Paper Mills in the US - Market Research Report (2014-2029)
New York, United States
Last Updated: May 2024
NAICS 32212Revenue
$34.6bn
Past 5-Year Growth
Profit
$X.Xbn
Employees
40,267
Businesses
180
Wages
$X.Xbn
Paper Mills in the US industry analysis
The Paper Mills industry, which produces a range of communication papers and personal care products, has contended with many obstacles to success. Heightened foreign competition from industry frontrunners and developing economies – which can produce and export at lower costs – plus a persistent decline in downstream demand for paper and paper products have hindered the industry in recent years. Paper Mills industry revenue has plummeted at a CAGR of 5.2% over the past five years and is expected to total $34.6 billion in 2024, when revenue will fall by an estimated 6.8%.
Trends and Insights
- COVID-19 exacerbated declining paper product demand. The rise of work-from-home culture and increased use of digital methods for communication and storage further suppressed the need for paper.
- Digital progress hurts the Paper Mills industry. As more business transactions move online, demand for paper products, especially printing and writing papers, has seen a significant decline.
- Southeast struggles with reducing output. The Southeast region's pulp and paper industry is facing a decline as large corporations cut their output because of reduced demand.
- Price and quality are key competition factors. In the Paper Mills industry, companies compete heavily on price and quality, with access to affordable raw materials and economies of scale being crucial advantages.
Industry Overview
Market size and recent performance (2014-2029)
Industry revenue has declined at a CAGR of 5.2 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated $34.6bn in 2024.
Trends and Insights
The downward trend for demand of paper products was exacerbated by COVID-19
- Many downstream buyers found themselves with less buying power and less need for paper products as corporations shut down in-office activities.
- Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Source: IBISWorld
Industry outlook (2024-2029)
Market size is projected to decline over the next five years.
Trends and Insights
Macroeconomic improvements will offer marginal relief to the industry
- Corporate profit will grow during the outlook period and the growth of the percentage of business conducted online will slow down compared with the current period, both of which will likely slow the decline of industry revenue and profit.
Biggest companies in the Paper Mills in the US
| Company | Market Share (%)
2024 | Revenue ($m)
2024 | Profit ($m)
2024 | Profit Margin (%)
2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Packaging Corp Of America | 8,556.9 | 1,386.8 | 16.2 | |
Domtar Corp | 3,461.7 | 502.1 | 14.5 | |
International Paper Company | 3,030.8 | 236.2 | 7.8 |
To view the market share and analysis for all 6 top companies in this industry, view purchase options.
Products & Services Segmentation
Source: IBISWorld
Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Paper towels, Other sanitary products and Paper. Paper towels is the largest segment of the Paper Mills in the US.
Trends and Insights
Paper hurt by digitalization
- The various types of paper produced include bleached bristols, freesheet, clay-coated, uncoated, industrial, packaging and converting papers.
- More insights available in the full report
Widen you competitive advantage with related industries
Competitors
- There are no industries to display.
Complementors
- Wood Pulp Mills in the US
- Paperboard Mills in the US
- Coated & Laminated Paper Manufacturing in the US
- Office Stationery Manufacturing in the US
- Sanitary Paper Product Manufacturing in the US
- Paper Product Manufacturing in the US
- Paper Wholesaling in the US
- Office Stationery Wholesaling in the US
International industries
- Global Paper & Pulp Mills
- Paper Mills in Canada
- Pulp, Paper and Paperboard Manufacturing in Australia
- Pulp, Paper and Paperboard Manufacturing in New Zealand
- Paper & Paperboard Manufacturing in the UK
Table of Contents
About this industry
Industry definition
The Paper Mills industry manufactures paper in paper mills from pulp, a fibrous material derived from wood. Mill operators may manufacture their own pulp or purchase it. Industry products include paper rolls and reams, including printing and writing paper, newsprint, packaging material and household papers. These products are sold in bulk to individual consumers, businesses and downstream manufacturers that may further convert the industry’s products into specialty paper products.
