Catalyst Paper
Canadian pulp and paper company producing newsprint, magazine paper, specialty papers, and market pulp.
Last updated October 29, 2026
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Overview
Catalyst Paper is a Canadian pulp and paper company headquartered in Richmond, British Columbia. Its business has historically centered on the manufacture of newsprint, magazine paper, specialty printing papers, and market pulp, with production assets located in western Canada and, for a period, the United States. The company was created in 2000 as NorskeCanada after Norske Skog acquired a controlling interest in Fletcher Challenge Canada. That transaction brought the Elk Falls and Crofton mills into the new group and gave Norske Skog a substantial foothold in the North American paper market. Catalyst expanded its Canadian platform in 2001 by acquiring Pacifica Papers. The transaction added the Powell River and Port Alberni mills and made the group one of the largest printing-paper producers in North America. In 2003, the company also acquired Newstech Recycling in Coquitlam, British Columbia. The recycling operation processed recovered newsprint into deinked pulp, which could then be shipped to Catalyst's paper mills. This was intended to provide greater control over an important raw-material source and to support the company's use of recycled fiber. The group adopted the Catalyst Paper name in 2005 as it separated its identity from Norske Skog. Norske Skog subsequently sold its remaining stake in 2006. The rebranding and ownership change occurred during a difficult period for the paper industry. Demand for newsprint was weakening as newspaper circulation and advertising declined, while competition, energy costs, fiber availability, currency movements, and the rising price of recovered paper placed pressure on North American producers. Catalyst responded through restructuring, capacity reductions, mill closures, and efforts to move toward higher-value paper grades. The company pursued international expansion in 2008 when it acquired Snowflake Mill in Arizona, a recycled-fiber operation. Snowflake was later closed in 2012 after sustained losses and worsening economics for recycled fiber. Catalyst also shut the Elk Falls mill in 2008, closed the Coquitlam recycling facility, and ended production on one Crofton paper machine as demand and input economics deteriorated. These actions reflected a broader contraction in North American newsprint and publication-paper manufacturing. In 2015, Catalyst returned to significant United States production by acquiring the Biron mill in Wisconsin and the Rumford mill in Maine from assets divested during Verso Corporation's acquisition of NewPage. The two mills produced coated papers and expanded Catalyst's portfolio beyond traditional newsprint and magazine grades. The acquisition increased the company's production capacity substantially, but the US operations were sold in 2018 to Nine Dragons Paper. Catalyst also sold its US operations center in Dayton, Ohio as part of that transaction. In October 2018, Catalyst announced an agreement under which Paper Excellence would purchase all of its shares. Paper Excellence subsequently became the company's parent and owner. Catalyst therefore represents a long-running Canadian paper-manufacturing platform shaped by consolidation, cyclical demand, the transition from virgin to recycled fiber, and the continuing decline of traditional print markets. Publicly available reference material describes its production base and business history, but does not provide enough information here to establish a complete current operating profile, executive roster, or present product mix.
History
Catalyst Paper's operating history reaches back well before the Catalyst name. The Powell River mill was established in 1912 by the Powell River Paper Company. Port Alberni's mill was created in 1946 by Bloedel, Stewart and Welch, which later combined with other forestry interests to form MacMillan Bloedel. MacMillan Bloedel merged with the Powell River Paper Company in 1960. The relevant assets were later separated from MacMillan Bloedel and placed in Pacifica Papers in 1998. The other major western Canadian assets also had earlier corporate histories. Crown Zellerbach Canada established the Elk Falls mill in 1951. British Columbia Forest Products, founded in 1946, established the Crofton mill in 1957. Fletcher Challenge acquired Crown Zellerbach Canada in 1981 and later acquired British Columbia Forest Products in 1987. The Canadian operations were ultimately organized under Fletcher Challenge Canada. The modern corporate group was formed in 2000 when Norske Skog acquired Fletcher Challenge's pulp and paper interests. The transaction included a 50.8 percent interest in Fletcher Challenge Canada, including the Elk Falls and Crofton mills. Fletcher Challenge Canada's shareholders approved a name change to Norske Skog Canada, commonly referred to as NorskeCanada, in October 2000. Although Norske Skog initially considered selling its Canadian investment, it instead expanded the platform. In August 2001, NorskeCanada acquired Pacifica Papers. The deal added the Powell River and Port Alberni mills and made the company a major Canadian producer of printing papers. The acquisition was financed partly through new shares, which diluted Norske Skog's ownership. Further share issuance in 2002 reduced Norske Skog's stake again. The two businesses consequently operated with a degree of legal and commercial separation, even though Norske Skog remained a significant shareholder for a time. NorskeCanada