International Paper Announces Closure of Multiple Plants to Optimize Network
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Jun 26 2026
0mins
International Paper announced strategic actions that aim to optimize its network, focus investments on the highest-value opportunities and better serve customers across North America. As a result, the company plans to cease its preprint operations at its Richwood, KY facility, and close its Aurora, IL sheet plant and converting plants in Elk Grove, CA and Barrington, NJ by the end of the third quarter 2026. International Paper will support impacted employees with outplacement assistance, severance and benefits. The company expects to transition affected customers to other facilities within each region to ensure continuity of supply.
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Analyst Views on IP
Wall Street analysts forecast IP stock price to rise
12 Analyst Rating
9 Buy
2 Hold
1 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 38.580
Low
36.00
Averages
48.35
High
57.80
Current: 38.580
Low
36.00
Averages
48.35
High
57.80
About IP
International Paper Company provides sustainable packaging solutions. The Company is engaged in producing renewable fiber-based packaging products with manufacturing operations in North America, Latin America, Europe and North Africa. Its segments include Packaging Solutions North America and Packaging Solutions EMEA. The Company's products and services include Packaging, Packaging Services, and Recycling. It provides corrugated packaging, solid fiber, corrugated sheets, retail displays, bulk packaging, and more. It also offers related services such as design and fulfillment to support these solutions. It provides a range of packaging and display services, from design and testing to fulfillment, including structural design, graphic design services, printing, testing, fulfillment and assembly and mechanical packaging. Its recycling solutions and services manage fiber recovery programs for retailers, grocers, e-commerce, distribution centers, manufacturers, and our own box plants.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
International Paper Announces Strategic Network Optimization Actions
- Network Optimization Plan: International Paper announced plans to cease preprint operations at its Richwood, KY facility and close its Aurora, IL sheet plant by the end of Q3 2026, aiming to enhance competitiveness through reduced operational costs.
- Focus on High-Value Investments: The company will shift its investment focus towards high-value opportunities to improve North American customer service quality, which is expected to enhance overall capacity and product quality to meet market demand for sustainable packaging solutions.
- Employee Support Measures: During the plant closures, International Paper commits to providing outplacement assistance, severance, and benefits to affected employees, demonstrating the company's responsibility towards its workforce amid restructuring efforts.
- Customer Supply Continuity: The company plans to transition affected customers to other facilities within each region to ensure continuity of supply, thereby maintaining customer relationships and mitigating risks associated with market fluctuations.
See More
International Paper Optimizes Network for Long-Term Growth
- Strategic Restructuring: International Paper announced plans to cease preprint operations at its Richwood, KY facility and close its Aurora, IL sheet plant by the end of Q3 2026, aiming to optimize its network and focus on high-value investments to enhance overall operational efficiency.
- Employee Support Initiatives: The company will provide outplacement assistance, severance, and benefits to affected employees, demonstrating its commitment to employee welfare while ensuring continuity of supply for customers during the transition period, thereby enhancing customer trust.
- Enhanced Market Competitiveness: By closing underperforming plants and concentrating resources, International Paper aims to improve its cost position and capacity, enabling it to better serve customers and strengthen its long-term competitiveness in the sustainable packaging market.
- Customer Transition Strategy: The company plans to transition affected customers to other facilities within each region to ensure supply chain stability, thereby maintaining its leadership position in the market and meeting customer demands.
See More
International Paper Optimizes Network for Long-Term Growth
- Strategic Actions: International Paper announced plans to close its preprint operations in Richwood, KY, and its sheet plant in Aurora, IL, by the end of Q3 2026, aiming to optimize its network and focus on high-value investments to enhance overall operational efficiency.
- Employee Support Initiatives: The company will provide outplacement assistance, severance, and benefits to affected employees, ensuring basic livelihood support during the transition while maintaining supply continuity for customers, demonstrating a commitment to both employees and clients.
- Enhanced Market Competitiveness: By shutting down inefficient plants, International Paper aims to strengthen its cost position, increase capacity, and provide customers with higher-quality sustainable packaging solutions, thereby positioning itself more favorably in the market.
