Chicago-based Smurfit-Stone Container Corp. (SSCC) held the grand opening of its Cerritos Container Plant in Cerritos, Calif. on Tuesday. Cerritos Mayor Jim Edwards and SSCC customers and employees were on hand to celebrate the grand opening of the plant, considered to be of the most modern corrugated container production facilities in the industry. A ribbon cutting and tours of the facility were given to mark the occasion.

 The $42 million “super plant” represents the latest in packaging technology and will provide Southern California customers with highest quality products in the most efficient manner, setting a new industry standard for quality, efficiency and customer service, the company says.

 The plant has approximately 105 employees. By combining cutting-edge equipment with the latest technology, the Cerritos plant can produce as much as 2.3 billion square feet of corrugated container per year and an average of 350 boxes a minute. To reduce energy consumption, the plant uses highly efficient make-up heaters in the production area and is powered by a high efficiency boiler.

To celebrate the opening of the plant and to reinforce its commitment to promoting sustainable forests, Smurfit-Stone will donate 1,000 seedlings to support urban forestry in California.