Strasburg -- Mercury Paper, a high-volume port user, officially opened its new North American headquarters here on Monday, June 14. The company is a rapidly-growing paper and towel tissue product company that provides its products for the North American market.
In March, Gov. Bob McDonnell announced that Mercury would move its headquarters to Virginia and expand the existing facility in Strasburg, which is less than 20 miles from the Virginia Inland Port, in Front Royal. The company is investing $21.2 million in the project, and the expansion and move will create 150 new jobs. Mercury Paper's parent company, Asia-based Sinar Mas Group, is one of the world's leading pulp and paper companies. The Governor approved $250,000 in Governor's Opportunity Funds to assist Shenandoah County in landing the headquarters.
"Virginia recognizes the important role that international investment plays in the success of our economy, and we are pleased that this international company has chosen Virginia as its home. Due to its location along I-81, close proximity to Reagan National and Dulles International Airports, and access to Virginia's ports, Strasburg offers Mercury Paper a perfect location from which to connect and work successfully within the global marketplace," the governor said.
During his visit today, the Governor presented the company with a Virginia flag that was flown over the state Capitol and joined Mercury Paper's CEO, Phillip Rundle, in planting a tree on the grounds of the facility.
The Strasburg facility is on a 15-acre site situated near the intersection of Interstates 66 and 81 in North East Virginia in the middle of the Shenandoah Valley. The facility incorporates state-of-the-art technology from highly-computerized tissue converting lines and packaging equipment to fully-automated robot case stacking.
Mercury Paper supports economic development, corporate responsibility and environmental awareness. The company's raw material comes from sustainable pulpwood plantations in the Pacific Rim and follows strict policies in order to ensure that its fiber suppliers, from forests to paper mills, are legally sustainable. This means legal origin-verification and chain-of-custody procedures are practiced throughout the process.
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