Norcross, Georgia, USA, 02 June 2011 -- (BUSINESS WIRE) -- RockTenn (NYSE: RKT) announced today that it will close three former Smurfit-Stone corrugated container plants in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2011. The plants are located in Birmingham, Alabama, Jonesboro, Arkansas, and Santa Fe Springs, California. Existing business will be transitioned to nearby RockTenn facilities.

"This action is a necessary first step in realigning the box plant system of RockTenn following the acquisition of Smurfit-Stone. We plan to take many actions in the next year to maximize the efficiency of our manufacturing processes as well as to reduce costs and eliminate redundancies throughout our operations as we move forward to achieve the operating synergy that we anticipate from the Smurfit-Stone acquisition," said Jim Rubright, chairman and CEO.

RockTenn is one of North America's leading integrated manufacturers of corrugated and consumer packaging and recycling solutions, with annualized net sales of approximately USD 10 billion. RockTenn's 26,000 employees are committed to exceeding their customers' expectations - every time. The company operates locations in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Chile, Argentina, and China. For more information, visit www.rocktenn.com.