In 2018 Luis Alberto Reséndiz, General Director of Convertipap, said Mexico needed more tissue. Now TM8 is planned and the company’s competitive edge is sharper still. TWM Senior Editor Helen Morris spoke with him in Tlaxcala, Mexico State.
“Mexico’s tissue consumption per capita still presents substantial room for growth,” Convertipap’s General Director Luis Alberto Reséndiz explains from his office in Tlaxcala. “This is particularly true when benchmarked against the United States’ market, and very much reinforces our confidence in the sector’s long-term potential.”
TWM first met the Reséndiz family at their Tlaxcala-based facility in 2018, and there was much discussion of how “Mexico needed more tissue” and the many opportunities that were there for the taking.
Established in 2000 by Mr. Nicolás Reséndiz, the father of Luis Alberto and his sister Lezly, Convertipap’s central location benefits not just from the region’s impressive history – the nearby Cacaxtla archaeological site displays Mayan frescoes (rapidly painted watercolour on walls or ceilings dating to around 790), as well as the ancient pyramids of Xochitecatl – but also from its proximity to the 9.2 million people in nearby Mexico City.
At the time of 2018’s visit, consumer tissue growth figures were up to 6% while private label products were increasing at 6%, and there was simply not enough tissue to supply Mexico’s population – which was increasing rapidly and expected to reach 130.7 million within the year.
Convertipap had responded by strategically expanding investment in machinery and product range: two plants located in the Mexican Republic; one in Ixtapaluca, and the other in Tlaxcala; four machines – one producing kraft paper and the other three producing over 55,000tpy of tissue paper, towel or napkins per year – were supported by a PCMC Amica Matrix line dedicated to the production of toilet rolls, widening the range of converted products to include serviettes, hand towels, facial tissue, industrial rolls, toilet paper and kitchen towels.
The company was operating in three different markets: 30% of its production is in the AfH market, 40% in consumer and the remaining in private label, and aimed to consolidate further to adapt to the changes in the industry.
As of 2024, Mexico’s population has increased to 130.9m, and for Convertipap, investing in machinery continues to be the backbone reaction to meeting the country’s changing customer demands.
Reséndiz says that since the successful launch of its sixth tissue machine – TM7 – at the end of 2023, a major rebuild of TM4 has also started that will be dedicated to napkins production: “With this investment finalised, we will reach the objective of 125,000tpy that we established for ourselves.”
Now in October 2025 and the discussion on the table is for TM8, which he would like to have commissioned by 2027, to reach the goal of 150,000tpy.
Additional converting capacity has also recently been added with a new PCMC-supplied Paragon Line bringing capacity to 160,000tpy while improving the quality of the final product. A collaboration with STAX has also been announced for the automation of all the company’s converting lines including the acquisition of 46 packaging machines, 12 FANUK robots, and 11 palletising systems. “We are also looking to further increase our capacity in AfH by adding new machines,” he adds.
Convertipap will continue to pursue organic growth through continued investment in new machinery over the course of the next few years: “As we’ve successfully done in previous years, this strategy reflects our commitment to our customers staying aligned with the rapid pace at which they are expanding.”
With Mexico’s tissue consumption per capita still presenting substantial room for growth, Reséndiz says the company is seeing a strong shift in consumer preferences toward higher quality and softer products: “This is driving growth in premium offerings, although the highly competitive distribution landscape puts consistent pressure on pricing. Therefore, the challenge lies in delivering enhanced product attributes while maintaining affordability.”
This environment, he says, is “especially conducive” to the growth of private label tissue products, which are “poised to gain further traction over the coming years as consumers seek value without compromising on quality.”
Within the AfH segment, the company is experiencing a dual trend: “On one hand, the recovery of the tourism sector – reaching 45 million visitors in 2024, which matches pre-Covid levels – is fuelling increased demand. On the other hand, uncertainty caused by tariff policies has led to some Maquiladoras in the north temporarily halting operations, creating uneven momentum across sub-sectors.”
Maquiladoras, known as ‘twin plants,’ are largely duty free and tariff free factories in Mexico and other Latin American countries which have administration facilities in the US, thereby benefiting from cheaper labour in the south and trade in the north.
Generally, Mexico’s tissue consumption per capita still has “significant growth potential”, particularly when compared to Mexico’s neighbouring giant to the north: “We expect gross sales to continue rising in the coming years driven by improving living standards and increasing tourism. However, we remain cautious in the short term due to potential impacts from recent political changes in the US, which may affect the Mexican economy. Overall, our outlook is optimistic.”
As for additional key challenges in the coming years, Reséndiz anticipates heightened competition, with new entrants and increased investment from existing players potentially creating downward price pressure in the short term: “Additionally, global economic volatility and potential tariff changes add layers of uncertainty. On the regulatory front, upcoming environmental and labour mandates are expected to raise operational costs across the industry.”
Convertipap has recently started exporting its recycled kraft jumbo rolls to the US, and he adds that export is “a strategic focus, helping to mitigate our foreign exchange risk and diversify our market exposure. In the long term, developing export channels will strengthen our resilience against domestic demand or price fluctuations.”
Developing environmental structures also continue to be an opportunity for the company: “The plant operates with a highly efficient water treatment system, and we continuously invest in technologies that improve water usage efficiency. In terms of energy consumption, we are exploring alternative solutions such as turbines and solar panels to reduce our environmental footprint. With Mexico’s evolving energy regulations and rising renewable production, we are actively evaluating long-term contracts to certify that our energy supply is sourced from renewables,” he says.
The path forward lies in “strategic reinvestment” which includes upgrading the company’s technology and machinery to “sharpen its competitive edge” to improve quality and lower operating costs: “Expanding our capacity while remaining agile and responsive to market dynamics, will be crucial for success in an increasingly unpredictable environment,” he says. “Now in our 25th year, it remains an honour for us to continue building the vision my father began sketching 25 years ago.”
