Smurfit Westrock 10-K 2025-12-31
Filed 2026-02-27. 24 sections, 593K characters. Original on sec.gov · Markdown · JSON
Cover and table of contents
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
(Mark One)
☒ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025
OR
☐ T****RANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the transition period from to
Commission File Number: 001-42161
Smurfit Westrock plc
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Ireland | 98-1776979 | |
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) | (I.R.S. Employer Identification Number) |
| Beech Hill, Clonskeagh Dublin 4**,** D04 N2R2 Ireland | N/A | |
| (Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip Code) |
+353 1 202 7000
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
N/A
(Former name, former address and former fiscal year, if changed since last report)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
| Title of Each Class | Trading Symbol(s) | Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered | ||
| Ordinary shares, par value $0.001 per share | SW | New York Stock Exchange |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐ No ☒
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing
requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of
Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).
Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an
emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company”
in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
| Large accelerated filer | ☒ | Accelerated filer | ☐ |
| Non-accelerated filer | ☐ | Smaller reporting company | ☐ |
| Emerging growth company | ☐ |
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or
revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control
over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued
its audit report. ☒
If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing
reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by
any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐No ☒
The aggregate market value of the common equity held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of June 30, 2025 (based on the closing price per share as reported
on the New York Stock Exchange on such date), was approximately $22,371 million.
The number of shares of registrant’s ordinary shares outstanding as of the close of business on February 20, 2026 was 524,253,735.
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
The information required by Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, to the extent not set forth herein, is incorporated herein by reference from the
registrant’s definitive proxy statement to be filed pursuant to Regulation 14A in connection with the registrant’s 2026 annual general meeting of shareholders
within 120 days after the end of the fiscal year to which this Annual Report on Form 10-K relates.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
| Page | |
| Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements | 4 |
| PART I | 5 |
| Item 1. Business | 5 |
| Item 1A. Risk Factors | 21 |
| Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments | 42 |
| Item 1C. Cybersecurity | 42 |
| Item 2. Properties | 44 |
| Item 3. Legal Proceedings | 46 |
| Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures | 46 |
| PART II | 47 |
| Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Shareholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities | 47 |
| Item 6. [Reserved] | 48 |
| Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations | 49 |
| Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk | 65 |
| Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data | 68 |
| Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure | 132 |
| Item 9A. Controls and Procedures | 132 |
| Item 9B. Other Information | 133 |
| Item 9C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections | 133 |
| PART III | 134 |
| Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance | 134 |
| Item 11. Executive Compensation | 134 |
| Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Shareholder Matters | 134 |
| Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence | 134 |
| Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services | 134 |
| PART IV | 135 |
| Item 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules | 135 |
| Item 16. Form 10-K Summary | 143 |
| Signatures | 144 |
CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This Annual Report on Form 10-K includes certain “forward-looking statements” (including within the meaning of Section 27A of the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”))
regarding, among other things, the plans, strategies, outcomes, outlooks and prospects, both business and financial, of Smurfit
Westrock, the expected benefits of the completed Combination of Smurfit Kappa and WestRock Company (including, but not limited
to, synergies as well as our scale, geographic reach and product portfolio, or impact of announced closures), and any other statements
regarding Smurfit Westrock’s future expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows,
or future events or performance. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the beliefs and expectations of the
management of Smurfit Westrock, are forward-looking statements. Words such as “may”, “will”, “could”, “should”, “would”,
“anticipate”, “intend”, “estimate”, “project”, “plan”, “believe”, “expect”, “target”, “prospects”, “potential”, “commit”, “forecasts”,
“aims”, “considered”, “likely” and variations of these words and similar future or conditional expressions are intended to identify
forward-looking statements but are not the exclusive means of identifying such statements. While the Company believes these
expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections are reasonable, such forward-looking statements are only predictions and involve
known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. By their nature, forward-looking
statements involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to events and depend upon future circumstances that may or may not occur.
Actual results may differ materially from the current expectations of the Company depending upon a number of factors affecting its
business, including risks associated with the integration and performance of the Company following the Combination. Risks,
uncertainties and other factors that might cause such differences, some of which could be material, include, but are not limited to, the
factors discussed below under the section entitled “Risk Factors” and in subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (“SEC”) by the Company. Forward-looking and other statements in this document may also address the Company’s
corporate responsibility progress, plans, and initiatives (including environmental matters), and the inclusion of such statements is not
an indication that these contents are necessarily material to investors or required to be disclosed in our filings with the SEC. In
addition, historical, current, and forward-looking sustainability-related statements may be based on standards for measuring progress
that are still developing, internal controls and processes that continue to evolve, and assumptions that are subject to change in the
future.
The Company’s forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K or as of the date they are
made. Neither the Company nor any of its associates or directors, officers or advisers provides any representation, assurance or
guarantee that the occurrence of the events expressed or implied in any such forward-looking statements will actually occur. You are
cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Other than in accordance with its legal or regulatory
obligations (including under the U.K. Listing Rules, the Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules, the U.K. Market Abuse
Regulation and other applicable regulations), the Company is under no obligation, and the Company expressly disclaims any intention
or obligation, to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or
otherwise.
PART I
Item 1. Business
Overview
Smurfit Westrock was created in July 2024 as a strategic combination between Smurfit Kappa Group plc (re-registered as Smurfit
Kappa Group Limited) (“Smurfit Kappa”), one of the leading integrated corrugated packaging manufacturers in Europe, with a large-
scale pan-regional presence in Latin America, and WestRock Company (“WestRock”), one of the leaders in North America in
corrugated and consumer packaging solutions and a multinational provider of sustainable fiber-based paper and packaging solutions.
We are a global leader in sustainable, paper-based packaging with extensive scale, quality products and geographic reach and
diversity. We aim to create the ‘go-to’ packaging partner of choice, bringing together highly complementary portfolios and sets of
capabilities benefiting customers, employees and shareholders.
Background
Smurfit Westrock was incorporated and registered in Ireland on July 6, 2017, under the Irish Companies Act as a private company
limited by shares with registered number 607515, with the name “Cepheidway Limited.” On September 12, 2023, Smurfit Kappa and
WestRock announced entry into a transaction agreement pursuant to which the companies would execute a strategic combination (the
“Combination”). Prior to the Combination, Smurfit Westrock re-registered as an Irish public limited company pursuant to Part 20 of
the Companies Act 2014 of Ireland, as amended (the “Irish Companies Act”) and was renamed “Smurfit Westrock plc.” Upon
completion of the Combination, Smurfit Kappa and WestRock each became wholly-owned subsidiaries of Smurfit Westrock, and
Smurfit Westrock continued as the new holding company of the combined group of Smurfit Kappa and WestRock. As a result of the
Combination, former Smurfit Kappa shareholders and WestRock shareholders became holders of Smurfit Westrock ordinary shares.
Smurfit Westrock had no historical operations nor traded or carried out any business of its own since its incorporation until just prior
to consummation of the Combination.
