3080 Chapter 25 



There were 331 pulp mills in the United States in 1972; this included 60 mills 

 that produced market pulp and 27 1 mills integrated with paper and paperboard 

 mills. Employment was 161 thousand people, or 25 percent of total employment 

 in the primary wood processing industry. 



PULP AND PAPER INDUSTRY IN THE SOUTHERN UNITED STATES^ 



The South 's share of national pulp production increased from about 17 per- 

 cent in 1930 to about 65 percent in 1978. A similar growth appeared in paper 

 manufacture, where the southern industry's share rose from 8 percent in 1930 to 

 over 50 percent in 1978. Pulp mills in the southern pine region have, since the 

 late 1930's, dominated kraft pulp production and in recent years have accounted 

 for more than 80 percent of the kraft pulp in the United States (roughly 45 

 percent of world production). The major growth in the South during these years 

 was in unbleached pulp used for papers and paperboard. 



in 1933 there was no white paper made in the South, although Dr. C. H. Herty 

 had demonstrated that southern pine was suitable for making quality newsprint. 

 After development of chlorine dioxide multi-stage bleaching of southern pine in 

 the 1940's, and in response to demand for white papers throughout the country, 

 production of bleached pulps rose dramatically in the south. By 1978, the 

 southern mills were producing about 70 percent of the bleached hardwood and 

 softwood kraft pulps produced in the United States. 



By 1978 there were 122 pulp mills in the 12 Southern States producing, in 

 aggregate, approximately 100,000 tons/day. (See fig. 25-1 for locations and 

 capacities of major mills.) Most of this production was for use in the 185 paper 

 and paperboard mills in the region at that time. About 90 percent of total 

 southern pulp production is used in integrated (captive) operations, with the 

 remainder for sale on the open market. In 1978, the South provided about 60 

 percent of the pulp consumed by the domestic market (mostly bleached kraft) 

 and nearly 80 percent of U.S. export pulp tonnage. 



The paper and paperboard mills of the South comprise only 28 percent of the 

 number of mills, but account for more than half the Nation's total production. 

 The average annual production of a southern mill was 192,000 tons in 1978 — 

 compared to a nation-wide average of 106,000 tons. 



Similarly, southern pulp mills comprised 44 percent of the total number of 

 mills in the United States in 1978, but produced more than 65 percent of the 

 pulp. Average annual pulp production per southern mill was 295,000 tons, 

 compared to a national average of 200,000 tons. 



In 1978 the South produced about 52 percent of the newsprint, 20 percent of 

 the tissue, 30 percent of the printing and writing papers, 90 percent of the 

 bleached foodboard, and most of the bleached bag and wrapping papers made in 

 the United States. Moreover, most of the pulp exported from the United States 

 consists of bleached kraft hardwood and softwood pulp from the South. 



^Text under this heading is condensed from Reeves (1979a). 



