Longview's NORPAC officially joins International Paper

International Paper, the largest pulp and paper company in the world, has completed its acquisition of Longview's North Pacific Paper Company.

And with the $360 million deal fully sealed late last week, NORPAC leadership says they are committed to maintaining the company's role in Longview as a "strong employer and community partner."

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Craig Anneberg, CEO of NORPAC said in a June 4 news release that the acquisition by Tennessee-based International Paper marked an "important milestone for the NORPAC team and for Longview."

"I'm proud of the employees for what we've built here, and joining International Paper gives us the opportunity to build on that foundation," Anneberg said. "We're committed to continuing our role as a strong employer and community partner."

International Paper Executive Vice President Tom Hamic, who is also president of the company's packaging Solutions North America division, said that the Longview company is a "strong strategic fit for our business."

The acquisition allows the company to expand its ability to support growing demand for "lightweight, high-performance packaging grades," Hamic said.

International Paper previously stated, when it first announced plans to acquire the business in May, that it intends to keep producing office- and book-grade graphic papers.

Hamic's statement included efforts on "improving service to our West Coast customers."

NORPAC began in the late 1970s as a joint venture between Weyerhaeuser and Jujo Paper of Japan, which later became Nippon Paper Group. The company started out focused on making newsprint, but ceased making the product in April.

In 2016, Weyerhaeuser divested itself from the pulp paper business, and the entities sold their stakes in NORPAC to One Rock Capital Partners. Nippon then bought Weyerhaeuser's liquid packaging division that same year forming Nippon Dynawave Packaging.

Effects from Nippon spill

NORPAC relies on Nippon Dynawave for wastewater treatment, as do other businesses and entities, including a nearby Weyerhaeuser lumber and sawmill, and the Mint Farm, according to state Department of Ecology permit records. Nippon also pipes pulp material directly from the plant to NORPAC.

Nippon suspended production at its Longview plant after the May 26 white liquor tank failure that ultimately killed 11 people and injured others. The company stated in a Saturday update that its production was suspended by the incident, and that the impacts "on the environment and our financial performance is still being assessed."

Messages made to International Paper and Nippon were not immediately returned Monday morning.

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This story was originally published June 8, 2026 at 6:21 PM.