Smurfit Westrock has a dual listing on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) and the equity shares (international commercial
companies secondary listing) category of the Official List of the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”), and Smurfit Westrock
ordinary shares trade on the NYSE and the London Stock Exchange’s main market for listed securities.
See “Note 1.1. Description of Business” and “Note 2. Acquisitions” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for additional
information related to the Combination and the accounting for the Combination.
Products
Our primary products fall into a number of categories, as further described below. Primarily, we produce paper-based packaging
products. Our vertically integrated system provides raw materials of wood or recovered fiber, which are used to manufacture various
grades of board, which are then converted into packaging products. Our main categories of packaging are corrugated containers,
manufactured from containerboard; and consumer packaging, manufactured from paperboard. We also produce other grades of board,
such as solidboard, kraft paper, and graphic board, as well as other packaging products such as solidboard packaging, paper sacks and
bag-in-box.
Containerboard and Corrugated Containers
Containerboard is the general term that describes the intermediate materials used to manufacture corrugated sheet, namely linerboard
and medium.
Linerboard is used to form the inner and outer layers of the corrugated sheet. Linerboard can be manufactured from virgin fiber
(known as “kraftliner”) or recovered paper (known as “testliner”). The recycling of old corrugated cases (“OCC”) provides the
primary source of recovered paper. In general, kraftliner is of higher quality and more versatile than testliner. Linerboard can be
surface treated to improve the printing quality through the use of white, mottled or fully bleached pulp as the top layer.
Medium is used to form the inner layer of the corrugated sheet. It is primarily manufactured from recovered paper but can also be
manufactured from virgin fiber.
We feed linerboard and corrugating medium into a corrugator that flutes the medium to specified sizes, glues the linerboard and fluted
medium together, and slits and cuts the resulting corrugated paperboard into corrugated sheets whose dimensions fit ultimate customer
specifications, and are subsequently converted into corrugated packaging.
Corrugated packaging refers to the conversion of corrugated sheets through the production and the sale of corrugated containers and
other corrugated products including displays. Corrugated packaging is used to provide protective packaging for shipment and
distribution of food, paper, health and beauty, and other household, consumer, commercial and industrial products. Corrugated
packaging may also be graphically enhanced for retail sale, particularly in club store locations. Our corrugated packaging operations
manufactures primarily corrugated sheets, corrugated packaging and preprinted linerboard for sale to consumer and industrial products
manufacturers and corrugated box manufacturers. We produce a wide range of high-quality corrugated containers designed to protect,
ship, store, promote and display products made to our customers’ specifications.
Paperboard and Consumer Packaging
Paperboard is a general term that describes the intermediate materials used primarily to produce folding cartons and other consumer
packaging products. There are a number of different types of paperboard, that can be manufactured using virgin fiber or recovered
paper, or a recycled basestock that is laminated with kraftliner. Paperboard can be unbleached, coated or fully bleached, and
manufactured primarily using either wood or recovered fiber as a primary raw material. These are used primarily to manufacture
folding cartons and can have specialty characteristics such as grease masking and microwaveability.
Consumer packaging is used mainly as primary packaging for products, providing convenience, marketing support and protection for
products, and can consist of folding cartons, carriers and other containers. Our folding cartons are used to package items for industries
such as food, paper, beverages, dairy products, confectionery, health and beauty and other household consumer, commercial and
industrial products, primarily for retail sale. Our folding cartons are also used by our customers to attract consumer attention at the
point-of-sale. We also manufacture express mail packages for the overnight courier industry, provide inserts and labels, as well as
rigid packaging and other printed packaging products, such as transaction cards (e.g., credit, debit, etc.), brochures, product literature,
marketing materials (such as booklets, folders, inserts, cover sheets and slipcases) and grower tags and plant stakes for the
horticultural market. For the global healthcare market, we manufacture paperboard packaging for over-the-counter and prescription
drugs.
Solidboard and Solidboard Packaging
Solidboard is a layered form of paperboard. It has an outer layer of linerboard, which is laminated onto a solid layer of recycled paper,
producing a product that is heavier and more resistant to moisture and cold than corrugated containers. Solidboard is better suited for
certain more demanding packaging applications which may be exposed to wet conditions and freezing temperatures, such as the
transportation of fresh products, including fruit, vegetables, fish, meat, poultry and dairy products. Solidboard sheets are produced in
paper mills and converted into solidboard packaging in converting units.
Graphic Board
Graphic board is a heavyweight type of solidboard with distinct properties, including rigidity and stability, which makes it suitable for
processing into different applications, such as book covers, g
Showing the first 8K of 66K characters. Open the full section
Item 1A. Risk Factors
Investing in our ordinary shares involves uncertainty and risk due to a variety of factors. You should carefully consider the risks
described below, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, reputation, results of operations
(including revenues and profitability) and/or ordinary share price, with all of the other information included in this Annual Report on
Form 10-K. The Company may not be able to accurately predict, control or mitigate these risks. Statements in this section are based on
the Company’s beliefs and opinions regarding matters that could materially adversely affect the Company in the future and are not
representations as to whether such matters have or have not occurred previously. The risks and uncertainties described below are not
exhaustive and should not be considered a complete statement of all potential risks or uncertainties that the Company faces or may
face in the future.
Risk Factors Summary
The following summary is intended to enhance the readability and accessibility of our risk factor disclosures. We encourage you to
carefully review the full risk factors discussed below in their entirety for additional information. Some of the factors that could
adversely affect our results of operations, cash flows and financial condition, and the trading price of our ordinary shares, include:
Market and Industry Risks
- As a leading global manufacturing business, we have been, and may be materially adversely affected by economic,
geopolitical and social factors that are beyond our control.
- We may be adversely affected by uncertainty, downturns, actions taken by competitors or other changes in the paper and
packaging industry.
-
Our earnings are highly dependent on demand.
-
Price fluctuations in, or shortages in the availability of, energy, transportation and raw materials could materially adversely
affect our business.
- We are exposed to significant competition in the paper and packaging industry, which may materially and adversely affect
the price and volume of products sold.
Operating Risks
-
We may experience business disruptions that adversely affect our operations.
-
We may fail to anticipate trends and develop or integrate new technologies or to protect intellectual property related to our
products and technologies.
-
Our capital expenditures may not achieve the desired outcomes or may be completed at a higher cost than anticipated.
-
We are exposed to risks related to international sales and operations.
-
We could be exposed to currency exchange rate fluctuation risks.
-
We may produce faulty or contaminated products due to failures in quality control measures.
-
We are subject to cybersecurity risks that could threaten the confidentiality, integrity and availability of data in our systems,
and could result in disruptions to our operations.
-
We may be adversely impacted by work stoppages and other labor relations matters.
-
We may not be able to attract, motivate and/or retain qualified personnel, including our key personnel.
-
We face challenges associated with sustainability matters, including the impact of climate change and its potential impact on
areas such as our operations and raw material availability.
- Failure by us to successfully implement strategic transformation initiatives, including those relating to information
technology infrastructure, or to achieve our mid-range or long-range targets and goals could adversely affect our business and
share price.