acquired Newstech Recycling in Coquitlam in December 2003. The facility was described as a major western Canadian paper-recycling plant and processed recovered newsprint from British Columbia, Alberta, and other North American sources. Deinked pulp from the plant was transported to Crofton by barge. The acquisition gave the group a more integrated supply chain, but it also exposed the business to the volatility of recovered-paper prices and quality. By 2005, NorskeCanada had experienced persistent operating difficulties. A review concluded that its mills were not sufficiently competitive in export markets such as Asia and that mill design and operating costs were important disadvantages. The company adopted the Catalyst Paper name in 2005, signaling a new corporate identity independent of Norske Skog. Norske Skog sold its remaining stake in January 2006 through a bought deal. The following years were marked by restructuring. Catalyst acquired Snowflake Mill in Arizona in 2008 as its first major US investment. Snowflake used deinking technology and accepted single-source recyclable material, but contamination and the rising cost of recovered fiber undermined its economics. Catalyst closed Elk Falls in November 2008. The closure reflected weak newsprint demand, reduced access to sawdust used as a fiber source, the effects of the recession on suppliers, higher electricity costs, and a strong Canadian dollar. The company then reduced further capacity. Exports of recovered newsprint from North America to China contributed to tighter supplies and higher prices for recycled fiber. Catalyst curtailed Paper Machine 1 at Crofton in December 2009 and subsequently closed the Coquitlam recycling plant and permanently ended production on that Crofton machine. Snowflake continued to face deteriorating conditions; the cost of old newsprint reportedly rose sharply between 2009 and 2012, while the mill recorded negative EBITDA in each year from 2009 onward. Snowflake closed permanently on September 30, 2012. Catalyst expanded again in 2015 through the purchase of Biron and Rumford. Both mills produced coated paper, enabling Catalyst to enter finer and more diversified paper grades and increasing production by a reported 65 percent. The strategy was short-lived as the company sold both mills, along with its US operations center, to Nine Dragons Paper in June 2018. In October 2018, Catalyst announced Paper Excellence's agreement to acquire all of its shares. The transaction placed the company under Paper Excellence ownership. Catalyst's history therefore illustrates the consolidation and restructuring of the North American paper industry: historic regional mills were assembled into a larger platform, the group diversified into recycling and coated papers, and it repeatedly adjusted its asset base in response to falling publication-paper demand, changing fiber economics, and ownership changes.
- 2018
US operations sold
[1]Catalyst sold Biron, Rumford, and its Dayton operations center to Nine Dragons Paper.
- 2018
Paper Excellence acquisition announced
[1]Paper Excellence entered into an agreement to purchase all shares of Catalyst Paper.
- 2017
Company delisted from the Toronto Stock Exchange
[1]A buyout by Catalyst's three major shareholders resulted in the company's delisting.
- 2015
Biron and Rumford mills acquired
[1]Catalyst acquired two US coated-paper mills from assets being divested in connection with Verso's NewPage transaction.
- 2012
Snowflake Mill closed
[1]Snowflake Mill permanently ceased operations after prolonged negative operating performance.
- 2009
Crofton capacity curtailed
[1]Catalyst curtailed production on Crofton's Paper Machine 1 amid weak newsprint demand and higher recycled-fiber costs.
- 2008
Snowflake Mill acquired
[1]Catalyst purchased the recycled-fiber Snowflake Mill in Arizona and also shut the Elk Falls mill later that year.
- 2006
Norske Skog exits ownership
[1]Norske Skog sold its remaining Catalyst stake.
- 2005
Catalyst Paper name adopted
[1]The company changed its name from NorskeCanada to Catalyst Paper.
- 2003
Newstech Recycling acquired
[1]Catalyst's predecessor acquired the Coquitlam recycling plant to integrate recovered-paper processing.
Products and positioning
An industrial paper producer serving publication, commercial-printing, and pulp markets, with a historical emphasis on North American newsprint and magazine paper and periodic moves into recycled fiber and coated-paper grades.
Publication paper
Newsprint
Newsprint has been one of Catalyst's historic core products. It was produced for newspaper and related publication markets, but the category became increasingly difficult as newspaper demand declined and North American producers faced competition, high fiber costs, and changing media consumption.
Publication paper
Magazine paper
Catalyst's Canadian mills primarily produced magazine and other publication papers alongside newsprint. These grades served commercial publishers and printers and formed an important part of the company's traditional printing-paper portfolio.
Fine and commercial printing paper · 2015
Coated printing paper
The acquisition of the Biron and Rumford mills in 2015 expanded Catalyst into coated paper and finer grades. These products diversified the business beyond standard newsprint and magazine paper, although both US mills were sold in 2018.
Pulp
Market pulp
Catalyst has operated pulp and paper mills and produced market pulp for sale to external customers. Reference material describes annual market-pulp production of approximately 491,000 tonnes for the company at the relevant point in its history.