- Customer Transition Plans: The company plans to transition affected customers to other facilities within each region to ensure continuity of supply, a move that not only helps maintain customer relationships but also enhances trust and reliance on the company.
See More
International Paper to Release Q2 2026 Earnings on July 30
- Earnings Release Schedule: International Paper is set to release its Q2 2026 earnings on July 30 before the NYSE opens, which is expected to significantly impact investors and analysts by providing the latest insights into the company's financial health.
- Webcast Conference: The company will host a webcast at 10 a.m. ET (9 a.m. CT) to discuss earnings and current market conditions, enhancing transparency and fostering communication with investors.
- Participation Options: Interested parties can access the webcast via the company's website under the Investors tab, and dial in for the teleconference, ensuring broad investor participation and feedback.
- Replay Availability: A replay of the webcast will be available approximately two hours after the call on the company's website, with audio replays accessible for 90 days, ensuring that investors who cannot participate live can still obtain key information.
See More
International Paper to Release Q2 2026 Earnings on July 30
- Earnings Release Schedule: International Paper is set to release its Q2 2026 earnings on July 30, 2026, before the NYSE opens, which is expected to provide critical insights into the company's performance and market conditions, aiding investors in their assessments.
- Webcast Details: The company will host a webcast at 10 a.m. ET (9 a.m. CT) to discuss earnings and current market conditions, allowing all interested parties to participate via the company's website, thereby enhancing transparency and investor communication.
- Teleconference Participation: Participants can dial +1 646-307-1963 or 800-715-9871 (U.S. only) and should call in by 9:45 a.m. ET to ensure timely participation in the discussion, which enhances investor engagement and involvement.
- Replay Availability: A replay of the earnings call will be available on the company's website approximately two hours after the call, accessible for 90 days, allowing investors who could not attend live to catch up on important information.
See More
NFWF Announces $20 Million in Conservation Grants for Longleaf Pine Restoration
- Funding Announcement: The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) has announced $20 million in grants for longleaf pine restoration across nine southern states, leveraging $18.6 million in matching contributions to achieve a total conservation impact of $38.6 million, significantly advancing ecological restoration efforts.
- Ecological Impact: The funding will support the planting of millions of longleaf pine seedlings and conduct prescribed burns on 350,000 acres, aiming to restore and maintain longleaf pine forests, enhancing ecosystem health and productivity while promoting biodiversity.
- Partnership Model: This initiative is implemented through the Longleaf Landscape Stewardship Fund (LLSF), backed by 12 funding partners, including the Bezos Earth Fund, which has invested over $67 million in the past five years, showcasing the effectiveness of public-private partnerships in conservation.
- Long-term Goals: The projects aim to support the America's Longleaf Restoration Initiative's goal of restoring 8 million acres of longleaf pine habitat, fostering landowner engagement and sustainable ecosystem management to ensure future ecological balance and biodiversity.
See More
International Paper Announces Strategic Network Optimization Actions
- Network Optimization Plan: International Paper announced plans to cease preprint operations at its Richwood, KY facility and close its Aurora, IL sheet plant by the end of Q3 2026, aiming to enhance competitiveness through reduced operational costs.
- Focus on High-Value Investments: The company will shift its investment focus towards high-value opportunities to improve North American customer service quality, which is expected to enhance overall capacity and product quality to meet market demand for sustainable packaging solutions.
- Employee Support Measures: During the plant closures, International Paper commits to providing outplacement assistance, severance, and benefits to affected employees, demonstrating the company's responsibility towards its workforce amid restructuring efforts.
- Customer Supply Continuity: The company plans to transition affected customers to other facilities within each region to ensure continuity of supply, thereby maintaining customer relationships and mitigating risks associated with market fluctuations.
See More
International Paper Optimizes Network for Long-Term Growth
- Strategic Restructuring: International Paper announced plans to cease preprint operations at its Richwood, KY facility and close its Aurora, IL sheet plant by the end of Q3 2026, aiming to optimize its network and focus on high-value investments to enhance overall operational efficiency.
