by Ainsley Platt, Arkansas Advocate
June 3, 2025
State officials celebrated on Tuesday the groundbreaking of a $1 billion modernization project of Green Bay Packaging’s decades-old Kraft plant in Morrilton, Central Arkansas’ largest capital investment, according to the governor.
The plant’s $1 billion reinvestment will see key equipment replacements and infrastructure upgrades, along with expansions. The plant will add 35 new jobs to its existing 620-person workforce in Conway County as well.
The multi-year project includes the acquisition of about 300 acres of land for future investments and expansion, according to an Arkansas Economic Development press release.
Headquartered in Wisconsin, Green Bay Packaging is a manufacturing company consisting of shipping container plants, a folding carton facility, and a sawmill facility, among other things, according to the release. Green Bay Packaging has five facilities in Central Arkansas, including the Kraft Paper Mill, which could have its production capacity more than doubled by the project.
Company executives touted the efficiency and sustainability of the plant’s future, telling attendees at Tuesday’s groundbreaking that they would produce 90% of the plant’s needed power thanks to the new investments.
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Brad Harville, general manager of Green Bay Packaging’s Arkansas Kraft Division, pointed to the cold snap of 2021 as a major reason why self-sufficient power generation was so important for the company, noting that they were beholden to the energy generation of others.
“We learned that an arctic blast is not simply a cup of ice cream from Sonic,” Harville said. When the power grid struggled to meet demand, it affected plant operations, and “we were a slave to whatever was available,” he said.
The company plans to install a new turbine generator, which will help provide power and cut greenhouse gas emissions, according to the release.
The project will use the most modern available technology, which will allow the company to continue making “the finest quality” material at a “competitive price with a sustainable footprint,” Harville said.
Green Bay’s CEO, Will Cress, said he was present at the plant’s groundbreaking decades ago as a boy, and didn’t “really understand the significance” of it at the time.
“But now that we’ve had 60 years of good times, mostly good times, here in Arkansas, and the impact that we’ve had in Arkansas and the impact that Arkansas has had on our company is not lost on me today,” Cress said.
He added that the investment will have a “long-lasting impact” on the local community, the state and his company.
“In a situation like this, there’s no end to the thank-yous that you have to deliver,” he said.
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders was in attendance Tuesday, along with multiple state legislators, Department of Agriculture Secretary Wes Ward, and Department of Commerce Secretary Hugh McDonald. She highlighted the state’s business-friendly policies and taxes while thanking Green Bay for its decision to revamp its Kraft plant.
“Our administration and our team are moving quickly to make sure we tell the Arkansas success story,” Sanders said. “They [Green Bay Packaging] need a partner that is just as flexible as they are. Arkansas has made clear we will be that partner. It’s not just in government, where we’ve cut taxes in the past two years. We’ve redoubled our focus on workforce training and getting bureaucrats out of the way of business.”
Arkansas Advocate is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Arkansas Advocate maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Sonny Albarado for questions: info@arkansasadvocate.com.
