Cascades Announces Exit from Honeycomb Packaging and Partition Business Segments

Executive Summary

• Cascades Inc. announced the discontinuation of its honeycomb paperboard and partition packaging business segments, resulting in the closure of three plants in York, PA; Saint‑Césaire, QC; and Berthierville, QC.
• The assets of the closed facilities are being sold to Emballages LM for approximately $9 million.
• Plant closures will affect a total of 114 employees (52 in Berthierville, 37 in York, 25 in Saint‑Césaire) with shutdown dates ranging from immediate to April 17 2026.

Key Details

• Business Segments Exited: Honeycomb paperboard and cardboard partition packaging.
• Asset Sale: Assets transferred to Emballages LM (Saint‑François‑de‑la‑Rivière‑du‑Sud, QC) for ~$9 million.
• Berthierville Plant (QC):
• Closure effective immediately.
• Workforce impacted: 52 employees.
• York Plant (PA):
• Permanent closure no later than February 19 2026.
• Workforce impacted: 37 employees.
• Saint‑Césaire Plant (QC):
• Operations to cease no later than April 17 2026.
• Workforce impacted: 25 employees.
• Employee Support: Cascades will provide job‑search assistance and encourage affected workers to apply for positions at other company facilities.
• Strategic Rationale: The three plants served niche markets that no longer align with Cascades’ long‑term growth plans; exiting allows the company to focus on core strategic markets and improve profitability.

Notable Quotes

“Focusing Cascades' assets on its strategic markets is essential to achieving our optimization and profitability improvement objectives… This refocusing will allow us to invest in strengthening our position as a partner of choice for customers in our priority sectors.” – Hugues Simon, President & CEO, Cascades.