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PRONAL launches its first corrugated plant in Nuevo Leon (Mexico)
Original article reprinted from El Sol de Mexico
The first converting plant of OEM’s Paper and Packaging Division, to open today in Monterrey, with an annual capacity of 100,000 tonnes
Monterrey, NL. Organización Editorial Mexicana (OEM) expands its business with the inauguration of a new corrugated packaging plant.
On Monday, OEM’s Paper Division opened PRONAL Corrugados in the capital of Nuevo León, a new company that will become part of its paper, cardboard, packaging and recycling network. The addition of this facility consolidates the division as one of the country’s most important integrated paper conglomerates, with presence across the entire value chain, from collecting and recycling fiber, to the manufacturing of corrugated board packaging for mass consumption.
José Antonio Rodríguez Demeneghi, CEO for the Paper and Packaging Division, emphasized that this new company complements the growth of the business unit.
The mills operated by Productora Nacional de Papel (PRONAL), located in San Luis Potosí and belonging to the same group, will supply the paper used to produce corrugated boxes.
Rodríguez Demeneghi recalled that PRONAL currently produces paper distributed to other clients for box conversion, but with the opening of this new conversion facility, the Paper and Packaging Division group of companies will become circular.
“This will allow PRONAL to move more volume and, combined with the demand from indirect clients, we serve a market that demands one thing: quality. Our strong competitive advantage for this new project is the integration between PRONAL’s mill and the new corrugated plant, which will represent the start of a new era”, the executive noted.
PRONAL Corrugados will have an annual conversion capacity of 100 thousand tonnes of paper—equivalent to between 160 and 215 million square meters of transformed surface.
The facility was built on six hectares, featuring a 28,000-square-meter production building, becoming one of the most significant industrial investments of OEM’s Paper and Packaging Division in recent years.
The plant, which begins operations this month, is equipped with a BW Papersystems machine capable of reaching production speeds of up to 350 meters per minute, allowing the plant to handle high-volume orders with consistent quality.
The director highlighted that this will be the most modern machine of its kind in Mexico, with the widest production width available.
In addition to technological innovation, the new company will benefit the local community by creating 250 direct jobs, adding to the 1,550 direct and over 3,000 indirect jobs already generated by OEM’s Paper Division.
The first plant for PRONAL Corrugados marks the beginning of a $150 million investment project. Which will add an additional facility in 2026, and a third in early 2027, establishing nationwide industrial capacity.
Rodríguez Demeneghi explained that the next two corrugating machines will be located in major consumption centers across Mexico to meet growing demand.
PRONAL Corrugados project is strategically integrated into the circular economy system that defines OEM’s Paper and Packaging Division, which has an installed production capacity of more than 600,000 tonnes of recycled paper and cardboard.
The new company joins a processing network that includes Ecofibras Ponderosa, which collects and classifies materials; Cartones Ponderosa and PRONAL, which produce recycled paper, liner, and cardboard; and Compañía Transportadora Federal and Comercial Fletera de México, which handle logistics and supply.
Within this framework, PRONAL Corrugados will occupy the final link in the process: manufacturing corrugated cardboard boxes for industries such as food and beverages, cleaning products, appliances, auto parts, and machinery.
Cartones Ponderosa and PRONAL will supply the main raw materials to the new division company, ensuring an internal flow of materials, recycling traceability, and consistent product quality.
A growing sector
A report by Grupo IMARC indicates that the value of Mexico’s corrugated cardboard box market reached $2.5 billion in 2024 and is expected to approach $3 billion by 2033, growing at an annual rate of 1.5% over the next eight years.
According to the consultancy, the market is expanding due to increasing demand in retail, industrial, and agricultural sectors, driven by export growth, stronger logistics networks, and the shift toward sustainable, lightweight, and cost-effective packaging solutions.
The director of OEM’s Paper Division noted that domestic demand for corrugated boxes is growing 11–12% annually.
In this context, PRONAL Corrugados becomes the specialized packaging and logistics arm of OEM’s Paper and Packaging Division, serving both domestic and export markets, hence its strategic location in Monterrey.
“The location was chosen for its proximity to the border and because Monterrey is experiencing a boom in company relocations. We’ll supply clients exporting their products”, said the executive.
José Saúl Guzmán Espinosa, plant general manager, highlighted that the BW Papersystems machine is ready to start operations producing single- and double-wall corrugated packaging, suitable for the food and cleaning sectors. Next year, it will be capable of producing triple-wall corrugated, becoming the second machine in Mexico with that specialty, allowing it to manufacture packaging for heavy products like automotive parts or appliances.
Beyond expanding production capacity, the new company strengthens OEM’s position in a growing market, driven by e-commerce and the replacement of plastics in packaging, with the potential to expand its offer to printed fanfold packaging.
As Latin America’s largest media group, OEM reinforces its vertical integration model, in which a single division encompasses everything from fiber recovery to finished packaging production, enhancing its industrial self-sufficiency and its position among major players in the sector.
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