Cartones Ponderosa acquires Cartolito, expanding integrated paperboard packaging platform in Mexico

Cartones Ponderosa, Mexico’s largest paperboard producer, announced it has acquired a controlling stake in Monterrey-based Cartolito, aiming to expand the company into northern Mexico.

Cartolito is widely recognized as one of the highest-quality paperboard converting operations in the Monterrey industrial corridor and serves customers across consumer goods, food and beverage, industrial manufacturing, and retail distribution sectors.

José Antonio Rodríguez Demeneghi, General Director of Cartones Ponderosa, emphasized that “the acquisition of Cartolito is a natural strategic fit for Cartones Ponderosa. By combining our scale in paperboard manufacturing with Cartolito’s high-performance converting capabilities, we are creating a stronger and more integrated platform to serve customers across Mexico and North America. Cartolito has built an outstanding reputation for quality and service, and we are excited to welcome their team to the Ponderosa organization”.

Cartolito will continue to operate from its facilities in Nuevo León and maintain its strong relationships with customers across the region. The company’s management team and workforce will remain a key part of the business moving forward.

Saúl Guzmán, Head of Technical Operations at Cartones Ponderosa, said: “Cartolito has a strong operational foundation and an experienced team. Our focus will be on supporting the business with additional technical resources, operational improvements, and continued investment in manufacturing capabilities”.

In October 2025, OEM inaugurated PRONAL Corrugados, the first corrugated converting plant of its Paper Division, with an annual conversion capacity of approximately 100,000 tonnes of paper, equivalent to roughly 160–215 million square meters of corrugated board. The facility was built on six hectares with a 28,000-square-meter production building and is equipped with one of the most advanced corrugating machines in Mexico, capable of operating at speeds of up to 350 meters per minute.

The new plant strengthens the division’s integrated industrial ecosystem spanning fiber recovery, recycled paper manufacturing, and packaging conversion, allowing the group to supply both domestic and export markets from the Monterrey industrial corridor.

In parallel, Productora Nacional de Papel (PRONAL) recently completed the comprehensive modernization of its Machine 1, incorporating advanced European Size Press technology that increases installed capacity by approximately 33%, from about 550 to 730 tons of paper per day. The modernization improves strength, printability, and performance in packaging grades such as medium, brown liner, and white-face liner used in corrugated packaging applications.