- If we are unsuccessful in integrating acquisitions or if disposals result in unexpected costs or liabilities, our business could be
materially and adversely affected.
- We face risks related to the Combination.
Financial Risks
-
Our growth depends on our ability to retain existing customers and attract new customers.
-
Our debt could adversely affect our financial health and operating flexibility.
-
Adverse credit and financial market events and conditions, as well as credit rating downgrades, could, among other things,
impede access to or increase the cost of financing.
- We have a significant amount of goodwill and other intangible assets and a write-down could materially adversely impact our
operating results.
- We have a number of pension arrangements that are currently in deficit and may require increased funding due to statutory
requirements.
- Our decision or ability to pay dividends in respect of our shares or conduct share repurchases is subject to a number of
factors, and there are no guarantees that the Company will pay dividends or maintain or increase the level of any such
dividends or that the Company will conduct share repurchases.
- Changes in existing financial accounting standards or practices may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of
operations, cash flows and financial condition, and the trading price of our ordinary shares.
Legal and Regulatory Risks
- We are subject to a wide variety of laws, regulations and other requirements that may change or may impose substantial
compliance costs.
- We are subject to a growing number of environmental and climate change laws and regulations that impose compliance
obligations and costs, and failure to comply with these laws may have a material adverse effect on our business.
- Changes to trade policy, including tariff and customs regulations, or failure to comply with such regulations may have an
adverse effect on our reputation, business, financial condition and results of operations.
- We are subject to compliance with competition and antitrust laws and regulations in the jurisdictions in which we operate
and, from time to time, may be subject to investigations or proceedings with respect to allegations of unfair competitive
practices and similar behavior.
- We are subject to a number of laws and regulations relating to privacy, security and data protection, and failure to comply
could lead to fines and/or litigation.
- Failure to comply with applicable occupational health and safety laws and regulations may have a material adverse effect on
our business.
- The Company’s maintenance of two exchange listings may adversely affect liquidity in the market for our shares and result in
pricing differentials of our shares between the two exchanges.
- We are required to comply with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and we may continue to incur significant costs and devote
substantial management time towards maintaining and improving our internal controls, which may materially adversely affect
our operating results in the future.
Risks Related to Our Incorporation in Ireland
- We are incorporated in Ireland and Irish law differs from the laws in effect in the U.S. and might afford less protection to our
shareholders.
- Any attempts to acquire the Company will be subject to the Irish Takeover Panel Act 1997, Takeover Rules, 2022 (the “Irish
Takeover Rules”) and subject to the supervisory jurisdiction of the Irish Takeover Panel and the Company’s board of
directors (the “Board”) may be limited by the Irish Takeover Rules in its ability to defend an unsolicited takeover attempt.
Market and Industry Risks
As a leading global manufacturing business, we have been, and may be in the future, materially adversely affected by factors that
are beyond our control, such as economic and financial market conditions, geopolitical conflicts and other social and political
unrest or change.
Our industry has been, and may be, adversely affected by a number of factors that are beyond our control, including, but not limited
to:
- macroeconomic and business conditions, including deteriorating or volatile macroeconomic conditions and related supply and
demand dynamics, as well as inflation and deflation;
-
geopolitical conflicts and other social and political unrest or change;
-
sustainability, environmental regulations and trade policies and agreements;
Showing the first 8K of 104K characters. Open the full section
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments
None.
Item 1C. Cybersecurity
Risk Management and Strategy
We face various cybersecurity risks, including, but not limited to, risks related to unauthorized access, misuse, data theft, computer
viruses, system disruptions, ransomware, malicious software and other forms of intrusions. We utilize a multilayered, proactive
approach to identify, evaluate, mitigate and prevent potential cyber and information security threats through our cybersecurity risk
management program. Our cybersecurity risk management program is integrated into our broader Enterprise Risk Management
(“ERM”) program, which is designed to identify, assess, prioritize and mitigate risks across the organization to enhance our resilience
and support the achievement of our strategic objectives. This integrated approach helps safeguard that cybersecurity risks are not
viewed in isolation, but are assessed, prioritized and managed in alignment with the Company’s operational, financial and strategic
risks, assisting the Company in more effectively managing interdependencies among risks and enhancing risk mitigation strategies.
There are also processes, policies, procedures, operations, technologies and systems in place within our cybersecurity risk
management program that pertain to legacy companies as a result of our Combination. Though these remain to be fully integrated as
part of the Combination, such integration will be a major focus over the year. Cybersecurity risk measures or governance described
herein apply to our whole Company, unless otherwise specified.
We devote resources to protecting the security of our computer systems, software, networks, data, and other technology assets. The
Company follows cybersecurity control frameworks based on industry standards. We also employ systems and processes designed to
oversee, identify, and reduce the potential impact of a security incident originating from a third-party vendor, service provider or
customer. We have cybersecurity architecture practices in place to promote robust architecture design in our technology and to foster a
standardized security landscape. We have security operations teams that provide 24/7 monitoring of our IT environment for any
indications of compromise and incident response processes to react as necessary. In addition to our internal cybersecurity capabilities,
we also regularly engage other third-party specialists to assist with independent reviews of our security posture. For instance, external
penetration testing is completed on an annual basis by specialist third-parties. As part of our overall risk mitigation strategy, the
Company also maintains cyber insurance coverage; however, such insurance may not be sufficient in type or amount to cover us
against claims related to security breaches, cybersecurity incidents and other related breaches.
We deliver cybersecurity courses and awareness training on information security to our employees with access to Company email or
devices at least annually. Additional cybersecurity trainings are made available for all employees throughout the year, including
phishing, social engineering and other cybersecurity training as well as targeted training for specific roles based on responsibilities and
risk level.
The Company has cybersecurity teams and incident response processes focusing on industry standard incident response stages, such as
investigation, containment, mitigation, and recovery. These processes provide a standardized approach when responding to
cybersecurity threats or security incidents and include procedures for communication with senior management and key stakeholders,
as appropriate. Our incident response processes align with the standards of the National Institute of Standards and Technology. In the
event of an incident, the cybersecurity team assesses, among other factors, supply chain disruption, data and personal information loss,
business operations disruption, and projected cost and potential for reputational harm, with participation from senior management,
technical staff, and legal support, as appropriate. As part of the annual cybersecurity awareness training program, employees are
informed of their responsibilities to report an incident to the cybersecurity team, supporting awareness of the importance of incident
response across the Company's workforce.
In order to oversee and identify risks from cybersecurity threats associated with the Company’s business partners, as well as our use of
third-party service providers, we maintain various processes and procedures to evaluate and/or monitor cybersecurity threats
associated with third parties. We have information technology disaster recovery plans in place which are regularly tested.
