ESCANABA — Billerud has completed its 18-month, $50 million “Project Wolverine” investment at its Escanaba facility, centered on rebuilding the mill’s wood yard with safer, more efficient and more sustainable systems.

The work replaced aging equipment with new unloading docks and two rotary debarking lines, modernizing a core part of the operation and reinforcing the lasting role of Escanaba’s mill within Billerud’s North American business.

The plant’s current production specializes in graphic papers, such as textbooks, which account for one-third of worldwide gross sales.

With Project Wolverine now finished, the mill is looking forward to further advancing its focus on heavyweight paper production (container board) through Project Evolution.