Weyco's Tri-Wall Box Plant Expands

To meet increased demand for bulk packaging, Weyerhaeuser Co. has expanded the square footage of its Tri-Wall box plant in Exeter, Calif., by 50 percent.

The improved facility, now nearly 300,000 sq ft and the largest bulk bin facility in the Weyerhaeuser system, annually manufactures approximately 40,000 tons of heavy-duty corrugated boxes that are three fluted layers thick. The boxes are used for packaging meat and poultry, dairy products, processed and frozen foods, and fresh produce, including melons and citrus.

With a current workforce of about 100 people, the addition makes way for adding up to 40 more employees, says Doug McCarty, the plant’s site manager. Since making the expansion announcement in March 2006, 39 new employees have been hired at family wage earning jobs.

The addition holds a 500-ft-long corrugator that combines the three layers of containerboard. Other improvements include an upgraded four-color press, auxiliary equipment, a scrap system, and a wastewater treatment system.

“We have invested in a water treatment system so that process water can be treated and reused, thereby reducing our water use,” states McCarty. “Also, recovered paper is recaptured and recycled to make new paper.”

Allen Ishida, chairman of the Tulare County Board of Supervisors, says that when Weyerhaeuser officials approached the county about expanding its Exeter facility, the county welcomed the opportunity to be both “business friendly” and adhering to local planning and environmental requirements.

“Weyerhaeuser is important to us not only because it has created dozens of family-wage jobs, but because these jobs were created through the construction of an environmentally friendly plant that has embraced state-of-the-art water recycling technology,” Ishida says. “Its bulk bin container construction produces no waste. All of the excess material is recycled and reused.”

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