MillTools live at WestRock Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina

Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina  –  WestRock Company replaced the manufacturing execution system (MES) at their paper mill in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina with MillTools MES on Saturday, February 1, 2020. Transition of the mill to MillTools was part of a larger project to convert four paper mills to WestRock’s MES software and process automation standard for ten additional paper machines at four paper mills. The mills joined WestRock, when the company acquired KapStone Paper & Packaging on November 1, 2018. Installation at former KapStone mills includes Panther’s MillTools, TestCentral comprehensive quality tracking system in all paper laboratories, numerous roll line automation solutions and dozens of machine and business interfaces developed for WestRock by Panther Systems.

“So many of our technologies integrated at WestRock mills exemplifies the abilities of our people and products,” said Larry Foltz, Panther Systems CEO. “We have helped WestRock for many years to achieve operational excellence, improve quality tracking and keep products moving down the logistical chain… We are honored and pleased with this opportunity to continue to contribute to their success.”

The mill is the second of four mills scheduled for conversion to Panther. The WestRock mill at North Charleston, South Carolina is making final preparations to go live with MillTools, TestCentral and RollLineSupervisor soon, following by WestRock’s 100% recycled paperboard mill in Cowpens, South Carolina.

Panther CEO Larry Foltz sees his company’s involvement as a signal, remarking, “So many of our technologies integrated at WestRock mill exemplifies the abilities of our people and products. We have helped WestRock for many years to achieve operational excellence, improve quality tracking and keep products moving down the logistical chain. Panther developed and installed our first manufacturing execution system at WestRock’s paper mill in Fernandina Beach, Florida nearly 30 years ago. We are honored and pleased with this opportunity to continue to contribute to their success.

Panther Systems continues to partner with WestRock and other pulp and paper manufacturers to development new software technologies for data, automation and advanced process controls. Panther’s experience in North America, Australia and Eastern Europe fuels the company’s ambition to develop software that benefits the world.

About Panther Systems

Established in 1993, Panther Systems is acknowledged by pulp and paper experts as the leading provider of manufacturing execution, quality control, process analysis and other manufacturing intelligence systems. Visit panthersys.com for information or call 360-750-9783.