GREAT NECK, N.Y. — First Quality Tissue, a manufacturer of private-label and branded paper towels and tissue, is moving forward with several capacity expansion projects.
Earlier this year, First Quality announced plans to deploy two additional TAD paper machines, and this week the company said it has selected its Lock Haven, Pa., facility as the location for the second TAD machine.
Currently, First Quality is in talks with the state and the local community to finalize details. The new machine, which would be the site’s third TAD unit, is expected to go into operation in December 2016.
The first of the two TAD machines will be deployed in Anderson, S.C. Construction is "well under way," with a projected startup date in November 2015, First Quality said. With an estimated annual capacity of 70,000 tons, the machine would be the third TAD unit at the site and the company’s fifth TAD unit overall.
In addition, First Quality plans to announce the startup date for its new ATMOS paper machine in Anderson next quarter. The company said the technology will enable it to expand its premium line of product offerings beyond tissues and towels. With this investment, Anderson will become a four-machine site, with three TAD units and one ATMOS machine.
First Quality noted that the new machines will provide the scale and flexibility to meet customer demand for ultra-premium tissue and towel products. The strategic expansions will bring the company’s total number of tissue machines to seven, with an estimated capacity of 500,000 tons.
