Sen. Moreno announces suspension of Chillicothe paper mill closure
U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, announced on Good Friday that the closure of the Chillicothe paper mill has been paused through the end of the year.
The development comes after Moreno sent a letter demanding answers regarding the planned shutdown of Pixelle Specialty Solutions that was first announced earlier this week.
"I am pleased that the closure of the Chillicothe paper mill has been paused," Moreno said in a statement.
"This facility is vital to our community, and I will continue to fight for the workers and their families."
After Moreno announced the news electronically, he spoke at the plant in front of a live crowd. He said the closure suspension will run through the end of the year and added that there is no guarantee beyond 2025.
"This is a team sport," he said to supporters. "This means the city, the county, the state and the federal government ... are gonna work diligently, with urgency over the next eight months. We're gonna find a company that's willing to come to Chillicothe who will invest in the people first."
Comment
Paper Mlll
Jim, there's also a Domtar mill in Hawesville, KY that's going strong. They produce fine papers that goes to Washington Court House to get sheeted and also supply pulp for Sofidel at Circleville.
Hawesville
I was involved in the design of the fine paper machine building at Hawesville in 1980. I was just mentioning mills in close proximity to Chillicothe.
Hopefully good news
I hope this works, but I have seen this movie before, about fifty times in fifty years. Prediction--some "carpetbagger" will come to town with a "plan to save the mill" if she/he can only get wage concessions and a couple hundred million from the state/anybody to put their plan in place. The money is coughed up. Then in a few months they leave in the middle of the night with the money.
The problem is the markets the mill serves or other existential matters. Graphic Packaging just shut down a mill in Middletown. Why? They are getting ready to start up a new, state-of-the-art mill in Waco, TX. The mill in Maysville, built in the early '90's is running fine. The mill in Wapakoneta, started up in 2020 is running fine. Sofidel in Circleville is expanding. There is a tissue mill just announced in the northwest corner of Ohio. Why are these mills thriving and not Chillicothe? 1. Markets served. 2. Overall age.
For Chillicothe one has to also consider the "wood basket." This is the timber available to fiber the mill. It has to be the right species in the right quantities to assure a supply for fifty or more years to come. Does that exist?