Additionally, we have business continuity processes in place. Cybersecurity threats are constantly expanding and evolving, becoming
increasingly sophisticated and complex, increasing the difficulty of detecting and defending against them and maintaining effective
security measures and protocols. Due to evolving cybersecurity threats, it has and will continue to be difficult to prevent, detect,
mitigate, and remediate cybersecurity incidents, and the Company has been and continues to be the target of cybersecurity incidents
and network disruptions. During the periods covered by this report, we believe that the risks posed by such cybersecurity threats have
not materially affected the Company and its business strategy, results of operations and financial condition, and as of the date of this
report, the Company is not aware of any material risks from cybersecurity threats that are reasonably likely to do so, however, we
cannot eliminate all risks from cybersecurity threats or provide assurances that the Company will not be materially affected by such
risks in the future. For further information, see Item 1A. “Risk Factors — We are subject to cybersecurity risks that could threaten the
confidentiality, integrity and availability of data in our systems, and could result in disruptions to our operations and adversely affect
our operations, cash flows and financial condition.”
Governance
As part of our Board’s role in overseeing the Company’s cybersecurity risks, the Board devotes time and attention to cybersecurity
and data privacy-related risks, with the Audit Committee of the Board (the “Audit Committee”) being primarily responsible for
overseeing information technology risk exposures, including cybersecurity, data privacy and data security. The Audit Committee
regularly reviews the measures implemented by the Company to identify and mitigate risks from cybersecurity threats. As part of such
reviews, the Audit Committee receives reports and presentations from members of our team responsible for overseeing the Company’s
cybersecurity risk management, including our Chief Information Officer (“CIO”), our Chief Information Security Officer (“CISO”),
and our legal team, which may address a wide range of topics including recent developments, evolving standards, vulnerability
assessments, third-party and independent reviews, the threat environment, technological trends and information security considerations
arising with respect to the Company’s peers and third parties. The Chair of the Audit Committee and the CFO regularly brief the full
Board on these matters. We have procedures by which certain cybersecurity incidents are escalated within the Company.
Cybersecurity incidents that meet specified criteria for financial, operational, or otherwise relevant impact are escalated for further
review to our Cyber Disclosure Committee, comprised of senior leaders and subject matter experts representing functional areas such
as information security and legal. The Cyber Disclosure Committee will, where appropriate, report certain cybersecurity incidents to
the Board in a timely manner.
Our CIO has 30 years of experience in information security and cybersecurity areas. Our CISO, who reports into our CIO, has
extensive knowledge and skills gained from over two decades of work experience at the Company and leads the teams responsible for
implementing, monitoring and maintaining cybersecurity and data protection practices across the Company. The CISO is supported by
a team with expertise in technical architecture and security operations; governance, risk and compliance; data protection; behavioral
change; and cyber incident response, many of whom hold cybersecurity certifications and possess deep technical knowledge and
experience.
The CISO receives reports on cybersecurity threats from internal cybersecurity sources and industry partners on an ongoing basis and
regularly review risk management measures implemented by the Company to identify and mitigate data protection and cybersecurity
risks. Our cybersecurity team works closely with the legal department to oversee compliance with regulatory and contractual security
requirements.
Item 2. Properties
We operate locations in North America, including the majority of U.S. states, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. We
own our principal Group head office in Dublin, Ireland.
Our corporate offices, significant regional offices and operating facilities (including our mills) as of December 31, 2025 are
summarized below:
| Number of Facilities | ||||||
| Segment | Owned | Leased | Total | |||
| North America | 157 | 151 | 308 | |||
| Europe, MEA and APAC | 246 | 51 | 297 | |||
| LATAM | 54 | 9 | 63 | |||
| Corporate and significant regional offices | 1 | 5 | 6 | |||
| Total (1) | 458 | 216 | 674 |
(1) Excludes facilities we are in the process of closing.
The tables that follow show our estimated annual production capacity in thousands of tons by mill at December 31, 2025. The capacity
reflects our current expectations, including assumptions such as product mix and basis weight. Our mill system production levels and
operating rates may vary from year to year due to changes in market and other factors, including weather-related events. We own all of
our mills. We believe that our existing production capacity is adequate to serve existing demand for our products and consider our
plants and equipment to be in good condition. At December 31, 2025, we also have approximately 308,000 acres of forests and
plantations, the majority of which are owned in Latin America in Colombia and Brazil.
North America segment mills - annual production capacity in thousands of tons
| Location of Mill | Containerboard | Paperboard | Kraft Paper | Pulp | Total | |||||
| Mahrt, AL | 1,031 | 1,031 | ||||||||
| Longview, WA | 624 | 351 | 975 | |||||||
| Fernandina Beach, FL | 928 | 928 | ||||||||
| West Point, VA | 922 | 922 | ||||||||
| Stevenson, AL | 864 | 864 | ||||||||
| Covington, VA | 793 | 793 | ||||||||
| Hodge, LA | 790 | 790 | ||||||||
| Solvay, NY | 770 | 770 | ||||||||
| Florence, SC | 733 | 733 | ||||||||
| Seminole, FL | 620 | 620 | ||||||||
| Evadale, TX | 55 | 531 | 586 | |||||||
| Dublin, GA | 279 | 305 | 584 | |||||||
| Roanoke Rapids, NC | 322 | 196 | 518 | |||||||
| Demopolis, AL | 374 | 100 | 474 | |||||||
| La Tuque, Quebec | 341 | 127 | 468 | |||||||
| Hopewell, VA | 466 | 466 | ||||||||
| Monterrey, MX | 402 | 402 | ||||||||
| Cerro Gordo, MX | 259 | 88 | 347 | |||||||
| Guadalajara, MX | 160 | 110 | 270 | |||||||
| San Pablo, MX | 243 | 243 | ||||||||
| Cowpens, SC | 234 | 234 | ||||||||
| Los Reyes, MX | 158 | 158 | ||||||||
| Battle Creek, MI | 150 | 150 | ||||||||
| Dallas, TX | 127 | 127 | ||||||||
| Missisquoi, VT | 99 | 99 | ||||||||
| Stroudsburg, PA | 72 | 72 | ||||||||
| San Luis Potosi, MX | 71 | 71 | ||||||||
| Total North America | 9,241 | 3,502 | 852 | 100 | 13,695 |
Europe, MEA and APAC segment mills - annual production capacity in thousands of tons
| Location of Mill | Containerboard | Paperboard | Kraft Paper | Graphic Paper | Total | |||||
| Piteå, SWE | 794 | 794 | ||||||||
| Roermond, NETH | 717 | 717 | ||||||||
| Parenco, NETH | 441 | 248 | 689 | |||||||
| Facture, FRA | 634 | 634 | ||||||||
| Zulpich, GER | 573 | 573 | ||||||||
| Hoya, GER | 474 | 88 | 562 | |||||||
| Verzuolo, ITA | 551 | 551 | ||||||||
| Nettingsdorf, AUS | 507 | 507 | ||||||||
| Wrexen, GER | 259 | 88 | 347 | |||||||
| Herzberg, GER | 287 | 287 | ||||||||
| Saillat, FRA | 281 | 281 | ||||||||
| Mengibar, SPA | 265 | 265 | ||||||||
| Townsend Hook, U.K. | 259 | 259 | ||||||||
| Ania, ITA | 254 | 254 | ||||||||
| SSK, U.K. | 220 | 220 | ||||||||
| Nervion, SPA | 176 | 176 | ||||||||
| Morai, IND | 165 | 165 | ||||||||
| Belgrade, SER | 132 | 132 | ||||||||
| Navarra, SPA | 94 | 94 | ||||||||
| Morava, CZK | 83 | 83 | ||||||||
| Rethel, FRA | 72 | 72 | ||||||||
| Total Europe, MEA and APAC | 6,681 | 463 | 270 | 248 | 7,662 |
LATAM segment mills - annual production capacity in thousands of tons
| Location of Mill | Containerboard | Paperboard | Kraft Paper | Total | ||||
| Tres Barras, BRA | 650 | 650 | ||||||
| Cali, COL | 129 | 70 | 121 | 320 | ||||
| Pirapetinga, BRA | 143 | 143 | ||||||
| Barbosa, COL | 127 | 127 | ||||||
| Bernal, ARG | 77 | 77 | ||||||
| Barranquilla, COL | 77 | 77 | ||||||
| Uberaba, BRA | 72 | 72 | ||||||
| Coronel Suarez, ARG | 57 | 57 | ||||||
| Bento, BRA | 55 | 55 | ||||||
| Total LATAM | 1,387 | 70 | 121 | 1,578 |
Item 3. Legal Proceedings
The information called for by this item is incorporated herein by reference to Note 21. Commitments and Contingencies in the
accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures
Not applicable.
