WestRock Company (WRK)

WestRock Company was one of the largest paper and packaging companies in North America. It made containerboard, corrugated boxes, folding cartons, paperboard and point-of-sale displays for customers in food, beverage, retail, healthcare and consumer goods. The company operated dozens of paper mills and hundreds of converting plants, mostly in the United States, with additional operations in Canada, Latin America, Europe and Asia. Its products packaged everything from shipping goods for e-commerce to cereal and beverage cartons. The stock traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol WRK.

WestRock was formed on July 1, 2015 through the merger of MeadWestvaco and Rock-Tenn. MeadWestvaco brought strengths in consumer packaging and specialty paperboard, while Rock-Tenn was a major producer of containerboard and corrugated packaging. The combined company was headquartered in the Atlanta area. Shortly after the merger it spun off its specialty chemicals business as Ingevity.

WestRock continued to grow through acquisitions, most notably its 2018 purchase of KapStone Paper and Packaging, which expanded its corrugated packaging footprint. It also pursued investments in mill efficiency and automation while closing higher-cost capacity. Like the rest of the industry, its results swung with box demand, recovered fiber costs and energy prices. By the early 2020s it was looking for ways to strengthen its position against global competitors.

In September 2023 WestRock agreed to combine with Ireland-based Smurfit Kappa Group to create Smurfit Westrock plc, a global leader in paper-based packaging. The deal closed on July 5, 2024, and each WestRock share was converted into one Smurfit Westrock share plus $5.00 in cash. WestRock stock was delisted from the NYSE, and Smurfit Westrock shares began trading on the NYSE under the ticker SW, with a secondary listing in London. The combined company is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, with its North American operations based in Atlanta.