Recycled fiber · 2003
Deinked recycled pulp
Through the Coquitlam recycling operation and the Snowflake Mill, Catalyst processed recovered newsprint into deinked pulp. This supported paper production using recycled fiber, but the economics were affected by contamination, export demand, and rising recovered-paper prices.
Controversies
2021
Catalyst Paper and Paper Excellence sue Enbridge over pipeline rupture
Catalyst Paper Corp. and Paper Excellence Canada Holdings Corp. filed a lawsuit naming Enbridge and Westcoast Energy as defendants in connection with a pipeline rupture. The plaintiffs allege that the rupture was caused by the defendants' negligence and seek unspecified damages. The allegations have not been established by a court, and the filing does not represent a judicial finding of liability.
Brand decisions
2018
Sell US operations to Nine Dragons PaperM&ABackground
Catalyst had acquired the Biron and Rumford mills three years earlier, but later changed the composition of its operating portfolio.
Action taken
Catalyst sold the Biron and Rumford mills and its Dayton, Ohio, US operations center to Nine Dragons Paper.
Aftermath
The sale removed Catalyst's identified US mill operations from its portfolio.
2018
Agree to Paper Excellence acquisitionM&ABackground
Catalyst had been delisted after a shareholder buyout in 2017 and subsequently announced a new ownership transaction.
Action taken
Paper Excellence entered into an agreement to purchase all Catalyst Paper shares.
Aftermath
Paper Excellence became the parent and owner identified for Catalyst Paper in the available reference material.
2015
Expand into coated paper through US mill acquisitionM&ABackground
Verso's acquisition of NewPage required the divestiture of two mills. Catalyst saw the assets as a way to broaden its product range beyond traditional publication papers.
Action taken
Catalyst bought Biron Mill in Wisconsin and Rumford Mill in Maine for US$62 million.
Aftermath
The transaction expanded Catalyst into coated-paper grades and increased reported production by 65 percent, although the mills were sold in 2018.
Acquisition price. US$62 million (2015 transaction)
2012
Close Snowflake MillStrategyBackground
Snowflake faced rising recovered-paper costs, contamination in incoming material, and weak economics. The reference material states that the mill recorded negative EBITDA every year from 2009.
Action taken
Catalyst permanently closed Snowflake Mill on September 30, 2012.
Aftermath
The closure ended Catalyst's Arizona recycled-newsprint operation.
2009
Curtail Crofton Paper Machine 1Generation changeBackground
Demand for newsprint was declining while exports of recovered newsprint to China tightened regional supply and increased recycled-fiber prices.
Action taken
Catalyst curtailed production on Paper Machine 1 at Crofton from December 23, 2009, and later permanently terminated production on that machine.
Aftermath
The Coquitlam recycling plant was also closed as the company adjusted its western Canadian production footprint.
2008
Acquire Snowflake Mill and restructure Canadian capacityStrategyBackground
Catalyst sought US exposure and recycled-fiber capabilities while its traditional newsprint business faced weakening demand. At the same time, the Elk Falls mill faced fiber shortages, higher power costs, and recession-related supplier problems.
Action taken
Catalyst acquired Snowflake Mill in Arizona and closed the Elk Falls mill on November 30, 2008.
Aftermath
Snowflake later closed in 2012 after sustained negative operating performance, while Catalyst continued reducing older publication-paper capacity.
2005
Rebrand from NorskeCanada to Catalyst PaperStrategyBackground
The company had faced persistent deficits and a strategic review found that its mills were not competitive in important export markets. Its relationship with Norske Skog was also being separated.
Action taken
The company adopted the Catalyst Paper name, creating a distinct identity and signaling a move away from the Norske Skog brand.
Aftermath
Norske Skog sold its remaining stake in 2006, leaving Catalyst under independent ownership.
Recent events
Paper Excellence indefinitely closes Powell River paper mill[4]
Reported:
Paper Excellence is indefinitely closing its Catalyst Paper tiskwat mill in Powell River, British Columbia, affecting more than 200 mill workers and others in the product's supply chain.
- Unconfirmed
Catalyst Paper and Paper Excellence sue Enbridge over pipeline rupture[3]
Reported:
Catalyst Paper Corp. and Paper Excellence Canada Holdings Corp. filed a lawsuit naming Enbridge and Westcoast Energy as defendants, seeking unspecified damages. The plaintiffs claim the 2018 pipeline rupture was caused by the defendants' negligence; this is an allegation, not a determination of liability.
- Unconfirmed
Catalyst Paper and Paper Excellence sue Enbridge over pipeline rupture[2]
Reported:
Catalyst Paper Corp. and Paper Excellence Canada Holdings Corp. filed a lawsuit naming Enbridge and Westcoast Energy as defendants. The plaintiffs allege the pipeline rupture was caused by the defendants' negligence and seek unspecified damages; the allegations are not a court determination.
Sources4 sources
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