The inauguration of PRONAL Corrugados in Nuevo León was attended by Paquita Ramos de Vázquez, President and CEO of OEM and Francisco Torres Vázquez, Executive Vice President of OEM.
Organización Editorial Mexicana (OEM) is significantly expanding its business with the inauguration of a new corrugated packaging plant. OEM’s Paper Division opened PRONAL Corrugados in the capital of Nuevo León, a new facility that will become part of its paper, board, packaging and recycling infrastructure.
The addition of this facility consolidates the division as one of Mexico’s most important integrated paper groups, with presence across the entire supply chain, from collecting and recycling fibre, to the manufacturing of corrugated packaging.
José Antonio Rodríguez Demeneghi, CEO of the Paper and Packaging Division, says that this new facility complements the growth of the business unit.
The mills operated by Productora Nacional de Papel (PRONAL), located in San Luis Potosí, will supply the paper used to produce the corrugated board and packaging.
Rodríguez Demeneghi says that PRONAL currently produces paper distributed to other board plants for conversion, but with the opening of this new facility, the Paper and Packaging Division group of companies will become fully integrated. He says, “This will allow PRONAL to move more volume and, combined with the demand from customers, 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.”
Big plans
PRONAL Corrugados will have an annual conversion capacity of 100 thousand tonnes of paper, producing up to 215 million sqm of corrugated board.
The facility was built on a site of six hectares, including a 28,000 sqm production building, becoming one of the most significant industrial investments of OEM’s Paper and Packaging Division in recent years.
The plant is equipped with machines from BW Papersystems. At the heart is the 2.85m Harmony Corrugator, which is capable of running a wide variety of board grades at 350 m/min. The corrugator is served by a VortX Starch Mixing System for smooth and consistent supply of starch in the single facers.
José Saúl Guzmán Espinosa, General Manager, adds, “The BW Papersystems corrugator is already producing single and doublewall corrugated board, suitable for the food and cleaning sectors. Next year, we will be able to produce triplewall board, becoming only the second machine in Mexico with this specialty, allowing us to manufacture packaging for heavy products like automotive parts or appliances.”
In the converting department, two BW Papersystems lines ensure excellent print, die-cutting and gluing. High quality boxes are run on a G-Grafix four colour flexo folder gluer and a G-Grafix four colour rotary die-cutter.
Rodríguez Demeneghi highlighted that this is one of the most modern facilities of its kind in Mexico, with the widest production width available on the corrugator. He says, “There are no more than three corrugators like this in the country, with a width of 2.8m, complemented by die-cutting and printing all under one roof. We are excited by the opportunities, and of course we owe much to the excellent partnership we have with BW Papersystems for ensuring the machines all started up on time and within budget.”
Local economy boost
In addition to technological innovation, the new facility has benefitted 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.
This first plant for PRONAL Corrugados marks the beginning of a $150m investment project. The company says it will add an additional facility in 2026, and a third in early 2027, establishing nationwide industrial capacity.
Rodríguez Demeneghi explained that the next two corrugated plants will be located in major industrial centres across Mexico to meet growing demand.
The PRONAL Corrugados project is strategically integrated into the circular economy system that defines OEM’s Paper and Packaging Division, which has an production capacity of more than 600,000 tonnes of recycled paper and board.
The new facility joins a network that includes Ecofibras Ponderosa (recovered fibre); Cartones Ponderosa and PRONAL (recycled paper, liner, and board); and Compañía Transportadora Federal and Comercial Fletera de México, (logistics and supply).
A growing sector
A report by Grupo IMARC indicates that the value of Mexico’s corrugated box market reached $2.5 bn in 2024 and is expected to approach $3 bn by 2033, growing at an annual rate of 1.5% over the next eight years. According to Grupo IMARC, 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.
Rodríguez Demeneghi noted that domestic demand for corrugated boxes is growing 11–12% annually. In this context, PRONAL Corrugados becomes the specialised 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 Rodríguez Demeneghi.
Beyond expanding production capacity, the new facility 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.
“We aim to produce higher-quality corrugated boxes in Mexico, making it a hallmark of the company. With these investments, we’ll rank among the top three producers of paper and boxes in the country,” concludes Guzmán Espinosa. “This move into the box market responds to the needs of OEM’s indirect customers, targeting a growing, demanding market that values quality, one of the company’s main competitive advantages.”