PART II
Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Shareholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
Market Information
Our ordinary shares are currently listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the ticker “SW” and began trading on July 8,
- Prior to that date, there was no public trading market for our ordinary shares on the domestic stock exchanges. Our ordinary
shares also trade under the symbol “SWR” on the London Stock Exchange.
Holders
As of February 20, 2026, there were 4,955 shareholders of record of our ordinary shares. The number of record holders of our ordinary
shares does not reflect the number of persons or entities holding their shares in “street” name through brokerage firms or other
nominee holders.
Recent Sales of Unregistered Equity Securities
None.
Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
None.
Dividends
On February 3, 2026, the Company announced that its Board approved a quarterly dividend of $0.4523 per share on its ordinary shares
representing a $1.81 annualized dividend, or an increase of 5% from the prior dividend. The quarterly dividend is expected to be paid
on March 18, 2026 to shareholders of record at the close of business on February 17, 2026. In fiscal 2025, 2024 and 2023 the
Company paid dividends totaling $1.72, $1.89 and $1.50 per share, respectively.
In certain circumstances, as an Irish tax resident company, we may be required to deduct Irish dividend withholding tax (“DWT”)
(currently at the rate of 25%) from dividends paid to our shareholders. Shareholders residing in “relevant territories” (including
countries that are European Union member states (other than Ireland), the United States and other countries with which Ireland has a
tax treaty) may be exempted from Irish DWT. However, shareholders residing in other countries will generally be subject to Irish
DWT.
The declaration of dividends is subject to the discretion of Smurfit Westrock’s Board. Our Board is committed to continuing to pay
regular cash dividends; however, there can be no assurance as to future dividends. The Board will consider various factors when
determining whether to pay dividends, including but not limited to, Smurfit Westrock’s results of operations, capital investment
priorities, the market price of Smurfit Westrock’s ordinary shares and access to capital markets, as well as legal requirements
(including requirements relating to availability of distributable reserves), industry practice and other factors deemed relevant by the
Board. For additional information, see “Risk Factors—Any dividend payment in respect of our shares is subject to a number of
factors, including the distributions of earnings to the Company by its subsidiaries, the financial condition and results of operations of
the Company, as well as the distributable reserves of the Company and the discretion of the Company’s Board, and there are no
guarantees that the Company will pay dividends or the level of any such dividends.”
Performance Graph*
The following graph compares cumulative total shareholder return on the Company’s ordinary shares against the Standard & Poor’s
(“S&P”) 500 Stock Index and the Dow Jones Containers & Packaging Index from July 8, 2024 (the first day our ordinary shares began
trading on the NYSE) through December 31, 2025. The graph is indexed at $100 on July 8, 2024 for each of the Company’s ordinary
shares, the S&P 500 Stock Index and the Dow Jones Containers & Packaging Index. It also assumes that all dividends were
reinvested. The comparisons in the graph below are based upon historical data and are not indicative of, nor intended to forecast,
future performance of our ordinary shares.

***The above performance graph shall not be deemed “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Exchange Act, or incorporated by reference into any filing of Smurfit Westrock under the Securities Act or the
Exchange Act, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such filing.
Equity Compensation Plan Information
See Part III, Item 12 “Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Shareholder Matters” below.
Item 6. [Reserved]
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF THE FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF
OPERATIONS OF SMURFIT WESTROCK
The following discussion and analysis of Smurfit Westrock’s financial condition and results of operations should be read in
conjunction with Smurfit Westrock’s audited Consolidated Financial Statements and their related notes for the year ended
December 31, 2025 and our audited Consolidated Financial Statements and their related notes for the year ended December 31,
2024*. This discussion contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Smurfit Westrock’s future results could*
differ materially from the results discussed below. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not
limited to, those identified below and those discussed in the Item 1A. Risk Factors. Please refer to the section above entitled
“Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" for additional information.
Smurfit Kappa was determined to be the accounting acquirer in the Combination; therefore, the historical consolidated financial
statements of Smurfit Kappa for periods prior to the Combination were also considered to be the historical financial statements of the
Company. Unless otherwise specified or the context otherwise requires, all references to the “Company” and “Smurfit Kappa” refer
to Smurfit Kappa Group plc and its subsidiaries and their operations when referring to periods prior to the closing of the
Combination, and references to the “Company” and “Smurfit Westrock” refer to the combined company, Smurfit Westrock and its
subsidiaries, including, among others, Smurfit Kappa and WestRock, when referring to periods after the Combination.
OVERVIEW
Smurfit Westrock is one of the world's largest integrated manufacturers of paper-based packaging products in terms of volumes and
sales, with operations in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia. Smurfit Westrock partners with its
customers to provide differentiated, sustainable paper and packaging solutions that enhance its customers’ prospects of success in their
markets.
Transaction Agreement and Combination with WestRock
Smurfit Westrock was created in July 2024 as a strategic combination between Smurfit Kappa Group plc (re-registered as Smurfit
Kappa Group Limited) (“Smurfit Kappa”) and WestRock Company (“WestRock”). The Combination closed on July 5, 2024. Upon
completion of the Combination, Smurfit Kappa and WestRock each became wholly-owned subsidiaries of Smurfit Westrock. As noted
above, Smurfit Kappa was determined to be the accounting acquirer of WestRock. Accordingly, the financial statements reflected in
these Consolidated Financial Statements and the discussions below include WestRock's financial position and results of operations for
the period subsequent to the completion of the Combination on July 5, 2024. Consequently, the results reported for the twelve months
ended December 31, 2024 do not include WestRock’s financial results for the first five days of July or any prior periods. Therefore, in
fiscal 2025 acquired WestRock operations were included for an incremental six months and five days compared to fiscal 2024.
