Massive 600,000 Square Foot Expansion Takes Shape In West Duluth

If you've driven down Thompson Hill on I-35, you may have noticed a gigantic structure going up near the St. Louis River. I joked the other day that it looked like the Death Star was being built from Star Wars. It's enormous! What's the story with this massive expansion?

Duluth Paper Mill Acquired By Sofidel

It was announced in April that Sofidel, a tissue paper company, broke ground on an expansion at its Duluth location. The Italian-based company acquired the Duluth paper mill in January of 2024. The plant is being upgraded and expanded to be a state-of-the-art production plant. Approximately 160 more jobs will be created.

600,000 Square Ft Expansion Project

Sofidel's expansion will be massive with an additional 600,000 square feet. It will include a fully automated warehouse for product storage and distribution.

I drove by Sofidel today to get a closer look, and it was a busy worksite. The project is expected to be completed by the third quarter of 2026, which is just a few months away. Sofidel says the project is a reflection of its long-term investment in Minnesota and Duluth.

Sofidel operates 14 production sites across the United States with mills in Idaho, Nevada, Arizona, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Illinois, Mississippi, Florida, Ohio, South Carolina, and North Carolina.

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Sofidel - Now Hiring

A sign facing the interstate says "now hiring." I looked online at the open positions in Duluth, including HR roles, machine operators, manual packers, packaging operators, site operations manager, purchasing assistants, material handlers, and other warehouse and office roles.