Is International Paper a subsidiary?

No. International Paper is the operating brand of International Paper Company, an independent publicly traded corporation with no parent.

Who founded International Paper?

The company was formed by a merger rather than a single founder, organized by northeastern paper mill owners to stabilize newsprint pricing. The 1898 combination created the largest US paper producer of its era.

Is International Paper being split up?

Yes. In January 2026 the company announced plans to separate into two public companies covering North America and EMEA, targeted to complete near the end of 2026 or early 2027.

Conglomerates & Industrial

Who Owns International Paper?

Q: Is International Paper publicly traded?

Yes. Shares trade on the NYSE under IP and secondarily in London under IPC. The company files a 10-K with the SEC.

Q: When was International Paper founded?

The brand dates to January 31, 1898, when around 17 northeastern paper mills merged. It has operated under the same name ever since.

Q: What is International Paper's market position?

It is the largest corrugated packaging producer in North America and a leading player in EMEA since acquiring DS Smith. 2025 net sales were $23.63 billion.

International Paper is the operating brand of International Paper Company, a publicly traded American packaging producer headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee. The brand traces to 1898 and covers the company corrugated packaging, containerboard, and recycling operations in North America and, through the 2025 DS Smith acquisition, EMEA.

Parent Company

International Paper Company

Founded

1898

Status

Publicly Traded

Headquarters

Memphis, Tennessee, United States

GlobalOfficial Website

Who Owns International Paper?

Parent Company: International Paper Company
Ownership Type: Wholly owned
Company Type: Publicly Traded
Stock Ticker: NYSE: IP

Brand	Parent Company	Ownership Type
International Paper	International Paper Company	Wholly owned

History of International Paper

Founded: 1898
Founders: Merger of 17 pulp and paper mills

The International Paper brand is one of the oldest continuous industrial identities in the United States. It was born on January 31, 1898, when about 17 northeastern pulp and paper mills merged to escape a price war in newsprint. The combine became the dominant American paper maker of the early twentieth century and one of the country's largest private landowners.

Through the mid-century decades the name spread south as the company built kraft and containerboard mills near faster-growing southern timber. The headquarters moved to Memphis in the late 1980s, cementing the brand's association with the American South. Big acquisitions followed: Hammermill in 1986, Union Camp in 1999 for about $7.9 billion, Champion International in 2000. In the 2000s the company sold nearly all its timberlands for more than $6 billion, turning the brand from a landowning forestry identity into a manufacturing one.

The modern brand is a packaging identity. Weyerhaeuser's containerboard business arrived in 2008, Temple-Inland in 2012, and in 2021 the company spun off its printing papers business as Sylvamo, leaving International Paper as an almost pure packaging name. In January 2025 it completed the acquisition of Britain's DS Smith, extending the brand's operational footprint across Europe while keeping the DS Smith name in use with customers during integration.

In January 2026 the company announced its most radical change yet: a plan to split into two independent public companies, one for North America that will keep the International Paper name, and one for EMEA built on the DS Smith combination. Pending that split, the brand in 2026 still spans both regions, representing $23.63 billion of fiscal 2025 net sales.

About International Paper Company

What is International Paper?

International Paper is an American packaging company headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee. Founded in 1898, it is the largest producer of fiber-based packaging in North America and, after acquiring DS Smith, a major packaging player in EMEA. It reported $23.6 billion in 2025 net sales.

Is International Paper publicly traded?

Yes. Its shares trade on the New York Stock Exchange under IP and on the London Stock Exchange under IPC. The London listing was added in connection with the 2025 DS Smith acquisition.

When was International Paper founded?

It was incorporated on January 31, 1898, through the merger of around 17 pulp and paper mills in the northeastern United States. It has operated continuously under the same name since.