Ground Breaking on New Corrugated Box Plant for WestRock in Southwest Washington

Image Source: WestRock

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ElmTree Funds, JB2 Partners and National Design-Builder Clayco Break Ground on New Corrugated Box Plant for WestRock in Southwest Washington

LONGVIEW, Wash. - March 20, 2023 – Clayco, a full-service, turnkey real estate, architecture, engineering, design-build and construction firm, today celebrated the groundbreaking of WestRock’s new 410,000-square-foot corrugated box plant in Longview, Washington. Located just outside of the Vancouver, Washington metropolitan area, this marks the first collaboration between Clayco and WestRock.

Developed by JB2 Partners and owned by an investment fund managed by ElmTree Funds, the new building will host a WestRock corrugated manufacturing operation, which will create approximately 40 jobs in Longview, Washington when production begins in the fall of 2023. Situated on 23.5 acres, the single-story, concrete tilt-up manufacturing facility will have a clearance height of 44 feet.

“At Clayco, we take pride in our responsibility to help clients bring goods closer to consumers and their communities faster and more efficiently,” said Anthony Johnson, president of Clayco’s Industrial Business Unit. “Along these lines, we are excited that ElmTree Funds engaged Clayco and JB2 to help WestRock promote safety and quality and accelerate speed to market.”

“This new packaging plant will enable our team in the region to serve customers even better in the future, with a manufacturing facility that will provide new capabilities and efficiencies,” said David B. Sewell, chief executive officer of WestRock. “We are pleased to invest in a local community that is vibrant and growing.”

“The Cowlitz Economic Development Council is proud to have been a part of assisting WestRock with this innovative expansion,” said Ted Sprague, president, Cowlick County Economic Development Council. “The increase in jobs and new capital investment will serve our community and region well into the future.”

An investment fund managed by ElmTree Funds, a real estate private equity firm headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, is the owner of the project.  ElmTree Funds engaged JB2 Partners to act as developer and Clayco to act as general contractor to consolidate and expand the mill operations in Longview.

“We are thrilled to continue building on our partnership with WestRock through this high-visibility project,” said Brian Boehm, a managing director for ElmTree Funds.

“The ElmTree team, along with our developer, JB2, and our general contractor, Clayco, took a thoughtful, solutions-driven approach to deliver at cost and in scope. We're eager to see this project come to fruition.”

The project started in August and is set to be completed in fall 2023. The building is designed by Lamar Johnson Collaborative (LJC) and Clayco is collaborating with Langan on civil engineering services.


About Clayco
Clayco is a full-service, turnkey real estate development, master planning, architecture, engineering, and construction firm that safely and sustainably delivers clients across North America the highest quality solutions on time, on budget, and above and beyond expectations. With $4.9 billion in revenue for 2021, Clayco specializes in the “art and science of building,” providing fast track, efficient solutions for industrial, commercial, institutional and residential related building projects. For more information, visit www.claycorp.com.

About Lamar Johnson Collaborative (LJC)

LJC is a full-service design and architecture firm committed to enhancing the quality of the human experience and to improving how design and architecture can impact each individual’s emotional being. By harnessing the power of integrated design, including architecture, workplace strategy, interior design, landscape architecture, urban planning and engineering, the company achieves its clients’ goals and aspirations. For more information, please visit www.theljc.com.

About WestRock
WestRock (NYSE: WRK) is a global leader in sustainable paper and packaging solutions, with more than 50,000 teammates in the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific. Our integrated packaging capabilities offer end-to-end solutions to help customers address their greatest challenges.

About ElmTree
ElmTree Funds, headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, is a real estate private equity firm that manages capital on behalf of institutional and private investors. ElmTree's investment philosophy focuses on making strategic investments in the commercial real estate net-lease and build-to-suit sectors with a focus on industrial properties. Since its founding in 2011, ElmTree has acquired, developed, or financed an extensive portfolio of commercial real estate. ElmTree targets investments in primary and secondary markets across the U.S. that are net-leased to investment grade tenants on a long-term basis. To learn more, please visit www.elmtreefunds.com.

About JB2 Partners
JB2 Partners is a privately held real estate firm that focuses on the development of industrial and logistics real estate properties across the United States.  JB2 provides efficient, creative solutions for its customers’ real estate and operational needs, with an emphasis on build-to-suit developments across the country.  Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, JB2 has locations in New York and Kentucky.


Source: WestRock