HARTSVILLE, S.C. (News release) -- Sonoco Products Company, a global leader in high-value sustainable metal and paper packaging, announced continued investment to expand its Wood Reels manufacturing and assembly footprint to meet a surge in demand for power and communications cable packaging driven by AI data center growth and power grid modernization.

Since 2024 (including planned 2026 expenditure), Sonoco has invested just over $25 million to expand Wood Reels manufacturing and assembly capabilities. Those investments have grown the Company's manufacturing capacity and footprint by more than 30% across the Hartselle, Alabama and Jefferson, Texas sites.

"These investments strengthen our ability to deliver reliable, local service to customers across key growth markets while improving manufacturing quality and capacity," said James Harrell, President of Sonoco Global Industrial Paper Packaging.

The Hartselle expansion will add roughly 15% incremental nailed wood manufacturing capacity at that site and increase manufacturing floorspace by about 33%, creating room for future growth. The project also includes upgraded quality inspection systems and advanced manufacturing technology to improve throughput and consistency.

Sonoco ships manufactured reel components to a nationwide network of assembly centers where reels are assembled and shipped to customers. Today, the Company operates 22 assembly centers across the country located close to customers, enabling faster response times and lower logistics costs as customer requirements grow.