant Key to IP’s North American Operations

Recently, IP broke ground on a state-of-the-art sustainable packaging plant in Waterloo, IA, its most ambitious project to date. 

As its largest greenfield box plant, the Waterloo facility is expected to become a cornerstone of International Paper’s North American operations. The plant will mainly serve the protein segment, delivering high-quality, sustainable packaging solutions using cutting-edge technology and industry-leading safety practices. The facility is expected to begin operations in late 2026.

International Paper Bets on Industry Tailwinds for Growth

International Paper completed the acquisition of DS Smith in January 2025. This move established a new global leader in sustainable packaging solutions, focusing on the North America and EMEA markets. The merger creates a stronger portfolio of sustainable packaging solutions and enhances offerings, innovation and geographic presence.  

International Paper is well-positioned to capitalize on strong market fundamentals in both North America and EMEA. North America’s Total Addressable Market (TAM) is around $50 billion and EMEA’s TAM is around $40 billion. Both markets have an estimated long-term growth rate of 3-4%. 

The company expects to outperform market growth by riding on key industry trends, including the expansion of e-commerce, increasing demand for sustainable and recyclable packaging and the growing shift from plastic to paper-based alternatives. Additionally, rising demand for cost-effective, reliable fresh food packaging and innovative retail-ready packaging solutions is expected to support long-term growth.

International Paper Stock’s Price Performance

The company’s shares have lost 12.1% in the past year compared with the industry’s 10.8% decline.

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IP’s Zacks Rank

International Paper currently carries a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell).

Stocks to Consider

Some better-ranked stocks from the basic materials space are Carpenter Technology Corporation (CRS - Free Report) , Newmont Corporation (NEM - Free Report) and Agnico Eagle Mines (AEM - Free Report) . Each of these stocks sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here

Carpenter Technology has an average trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 11.10%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s 2025 earnings is pegged at $7.27 per share, indicating year-over-year growth of 53.4%. CRS shares gained 170.3% so far this year. 

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for NEM’s current-year earnings is pegged at $3.92 per share, indicating a 12.64% year-over-year rise. NEM has an average trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 32.41%. NEM’s shares have gained 34.6% so far this year.

Agnico Eagle Mines has an average trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 12.2%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Agnico Eagle Mines’ 2025 earnings is pegged at $6.03 per share, indicating 42.6% year-over-year growth. Its shares gained 51.2% year to date.

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