- Employee Support Initiatives: The company will provide outplacement assistance, severance, and benefits to affected employees, demonstrating its commitment to employee welfare while ensuring continuity of supply for customers during the transition period, thereby enhancing customer trust.
- Enhanced Market Competitiveness: By closing underperforming plants and concentrating resources, International Paper aims to improve its cost position and capacity, enabling it to better serve customers and strengthen its long-term competitiveness in the sustainable packaging market.
- Customer Transition Strategy: The company plans to transition affected customers to other facilities within each region to ensure supply chain stability, thereby maintaining its leadership position in the market and meeting customer demands.
See More
International Paper Optimizes Network for Long-Term Growth
- Strategic Actions: International Paper announced plans to close its preprint operations in Richwood, KY, and its sheet plant in Aurora, IL, by the end of Q3 2026, aiming to optimize its network and focus on high-value investments to enhance overall operational efficiency.
- Employee Support Initiatives: The company will provide outplacement assistance, severance, and benefits to affected employees, ensuring basic livelihood support during the transition while maintaining supply continuity for customers, demonstrating a commitment to both employees and clients.
- Enhanced Market Competitiveness: By shutting down inefficient plants, International Paper aims to strengthen its cost position, increase capacity, and provide customers with higher-quality sustainable packaging solutions, thereby positioning itself more favorably in the market.
- Customer Transition Plans: The company plans to transition affected customers to other facilities within each region to ensure continuity of supply, a move that not only helps maintain customer relationships but also enhances trust and reliance on the company.
See More
International Paper to Release Q2 2026 Earnings on July 30
- Earnings Release Schedule: International Paper is set to release its Q2 2026 earnings on July 30 before the NYSE opens, which is expected to significantly impact investors and analysts by providing the latest insights into the company's financial health.
- Webcast Conference: The company will host a webcast at 10 a.m. ET (9 a.m. CT) to discuss earnings and current market conditions, enhancing transparency and fostering communication with investors.
- Participation Options: Interested parties can access the webcast via the company's website under the Investors tab, and dial in for the teleconference, ensuring broad investor participation and feedback.
- Replay Availability: A replay of the webcast will be available approximately two hours after the call on the company's website, with audio replays accessible for 90 days, ensuring that investors who cannot participate live can still obtain key information.
See More
International Paper to Release Q2 2026 Earnings on July 30
- Earnings Release Schedule: International Paper is set to release its Q2 2026 earnings on July 30, 2026, before the NYSE opens, which is expected to provide critical insights into the company's performance and market conditions, aiding investors in their assessments.
- Webcast Details: The company will host a webcast at 10 a.m. ET (9 a.m. CT) to discuss earnings and current market conditions, allowing all interested parties to participate via the company's website, thereby enhancing transparency and investor communication.
- Teleconference Participation: Participants can dial +1 646-307-1963 or 800-715-9871 (U.S. only) and should call in by 9:45 a.m. ET to ensure timely participation in the discussion, which enhances investor engagement and involvement.
- Replay Availability: A replay of the earnings call will be available on the company's website approximately two hours after the call, accessible for 90 days, allowing investors who could not attend live to catch up on important information.
See More
NFWF Announces $20 Million in Conservation Grants for Longleaf Pine Restoration
- Funding Announcement: The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) has announced $20 million in grants for longleaf pine restoration across nine southern states, leveraging $18.6 million in matching contributions to achieve a total conservation impact of $38.6 million, significantly advancing ecological restoration efforts.
- Ecological Impact: The funding will support the planting of millions of longleaf pine seedlings and conduct prescribed burns on 350,000 acres, aiming to restore and maintain longleaf pine forests, enhancing ecosystem health and productivity while promoting biodiversity.
- Partnership Model: This initiative is implemented through the Longleaf Landscape Stewardship Fund (LLSF), backed by 12 funding partners, including the Bezos Earth Fund, which has invested over $67 million in the past five years, showcasing the effectiveness of public-private partnerships in conservation.
- Long-term Goals: The projects aim to support the America's Longleaf Restoration Initiative's goal of restoring 8 million acres of longleaf pine habitat, fostering landowner engagement and sustainable ecosystem management to ensure future ecological balance and biodiversity.
See More
