Paper & Paper Products Manufacturing Industry Profile

Companies in this industry make paper and converted paper products, including paperboard, corrugated containers, coated papers, and paper bags. Major companies include Georgia-Pacific, International Paper, Kimberly-Clark, MeadWestvaco, Neenah Paper (all based in the US), as well as Domtar (Canada), Oji Paper (Japan), and Stora Enso (Finland).

Globally, the industry produces more than 370 million metric tons of paper products per year. China has surpassed the US as the world's top paper producer. Other key paper producing countries include Austria, Canada, Finland, Germany, Russia, and Sweden.

The US paper products manufacturing industry includes about 3,500 companies with combined annual revenue of about $175 billion and is expected to grow at a moderate rate over the next two years. Key growth drivers include e-commerce's demand for corrugated boxes, along with value-added offerings such as container printing services and complex paper products.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Demand is driven by general commercial activity and population growth. The profitability of individual companies depends on efficient operations, as products are sold mainly based on price. Big companies have advantages in distribution and can supply large customers. There are few economies of scale in manufacturing; large and small producers operate the same kinds of plants -- large producers just have more of them. Small companies can compete successfully by making specialty products or serving a small geographical market.

The industry is concentrated within specific product segments: the top 50 makers ...