Smurfit Stone Container Corp.

Smurfit Stone Container Corp., Chicago, Illinois, USA has announced changes to its containerboard mill and container systems as part of the integration of the recently acquired Stevenson, Alabama, USA corrugating medium mill and other assets from MeadWestvaco Corp. Smurfit-Stone will convert the Number 1 Paper Machine at its Hedge, Louisiana, USA mill to kraft paper phasing out corrugating medium production at the mill over the next several months. The machine previously produced 150,000 short tons per year of corrugating medium. In addition, Smurfit-Stone has determined that the Number 1 Paper Machine at its Missoula, Montana, USA containerboard mill will not return to operations. That machine, temporarily idled in March 2001, had the capacity to produce approximately 180,000 short tons of linerboard per year. Smurfit-Stone also intends to discontinue operations at three container plants acquired in the MeadWestvaco transaction. The plants located in Spartanburg, South Carolina, USA, Ft. Smith, Arkansas, USA, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA significantly overlap existing Smurfit-Stone facilities.