DS Smith opens site in Atlanta, targets growth in North America

DS Smith has announced its further expansion in North America with the opening of a new office building in Atlanta, Georgia.

The packaging company believes its momentum in environmental and sustainability stewardship in Europe offers a launchpad for growth in North America, and comes at a time when consumers seek more options for sustainable packaging.

Headquartered in London, DS Smith said its closed-loop recycling model – where paper and corrugated is collected, recycled and then used again to make packaging materials – has proven successful in Europe, helping the company to manage more than 5 million tons of recyclable materials each year.

The company’s expansion into North America is a response to global and local customer requests for similar sustainable packaging solutions in North America.

“We’ve always thrived on finding innovative ways to help customers achieve more for less – sell more, reduce costs, manage risk and complexity in their supply chain,” said Miles Roberts, global CEO of DS Smith.

“For years, we’ve helped companies across industries – from pharma and consumer packaged goods to retail and e-commerce – to redefine packaging across the world, and this expansion marks a key milestone in our journey to bring our innovative business model to the US.”

The Atlanta facility will serve more than 50 employees in DS Smith’s sales, marketing, finance, legal and technical departments. The company also plans to open its first recycling depot in the near term.

Jim Morgan, president and CEO of DS Smith North America, said: “We see a major opportunity to redefine packaging for the US using our closed-loop system and heritage as a leading innovator in Europe. Our new Atlanta headquarters will help us with that effort.

“Atlanta is a global hub of activity for the packaging industry and we’re excited to bring competitive, challenging career opportunities to this particular market, while having access to some of the country’s top talent.”

Last year, DS Smith secured a deal to acquire US-based corrugated packaging company Corrugated Container Corporation, including its four manufacturing facilities located in Tennessee, North Carolina and Virginia.