Fortress Global Enterprises is focused on the expanding global market for innovative high value biomass-based products. The Canadian forest industry is in a period of transformation and Fortress intends to be a leader in developing new products from sustainable biomass. Fortress operates the Fortress Specialty Cellulose Mill in Thurso Quebec, which has a production capacity of 173,500 ADMT/yr of dissolving pulp utilized as a feedstock for the growing viscose/rayon industry in Asia, and operates a cogeneration plant where it produces green energy from waste products. Fortress recently announced plans to extract C5 and C6 sugars from hemicellulose to produce xylitol and other biochemicals.
In January, 2018 Fortress Paper announced it had changed its name to “Fortress Global Enterprises Inc.” in order to better reflect its existing business and future prospects. The company’s core strengths involve identifying and capitalizing on investment opportunities and divestitures. In relation to these core strengths, the company may pursue opportunities outside of the company’s existing business segments that would diversify the asset base or monetize existing assets. Background Fortress Global Enterprises Inc. began its story 12 years ago in Vancouver Canada as Fortress Paper Ltd, incorporated in May 2006. Fortress purchased two paper assets from Mercer International, the Dresden mill, a wallpaper manufacturer in Germany and Landqart Mill, a supplier of security paper products based in Switzerland. Fortress completed a $46 million initial public offering and was listed on the TSX in July 2007.
Fortress subsequently began a strategic and capital improvement process to transform the formerly underutilized Mills to market leaders. Dresden mill’s production was shifted to a higher percentage of non-woven wall paper base where it evolved to become a world leader in the segment with ~60% market share in 2012. Landqart mill’s banknote production was upgraded from 2,500 t/yr. to over 10,000t/yr. and the innovative banknote substrate Durasafe® was launched in 2012. In 2010 Fortress purchased a shuttered NBHK mill in Quebec from Fraser Papers and announced plans to enter the specialty cellulose and clean energy market with the conversion of the mill from commodity paper pulp to dissolving pulp. The conversion included the construction of a 24 MWH cogeneration plant and an agreement for green energy sales to Hydro Quebec. Fortress Specialty Cellulose mill (FSC) commenced production of dissolving pulp in 2011 followed by the completion of the cogeneration plant in 2013. With the focus now on the dissolving pulp business, Fortress divested of its wall paper business in 2013, Fortress Optical Features in 2014, followed by its security papers business in 2017.
Fortress Specialty Cellulose recently completed construction and commissioning of the 5th digester project which was first announced in November 2016. The fifth digester will incrementally increase dissolving pulp production by 8,500 ADMT in 2018 and 17,000 ADMT in 2019 which will result in a material improvement of the mills cost structure. As a strategic supplement to the fifth digester project, Fortress intends to install a new accumulator at the FSC mill with the aim of extracting hemicellulose for use in the development of high value-added by-products feedstock for use in the growing biomaterials, bioproducts industry. In Feb 2018, Fortress acquired S2G Biochemicals Inc, a global leading chemical conversion company and intents to commission the construction of a demonstration plant to produce xylitol at its FSC Mill, utilizing C5 sugars extracted from hemicellulose.
Fortress Global Enterprises is focused on the expanding global market for innovative high value biomass-based products. The Canadian forest industry is in a period of transformation and Fortress intends to be a leader in developing new products from sustainable biomass. Fortress operates the Fortress Specialty Cellulose Mill in Thurso Quebec, which has a production capacity of 173,500 ADMT/yr of dissolving pulp utilized as a feedstock for the growing viscose/rayon industry in Asia, and operates a cogeneration plant where it produces green energy from waste products.
Fortress recently announced plans to extract C5 and C6 sugars from hemicellulose to produce xylitol and other biochemicals. In January, 2018 Fortress Paper announced it had changed its name to “Fortress Global Enterprises Inc.” in order to better reflect its existing business and future prospects. The company’s core strengths involve identifying and capitalizing on investment opportunities and divestitures. In relation to these core strengths, the company may pursue opportunities outside of the company’s existing business segments that would diversify the asset base or monetize existing assets. Background Fortress Global Enterprises Inc. began its story 12 years ago in Vancouver Canada as Fortress Paper Ltd, incorporated in May 2006. Fortress purchased two paper assets from Mercer International, the Dresden mill, a wallpaper manufacturer in German
