PRONAL launches its first corrugated plant in Nuevo Leon

Juan Luis Ramos / El Sol de México

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Monterrey, NL. Organización Editorial Mexicana (OEM) expands its business with the inauguration of a new corrugated packaging plant.

On Monday, OEM’s Paper Division opened PRONAL Corrugados in the capital of Nuevo León, a new company that will become part of its paper, cardboard, packaging and recycling network.

José Antonio Rodríguez Demeneghi, CEO for the Paper and Packaging Division, emphasized that this new company complements the growth of the business unit.

The mills operated by Productora Nacional de Papel (PRONAL), located in San Luis Potosí and belonging to the same group, will supply the paper used to produce corrugated boxes.

Rodríguez Demeneghi recalled that PRONAL currently produces paper distributed to other clients for box conversion, but with the opening of this new conversion facility, the Paper and Packaging Division group of companies will become circular.

PRONAL Corrugados will have an annual conversion capacity of 100 thousand tonnes of paper—equivalent to between 160 and 215 million square meters of transformed surface.

The facility was built on six hectares, featuring a 28,000-square-meter production building, becoming one of the most significant industrial investments of OEM’s Paper and Packaging Division in recent years.

The director highlighted that this will be the most modern machine of its kind in Mexico, with the widest production width available.

In addition to technological innovation, the new company will benefit the local community by creating 250 direct jobs, adding to the 1,550 direct and over 3,000 indirect jobs already generated by OEM’s Paper Division.

Rodríguez Demeneghi explained that the next two corrugating machines will be located in major consumption centers across Mexico to meet growing demand.

Within this framework, PRONAL Corrugados will occupy the final link in the process: manufacturing corrugated cardboard boxes for industries such as food and beverages, cleaning products, appliances, auto parts, and machinery.

Cartones Ponderosa and PRONAL will supply the main raw materials to the new division company, ensuring an internal flow of materials, recycling traceability, and consistent product quality.

A growing sector

According to the consultancy, the market is expanding due to increasing demand in retail, industrial, and agricultural sectors, driven by export growth, stronger logistics networks, and the shift toward sustainable, lightweight, and cost-effective packaging solutions.

The director of OEM’s Paper Division noted that domestic demand for corrugated boxes is growing 11–12% annually.

In this context, PRONAL Corrugados becomes the specialized packaging and logistics arm of OEM’s Paper and Packaging Division, serving both domestic and export markets, hence its strategic location in Monterrey.

“The location was chosen for its proximity to the border and because Monterrey is experiencing a boom in company relocations. We’ll supply clients exporting their products”, said the executive.

Beyond expanding production capacity, the new company strengthens OEM’s position in a growing market, driven by e-commerce and the replacement of plastics in packaging, with the potential to expand its offer to printed fanfold packaging.

He added that this move into the box market responds to the needs of OEM’s indirect clients, targeting a growing, demanding market that values quality, “one of the company’s main competitive advantages.”

PRONAL Corrugados, inaugurated this Monday as a new company within the Paper Division, this represents the next step in the industrial expansion that has made Grupo OEM a national benchmark in both media and manufacturing.

(*) This content was translated from Spanish with AI, and edited by our editorial team