Refer to “Note 2. Acquisitions” of the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information related to the Combination and
the accounting for the Combination.
Following the completion of the Combination, Smurfit Westrock reassessed the Company’s reportable segments due to changes in
organizational structure and how the Company’s chief operating decision maker (“CODM”) makes key operating decisions, allocates
resources and assesses the performance of the business. Accordingly, Smurfit Westrock began to manage the combined business as
three reportable segments: (1) North America, (2) Europe, MEA and APAC, and (3) LATAM. Refer to “Note 3. Segment
Information” of the Consolidated Financial Statements for further discussion of the Company’s segment reporting structure.
A detailed discussion of the fiscal 2025 year-over-year changes can be found below and a detailed discussion of fiscal 2024 year-over-
year changes can be found in Item 7. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in
our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Smurfit Westrock’s net sales increased by $10,070 million, to $31,179 million in the year ended December 31, 2025, from
$21,109 million in the year ended December 31, 2024. This increase was primarily due to the impact of $9,845 million related to the
acquisition of WestRock. Excluding the impact of this acquisition, net sales increased by $225 million primarily resulting from a
$487 million positive impact due to a higher selling price mix and a $452 million net positive foreign currency impact, partially offset
by a negative volume impact of $716 million. See “Segment Information” below for more detail on Smurfit Westrock’s segment
results.
Net income attributable to common shareholders increased by $380 million, to $699 million in the year ended December 31, 2025,
from $319 million in the year ended December 31, 2024. The increase was primarily due to the operations acquired in the
Combination. In the year ended December 31, 2025, the positive impact of the acquired operations was partially offset by increased
interest expense, net, post Combination, and we incurred increased impairment and restructuring costs. In the year ended
December 31, 2024, we incurred higher transaction and integration-related expenses associated with the Combination and a charge of
$224 million for the amortization of the fair value step up on inventory recognized on WestRock’s inventory acquired. See “Note 5.
Impairment and Restructuring Costs” and “Note 6. Transaction and Integration-related Expenses Associated with the Combination” of
the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information. Refer to “Results of Operations” and “Segment Information” for a
detailed review of Smurfit Westrock’s performance.
Net cash provided by operating activities increased by $1,909 million, to $3,392 million in the year ended December 31, 2025, from
$1,483 million in the year ended December 31, 2024, primarily due to a $1,489 million increase in net income adjusted for non-cash
items, primarily including depreciation, depletion and amortization, impairment charges, cash surrender value increase in excess of
premiums paid, share-based compensation expense, deferred income tax benefit, and pension and other postretirement funding more
than cost. The increase in net cash provided by operating activities also included a $420 million decrease in the cash outflows from
changes in operating assets and liabilities. During the year ended December 31, 2025, Smurfit Westrock invested $2,192 million in
capital expenditures. The Company’s net cash outflow from changes in debt was $304 million, and it paid $900 million of cash
dividends to shareholders. See the section entitled “Liquidity and Capital Resources” below for additional information.
SIGNIFICANT FACTORS AND TRENDS AFFECTING SMURFIT WESTROCK’S RESULTS
Smurfit Westrock’s operations have been, and will continue to be, affected by many factors, some of which are beyond the Company’s
control. Smurfit Westrock’s net sales are primarily derived from the sale of containerboard, corrugated containers, paperboard,
consumer packaging, and other paper-based packaging products. As such, Smurfit Westrock’s net sales during any period are largely
influenced by volumes, prices and costs of the corrugated containers and consumer packaging products that Smurfit Westrock sells
during that period.
Volumes
In general, demand for corrugated containers and consumer packaging is closely correlated with overall economic growth and activity.
It also directionally
Showing the first 8K of 66K characters. Open the full section
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
Smurfit Westrock is exposed to market risk from changes in, among other things, interest rates, foreign currency exchange rates, and
commodity prices. See “Item 1A. Risk Factors” for additional information. Smurfit Westrock aims to identify and understand these
risks and then implement strategies to manage them. When evaluating these strategies, Smurfit Westrock evaluates the fundamentals
of each market, the Company’s sensitivity to movements in pricing, and underlying accounting and business implications. The
sensitivity analyses presented below do not consider the effect of possible adverse changes in the general economy, nor do they
consider additional actions we may take to mitigate the Company’s exposure to such changes. Smurfit Westrock may not be successful
in managing these risks.
Interest Rate Risk
Smurfit Westrock is exposed to changes in interest rates on its variable rate debt. Interest rate changes generally do not affect the
market value of such debt, but do impact the amount of interest payments and, therefore, Smurfit Westrock’s future earnings and cash
flows, assuming other factors are held constant. Smurfit Westrock had fixed an average of 88% of its interest cost on borrowings over
the following 12 months at both December 31, 2025 and 2024. Holding all other variables constant, if interest rates for variable rate
borrowings increased by 1% Smurfit Westrock’s interest expense would increase, and income before taxes would decrease, by
approximately $17 million over the following 12 months for both years. Interest income on cash balances would increase by
approximately $9 million assuming a 1% increase in interest rates earned on such balances over the following 12 months for both
years.
Foreign Exchange Risk
Smurfit Westrock manages its balance sheet having regard to the currency exposures arising from its assets being denominated in a
wide range of currencies. To this end, where foreign currency assets are funded by local borrowing, such borrowing is generally
sourced in the currency of the related assets.
Smurfit Westrock is exposed to transactional foreign exchange currency risk to the extent that there is a mismatch between the
currencies in which sales, purchases, receivables and borrowings are denominated and the respective functional currencies of the
Smurfit Westrock group companies. Smurfit Westrock hedges a portion of its currency exposure through the use of currency swaps
and forward contracts. Smurfit Westrock’s risk management policy allows the hedging of estimated foreign currency exposure in
respect of highly probable forecast sales and purchases. As such, certain subsidiaries enter into foreign currency forward contracts to
hedge highly probable forecast foreign currency sales and purchases for which hedge accounting is applied.
Smurfit Westrock operates in markets both inside and outside of the U.S. and derived 54% and 65% of net sales for the year ended
December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively, from outside the U.S. through international operations, some of which were transacted in
U.S. dollars. The decrease in concentration from outside the U.S. was due to the full year impact of the Combination. No single
country other than the U.S. represented more than 10% of our net sales.
Although the Company is impacted by the exchange rates of a number of currencies, its largest net assets exposures for the year ended
December 31, 2025 and 2024 included the euro, the Mexican peso, the Canadian dollar, the Brazilian real, the pound sterling, and the
Colombian peso. Strengthening of the U.S. dollar exchange rate by 1% against all other foreign currencies from the December 31,
2025 rate would reduce shareholders’ equity by approximately $114 million compared to $101 million at December 31, 2024.
