James Kress, Chairman of Green Bay Packaging, a privately held U.S. corrugated manufacturer based in Green Bay, Wisconsin, passed away on May 12. He was 89 years old. According to the company web site, Kress served as Chairman since 1994. He took over operations of the company as President in 1960 after the death of his father and company founder, George Kress.
In 2005 Kress was inducted into the International Paper Industry Hall of Fame. He believed that the company’s products could be produced in a more ecologically-responsible manner. The Green Bay Mill closed its pulp mill in 1991 and began production of linerboard and corrugated medium from 100% recycled fiber. The conversion allowed the company to recycle more than 400,000 tons of wastepaper annually. The company’s Green Bay Mill permanently converted to a closed water system in 1992, making it one of the first mills in the world to have such a system.
Founded in 1933, Green Bay Packaging is a vertically integrated company consisting of corrugated container plants, folding cartons, recycled and virgin linerboard mills, pressure-sensitive label rollstock, specialty converting operations, timberlands, and a sawmill facility. It operates 32 facilities in 14 states.