What's included in this industry?
Manufacturing rolls of printing paper, writing paper, packaging paper and industrial paper from pulpManufacturing clay-coated paperManufacturing absorbent sanitary and tissue paperManufacturing newsprintCompanies
Packaging Corp Of AmericaDomtar CorpInternational Paper CompanyPurchase this report to view all 6 major companies in this industry.
Related Terms
UNCOATED FREESHEET PAPERBRISTOL PAPERCOATED PAPERUNBLEACHED KRAFT PAPERNEWSPRINTWOOD PULPIndustry Code
NAICS 32212 - Paper Mills in the US
Performance
Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.
Analyst insights
COVID-19 exacerbated declining paper product demand. The rise of work-from-home culture and increased use of digital methods for communication and storage further suppressed ...
In this chapter (4)
- Current Performance
- Outlook
- Volatility
- Life Cycle
Key metrics
- Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
- Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
- Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
- Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business
Charts
- Revenue, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
- Employees, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
- Businesses, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
- Profit, including historical (2014-2024)
- Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
- Industry Life Cycle
Detailed analysis
- Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
- Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
- Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
- How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.
Products and Markets
Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.
Analyst insight
Digital progress hurts the Paper Mills industry. As more business transactions move online, demand for paper products, especially printing and writing papers, has seen a sign...
In this chapter
- Products & Services
- Major Markets
- International Trade
Key metrics
- Largest market segment and value in 2024
- Product innovation level
- Total imports, level and trend
- Total exports, level and trend
- Trade Balance
Charts
- Products & services segmentation in 2024
- Major market segmentation in 2024
- International trade, including imports by country and exports by country
Detailed analysis
- Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
- Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
- Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
- Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services
- Recent trends in import and export volumes, country of origin or destination, and expected future trends
Geographic Breakdown
Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.
Analyst insights
Southeast struggles with reducing output. The Southeast region's pulp and paper industry is facing a decline as large corporations cut their output because of reduced demand.
In this chapter (1)
- Business Locations
Charts
- Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each state
- Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2024
Tables
- Number and share of establishments in each state in 2024
- Number and share of revenue each state accounts for in 2024
- Number and share of wages each state accounts for in 2024
- Number and share of employees in each state in 2024
Detailed analysis
- Geographic spread of the industry across North America, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
- Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage
Competitive Forces
Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.
Analyst insights
Price and quality are key competition factors. In the Paper Mills industry, companies compete heavily on price and quality, with access to affordable raw materials and econom...
In this chapter (4)
- Concentration
- Barriers to Entry
- Substitutes
- Buyer & Supplier Analysis
Key metrics
- Industry concentration level
- Industry competition level and trend
- Barriers to entry level and trend
- Substitutes level and trend
- Buyer power level and trend
- Supplier power level and trend
Charts
- Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2019-2024
- Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart
Detailed analysis
- Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
- Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
- Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
- Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
- Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
- Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
- Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
- Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
- Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.
Companies
Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.
Analyst insights
Domtar officially purchased by Paper Excellence in December 2021. In December 2021, Domtar Corporation’s (Domtar) acquisition by the Paper Excellence Group (Paper Excellence)...
In this chapter
- Market Share Concentration
- Companies
- Company Spotlights
Charts
- Industry market share by company in 2020 through 2024
- Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2024
- Overview of Packaging Corp Of America's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
- Overview of Domtar Corp's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
- Overview of International Paper Company's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
- Overview of revenue, market share and profit margin trend for 3 additional companies
Detailed analysis
- Description and key data for Packaging Corp Of America, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
- Description and key data for Domtar Corp, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
- Description and key data for International Paper Company, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
- Description, key data and performance trends for 3 additional companies
External Environment
Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.
Analyst insights
Stringent environmental regulations increase production costs for companies. These laws aim to ensure proper disposal of waste and protect water systems.