Commodity Price Risk
Smurfit Westrock is exposed to commodity price risks through its dependence on recovered paper, the principal raw material used in
the manufacture of recycled containerboard and virgin fiber which is the principal raw material that Smurfit Westrock uses in the
production of a portion of the Company’s containerboard, bleached paperboard and market pulp.
The price of recovered paper is dependent on both demand and supply conditions. Demand conditions include the production of
recycled containerboard in Europe and North America and the demand for recovered paper for the production of recycled
containerboard outside of Europe, principally in Asia. Supply conditions include the rate of recovery of recovered paper, itself
dependent on historical pricing related to the cost of recovery, and some slight seasonal variations. While virgin fiber prices have
generally been more stable than recycled fiber prices, they still fluctuate, particularly due to significant changes in weather, such as
during prolonged periods of heavy rain or drought, or during housing construction slowdowns or accelerations.
The cost of producing Smurfit Westrock’s products is also sensitive to the price of energy. Smurfit Westrock’s main energy exposure
is to the cost of gas and electricity. Smurfit Westrock’s energy costs increased by 45% in the year ended December 31, 2025, when
compared to the year ended December 31, 2024, which was primarily a result of 2025 being the first full year of costs after the
Combination with WestRock. Smurfit Westrock’s energy costs increased by 25% in the year ended December 31, 2024, when
compared to the year ended December 31, 2023, as a result of the Combination with WestRock, partially offset by lower energy
market prices for legacy Smurfit Kappa operations.
The objective of our commodity exposure management is to minimize volatility in earnings due to large fluctuations in the price of
commodities. To manage commodity price risk, Smurfit Westrock may enter physical commodity contracts or financial derivative
contracts to manage risks associated with fluctuating energy costs. The timeframe for such programs can be up to three years.
We have elected to apply the normal purchase normal sales (“NPNS”) scope exception, where appropriate, for physical commodity
contracts that meet the criteria of derivatives under ASC 815, “Derivatives and Hedging” (“ASC 815”). As such, Smurfit Westrock is
not required to apply derivative accounting treatment as required by ASC 815 to these physical commodity transactions.
Certain of our financial derivative contracts are designated as cash flow hedges, with changes in the fair value of these contracts being
accounted for in “Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss” in Shareholders Equity. The resulting gain or loss is reclassified into
“Cost of goods sold” in the Consolidated Statements of Operations concurrently with the recognition of the commodity. Certain of our
financial derivative contracts do not qualify for hedge accounting but are effective economic hedges. As of December 31, 2025, the
fair value of financial derivatives contracts and the impact of a hypothetical 10% adverse move in market prices on the fair values are
immaterial.
Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
INDEX TO AUDITED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS OF
SMURFIT WESTROCK PLC
| Page | |
| Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (Auditor Name KPMG, Auditor Location: Dublin, Ireland, PCAOB ID: 1116) | 69 |
| Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024 | 71 |
| Consolidated Statements of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2025, December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023 | 72 |
| Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss) for the years ended December 31, 2025, December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023 | 73 |
| Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2025, December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023 | 74 |
| Consolidated Statements of Changes in Equity for the years ended December 31, 2025, December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023 | 75 |
| Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements | 76 |
Repo****rt of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Stockholders and Board of Directors
Smurfit Westrock Public Limited Company:
Opinions on the Consolidated Financial Statements and Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Smurfit Westrock Public Limited Company and subsidiaries (‘the
Company’) as of December, 31, 2025, and December 31, 2024, the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive
income (loss), cash flows and changes in equity for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2025, and the
related notes collectively, the consolidated financial statements. We also have audited the Company’s internal control over financial
reporting as of December, 31, 2025, based on criteria established in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the
Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission.
In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of
the Company as of December, 31, 2025 and 2024, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the years in the three-
year period ended December 31, 2025 in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Also in our opinion, the
Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2025 based on
criteria established in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the
Treadway Commission.
Basis for Opinions
The Company’s management is responsible for these consolidated financial statements, for maintaining effective internal control over
financial reporting, and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the
accompanying Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the
Company’s consolidated financial statements and an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our
audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB)
and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable
rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits
to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to
error or fraud, and whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects.
Our audits of the consolidated financial statements included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the
consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such
procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial
statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well
as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting
included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and
testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audits also included
performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable
basis for our opinions.
Definition and Limitations of Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of
financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting
principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the
maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the
company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in
accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in
accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding
Repo****rt of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect
on the financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections
of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in
conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
Critical Audit Matter
The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the consolidated financial statements
that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relates to accounts or disclosures that are
material to the consolidated financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments.
The communication of a critical audit matter does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a
whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or
on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.
Evaluation of the qualitative goodwill impairment indicator assessment
As described in Note 10 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company’s goodwill balance as of December 31, 2025 was
$7,218 million. The Company reviews the carrying value of its goodwill annually during the fourth quarter, or more often if events or
changes in circumstances indicate
Showing the first 8K of 212K characters. Open the full section
Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure
None.
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures
Smurfit Westrock’s management evaluated the effectiveness of the design and operation of its disclosure controls and procedures (as
such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act) as of the end of the period covered by this report.
Disclosure controls and procedures include, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to
be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to the
Company’s management, including its principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, as
appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. Disclosure controls and procedures are designed by the Company
to ensure that it records, processes, summarizes and reports in a timely manner the information it must disclose in reports that it files
with or submits to the SEC. Anthony Smurfit, President & Group Chief Executive Officer, and Ken Bowles, Executive Vice President
& Group Chief Financial Officer, reviewed and participated in management’s evaluation of the disclosure controls and procedures.
Based on this evaluation, Anthony Smurfit, President & Group Chief Executive Officer, and Ken Bowles, Executive Vice President &
Group Chief Financial Officer, concluded that as of the end of the period covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K, Smurfit
Westrock’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective, and the previously reported material weakness described below has
been remediated.
Remediated Material Weakness in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
A material weakness is a control deficiency, or combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting such that there
is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a
timely basis.
Smurfit Westrock’s management had previously identified and reported a material weakness relating to the company’s selection and
development of control activities intended to mitigate the risks to achieving its objectives. This related to certain processes and
controls principally at historical Smurfit Kappa that were not subject to the requirements of Section 404 of SOX prior to the
Combination between Smurfit Kappa and Westrock discussed elsewhere in this Annual Report.
This material weakness was the result of:
- A lack of formalization of an existing control process for documenting evidence of management review and performance of
control procedures, including the level of precision in the execution of controls and procedures to ascertain completeness and
accuracy of information produced by the Company.
- Existing controls related to the preparation and review of manual journal entries not designed to adequately mitigate the
associated risks.
- The need to augment General IT Controls, specifically as they pertain to (i) logical access controls to ensure appropriate
segregation of duties and that adequately restrict user and privileged access to financial applications, programs, and data to
appropriate Company personnel and (ii) program change management controls to ensure that information technology
program and data changes affecting financial IT applications and underlying accounting records are identified, tested,
authorized and implemented appropriately.
