The North American tissue industry is undergoing a structural transformation driven by changes in ownership models and capital allocation strategies. This evolving landscape is reshaping competitive dynamics and redefining leadership in future expansion projects.
In this context, during his participation at Tissue World Miami 2026, Trip Jobe presented data showing the increasing consolidation of private companies within regional tissue production capacity.
According to his analysis, private companies now account for 63 percent of tissue manufacturing capacity in North America, up from 55 percent four years ago. The increase reflects a significant shift from the industry’s traditional public company dominance.
Jobe explained that one of the main drivers behind this change is the difference in investment horizons. While private companies are able to pursue long term modernization and expansion projects, publicly traded firms often face stronger short term return pressures.
He also noted that private tissue companies are investing proportionally twice as much in capital expenditures as their public counterparts, a trend already reflected in technological modernization capabilities.
The report further showed that tissue machine productivity in North America has remained largely stable over the past four years. In contrast, regions such as Asia Pacific and Latin America have recorded consistent efficiency gains.
Jobe particularly highlighted China as a major driver of global tissue capacity expansion, with the country concentrating a significant share of newly installed advanced tissue technologies.
Despite these developments, he emphasized that North America retains important structural advantages, including high per capita tissue consumption, strong brand equity, and relatively stable demand patterns.
However, he warned that the region’s next investment cycle will likely be led by private companies and international players, including Sofidel, which continues expanding its industrial footprint in the United States.
He concluded that this transformation will require suppliers, converters, and industrial partners to adapt their commercial models to faster decision making processes and evolving investment criteria.
