An international paper-bag maker is circling the dormant Pittsburgh Post-Gazette printing plant on Sweeney Drive in Clinton, according to people familiar with the situation. If the deal goes through, the sprawling printing and distribution complex near Pittsburgh International Airport would trade late-night newspaper runs for a new life as a packaging and bag-making facility.
According to the Pittsburgh Business Times, the prospective tenant is Mondi Group, a U.K.-based sustainable packaging and paper company, citing people familiar with the transaction. The outlet reports that Mondi is expected to take over the former printing space rather than return it to newspaper production.
The site and its history
The property sits on Sweeney Drive in Clinton Commerce Park, roughly three miles from Pittsburgh International Airport. The Post-Gazette moved its press and distribution operation there in 2014 under a sizable lease, and property records list buildings on the campus as 2201 and 2251 Sweeney Drive. According to LoopNet, the campus has been marketed for logistics and manufacturing users.
Who is Mondi?
Mondi is a multinational packaging and paper group headquartered in the U.K. that produces kraft paper, converted paper bags, and a variety of sustainable packaging products. The company has been investing in added capacity and plant conversions to keep up with growing demand for fiber-based packaging, according to its corporate materials and industry coverage. More on the company is available from Mondi Group.
Local footprint and jobs
Mondi already has a foothold in the Ohio Valley. Company information and job postings show existing facilities in Oakdale, Pa., and Wellsburg, W.Va., where paper-bag converting lines are in operation. That suggests the Clinton plant would expand an established regional network rather than serve as a one-off outpost, although specific hiring plans for the Sweeney Drive site have not been made public. Job listings on Indeed indicate Mondi is currently recruiting in both Oakdale and Wellsburg.
The Pittsburgh Business Times report relies on people familiar with the pending arrangement, and neither Mondi nor the property managers have publicly confirmed the deal in available reporting. No timeline for occupancy has been announced, and it is not yet clear when any conversion work or interior build-out might get underway…