In this chapter
- External Drivers
- Regulation & Policy
- Assistance
Key metrics
- Regulation & policy level and trend
- Assistance level and trend
Charts
- Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2014-2029)
- Assistance historical data and forecast (2014-2029)
Detailed analysis
- Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
- Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
- Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.
Financial Benchmarks
View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time.
Analyst insights
Declining demand and high operating costs are compressing industry profit profit. Major corporations are responding by restructuring and scaling back operations.
In this chapter
- Cost Structure
- Financial Ratios
- Key Ratios
Key metrics
- Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
- Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
- Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
- Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio
Charts
- Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
- Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
- Investment vs. share of economy
Data tables
- Industry Multiples (2017-2022)
- Industry Tax Structure (2017-2022)
- Income Statement (2017-2022)
- Balance Sheet (2017-2022)
- Liquidity Ratios (2017-2022)
- Coverage Ratios (2017-2022)
- Leverage Ratios (2017-2022)
- Operating Ratios (2017-2022)
- Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2014-2029)
- Revenue per Employee (2014-2029)
- Revenue per Enterprise (2014-2029)
- Employees per Establishment (2014-2029)
- Employees per Enterprise (2014-2029)
- Average Wage (2014-2029)
- Wages/Revenue (2014-2029)
- Establishments per Enterprise (2014-2029)
- IVA/Revenue (2014-2029)
- Imports/Demand (2014-2029)
- Exports/Revenue (2014-2029)
Detailed analysis
- Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability
Key Statistics
Industry Data
Data Tables
Including values and annual change:
- Revenue (2014-2029)
- IVA (2014-2029)
- Establishments (2014-2029)
- Enterprises (2014-2029)
- Employment (2014-2029)
- Exports (2014-2029)
- Imports (2014-2029)
- Wages (2014-2029)
Methodology
How are IBISWorld reports created?
IBISWorld has been a leading provider of trusted industry research for over 50 years to the most successful companies worldwide. With offices in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and China, we are proud to have local teams of analysts that conduct research, data analysis and forecasting to produce data-driven industry reports.
Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for IBISWorld readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of IBISWorld’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.
IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.
What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?
Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.
Key data sources in the US include:
- US Census Bureau
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics
- US International Trade Commission
Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.
These sources include:
- Industry and trade associations
- Industry federations or regulators
- Major industry players annual or quarterly filings
Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.
How does IBISWorld forecast its data?
IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.
IBISWorld prides itself on being a trusted, independent source of data, with over 50 years of experience building and maintaining rich datasets and forecasting tools. We are proud to be the keystone source of industry information for thousands of companies across the world.
Learn more about our methodology and data sourcing on the Help Center.
Frequently Asked Questions
Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.
What is the market size of the Paper Mills in the US industry in United States in 2024?
The market size of the Paper Mills in the US industry in United States is $34.6bn in 2024.
How many businesses are there in the Paper Mills in the US industry in 2024?
There are 180 businesses in the Paper Mills in the US industry in United States, which has declined at a CAGR of 2.3 % between 2019 and 2024.
Has the Paper Mills in the US industry in United States grown or declined over the past 5 years?
The market size of the Paper Mills in the US industry in United States has been declining at a CAGR of 5.2 % between 2019 and 2024.
What is the forecast growth of the Paper Mills in the US industry in United States over the next 5 years?
Over the next five years, the Paper Mills in the US industry in United States is expected to decline.
What are the biggest companies in the Paper Mills in the US market in United States?
The biggest companies operating in the Paper Mills market in United States are Packaging Corp Of America, Domtar Corp and International Paper Company
What does the Paper Mills in the US in United States include?
Manufacturing rolls of printing paper, writing paper, packaging paper and industrial paper from pulp and Manufacturing clay-coated paper are part of the Paper Mills in the US industry.
Which companies have the highest market share in the Paper Mills in the US in United States?
The company holding the most market share in United States is Packaging Corp Of America.
How competitive is the Paper Mills in the US industry in United States?
The level of competition is high and steady in the Paper Mills in the US industry in United States.