Remediation Plan
In response to the material weakness, we designed and implemented remediation measures whereby we:
- designed and implemented policies and guidance related to the operation of controls; complemented by training of control
operators, with a specific focus on the priority areas documented in the remediation plan;
- developed appropriate controls over the review of manual journal entries - automated approval workflows for manual journal
entries were implemented at relevant material locations, as well as an additional risk-based interim manual control; and
- enhanced and expanded the general IT processes and controls across the organization which included strengthening user and
privileged access controls as well as change management controls.
Testing to validate the effectiveness of these remediation efforts was conducted over a sustained period in 2025 and confirmed that the
material weakness was remediated as of December 31, 2025.
Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting
Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as defined in Rule
13a-15(f) of the 1934 Act. Management has assessed the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December
31, 2025 based on criteria established in Internal Control — Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring
Organizations of the Treadway Commission. As a result of this assessment, management concluded that as of the end of the period
covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K, Smurfit Westrock maintained effective internal control over financial reporting, and the
previously reported material weakness has been remediated. The effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of
December 31, 2025 has been audited by KPMG, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report, which is
included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
Other than the changes that resulted from the integration following the Combination and remediation actions described above, there
has been no change in Smurfit Westrock’s internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and
15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act) during the three months ended December 31, 2025 that has materially affected, or is reasonably
likely to materially affect, Smurfit Westrock’s internal control over financial reporting.
Item 9B. Other Information
Trading Plan(s)
During the three months ended December 31, 2025, none of our directors or officers (as defined in Rule 16a-1 under the Exchange
Act) adopted, modified or terminated a “Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement” or “non-Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement” (as those terms
are defined in Item 408 of Regulation S-K).
Item 9C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections.
Not applicable.
PART III
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance
The Company’s Code of Conduct (the “Code of Conduct”), is applicable to all employees, including the principal executive officer,
principal financial officer, principal accounting officer, and controller, and all directors. The Company’s Code of Ethical Conduct for
Directors and Senior Financial Officers (the “Code of Ethics”), is applicable to our directors and its Senior Financial Officers, that is,
its principal executive officer (“CEO”), its principal financial officer, and its principal accounting officer, as well as any other senior
executive or senior financial officers who may be specifically designated from time to time by the CEO (the Code of Conduct and the
Code of Ethics together, the “Codes”). The Codes are available at https://www.smurfitwestrock.com/about/corporate-governance/
policies. To the extent required by the rules of the SEC or the NYSE, Smurfit Westrock intends to disclose amendments to and
waivers of the Codes applicable to executive officers and directors, if any, on that website within four business days following the date
of any such amendment or waiver.
Additional information responsive to this Item is incorporated herein by reference to our definitive proxy statement with respect to our
2026 annual general meeting of shareholders to be filed with the SEC within 120 days after the end of our fiscal year covered by this
Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Item 11. Executive Compensation
Information responsive to this Item is incorporated herein by reference to our definitive proxy statement with respect to our 2026
annual general meeting of shareholders to be filed with the SEC within 120 days after the end of our fiscal year covered by this
Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Shareholder Matters
Information responsive to this Item is incorporated herein by reference to our definitive proxy statement with respect to our 2026
annual general meeting of shareholders to be filed with the SEC within 120 days after the end of our fiscal year covered by this
Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence
Information responsive to this Item is incorporated herein by reference to our definitive proxy statement with respect to our 2026
annual general meeting of shareholders to be filed with the SEC within 120 days after the end of our fiscal year covered by this
Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services
Information responsive to this Item is incorporated herein by reference to our definitive proxy statement with respect to our 2026
annual general meeting of shareholders to be filed with the SEC within 120 days after the end of our fiscal year covered by this
Annual Report on Form 10-K.
PART IV
Item 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules
The following documents are filed as part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K:
(a)(1) Financial Statements
The financial statements required by this item are listed in Item 8, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data”.
(a)(2) Financial Statement Schedules
All financial statement schedules have been omitted because they are not applicable, not required or the information required is shown
in the financial statements or the notes thereto.
(a)(3) Exhibit Index
The following is a list of exhibits filed as part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K or are incorporated herein by reference:
Showing the first 8K of 94K characters. Open the full section
Item 16. Form 10-K Summary
None.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the Registrant has duly
caused this Report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
| Smurfit Westrock plc | ||
| Dated: February 27, 2026 | /s/ Anthony Smurfit | |
| Name: | Anthony Smurfit | |
| Title: | President & Group Chief Executive Officer | |
| (Principal Executive Officer) |
SIGNATURES
POWER OF ATTORNEY
KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Anthony
Smurfit, Ken Bowles or Irene Page, or any of them, his or her attorneys-in-fact, for such person in any and all capacities, to sign any
amendments to this Annual Report on Form 10-K and to file the same, with exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection
therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, hereby ratifying and confirming all that either of said attorneys-in-fact, or
substitute or substitutes, may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, this Report has been signed below by the following
persons on behalf of the Registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated:
| Signature | Title | Date | ||
| /s/ Anthony Smurfit | President & Group Chief Executive Officer and Director | February 27, 2026 | ||
| Anthony Smurfit | (Principal Executive Officer) | |||
| /s/ Ken Bowles | Executive Vice President & Group Chief Financial Officer and Director | February 27, 2026 | ||
| Ken Bowles | (Principal Financial Officer) | |||
| /s/ Irene Page | Chief Accounting Officer | February 27, 2026 | ||
| Irene Page | (Principal Accounting Officer) | |||
| /s/ Irial Finan | Director | February 27, 2026 | ||
| Irial Finan | ||||
| /s/ Kaisa Hietala | Director | February 27, 2026 | ||
| Kaisa Hietala | ||||
| /s/ Colleen F. Arnold | Director | February 27, 2026 | ||
| Colleen F. Arnold | ||||
| /s/ Timothy J. Bernlohr | Director | February 27, 2026 | ||
| Timothy J. Bernlohr | ||||
| /s/ Carole L. Brown | Director | February 27, 2026 | ||
| Carole L. Brown | ||||
| /s/ Terrell K. Crews | Director | February 27, 2026 | ||
| Terrell K. Crews | ||||
| /s/ Carol Fairweather | Director | February 27, 2026 | ||
| Carol Fairweather | ||||
| /s/ Mary Lynn Ferguson-McHugh | Director | February 27, 2026 | ||
| Mary Lynn Ferguson-McHugh | ||||
SIGNATURES
| /s/ Suzan F. Harrison | Director | February 27, 2026 | ||
| Suzan F. Harrison | ||||
| /s/ Lourdes Melgar | Director | February 27, 2026 | ||
| Lourdes Melgar | ||||
| /s/ Jørgen Buhl Rasmussen | Director | February 27, 2026 | ||
| Jørgen Buhl Rasmussen | ||||
| /s/ Alan D. Wilson | Director | February 27, 2026 | ||
| Alan D. Wilson |