International Paper (IP) is being touted as one of the firms lined up to run the 418m Scottish pulp mill project (PrintWeek, 4 April).
Director of communications for IP Europe, Albert Klinkhammer, confirmed that the company had been approached.
We have indicated that we would be in favour of operating such a fibre supply source, he said.
Klinkhammer said IP was now awaiting the publication of the pre-feasibility study report, but would not comment on whether the company would provide financing for the project.
Other groups mentioned include Stora Enso and UPM-Kymmene, the parent company of Caledonian Paper, which already has a pulp mill in Irvine.
A spokeswoman for UPM-Kymmene said the companys position had not changed since it was first approached by Scottish Enterprise Grampian (SEG) over a year ago.
We said then that we were not interested in the project and our position has not changed, she said.
A statement issued by SEG on behalf of the Scottish Forest Industries Cluster Group said: Initial findings reveal that the project is viable if the required levels of funding and investment are found.
A spokesman for SEG said a number of potential sites had been provisionally identified, but it was too premature to say if the former Barmac construction yard site at Ardesier would be the eventual location.
About 90% of the pulp used to make paper in the UK is imported. If successful, the pulp mill could create 600 jobs, along with a similar number in the forest sector.